This How Zhang Yimo Uses These Essay Example

experiencing. The close-up shot serves to emphasize the emotion mentioned above.

The Mei is seen riding across a field in a wide shot that utilizes vivid, vibrant colors on the right side and saturated, bleak colors on the left side to emphasize the change of seasons and emotions felt by the characters. The use of slow motion emphasizes the dramatic sense of emotion and urgency for the audience. Diegetic galloping sound is used to intensify the scene. A wide tracking shot of Mei heading towards the camera is used to show her inferiority as the scene unfolds.

As she and the horse stand, dwarfed by their surroundings, a slow-motion close-up reveals a dagger hurtling towards Mei. This creates fear as it underscores the dagger's dominance over her tiny form. The sound of the dagger is emphasised by a swishing noise that pans from right to left as the blade approaches, interrupting the classical music and heightening the danger.

To intensify the feeling of fear, a close-up shot is utilized to capture Mei's reaction as she spots the dagger. The added diegetic gasp from Mei enhances the audience's fear, along with the continuous sound of horse's galloping. The fear factor is further emphasized through a slow-motion tracking shot that follows not just one dagger, but two daggers side by side heading towards Mei. The purpose of this technique is to evoke even more fear in the audience by showcasing that she will inevitably be hit by one of the daggers. As one of the daggers hits her, the camera pans up.

The purpose of using sound in the scene where the female character is hit by the dagger

is to emphasize her inferiority and highlight the impact of the weapon on her chest. The sound is leveled to create a sense of curiosity for the audience, prompting them to ask who could have hit her and why. Additionally, the fading of all other sounds except for the diegetic footsteps of the horse galloping out of shot adds to the sense of isolation that she might feel. In contrast, the second male character, Leo, is introduced through a wide, panning shot that starts from the ground and moves up to show his silhouette.

Using a well-known camera angle that conveys dominance, the focal point of the shot is centred on the perpetrator who takes up a large portion of the frame. This technique serves to answer the question of who assaulted the female character and maintains the ominous atmosphere that was established in previous shots. Diegetic sound is employed in the form of quiet footsteps, chirping crickets, and rustling grass. The scene then transitions to a mid-angle shot of the fallen female, who is centered in the frame.

The purpose of this sequence is to create concern for Mei and shift our focus back to her struggles in standing up. Yhimou emphasizes our fear of Mei through the sound of her gasping breaths and the quiet background noise of crickets chirping. Leo's footsteps are the only other audible sound in this scene. Following this, several shots are presented consecutively to convey the emotions of both characters.

Through the use of a close up shot, Mei's shock upon discovering that her former lover is also the one who hurt her is effectively conveyed. This technique also

prompts the audience to share in her astonishment. Additionally, this sequence of shots includes two mid-angle shots of Leo, his figure at the center and moving towards Mei, perfectly capturing his feelings of envy towards Jin, the person she truly loves. Leo's face is then shown in a close up shot, allowing us as viewers to witness his emotional state and empathize with him. This is done to create a less lopsided scenario and to make our predictions less certain for the following shots.

In this section, Leo's words to Mei dominate the sound, with phrases like "Are you going with him?" and "You're the love of my life" expressing deep fear and jealousy that is felt by the audience as well. As Mei's breathing continues in the background, a sense of urgency and impending death begins to build, making the audience crave faster action. However, Yhimou intentionally prolongs the sequence to heighten this urgency. The use of non-diegetic flute symbolizes the heart-warming emotion behind Leo's words.

In this scene, Leo moves towards Mei in a wide angle shot while they both stand centred at equal heights to depict equality. The scene then changes promptly to a close up of Leo's face to effectively convey his emotions of anger, fear and jealousy. Accompanied by the diegetic shouting of "Why did you go? Why?!", these emotions are strongly emphasized and the audience is left feeling the intensity of these feelings.

The penultimate scene zooms in on Mei's bloodied face, with her lips speaking the words "To be free like the wind." This shot conveys Mei's tranquility in death, while interjecting anxiety in the audience. As she

falls to the ground, we barely hear her impact due to her words being prominent. In contrast, Leo's face is displayed in close up, revealing signs of distress from his actions. As he moves away, the camera follows his movement to maintain focus on his devastation, generating deeper feelings of sorrow.

The only sound that remains after the scene concludes is Jin's scream.