Cinematography and Use of Visual Effects in Films

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Discussion of Cinematography and Use of Visual Effects

Invasion of Body Snatchers

Overview

Invasion of Body Snatchers is a 1956 science fiction horror film which is one of the most celebrated film of this genre and is praised for its outstanding storyline, performances and cinematography. Its storyline follows an doctor, who returns to his town where there are several patients who suffer from a certain extent of paranoid delusion of their peers being imposters. The story unfolds that people within the town are replaced by Pods when they are asleep only to become an emotionless version of themselves (Grant, 2017). The whole film discovers the horrors of the protagonists into saving themselves from the Pods as well as from sleeping, fearing of the transformations. However, one of the protagonists towards the end transforms into a pod, along with the whole town, up under the doctor reaches another professional who ultimately realises the truth in his story and ultimately calls out for help to the FBI.

Cinematography and Visual Effects

The film was initially shot as a film noir and its cinematography was a striking one with black and white colour palette, owing to the story as well as the tone of the film. In addition to this, it had a very heavy low-key lighting throughout the runtime. In addition to this, the story showcased the time after the war, for which, several themes were created to create a cynical post-war scenario. Moreover, the whole film showcased an eerie set up and ambience, which was to fit the story line with the cinematic effects. In addition to this, the cinematography of that time supports the the tone of the film which was dark, ambiguous and horror. In relation to the same, there are several notions that come out from the visual effects of Invasion of Body Snatchers (Latham, 2019). For instance, patterns of the camera angles have been quite off-kilter and odd which demonstrates the horror and unpredictable movements within the scenes of the firm. In addition to this, to show a darker tone to the audience, there are several shadow patterns throughout the scenes, along with several thematic moments that was hailed later on.

Invasion of Body Snatchers is a film with one of the best special effects of that time, where pessimism and terror have been showcased through inducing a certain level of creep within the media. Such unusual cinematography was used by the director to provide a negative depiction, and uneasy feeling to the 1956 film.

Contribution of Visual Style of The Film to Its Meaning

The cinematography and visual effects were very much contributing in communicating the meaning of the film to the audience. The true meaning of this film has been argued to be a political allegory, meaning that it is a metaphor in relation to the political disturbances within the US in that era post the war. This is because the whole country was under the fear of spreading of communism which was slowly taking over the country's citizens as well as their allies living abroad. Moreover, there was a facilitation of the paranoia regarding this phenomena. Hence, the storyline depicting vegetable pods replacing the people while they sleep is a clear analogy depicting the insecurities within minds of US citizens towards communism taking over their peers and friends (PHARR, 2016).

However, this is one of the most widespread assumptions of Invasion of Body Snatchers to date, which was very well supported, as well as, communicated by the cinematography and visual effects of the film. For instance, the dark colours and shadow patterns depicted the country's postwar scenario and contributed majorly in communicating the ambiguous scenario which the town faced within the film. In addition to this, the initial cinematography and effects were subjected towards paranoia of people associated with the protagonists about complaints of several of his patients. This was also communicated through the odd camera angles and spontaneity within the effects that reflected the fear within the protagonists within

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