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Pan Shot Following Main Characters in Catacombs (?)

posted 20 years ago by HerrSweeny
7 replies | jump to latest

I've watched this movie once late at night and at least a few years ago, but I keep recalling that scene where the man and his boy lover walk along various orgies in what I believe were catacombs. What I found most interesting (besides the fact that I loved the colors and cinematography of the whole movie) was the way in which our two main characters were staring at the camera (was it just their eyes or their entire heads?). Does anyone know of the use or history of this sort of staging? Any examples from movies? Or is it more of a stage tactic?

[–] andros12 19 years ago

Perhaps the stares into the camera were meant to convey the idea of the phantoms from the past looking through time and space to those presently alive as if to question.

[–] HerrSweeny 19 years ago

Cool. Thanks for the information. Your explanation exceeded my expectations. That is a very interesting theme to the scene.

[–] dmongelli4 19 years ago

Yes I also loved the way there was often someone watching in camera in many scenes: great film!

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] andros12 19 years ago

Note the arrival of what appear to be the well painted and gold plated wealthy patrons as their small boat arrives on the putrid water. Their faces appear to be quite eager to enjoy an evening of "hedonistic" behavior perhaps slumming it with the masses.

Perhaps at least fragments of this scenario would not be entirely unlike that of the Peppermint Lounge or Studio 54 thousands of years later.

[–] TonyDood 19 years ago

I don't know when this technique first appeared (I think as early as the first film loops ever, where the guy is smoking a cigar head-on to the camera) but Fellini uses it in his film to replicate the effect of paintings, where one or all the figures are staring at you from within the frame. I think it's alarming and wonderful how Fellini used it over and over in his films. It's fun to track some of the characters and watch them as they languidly stare you down--something a character in a film doesn't generally do!

Sometimes it's not enough merely to teach. One has to punish as well.

[–] 19 years ago

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