Eternity and a Day (1998) as the winner of the Palme d 'Or, has some outstanding aspects worth learning. What impressed me most was the last shot of the film (1:58:33 - 2:05:58). It is in the scene that the old Alexander visits his family’s old house and recalls the past. When the door open, the memory shown from text to picture. This shot moved me, not only because of the story itself, but also because of the visual and auditory message. Therefore, I will discuss it from three aspects which are mise en scene, cinematography and sound.
Mise en scene
Mise en scene is referring to all the visual elements in a frame(Giannetti, 2013). I will talk about the setting first. This scene take place in backyard of his old house by the sea. It means he is lost in memory. However, the memory is imaginary. The disappeared pavilion, the damaged walkway and the dirty sand show that there has been no repair and maintenance here for a long time. No one has lived here. Thus, the settings indicate that this scene happens in the present but all the characters are imagined by the hero.
The color of the screen is mainly blue and white which are the main colors of the Greek flag. The costumes also obey this. The imaginary people all wears in light. On one hand, the white clothes with blue ocean and blue sky brings a refreshing feeling. It suits the dress code for seaside and in harmony with the main color of the picture. On the other hand, it represents the people in imagination. White is pure and beautiful, so as the imagination. The hero is different from them. He wears in dark coat. The reasons of it are divided into two parts. Firstly, he must to distinguish from others to show that the story is mainly focus on him. Black is in the opposite position of white in the color palette. Secondly, it represents the real world: dark and dirty. There is one small detail worth attention. His coat is wet which means he just get wet in the rain. This ensures continuity of the plot, because it rained in the last scenery.
Cinematography
Cinematography can influence mise en scene. It helps to tell a story.This long lasting shot is done by the crane camera, because it can be found that the shot has many movements and is combined with tilting, panning, following and zooming. At first, it is a extremely long shot and high angleshot for the beach. It moves forward slowly which can be seem as the point of view shot of Alexander: he is walking closer to the balcony. Then, the camera tilts down to the eye level, Alexander is stepping off the balcony. Camera zooms in from the long shot of people to the medium shot, from showing there union (it also means their minds and spirits close again) to showing character’s happiness face emotion. When characters walk forward, camera also moves gently, keeping them in the center of the frame. The whole shot keeps zooming in and barely stops. The final seconds of zooming in create the medium shot of hero’s back. It gradually leads audience into his mind, appealing them to think about the eternal and fleeting time, mother language and home, the definition of love and companion. In the final picture close to the sea, andthere is only the sound of waves which create an atmosphere for reflection.
Sound
Sound can set the mood for a shot, and also convey a message (Giannetti,2013). This shot is beginning with a soft music of accordion, which shows thejoys of people singing by the sea. It also represent the beginning of Alexander’s recall. The music stops when Anna shouts Alexander. It is probably because his friends are surprised by his return. The timing is perfect for the music to start again. It is the time when Anna and Alexander walk closer to each other. The soothing song is the favorite song of Alexander. It no only shows the reunion of the couple, but also tells that they are blessed by their friend and he is welcomed to be back. The second time music stops when the dialogue brings out the theme. For one thing, audience may listen to theimportant words more clear. For another, it is supposed to signify the end of memory.
The dialogue here might represent a reversal of time. Anna firstly invites Alexander to dance might tells that he is about to come to the end of his life and live in paradise with the dead. He talks about his experience and thoughts in the journey after dancing which may same to the former. Then he starts reciting poems and repeating words the boy told him. It is like learning languages when we were in the school. He turns back and looks into a distance. After a while, audience could hear the voice that his mother calls him home. It echoes the beginning. On the surface, he recalls from now to playing by the sea as a boy. Deep down, this represents not only the reverse of time, but the cycle of it: Life begins at a young age again.
There is one point that worth discussing. The tone of actors successfully draws audiences into the scene. The examples impress me most are as follows. After Alexander asks Anna about tomorrow, she answers twice. The first time like a whisper between two lovers. The second time is louder. It allows Alexander to hear clearly and pulls him away from memory. Then he called Anna twice. For the first time, he wants to stop Anna and try to discuss with her. For the another time, he calls with more confusion, as if looking for her. It implies the dreaming of reunion is over and coming back to reality.
In conclusion, this article has pointed out some advantages of Eternity and a Day attract my attention through a single shot. They relative to mise en scene, cinematography and sound. These techniques will possibly assist the cinematic education.
Reference
Giannetti, L. D.(2013).Understanding movies. TheUnited States: Pearson.