In the film Pride and Prejudice (2005), directed by Joe Wright, a scene takes place at a grand ball in the Netherfield home. Here, the two main characters, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, share a dance, much to Elizabeth’s surprise. In this scene, the director uses different filming techniques to display the connection and tension between the two dancing characters. The scene begins in a medium shot where you can see Darcy and Elizabeth from the waist up. Digetic orchestra music is playing in the background and they start to dance. As they begin their back-and-forth witty conversation, the camera zooms in and out of close shots of both the characters so that you see both of their expressions. This helps the viewer to understand that they are both very conscious of what the other says and are paying close attention, trying to discover the other’s personality. The zooming to a close shot also allows the viewer to quickly judge how the characters are reacting and what they feel toward the other. We can see that Mr. Darcy is perplexed by Elizabeth and her sarcastic comments, where Elizabeth is almost smirking. This close shot establishes that the two both have different feelings for each other. The camera is also dolling, following them as they weave in and out of the dance, implying that the two are connected despite their disagreeing tempers. Soon the other couples in the background fade away, leaving only Elizabeth and Darcy. The camera zooms into another close shot, and as the twirl around each other we can see the tension between the two. Finally the dance ends, and the camera zooms out to a medium shot, showing them as a part of the crowd once more. All together, this helps to establish the thick tension between the couple, as well as their connection from the dance.
Analysis of a Scene from Pride and Prejudice
In the film Pride and Prejudice (2005), directed by Joe Wright, a scene takes place at a grand ball in the Netherfield home. Here, the two main characters, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, share a dance, much to Elizabeth’s surprise. In this scene, the director uses different filming techniques to display the connection and tension between the two dancing characters. The scene begins in a medium shot where you can see Darcy and Elizabeth from the waist up. Digetic orchestra music is playing in the background and they start to dance. As they begin their back-and-forth witty conversation, the camera zooms in and out of close shots of both the characters so that you see both of their expressions. This helps the viewer to understand that they are both very conscious of what the other says and are paying close attention, trying to discover the other’s personality. The zooming to a close shot also allows the viewer to quickly judge how the characters are reacting and what they feel toward the other. We can see that Mr. Darcy is perplexed by Elizabeth and her sarcastic comments, where Elizabeth is almost smirking. This close shot establishes that the two both have different feelings for each other. The camera is also dolling, following them as they weave in and out of the dance, implying that the two are connected despite their disagreeing tempers. Soon the other couples in the background fade away, leaving only Elizabeth and Darcy. The camera zooms into another close shot, and as the twirl around each other we can see the tension between the two. Finally the dance ends, and the camera zooms out to a medium shot, showing them as a part of the crowd once more. All together, this helps to establish the thick tension between the couple, as well as their connection from the dance.