Melissa, Kelsey, Sam & Inez
The mood and atmosphere of the Nite Owl scene, depicted primarily through the visual cues of lighting, color, and setting, set the case apart from much of the film's overall violence.
The first impression of the Nite Owl is given via the reflection of Ed Exley's windshield. A neon sign usually stands as a beacon of hospitality in the night, when travelers need a place to stop and recover from the long drive. But the angle of the windshield's reflection is such that the winking neon owl, lying prostrate like a corpse, functions as an eerie harbinger of what waits inside for Exley.
Inside the diner, the lighting is fluorescent and high-key, and with the assistance of a green-brown color scheme, makes for a sickly, unsettling atmosphere. Pots and pans are steaming on the unattended stove, implying that the story is about to boil over with the discovery. And everywhere, ketchup - in bottles, on plates, all over the diner - which bears a striking resemblance to blood, demands that the viewer pay attention to where the real blood actually falls. The blood is not contained in bottles or on top of french fries, but all over the walls and green-tiled floors, streaky brown in places, and in a line stretching the length of the diner, explains the missing victims.
The next setting is a dimly-lit corridor behind the diner. At the very end of it, by the exit doors, the lighting abruptly switches to bright fluorescents; this marked difference lingers in the back of the mind as Exley turns to the men's restroom, suggestive of the killer's looming presence. The end of the blood trail itself is highlighted by one last light from the diner behind Exley, while what lies ahead of the blood trail is cast in shadow.
As Exley opens the door to the men's restroom, the lighting behind him dims in contrast to the fluorescence of the restroom. The lighting and use of color are noteworthy here: the bathroom itself is set in an entirely neutral color scheme of beiges, browns, and whites, and the victims are dressed in shades of the same. All of this is meant to accentuate the smattering of blood, and it does. The result is a ghastly, staged massacre, which shocks the young police officer Exley.
These elements of visual design add up to more than just a crime scene; they are the appalling result of a calculated effort, by someone in-the-know. The killer turned a late-night safe haven into a massacre, a warning to the LAPD that this is something bigger. The use of color, setting, and lighting all contribute to an atmosphere of danger that, with the scene's suspenseful buildup and climactic discovery, stands apart from the rest of the film.
The next setting is a dimly-lit corridor behind the diner. At the very end of it, by the exit doors, the lighting abruptly switches to bright fluorescents; this marked difference lingers in the back of the mind as Exley turns to the men's restroom, suggestive of the killer's looming presence. The end of the blood trail itself is highlighted by one last light from the diner behind Exley, while what lies ahead of the blood trail is cast in shadow.
As Exley opens the door to the men's restroom, the lighting behind him dims in contrast to the fluorescence of the restroom. The lighting and use of color are noteworthy here: the bathroom itself is set in an entirely neutral color scheme of beiges, browns, and whites, and the victims are dressed in shades of the same. All of this is meant to accentuate the smattering of blood, and it does. The result is a ghastly, staged massacre, which shocks the young police officer Exley.
These elements of visual design add up to more than just a crime scene; they are the appalling result of a calculated effort, by someone in-the-know. The killer turned a late-night safe haven into a massacre, a warning to the LAPD that this is something bigger. The use of color, setting, and lighting all contribute to an atmosphere of danger that, with the scene's suspenseful buildup and climactic discovery, stands apart from the rest of the film.
No comments:
Post a Comment