Jurassic Park
Dir: Steven Spielberg
As I watched the opening scene of the film the darkness and the trees moving around builds up the tension of the scene. Also, the characters in the dark blue clothes, their Jurassic Park helmets and holding their guns and tasers aimed at the crate. This scene is an example of mise-en-scene because everything in the scene is focused on our idea of something scary or spooky is going to happen and gives that questioning feeling of what is in the crate these guys are moving.
The scene when the characters are in the helicopter were different camera angles that Steven Spielberg was using. There was also a low angle shot of Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler as they were being talked to by John Hammond. Also, the camera does a close-up of John Hammond when he says the words “There it is,” the camera is zoomed in on just his facial reaction. These shots were added to get the characters up close reaction of what they are going to experience.
A scene that also describes mise-en-scene is the scene of the raptor hatching in the lab. If you take a look at the scene the characters all look at it hatch in awe, the lighting is bright and colorful, as well as the music is so peaceful and as the camera focuses on the dinosaur it gives you that feeling of admire. Then when Dr. Grant holds the animal and asks what kind of dinosaur it is, there is a dark shadow over him as he holds the baby raptor the music goes into sort of a dark and horrifying sound.
Another use of sound effects in this film is the entry of the Tyrannosaur, the sound effects are intriguing by the use of the sound cues. An example would be the cups of water with the vibrating rings are a great example because as you hear footsteps of the dinosaur your kind of getting the chills as the viewer is thinking what’s going to happen (Essential Cinema Ch. 6). Another good example is the goat leg that falls on top of the car, it makes you jump out of your seat almost as if it’s jumping right out at you. One more example in this scene is the creaking of the fence because as the dinosaur is breaking through the fence and the ropes come undone, it gives that sense of what is happening as it breaks through the fence.
A couple of scenes if examined well look a lot like soundstages. The scene of the T. Rex attack on the explorer; Dr. Grant and kids in the tree and the visitors center was on a soundstage because the lighting is artificial and the lightning seemed to be coming on cue rather than randomly. Also, the tree seems artificial because it looks like a plastic tree and the lighting in the scenes seems like it’s at an angle like most films shot in soundstages. The explorer tour; raptor pen and the exterior of the visitor’s center is shot on location because of the way the lighting is and the trees and bushes look realistic as well as the weather.
An example of camerawork on this film is the raptors in the kitchen scene. This is a pure example because of the different camera angles, the first one is the high angle shot of the kids moving away from the raptors as they try to find them. It also is an example of blocking because the position of the kids huddled behind the counter and the raptors in the background
are good examples because in the camera you see the dinosaur roaring and you see the kids’ reaction to it (Essential Cinema Ch. 4).
“Jurassic Park remains an essential peace of my childhood, serving as reminder that film criticism doesn’t always have to be cynical or sardonic” (Olson, 2013). This quote is true to this film because one way another, almost everyone has seen Jurassic Park and it was a film that got me into filmmaking. It is an example of a pure cinematic adventure film that lets us escape to our imagination. Also Spielberg even quoted “The public has an appetite for anything about imagination. Anything that is far away from reality as is creatively possible.” Which is what this film is, it’s pure imagination and a film marked as a milestone in filmmaking.