Editing blog task

 The Last Duel: sword fight scene

There is a good portrayal of cinematography specifically in this scene because it is essential for building tension and also including the audience in the fight. Through the use of close ups during the duel, it perfectly emphasises the personal nature of the combat. This is because the audience is forced to focus on the actors' mean-looking facial expressions, therefore, easily identifying their physical and emotional strain. The perfect use of extreme close ups of the swords effectively accentuates the powerful impact that each strike has on something/someone. Within these close up shots, the camera occasionally zooms out in order to reveal the large scale of the fight which underscores the significance of the event. There are many different times where tracking shots have been used, for example, when the fighters are travelling on their horses to get to the other side. These tracking shots are effectively used to establish an atmosphere of motion and urgency. Therefore, making the audience feel as if they are right in the middle of the fight, while, including a sense of anticipation. Lighting is perfectly used throughout the whole of this fighting scene as it plays a critical role in establishing the setting and tone while also emphasising the brutality of the scene. In this scene, the sword fight takes place under harsh, natural light and this firm lighting effectively reveals many details of the fight. This includes the graphic images displayed, such as, the blood on the characters' armour and the sweat on their faces. Perhaps, this harsh lighting is used intentionally to create a cold and serious atmosphere that is filled with violence. An example of this would be, the sort of sharp, hard sunlight that equally mirrors the brutal reality of the fight. Throughout the whole of this sword fighting scene, there has typically been harsh lighting used. However, there are various shots where there has been some shadows created by the characters' movements. These shadows that are created by the characters' movements establishes a stark contrast where they perhaps emphasise the duality of the characters' struggles. This can be conveyed in the scene as one character seems to be fighting for honour and revenge, whereas, another character seems to be fighting in order to contain pride. Perhaps, this stark contrast is purposely established to allow the audience to comprehend that the play of light and dark (shadow) slightly emphasises the underlying psychological theme of this scene. At the beginning of the scene, the lighting has a subtle blueish hue which perfectly establishes the coldness and harshness in the atmosphere. Perhaps, this lighting also reflects the feelings of the characters in the beginning. Whereas, as the fight progresses and the amount of violence increases, the lighting subtly shifts as a reddish hue starts to be displayed. Perhaps, this is a visual cue for the audience so that they can subconsciously understand that there will be increased portrayal of blood and the physical toll the fight is taking on the characters. There is a perfect use of editing throughout the whole of this scene because it mainly contributes to maintaining the rythym of the fight and effectively adds to the emotional exposure of this scene. At the beginning of the scene, the pace is slow at first which allows the audience to get used to the tension. However, as the fight quickly intensifies, the cuts between clips become shorter. The use of cuts here effectively reflects the increasing desperation and anticipation of the fighters. This effective contrast between the slower movements at the beginning compared to the more desperate and frantic movements towards the end perfectly quickens the pace of the scene. Perhaps, this is done intentionally to keep the audience on edge and create an enigma code. These cuts used in this sword fighting scene are used brilliantly to allign with the rhythm of the swordplay. An example for this would be when a sword strike has hit a person or object, the shot typically cuts abruptly in order to enhance the impact of the sword strike and the damage it may have done. There are many moments in this scene where there has been use of slow motion and they have been effectively utilised to vividly accentuate key sword strikes from the characters or severe moments of impact. Perhaps, slow motions are used here in this scene to effectively highlight the significance and brutality of each strike. Therefore slow motions are cleverly used throughout this scene to make the audience feel the pain, violence and rising tensions from the fight along with the characters.