title: Utilising Principles of Cinematography to Communicate Anti-Violence and Anti-Vengeance Themes in a Revenge Film
Creators: name: Nguyen, Alan Duc Khoi
Publisher: name: Griffith University
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Cinematography
subject: Revenge film
subject: Anti-violence
subject: Anti-vengeance
subject: Filmmakers

description: 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 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 is shown as escalating conflict and perpetuating cycles of violence and retaliation, with no apparent satisfaction or redeeming benefits for anyone involved.