Insight on "Inception": the hallway scene

Camera movement can be used a variety of ways, creating different viewer interpretations of scenes. An intriguing example is the staging and shooting of the rotating hallway in Christopher Nolan's "Inception." to create this scene, Nolan took inspiration from Fred Astaire's "Royal Wedding," which made use of a rotating room. To create the rotating hallway, Nolan had the hallway set suspended in a cylindrical framework. one of the camera movements used in this scene is a dolly shot; the camera was mounted to a dolly on a hidden track, creating the fixed point of view as the camera could move along the track and then track the actors movement. This creates the illusion that the hallway is rolling throughout space as the actors fight. A link has been included to show the making of this scene. This scene was created using a variety of camera movements and techniques, but the dolly shot allows for the initial understanding of the scene and how a combination of camera movements are used.
Behind the scenes of the Hallway Scene

Camera shots and perspective: The low angle shot

Reservoir Dogs, 1992

An Example of camera angle that added to the viewers connection with a scene is the trunk shot in Quintin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. With the low angle shot, the viewer is placed with the point of view coming from the trunk. This shot of the actors looking down upon the camera has been used in multiple Tarantino films. Think how much different this scene would seem if it was shot from another perspective.

400 Blows: Truffaut's Style

 In the 1959 film, 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut uses a variety of techniques to create a unique style. It is filmed in a deep focus, allowing all of the scene to be viewed. This places it upon the viewer to make the decision on where to focus their attention. Another important note about Truffaut's approach is that there is a use of long shots in order to capture a scene and the movements of subjects within the shot. This is prominent in the street scenes in which the main character, Antoine and his classmate are walking down the street, discussing what their next plan of action will be. These decisions strengthened the viewers ability to make sense of the Antoine's struggle in and outside of his family life.

400 Blows, 1959

When looking at this film, the director’s relies mainly on imagery rather than on dialogue. Because of this, there is an important stressor put on facial expressions. With that understanding, close ups also become prominent. For example, when Antoine’s parents are fighting Truffaut uses a close up of Antoine’s face to direct the viewer to how the main character is effected by the fighting rather than just on the argument itself. This is another example of how Truffaut directs the film in a way that isn’t focused on solely moving the plot along, but rather in strengthening the understanding of the characters in it.   



Truffaut used symbolism as a way of conveying Antoine's emotions without having them explicitly stated. For example, in a scene at home, Antione is seen combing his hair. In this shot there are three mirrors capturing his image. This is symbolic of how Antoine isn't sure of who he is yet or of his place in the world. His unsureness is thus seen in his actions that are troublesome, like stealing. With All this combined, Truffaut creates a complex view of his characters and setting in 400 Blows.