When order is taken away chaos takes over. In Christopher Nolan’s, The Dark Knight (2008) there are many cinematic techniques which are used to highlight the mayhem that the Joker creates throughout the film. The Joker is a character in the film that does not care about the reward or the financial gain that most criminals want after they commit a crime, he just wants to kill and destroy everything for no apparent reason.
In The Dark Knight there are many cinematography techniques used however there are six main techniques which are used to focus on the chaos which the Joker creates; cross cutting, smash cut, extreme close up, zoom shot, tracking and fast cut. In The Dark Knight, smash cut is a technique in the film where one scene brusquely cuts to another without alteration, which is usually used to startle the viewers. In scene 20 the cinematic technique, smash cut is clearly evident. The first example of a smash cut is when the Joker shows his “Magic trick” (scene) this show that the Joker does not care.
Another example of the smash cut is when the helicopter is flying above following Dent’s convoy. The scene the cuts to where the Joker is coming out from behind a truck driver to then proceed to shoot a police officer with a shot gun which results in the officer getting killed. It then cuts back to the convoy flyover (Scene 20).
This unpredicted smash cut foreshadows what is yet to come throughout the rest of the movie- violence, death and chaos which is caused by the Joker. Cross cutting is an editing technique most often used in films to establish action occurring at the same time in two different locations.
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How do movies carry us from scene to scene? The answer is in the screenplay as well as the cinematic techniques used in the film. Scriptwriters will start their script with a series of meaningful cinematic techniques. Cinematic techniques such as the act structure, choice of shot, scene transition, and camera movement, can greatly influence the structure and meaning of a film. These techniques ...
In a cross-cut, the camera will cut away from one action to another action, which can suggest the simultaneity of these two actions. The initial bank job by the joker and his men show how the robbers work simultaneously and in doing so, it also foreshadows the inevitable chaos the Joker will be responsible for throughout the film (Scene 1).
Extreme Close-up is also a cinematic technique which Nolan uses to focus on the turmoil that the Joker creates throughout the film. This particular shot is used to demonstrate intense emotion on the face of the person the shot is directed at.
It can convey many things, but the ultimate use for this is to show the true intent of the character in question. This can be seen when there is an extreme close up of the Jokers face when he describes how he got his scars on his mouth. It shows his emotion while he is telling the story. This shows the madness and mayhem that is in his life and the chaos which the Joker created throughout the film. Another example of cinematography is the zoom shot. The zoom shot is used to show certain meaning. The viewers are forced to focus on what becomes the focus point.
This is commonly used to display foreshadowing and symbolism within the film. This can be seen when the Joker is standing on the side of the road holding a clown mask in his hand. The camera zooms up to the mask (scene 1).
This provides gives the reader the expression that there is going to be a lot chaos and mayhem throughout the film caused by the Joker. Christopher Nolan uses cinematography to highlight the anarchy which the Joker creates throughout the film through the techniques of; tracking and fast cut.
Tracking is primarily used for following action by giving the scene a sense of movement. Used often in action films, or with chase sequences, the track shot follows alongside the action and keeps pace. The idea is to give a sense of speed and urgency within a scene. This is evident in the chase for Dent’s convoy we see a tracking shot used from varying angles to demonstrate the speed and ferocity of the attack by the Joker and his men. This heightens the action and builds tension; especially when the Bat mobile enters the chase and it accelerates past the tracking camera.
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The first stage in the production process is the creation of the script. This determines not only the dialogue of a piece, but lays down the basis of the film's plot. In modern cinema before a film goes into production it is probable that it's script has gone through a series of treatments and re-writes. Once a script is completed it is given to a director who's job it is to realise the script. ...
This displays the chaos that the Joker creates throughout the film (scene 20).
Fast cutting is a film editing technique which refers to several consecutive shots of a brief duration (e. g. 3 seconds or less).
It can be used to convey a lot of information very quickly, or to imply either energy or chaos. Fast cutting is also frequently used when shooting dialogue between two or more characters, changing the viewer’s perspective to either focus on the reaction of another character’s dialog, or to bring to attention the non-verbal actions of the speaking character.
An example of this is when Batman and the Joker face off we see fast cutting used in order to show the ferocity of the struggle between them (scene 35).
Christopher Nolan uses cinematic techniques to highlight the anarchy and chaos which the Joker creates throughout the entire film, The Dark Knight. Nolan uses cross cutting, smash cut, extreme close up, zoom shot, tracking and fast cut to focus on the chaos which the Joker creates, and how he does not care about the reward.
