Cinematography technique · used in 3 films
Putting a very large character and a very small one in the same shot. The size gap shows you who has the power and how the 2 feel about each other.
Examples
Steven Spielberg · 1982
Allen Daviau's camera consistently shoots from a child's height, so for much of the film you only see the government agents from the waist down. Their authority comes down to how big they are. You see the adult world from below, and it looks like an alien threat.
Where to see it: The government agents arriving. They are shot from a child's height and you don't see their faces. Their authority comes entirely from their size next to the children.
Luc Besson · 1994
Cinematographer Thierry Arbogast keeps putting Léon's big body next to Mathilda's small one (in doorways, in the apartment, on the street). The size gap tells you about protection and danger at the same time. He could hurt her. What he actually does is stand between her and the world.
Where to see it: Léon and Mathilda's first shared scenes in the apartment. Every shot sets his size against how small she is.
Steven Spielberg · 2016
Sophie is tiny and the BFG is huge, and the camera keeps them in the same frame. Her small hand sits in his huge palm. The difference tells you she is safe in his care and also completely at his mercy.
Where to see it: The first meeting: The BFG lifts Sophie from her bed and carries her to Giant Country in his hand.
Questions
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