Hello! This marks my group and I's second blog for today, in which we will be discussing yet another film that is part of the science-fiction thriller genre, director David Yarovesky's 2019 film, "Brightburn."
Just like we did in the last blog, let's examine each piece of this film and see how exactly it fits into this specific genre.
Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots:
When it comes to the camera angles, movement, and shots, there were quite a few used throughout the movie. One of the most often used shots was the establishing shot which portrayed various locations including the subject's house, a barn, a school, a forest, and even a restaurant. Wide shots were also used in relation to location, specifically when attempting to show the scope of the subject's destruction. A combination of a wide long shot was used when the subject was high up in the air away from the ground to emphasize the vast distance between him both literally and metaphorically from the people on Earth. In addition, since the concept in the film was based around a powerful alien child, it makes sense as to why medium-close-up and full-body shots were used to create a sense of familiarity for the audience with the supporting, human characters of the film. Close-up shots were used when something bad was happening to the subject's victims in an attempt to capture their reactions and allow the audience to at least sympathize with their unfortunate situation. As with any film, two and three shots were used to demonstrate the dynamic between multiple subjects, particularly when
Point of view shots were not the most common, but were used when serious injuries occurred to refrain from showing too much gore, a key trait of thrillers, whilst also giving the audience the opportunity to empathize with the subject. Additionally, this type of shot was also used when a character was looking outside of a window, obscuring the audience's view and restricting them to being able to see only what one particular subject does. This, in turn, creates suspense as they are unaware of external threats outside of their field of vision. To take things up a notch and really increase the tension felt in the scene, the director also incorporated a shot of the threat itself's point of view looking in towards its unsuspecting victims. Up until a certain point in the film, the subject was sheltered, like when he was denied being given a gun for his birthday, but once he began to feel superior to others because of his powers, he decided to take control of his own life. This was manifested in the film's climax when the subject is shown from a low angle as he and his mother are suspended in the air. When he finally lets her go and she drops towards the ground, a high angle is used to show how little power and control she had over her situation and how her fate ultimately rested in the hands of her son, creating an interesting shift in the power dynamic between the two as he pushes his limits and breaks past them.
Regarding camera movements, tracking shots were used during the subject's destructive episodes within his home as his mother frantically ran through her house looking for a place to hide. This, in turn, conveys to the audience how terrified she is, whilst also allowing them to show how large the house was as she struggled to find a safe place to hole herself up in, thereby making for quite an effective technique being that it uses up less screen time during the ninety-minute film by killing two birds with one stone. Panning was used to create feelings of apprehension as one of the subject's victims stared at him in fear as she knew she could do nothing to escape her horrid fate. Tilting was used on one occasion, when the subject's mother was dangling from the outside of her window sill, in attempting to show how weak and her efforts were unmatched to her son's power. A handheld camera shot was also used in the very beginning of the film when the subject's spaceship first struck the Earth which was done in an attempt to show the intensity of his impact. Slow zoom-ins were also used to show that the subject was about to strike after having made his presence known.
Sound:
Sound was crucial in creating a sense of anxiousness in this film. Throughout its entirety, the film, suspenseful, non-diegetic music was used to keep the audience from getting too comfortable as they wait in anticipation for the next death to occur. The volume of said sounds was heightened during tense moments to show that a character had grown more perceptive to threats posed by the primary subject out of fear they were experiencing. When it came to the silence of said sounds in the movie, it would typically occur when the subject would disappear and both his family and his victims would wait in fear as they grew more concerned for their safety by the second, with dialogue between characters or their ragged breathing being the only things heard.
With that being said, dialogue was also quite important within the film as it cleared up all doubts the audience had regarding the subject's origins. The big reveal occurred when the subject's mother broke the news that he was from another planet to him. The dialogue also helped bring the relationships between the subject and other characters in the film to life, like when he told his crush that she was the only person who knew how special he was, making it seem as though she should feel honored to know that about him, feeding into his superiority complex. Moreover, the subject was beckoned to the spaceship by an unintelligible sound that eventually became the phrase 'Take the world'.
Editing:
Editing was also a key aspect when it came to making this film as immersive as it was. When the film began, a series of jump cuts were used to create a short montage of the subject growing up normally, with no indication that he would eventually turn evil. The fact that this was staged in the past and functioned as a flashback was evidenced by the fact that the video is given the effect of having come from an old, family home video. Jump cutting was also used for a similar montage at the end of the film, which was comprised of television news reports that highlighted the extensive amount of destruction that the primary subject has caused when he was finally pushed past his breaking point upon killing his mother. With no one left who truly cares for him in the world, why should he care for it? During the film itself, a shot-reverse-shot is used when the subject is speaking to his aunt, a school counselor regarding how he felt about breaking his crush's hand, allowing the audience to see how apathetic he was towards the entire ordeal, an obvious contrast to his aunt's obvious concern about his wellbeing. Later on in the film, crosscutting is used when the subject murders his father, as the scenes jump between that taking place and his mother coming to the horrifying realization that her dear son had been the one behind all of the murders occurring around town. Eye-line matching was used primarily when the subject was killing the people he loved and cared for, like his mom, dad, and uncle to show the contrast between how little remorse and sympathy he felt, when compared to the fear, sadness, and regretfulness that flashed across his family members' faces as they lamented that things had unfolded the way that they did.
As for the virtual effects, as in those added to the film during the post-production editing process, the subject's eyes turn red when he becomes frustrated as he kills people, inciting fear in both his victims and the audience. Furthermore, to allow the audience to grasp the subject's immense strength and seemingly limitless power, editing was conducted to make it seem as though he had enhanced capabilities which allowed him to fly and do so at very rapid speeds, and even having given him laser eyes.
Mis-Én-Scene:
When it comes to the costume aspect of mis-én-scene, when not on a murderous rampage, the subject wears normal, casual clothing, just like the rest of the cast, all of whom were dressed in attire that you might see every day when you're out and about. Unlike some science fiction films that include aliens, there was no use of any special effects to make the primary subject look inhuman; that was achieved by use of editing. As for make-up, it was only really relevant when a character's injuries were shown to show the extent to which they had been hurt. When the subject killed people, he would wear a homemade costume, comprised of a cape and a menacing mask, which was quite ironic because it's something that superheroes (whose powers the subject seems to have) typically wear to conceal their identity when they save innocent people. In a sense, the mask dehumanized him, just like in "Gemini Man.
Shifting gears to look at the lighting in this film, one thing that is noticeable right off the bat is the fact that the movie is staged mostly in the daytime, with the subject's killing sprees occurring at night (with the exception of his father). When the subject would near a location with electricity, the lights would begin to flicker, a clear warning that he was nearby. In addition, when anyone approaches the subject's spaceship, red lights begin to pulsate, likely foreshadowing the danger associated with the foreign object and the subject who originated from it.
Acting was really what helped make the movie become more impactful. At one point in the film, the subject removed his mask in front of his uncle, who was about to die, serving as a demonstration of the fact that he had no sympathy or mercy left for him and that the prospect of even convincing him to stop his destructive ways was long gone. In addition, acting was also extremely important in conveying the conflicted feelings that the father felt upon making the accusation that his son was the person behind all of the murders in town.
The next thing on the mis-én-scene list is props. At the start of the film, there are a number of different books shown that convey the fact that the subject's mother is infertile and has been struggling to have a child for quite a while, making the audience begin to question how she could've possibly had the child shown in the following montage. This creation of questions and intrigue in the audience is something we'd like to achieve with our final task. Another prop used in the film was a lawnmower, which served as the first indication that the subject was inhuman as he remained uninjured after coming in contact with its blades. Moreover, during a nightmare that the subject's dad had, his wife was holding a swaddled baby, which we assume to be a doll, to show how much she loves her alien child despite it not really being hers, proving that the father understands how difficult it will be to break the news to his wife that their son might be evil.
The last component of mis-én-scene is the set. This film was confined mainly to one location, that being the subject's family's farm, including their house and their barn. This is due to the fact that they are situated in a rural town, so other locations are far apart and difficult to access. Regarding the barn, it contained a locked cellar in which the subject's spaceship was kept. As for places outside of their home, a restaurant and school were also used, serving as the site of the subject's first murder and the location where he first hatched his gruesome plans, broke his crush's hand, and drew weird symbols in his notebook, respectfully.
Takeaways:
We definitely enjoyed this film and it was certainly a refreshing take on alien superbeings. It acted as an interesting twist on the superhero trope, having given the subject powers, a mask, and even a cape, before making him out to be an unstoppable murder machine. I will say that I would like to stray away from gore and virtual effects are much as possible since this is a low-budget high school film and there are certain standards we must adhere to. We quite liked the fact that the film used point-of-view shots, included casual and easily-accessible clothing choices, and even managed to make the simple flickering of lights scary.
To close off this blog, I'd like to quote a lyric by the notorious Rick Astley because I promise that we're "Never gonna let you down" (1987).
