In considering subjectivity and the affordances of the frame, I definitely think that to a degree, subjectivity can be communicated through the frame. Although ‘Drive’ is not told from the direct point of view of the driver, much of the suspense which is created in the film is as a result of the driver’s perspective and it’s limitations. We see this in the opening sequence particularly – though we see Ryan Gosling’s character driving, we still see the police car going past as he does, and anticipate the robber’s returning into the car as he does.

However there are a number of questions here about subjectivity, because we aren’t seeing the POV of the driver as though it is happening live, we’re seeing his facial expressions and responses as a kind of commentary on the action, particularly in the car chase scenes. However the driver’s responses to elicit a kind of mirrored response in the audience – e.g. when Standard gets shot, we see the shock in the driver’s eyes which may mirror our own, etc. Subjectivity doesn’t appear to be as obviously told as directly showing point of view shots, but it is shown – especially through, as this week’s lecture mentioned, how the frame functions in showing the relationship between the frame, subjectivity, editing, miss en scene, colour etc.

In fact, I was exploring the question of film/subjectivity in my essay this week. Colour, mise en scene and editing can function in creating mood, which is reflective of subjectivity. For example in ‘Drive’ during the scene with the driver, Irene and the boy by the water – the colour palette is yellowed and everything seems like a kind of spring inspired dream which reflects the driver’s joy. In this way I think the mood the frame creates is relative to it’s ability to present a subjective POV.

I found some of these thoughts reflected in this week’s Frampton reading, particularly from the ideas of V.F Perkins about how “narrative, concept and emotion are completely fused…. film becomes the projection of the mental universe.”

On a side note, I find the subjectivity question interesting when looking at ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’, as there a points where we do seem to view the camera directly from her point of view (as cued by shaking movement) and other instances where we see the woman’s limbs moving, her eye closing… I feel as though the experience of point of view here has more room for interpretation.

I think that the idea of subjectivity may become a point of focus for me for the major project brief… we’ll see!

References

Daniel Frampton, ‘Film Minds’ in Filmosophy (2006), Wallflower Press, pp. 15-26.