3 Brilliant Moments of Blocking (in Kurosawa's High and Low)
CineFix - IGN Movies and TV・2 minutes read
Filmmakers are reevaluating how they move objects in front of the camera, highlighting the importance of blocking techniques borrowed from theater to convey dramatic stories and reveal characters' internal emotions through movement and positioning on screen. Akira Kurosawa's exemplary blocking techniques in "High and Low" showcase how strategic positioning of characters can convey individual motivations, guide the audience's gaze, and create emotional depth and narrative complexity in a scene, leading to a captivating and masterfully blocked narrative unfolding on screen.
Insights
- Filmmakers are rethinking the traditional role of blocking, emphasizing its significance in conveying characters' internal emotions and motivations through strategic movement and positioning.
- Akira Kurosawa's adept use of blocking in "High and Low" demonstrates how this technique can transform characters' internal struggles into compelling external narratives, guiding the audience's focus and emotions with precision and depth.
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Recent questions
What is blocking in filmmaking?
The term "blocking" in filmmaking refers to the positioning and movement of figures in a space to convey a dramatic story. It involves how characters are placed and move within a scene to create visual interest and convey emotions effectively.
Why is blocking important in film?
Blocking is crucial in film as it adds a technique to visual storytelling rather than replacing it. While the camera can capture visual stories without movement, blocking enhances the narrative by guiding the audience's focus, emotions, and understanding of the characters' motivations through strategic positioning and movement.
How does Akira Kurosawa use blocking in "High and Low"?
Akira Kurosawa showcases exemplary blocking techniques in "High and Low" by strategically positioning characters in scenes to convey individual motivations and create a cohesive, evocative image. Through blocking, Kurosawa reveals characters' internal emotions through movement, making internal feelings external in a believable manner.
What does blocking control in filmmaking?
Blocking controls focus in filmmaking by directing the audience's attention to specific elements within a scene through the positioning, movement, and composition of characters. It guides the audience's gaze and emotions, ensuring that the narrative unfolds effectively and that the intended message is conveyed.
How does blocking contribute to emotional depth in film?
Blocking contributes to emotional depth in film by using positioning, movement, and composition to convey complex emotions and narrative depth. Through strategic blocking, filmmakers can create tension, reveal character motivations, and prompt emotional revelations that captivate viewers and enhance the storytelling experience.
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IMPACT FRAMES
Summary
00:00
"Filmmakers master blocking for emotional depth"
- Filmmakers are now focusing on how they move objects in front of the camera, reevaluating the stage and its connection to the screen.
- Blocking, borrowed from theater, involves positioning and moving figures in a space to convey a dramatic story.
- On stage, visual presentation is limited, necessitating movement of people for visual variety.
- While the camera can create visual stories without movement, blocking remains crucial and adds a technique rather than replacing it.
- Akira Kurosawa showcases exemplary blocking techniques in "High and Low," revealing characters' internal emotions through movement.
- Blocking can move people to reveal their true selves, making internal emotions external in a believable manner.
- Kurosawa strategically positions characters in a scene to convey individual motivations and create a cohesive, evocative image.
- Blocking controls focus by directing the audience's attention to specific elements through positioning, movement, and composition.
- Kurosawa expertly manipulates blocking to guide the audience's gaze and emotions in a scene with multiple characters and complex decisions.
- The culmination of blocking techniques in a scene from "High and Low" showcases the power of positioning, movement, and composition to convey emotional depth and narrative complexity.
13:06
Unspoken tension leads to downfall and revelation.
- The unspoken tension between two men has led to their downfall, as guilt fills the gap between them, prompting a revelation of their true motivations and actions on screen, creating a captivating and masterfully blocked narrative that unfolds before the viewers' eyes.
