In this video essay, we explore how 12 Angry Men shifts between high-angle and low-angle shots to express the characters’ emotional states.
.
.
Transcript provided by Youtube:
00:04
The [High/low] camera Angles in 12 Angry Men pull the viewer into the characters emotional experience
00:11
So we feel what they feel at the [film’s] start the camera is placed high above eye level
00:17
wide-Angle Lenses Convey a healthy distance of objectivity
00:23
as
00:25
Regular citizens decide the fate of a young teen the removed camera paints them as fair and impartial
00:32
Later the camera Falls below eye level as tension Grows
00:39
Close ups on the agitated faces draw us into the mounting pressure and claustrophobia until justice is finally served
00:52
at the end a simple decent interaction restores humanity
01:00
marble and the final shot reverts to a high angle
01:05
mirroring the first majestic shots of the courthouse
01:08
Civility and compassion return we can breathe [again]
01:23
you
—
This post was previously published on Youtube.
—
***
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project and want to join our calls on a regular basis, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
Talk to you soon.
—
Photo credit: Screenshot from video