Utilising Principles of Cinematography to Communicate Anti-Violence and Anti-Vengeance Themes in a Revenge Film

Utilising Principles of Cinematography to Communicate Anti- Violence and Anti-Vengeance Themes in a Revenge Film Author Nguyen, Alan Duc Khoi Published 2017-09 Thesis Type Thesis (Professional Doctorate) School Queensland College of Art DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/3045 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/375769 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Utilising Principles of Cinematography to Communicate Anti-Violence and Anti-Vengeance Themes in a Revenge Film Alan Nguyen Bachelor of Behavioural Science, Master of Digital Design, Master of Arts (Research) Griffith Film School Queensland College of Art Arts, Education and Law Griffith University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Visual Arts, September 2017 ii ABSTRACT In this exegesis I discuss the context, rationale and methods involved in the development and production of Firebird (2016), a film created as the studio component of my Doctor of Visual Arts degree. The film, along with this exegesis, serves to address the research question: How can anti-violence and anti-vengeance themes be communicated through images in a revenge film? Revenge films often gain audience sympathy for the protagonist through the presentation of an initial wrongdoing or harm, which gives licence for viewers to enjoy the portrayal of violent acts that the protagonist subsequently enacts on his/her revenge-targets. As a filmmaker and film researcher, I have a particular interest in revenge films that provide a more critical approach to the portrayal of vengeance and violence. For the purposes of this exegesis, the terms ‘anti-vengeance’ and ‘anti-violence’ will be used to describe films, or aspects of films, that portray violent vengeance in a disapproving, non-approving, or ambivalent manner. The main contributions of this creative-art and research project are as follows. First, it provides a relatively rare example of a revenge film made with the conscious intention of communicating anti-violence and anti-vengeance themes. Second, it documents my experiences: the challenges I faced, my decision-making processes, and the techniques I adopted, all of which may be of some interest to other filmmakers. Third, it provides a systematic analysis of cinematic image techniques used in a number of contemporary revenge films to support either anti- or pro-vengeance sentiments. The actual process of making this film involved eclectic, iterative and fluid combinations of hands-on experimentation, reflection-in-action, and insights gleaned from the study of previous film works. A distinctive aspect of Firebird is the gradual evolution in its portrayal of the revenge-target, who is also the lead antagonist. Initially, this character is depicted as mysterious, powerful and menacing, but as the film progresses, it allows the audience to see him in a far more humanistic and sympathetic light, thereby undermining the notion of justified vengeance. This nuanced treatment contrasts with the way many revenge films portray targets of revenge as outright villains, with few redeeming qualities. While revenge films that feature anti- vengeance themes generally avoid such damning depictions, they generally present a static, rather than evolving, view of these characters. In this context, the ‘gradual improvement in iii understanding’ approach employed in Firebird is an innovation within the field of revenge films. To implement this approach, initial shots of the antagonist were taken from low-angle placements that showed little of his face but suggested a dominating presence. Subsequent images of him included more humanistic aspects (e.g., warm-toned lighting cast on his face) and were further enhanced through post-production (e.g., selective brightening and resizing of shots to provide greater intimacy). The antagonist’s perspective was explored, not only through dialogue but also through flashback imagery, which often contrasted in form from surrounding images. The film also showed the antagonist as suffering from the negative psychological consequences of his own violent acts. In one particular scene, where he expresses a deep sense of guilt, blacks were used to isolate the figure, top-lighting was used to support the notion of psychological anguish, while green-gels on lighting were used to give a cold, uncomfortable atmosphere. During the course of the film, the protagonist-revenger moves from a state of relatively good health, self-confidence and certainty of purpose to one of wavering resolve and physical frailty. Initially, as he speaks of his plan for revenge, the camera travels towards him, adding to the power of this moment and supporting a sense of his emotional resolve. As the film progresses, images begin to depict an emotional state of turmoil and indecision, including a close-up shot of a hand poised half-way between his bed and a weapon. Selective colour- grading was designed to depict him with warmer flesh tones early in the film and progress to colder tones in later scenes, to depict the deterioration in his physical health, but also to visually support the internal shift in the character. The ending of the film is decidedly not a triumphant one. A sense of tragedy is conveyed not only through the death of the protagonist, but also through the notion that he is killed by his own quarry, who by that time has shown remorse for past acts of violence. An image of the dying protagonist is shown from what might be the antagonist’s point-of-view, followed by a lingering close-up of the latter’s horrified and grief-filled expression. As for the depiction of moments of violent action, the film tends to focus on showing the effects of violence on the victim, rather than direct visual capture of the violent act itself. The effects are depicted through close-ups of the victim’s face. In this film, the pursuit of revenge iv is shown as escalating conflict and perpetuating cycles of violence and retaliation, with no apparent satisfaction or redeeming benefits for anyone involved. v Statement of Originality This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. Alan Nguyen, September 2017 vi WORKS ARISING FROM THIS STUDY THAT HAVE APPEARED ELSEWHERE The film Firebird (2016), which forms the studio component of this research study, has been screened at the following film festivals: Filmmakers World Festival (Jakarta, Indonesia: 2016), Madrid International Film Festival (Madrid, Spain: 2016), Portland Film Festival (Portland, USA: 2016) and Sightlines: Filmmaking in the Academy (Melbourne, Australia: 2016). Ideas, analyses and discussions generated during the course of the study have been presented in the following papers: Nguyen, A. (2015) “Communicating Anti-Violence and Anti-Vengeance Themes in Revenge Films”, paper presented at The Fourth Asian Conference on Film And Documentary (FILMASIA2015) held in Kobe, Japan. This paper was published in the official conference proceedings (ISSN: 2187- 5294). Nguyen, A. (2016) “Cinematic Techniques in the Communication of Anti- Vengeance Themes”, paper presented at the Sightlines: Filmmaking in the Academy Conference held in Melbourne, Australia. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank Associate Professor Andi Spark and Dr Louise Harvey, my Supervisors at the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, for their kindness, generosity and patience in providing guidance, advice, assistance and support. Warmest thanks are also due to my External Supervisor, Dr Robin Fox, for his advice, support and interactions in my home-city of Melbourne. I thank my employer, the Melbourne Polytechnic, for having supported my DVA research by allowing a number of periods of leave for professional development. Secondly, I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to collaborators in the making of Firebird. The entire crew and cast of this film would be too lengthy to list here, but they are credited in the film itself. Filmmaking is most definitely a collaborative art, and the making of the film was critically dependent on their hard work, efforts and dedication to the project, and their wonderful cooperative spirit. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation for the personal support and encouragement provided throughout the years of this research study by my parents Tom and Ann, brother Jeremy, partner Katie Collins, mentor Khyentse Norbu, and other close friends and relatives – Thank you ! Alan Nguyen September 2017 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract …………………………………………………………………………….. iii Statement of Originality …………………………………………………………… vi Works Arising from this Study that Has Appeared Elsewhere ………………… vii Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………… viii Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………….. ix List of Figures………………………………………………………….…………… xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Research Question ………………………………………………………..... 1 1.2 Research Context ….……………………………………………………….. 1 1.3 Significance of Research …………………………………………………… 7 1.4 Research Methodology …………………………………………………….. 9 1.5 Research Scope ……………………………………………………………… 12 CHAPTER 2: USE OF THE CINEMATIC IMAGE TO COMMUNICATE VENGEANCE-RELATED THEMES IN REVENGE FILMS 2.1 Chapter Introduction ……………………………………………………… 13 2.2 Overview of Three

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