Towards the end of previous project I realized I wanted to focus more on the filming techniques.
I would like to look into how different ways of filming an object or space can affect the way we see it, alter the mood and perception.
Recently I have been looking at early Polanski's films, focusing on representation of space and its meaning. My research is still in progress, however I have seen his early films shot during his Film School studies and also two of his early feature films.
The films I have seen so far are:
A Murderer (1955)
A Toothful Smile (1957)
Break up the Dance (1957)
Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958)
The Lamp (1959)
When Angels Fall (1959)
The Fat and the Lean (1961)
Mammals (1961)
Knife in the Water (1962)
Repulsion (1965)
One characteristic that most of them have in common is the way the space is shown. Whether the set / locations are spacious or small, they are often represented as small, dark, crowded. This gives them a claustrophobic, almost oppressive appearance, especially in Repulsion.
On a closer look I have realized that this is not because of actual spatial restrictions. It is in fact purposeful director's decision to show them in this manner to accentuate the mood, make the ambience of the film more apparent.
By using close-ups and mid-shots when filming interior spaces the director instantly makes them look smaller than they actually are. They are often filled with people to the point there is no space left between them which also gives the impression the locations are too small, at the same time indicating a change in plot / an important moment in the film.
Another means of manipulating the way we view the spaces in Polanski's films is the way light is used in them. They are covered in darkness at moments of tension and bright during peaceful, uneventful scenes.
Another interesting idea of how we perceive space in film came from a friend.
We were watching one of Polanski's shorts, Mammals, below and we clearly had a very different understanding of the space within the film:
Some time throughout the film, she noticed that there was no real space there. This immediately rang a bell - what she saw as a flat was a perfectly normal winter landscape for me. It gives another insight into how we understand spaces we see depending on our experience and knowledge.