Prisoners

 

Title: Prisoners

Writer: Aaron Guzikowski

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello and Terrence Howard

Year: 2013

In this scene Hugh Jackman is interrogating the man who he believes has taken his daughter and her best friend on the evening of Thanksgiving. This man was caught by the police but he is unable to communicate because he is mentally challenged and is taken over by fright. Hugh Jackman followed the man once he was released and took him captive at the apartment complex his father left to him. In this scene the lighting used is low-key lighting. “A low-key lighting design looks dark overall by comparison. It is marked by extreme use of deep shadows, with very high contrast between the brightest parts of the scene and the darkest parts, which are obscured in shadows” (Goodykoontz, B. & Jacobs, C. P.). The light source in this scene comes from a light over the sink in the bathroom where the scene takes place. There is no outside light coming in since it was dark outside and no other light sources from outside the room.

The benefit of using a low-key lighting in this scene is that it creates the overall tone. It makes the scene more dramatic since there is only one light source. I think this light source is also beneficial because it is an interrogation scene and with the light above the victim it seems like a true interrogation. This technique contributes to the theme because it is one light source which keeps the scene dark and more dramatic overall.

I think that the light technique suits the film because it has a dark theme and an important issue that faces the world today. The low lighting plays into this in keeping the film mysterious and never really knowing what is going to happen next.

If this scene was shot in another view I think that the scene would not be as dramatic or intense. If natural light was used or more lighting I think the overall tone would be different.

Reference:

Best Scenes Director’s Cut (2013, December 25). Prisoners: Interrogation Scene [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKd-BxJRbNM

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.