Film Analysis and Breakdown - Essay Example

The long shots zoom in and out of the various people in the clip, enabling the viewer to see their facial features and the emotions that they exhibit. Shot 3: Sound: The soundtrack was infamous Jazz music common to the New Orleans area, with no talking, to contrast the irony between the Big Easy of old, and the reality of the destruction facing the area today. Shot 4: Image: The Depth of Field was quite wide as the director was trying to capsulate the mood of the time and the breadth of emotion that the film was designed to attract.

The camera angle casts a wide panoramic view of the destruction left in the aftermath of the hurricane. Images are quite horrific as we see the sheer volume of water the descending upon the region. Shot 5: Sound: There was no narration in this shot; rather, only music was employed as a means to draw in the viewer to the message of the film. The music depicts the heart and sole of the region, while the images in this shot cast a different tone. Shot 6: Image: Finally, in this shot, we notice a diegetic sound as we are left with a vision of what the destruction must have felt like and the voices of the people as they realized what had become of their lives.

Part Two: Individual Analysis When the Levees Broke is a documentary film developed to contrast the two images we have of the Gulf region. On the one had, we have an area that is fun-loving and associated with a party type atmosphere. Gaining the nickname ‘The Big Easy’, we have visions of Jazz music, racial diversity, coupled with racial divisions. This understanding is contrasted with the destruction experienced during Hurricane Katrina, the feeling of despair and neglect that was felt, and the seemingly hopeless feeling that the people had and continue to have to this day.

This emotion is all bought out in the very first sequence of the film. The sequence I chose is the very opening footage of the movie. I chose this sequence because the message portrayed in the opening six shots contains the heart and the purpose behind the documentary. The filming is a spectacular mix of close up and panoramic shots that encapsulate life before and after the Hurricane. No shot is wasted during the opening sequence, as the view is taken on a journey through two different time periods.

Documentaries are often designed to elicit emotion and to tell a story. This opening sequence certainly accomplishes this aim. In shots one and two, while there is nothing spoken, the music tells the story. There are great editing features employed here that cut between the massive flooding that occurred when the levees broke, yet we are then cut back to an earlier time when the area was beautiful and life was good. Shots three through five employ an editing technique that provides us with a comparison and contrast that make the film effective in communicating its intended message.

The camera in these shots cut to close ups of people in various states. After the hurricane, the images are horrific and the viewer can feel the pain. During the cuts to an earlier time, that is contrasted with images of excitement and a better time. These shots give us a picture of the before and after of the Gulf Region and set the tone for the rest of the film. The music itself appears to be carefully chosen as well. Rather than shifting its message and tone, the jazz played during the opening sequence is a consistent representation and reminder of what the Gulf Region was, and hopes to once again become.