When the two young lovers are introduced, they are hopeful and looking towards the future. There is a sense of innocent newness, to Batiste and Josettes's relationship, that is abruptly overshadowed with despair, when the Prefet declares genocide on the Tutsi people. Through very precise camera jump cuts the scenes abruptly transition from a seemingly hopeful scenario of youthful love to hopelessness, despair and an act of genocide. This technique of camera cuts, is effective when the lovers are shown together, in a seemingly ideal young love, interrupted by the Prefet's message of destruction. The use jump cuts effectively show dualistic points of views of the atrocity of genocide and sets the tone for the feelings involved in such a inhumane act. To further capture the emotions of characters, very intense use of close-up, reveal the the ominous nature of the invaders, in particular the scene where there is an intense close up of the Prefets's facial expression when he proclaims "We are going to clean out the whole country" when referring to the genocidal attack on the Tutsi's. The camera holds his expression and shows the harshness in his eyes and his malicious intent without use of dialogue. The use of close-up effectively captures the emotions of the characters, the official's ominous demeanor is revealed through the intensity of his eyes and the dim lighting of the background. The use of close-ups also conveys a message of loss of youth and innocence in Batiste. When Batiste finds his family has been killed, the camera captures his empty, saddened expression in his transition from hope of love to a reality of despair. The camera also captures, Josette's loss of innocence, when she is raped by the priest and gives birth to a child she feels is not her own, her expression is devastated and deeply saddened. Using close-ups and effective timing of jump-cuts, the characters pull and tug at the emotions of the audience and allow for the viewer to really feel for the characters and their situation.
Though camera use was a vital asset in conveying the emotional state of the characters in 100 Days, I found the strength of the youth to be a sign of hope. When the children are sent to to be burned at the gas station, they are together in survival and though they are preyed upon they stick together and that showed, that the youth has strength. Although the children are in the middle of such a dreadful predicament, they represent the future.
2 comments:
The Love aspect of the movie seems to almost give a small sense of peace and security in life. Although it's quickly cut off and just when they thought they had all the time in the world to embrace and love each other that was all over. It seems like the love between the two lovers isn't really all that neccessary as their love quickly fades into a universal problem around their people dealing with a genocide.
(Hutu vs Tutsi)
The fight that separate neighbors, the fight that separates families, and in the lovers that quickly deal with the harsh times. And if things couldn't get worse with al the killings going on, she gets raped! It truly must have seemed like 100 days til eternity.
I must say that the quick camera shits moving back and fourth were very effective and brilliant. I love that you talked about the innocence of the couple's love and is cut off by the directorship of a Hutu soldier. The close ups do reveal the crazed hate in the Hutus' eye and is very strong. He looks possessed. Also the close ups during the couple revealed a softer side of Josette and Baptiste. Their eyes looked sincere and were very believable. The whole movie had very effective closeups specially the children who are being burned. Yes, y are in the middle of a war and they represent the future, which the Hutus are trying to exterminate. But I love how the camera captured this one boy and his eyes were ready for death. They were strong and he seemed to be the only calm one in the room. His eyes revealed a calmness and that created an emotional bond between the audience and the character. Nice blog. I liked how observant you were about the close up technique.
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