"Three Weeks and Two Days in April": the language of the camera expresses the tension of the plot

Taya 2022-03-21 09:02:24

How does the tension between two girls and a doctor threesome in a hotel room come about?

In this part of the two girls and the doctor in the hotel room, from the plot point of view, the conversation between the three at the beginning is enough to see that the two girls do not have enough professional knowledge to deal with the illegal doctor, and Jia is cowardly, innocent and helpless. Bita's successively exposed miscalculations and far-fetched lies make this transaction in the room gradually complicated. Bibe, an illegal abortion doctor, cites that the month is too big and the danger is greater and Gabita's "distrust" is the reason. , asking them to pay more than expected, since the money is not enough, then the body will pay.

The camera language is an important way of expressing the plot, and the camera language of this film is very tense. From the very beginning of this scene, the camera follows Otilia as always, with Gabita chatting in vain with the doctor Bibe off-camera. Then the camera pans to the table with Otilia, still in the middle position, and Gabita and the doctor sit on both sides for a long conversation. Although the doctor is on the left side of the screen, he is the one closest to the camera and the one who speaks the most. His strength is undoubtedly highlighted in the common picture of the three people, which can be considered as a foreshadowing. After this long shot, the doctor gave Gabita an initial examination on the bed, and then the camera followed the doctor to the chair opposite the bed. At this time, Gabita was no longer in the camera, only the doctor and Otilia, and then a The field is a long bargain, and it's all one shot. The two girls are equally at a loss, but the language of the camera shows the stronger Otilia dealing with the wily doctor. Gabita is the same as before, hiding cowardly from the camera, relying on her good friend's help. Strength, and occasionally said a few words in a small whispering voice, almost praying; after that, the camera cut directly to Gabita who was already sitting, but the director did not arrange for her to speak immediately, but asked the doctor to give an ultimatum: "Wait for me Come out, I want an answer. If yes, tell me who will come first." The fragile Gabita just listened, then bent down, as if overwhelmed by a heavy burden. When facing Otilia alone, Gabita's fear that she was trying to hide was expressed as irritability and defense. The audience can clearly feel the emotional expression of being forced to help; the camera follows her quickly to Otilia to take the money, at this time there is an empty chair where the doctor sat before, and then the doctor walks out of the bathroom in the background . So the audience knows that the deadline has come, and the two girls in desperation must make a decision. The movement of the camera starts to pick up speed, and the climax of the scene comes, as they go from arguing to arguing, culminating in a meaningful image of Otilia and the doctor taking off their socks.

The image style pursued by the whole film is very cold and concise. This kind of documentary-like shooting omits a lot of things, so it looks interesting. For example, Gabita sat up from the bed, and the doctor left to go to the bathroom, all of which were omitted through a simple cut. It is obvious that the director did not use the conventional editing method of character dialogue. In many cases, the language of the characters and the pictures are not consistent, and we cannot judge the exact emotions and states of the characters by observing their movements and demeanor. This cold uncertainty makes the tension of the lens expand invisibly. The combination of language and different pictures often brings different subtle feelings.

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Extended Reading

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days quotes

  • [subtitled version]

    Otilia: Why did you make the reservation by phone?

    Gabriela 'Gabita' Dragut: I thought it'd be like calling from somewhere else.

    Otilia: You "thought".

  • [subtitled version]

    Gabriela 'Gabita' Dragut: I got rid of it. It's in the bathroom.