This picture, is in the scene where John Anderton is trying to hide from the pre-crime cops. He tries to make himself invisible to heat sensors by cooling his body temperature with ice water. What was interesting is that the four intersections of the grid each indicate different lighting. The upper righthand intersection is clearly a place of emphasis, over the lower righthand intersection, as it is lighter and more visible. It attracts attention to the oddly blue bathtub and the helpless looking Anderton. It also highlights his bandaged eyes. The only way to free himself from his identity was by replacing his eyes, and like in Oedipus the King, he seems to gain "insight" by doing so. He now sees what he must do to outsmart pre-crime. The top left intersection highlights an odd strip of light, and it automatically grabs our attention because it is the brightest part of the shot. I think this adds suspension because it shows an entrance for the cops to enter that we would miss otherwise.
This shot is eerily similar to the shot of Agatha in "the soup". For one, both shots are tinted blue. It makes me wonder what type of lighting was used here? It adds an eery feeling because it is not the normal color a bath would look like and it makes the "soup" Agatha is in look more futuristic. Another similarity is the position of helplessness that Agatha and Anderton are in in these shots. Agatha is clearly helpless as she is an essential part of pre-crime against her will. She is not treated as a human and cannot leave on her own terms. This is also a helpless moment for Anderton. He is blinded, cannot run from the cops and all he can do is hold his breath and wait. The scene is very nerve-racking because Anderton is very vulnerable and is also unable to leave on his own terms like Agatha.
Well Danielle, you've hit on some really interesting points here! I very much enjoyed your thoughts regarding the four unique lighitng styles, I enjoyed them very much indeed. I would, however, like to bring to your attention, a brief flaw in this otherwise splendid post. Your image of Agatha seems to be entirely absent. So my first question to you Danielle is, where has Agatha gone? Could she have left the "soup" you refer to in your pop culturally relevant post title? Could Anterton have taken her away again, possibly for help in gambling, or the lotto? What do you think? My second, but no less insightful question is, how do you think another type of shot would have worked in this scene? possibly a POV, or a close up? What are your thoughts on those suggestions?
ReplyDeleteInteresting comment on the light at all 4 intersections, Dani -- I also like your comment on the similar color of this water and Agatha's "soup."
ReplyDeleteHere's a question: what do you make of the angles in this shot? Notice how the light by the door and the light of the tub are at interesting angles.