THE SCARLET EMPRESS (1934), Josef von Sternberg

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THE RED SHOES (1948), MICHAEL POWELL AND EMERIC PRESSBURGER

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SUNRISE (1927), F.W. Murnau

Thanks everyone for your comments last week. This week, I'd like you to try to be more rigorous in directing attention to the formal features of the Shot That Moved You. Remember the way we spent a good deal of time in class visually breaking down the individual shots that make up the scene in The Gold Rush where the tramp "meets" (and fails to be met by) Georgia? Try to do the same here with your chosen shot. Ask yourself how the shot is lit; at what angle the shot is taken, and at what distance from the actors; whether or not the camera moves, and if so, in what way; how objects are arranged within the frame, and what kind of composition these objects make; what's in and out of focus; how long the shot lasts; and so on. (That list, by the way, is far from exhaustive.) Once you've taken stock of the concrete details of the shot, but only once you've done so, then go on to speculate about the meanings that such details suggest, and what effect they have on you as a spectator. 

In short, be as specific as possible when recounting what you've seen! Good luck.        

THE GOLD RUSH (1925), Charlie Chaplin

Please post your comment below, and don't forget to sign with your real name so I can give you credit. There is no length requirement, but try to write at least five or six sentences—the equivalent of a short paragraph. Also, make sure to read what your classmates have to say, and, if you'd like, respond to their responses. Multiple contributions to the thread are more than welcome. One final reminder: as per the title of the blog, we are dealing with cinema at the level of the shot—not the sequence or the theme or the plot—and thus you should orient your remarks accordingly. If you aren't certain that you're remembering details accurately, don't worry. Just go with your gut memory: oftentimes invented details are more interesting than real ones.  Good luck, and have fun.