blog #2

Through technical choices of special effects and color we are able to determine that this is a dream sequence in the movie "Shutter Island". The color scheme for the movie is more of a grayish tone but the colors are bright when he thinks back to his deceased wife. Martin Scorcesse helps us determine this a dream compared to the rest of the film using multiple angles and using a faint audio of a sad song to give us a feel of the pain Leonardo DiCaprio's character has while having this dream. The choices that were made specifically for this dream sequence remained constant whenever Leonardo DiCaprio thought back to his wife Michelle Williams throughout the film and then in one of the final scenes when we finally see the truth of what he was dreaming of the whole movie.

long shot is used on the shot where Leonardo DiCaprio is holding his wife as the special effects get involved as she bleeds from where she was wounded during her death with ash falling all around them hinting to us there was some type of fire involved in his past.

MCU shot is used to show a closer look at the long shot to put less focus on the scenery and more focus on the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio's character doesn't want to let go as she disintegrates to ash in his arms through special effects.

Selective focus is used on the lens while Michelle William speaks and Leonardo DiCaprio stands behind her listening. Being he doesn't say anything it is unnecessary to clearly see his expression hence all the focus on his wife.

EU shot is used for both while they're talking to each other to show the deep emotion as they speak so we see the pain and tears in their eyes.

The dolly camera movement is used often, the dream sequence begins with a dolly moving in the hallway of Leonardo DiCaprio's old home that was burned down before Michelle Williams appears in front of the window. Tilt camera movement is used to show a close up of Leonardo DiCaprio's arms around his wife's arms, and then again after she disintegrates and water is pouring from his hands.

Mise en scene expresses its a dream sequence; bright colors, beautiful purple sunset over the lake where his children drowned. They're in his first home looking out the window of their second home at the same time. Also they're giving space to the left for us to see what's she's looking at.

There's a shot where Leonardo DiCaprio and his wife are looking at each other and the shot is balanced with him on the left and her on the right giving it a one point perspective look with only a wall behind them.

Overall this is a very dramatic scene in the movie and it was presented well.