We watched some clips in class and I wanted to talk about one of them.

Ascenseur pour l’echafaud (1958) Lift to the gallows

This is a black and white film. The opening scene which we watched in class is very bright but I think it create a feeling of romance. Just by the look of this scene will make us wonder who is the person over the telephone. And the answer can be seen from the lighting. It reminds me of a Japanese tv series called “Vanilla meets coffee”.

Lots of scenes in this tv show are very bright which I think overexposure sometimes can be shoot for purpose in order to give audience a sense of warm and romance.

I am impressed with the scene when the woman protagonist walking on the street.

She is wearing a black dress and her costume take important role in this scene. There are some moments which her black dress make contrast with the lighting in the background. For example, (0:40-0:46) the lighting in the background is very shining and bright. If she wears a white cloth then it will not good as this one. Her hair and her face are contrasty to her dressing which enable her to stand out and could not be ignored. I like the lights behind her (0:51-1:04) somehow creating a circle around her. I do not know how they achieved that but the lighting gives me a sense that she is the centre of this world. Although I did not see the film, the shinning lights combing her expressions, showing me her inner world feelings which might be unstable and weak.

her facial expressions are just so appealing with the street lights in the background. I am curious about the way it was shot. The focus is changing with her movements which is very smooth and just in the right time. The acting, lighting, camera operation work together in this piece which make it very impressive.