Paradise Lost (Olarreaga, 1999) deals with themes of love, innocence and death and treats these subjects with subtly in terms of visual storytelling. The plot and themes are conveyed through the production design, mise-en-scène and camera placement. Focusing in on the opening sequence, the choice of camera angles presents the story as a complex melding of different character 's points of view as well as how colour and lines within the frame suggest a sense of separation and of contrast.
The point of view in Paradise Lost is problematic, it doesn’t stick with one character and at times even embodies an omniscient stance, watching as the action unfolds before reentering the subjective view of a character. The opening shot of the film is characteristic …show more content…
Often trees appear standing between characters and blocking the audience view of the action in the scenes directly proceeding the opening. Pablo leans against a tree as he talks to the girl, creating another visual barrier between them. But obscuring nature of the trees seems to play a very important role in terms of portraying the theme of love is Paradise Lost. Pablo’s point of view as he looks at the girl is disrupted by her clothes, giving him only half-glimpses at her body, hiding what he is really trying to look at. This is compounded in the shot towards the girls breast, where even though the clothing has parted her bra still prevent any further exposure. This scene, coupled with the foreground trees and brush in later shots, creates a repeated visual motif of obscuring that presents love as a blinding force. This is echoed and becomes even more poignant and in the later shot of the suicided lover. The camera drifts over his chest, preoccupied with the gun in-hand and pointing upwards while his face is not shown – visually and metaphorically this is another metaphor for the blinding nature of
The point of view in Paradise Lost is problematic, it doesn’t stick with one character and at times even embodies an omniscient stance, watching as the action unfolds before reentering the subjective view of a character. The opening shot of the film is characteristic …show more content…
Often trees appear standing between characters and blocking the audience view of the action in the scenes directly proceeding the opening. Pablo leans against a tree as he talks to the girl, creating another visual barrier between them. But obscuring nature of the trees seems to play a very important role in terms of portraying the theme of love is Paradise Lost. Pablo’s point of view as he looks at the girl is disrupted by her clothes, giving him only half-glimpses at her body, hiding what he is really trying to look at. This is compounded in the shot towards the girls breast, where even though the clothing has parted her bra still prevent any further exposure. This scene, coupled with the foreground trees and brush in later shots, creates a repeated visual motif of obscuring that presents love as a blinding force. This is echoed and becomes even more poignant and in the later shot of the suicided lover. The camera drifts over his chest, preoccupied with the gun in-hand and pointing upwards while his face is not shown – visually and metaphorically this is another metaphor for the blinding nature of