The Iron Giant - Backlighting/Harsh Lighting

   There are many ways to emphasize moments of tension, anxiety, and suspension in a film, be it via specific camera angles, pacing, colors, and, of course, believable/convincing acting. Yet another layer that may be added onto these aspects is the element of light; in this case, harsh lighting (including backlighting/rim light). Illuminating a portion of a character or scene with very direct light can bestow upon the situation (and its audience) an unsettling feeling, making for a stronger moment.

   One film that I find to represent several good examples of this is Brad Bird's feature-length production, The Iron Giant....

    This is one of my favorite shots in the film. I love the effect of the shaft/beam of light from the headlights of the car getting cut by the character, as well as dowsing her in this silver, fog-like blanket. The lighting scheme gives a nice extra bite to her anger, proving that even something as simple as car headlights can really be effective in a scene if handled well.

   In this sequence, Hogarth has returned home alone after a day spent with the giant. Unbeknown to him, his mother is working late at the restaurant, and with her not around, Kent, a government employee who is currently renting a room at their residence, has some time to have a little private chat with Hogarth to try and wield information about the giant out of him.

   Setting this at night already makes for an uneasy situation, but adding harsh light to accompany the scene, both before and after Hogarth is held hostage, helps to solidify this. The lighting here is almost kind of teasing -- you see one warm patch of light emanating from the house, sending out a false sense of security (with the score playing along with this), but it doesn't overtake the moonlight that streams into the barn. The atmosphere stresses that he is alone... or is he?

   This shot takes place soon after the moment previously analyzed. Not that we've never seen a shot like this in the history of cinema before, but the overall effect -- with the cut light and bloom -- still captures my attention. There are many other nice examples of harsh lighting in this sequence, but this is my favorite.

   Harsh and direct lighting. Every element in a scene is a character, and how subtle or severe it's utilized can add or detract from a moment, which is why it's important to use it wisely.

-- "Mitch"

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All images are copyright Warner Bros.