Movie Analysis Post

The movie I chose to watch and analyze is the 2015 movie produced by Brad Peyton called San Andreas. It is an action natural disaster movie. There are several uses of aerial shots, wide shots, and two shots. The first scene of the movie shows a close-up shot of a young woman driving in a car on a road on the side of a mountain. The back-and-forth camera angles between the young woman and the car driving down the road add tension to the situation. Then a POV shot of the inside of the car shows the car and the young woman falling down the side of the mountain. The shaky camera movement combined with the POV shot adds an ample amount of intensity and action to the scene as well as it adds anxiety to the young woman's situation. Toward the middle of the movie, there is a scene using a Two-shot camera angle, showing the two main characters, Ray and Emma in a helicopter. The intense dialogue and intimate close angle demonstrate the trust the two characters are gaining for each other Which then leads to them jumping out of the helicopter, using an aerial shot to show their surroundings. The use of the aerial shot is a scene showing the calm before the storm. The bright green field Ray and Emma are planning to land on is bright and colorful, which is a contrast to the destruction previously seen. The aerial shot also makes the audience feel like they are floating through the air which is often associated with calm and carefree emotions. The last scene of the movie shows all four main characters standing on a ledge facing the now-ruined city of San Fransisco. The camera angle used was a full shot of the character's bodies and surroundings, showing they were alive with no serious injuries. The camera shot used was a close-up shot of the two characters Blake and Ben sharing an intimate moment of her head on his shoulder and their faces almost touching. This close-up shot shows the romance that has blossomed between the two characters. The next frame is a parallel to the one before but shows how Ray and Emma's romance has rekindled with a close-up Two-shot. The final frame of the movie is another aerial shot of San Fransisco. Showing all the damage that has occurred to the city and major landmarks. This use of the Aerial shot has a bitter-sweet emotion to it. Seeing both the beautiful city destroyed and the main cast safe adds a sense of security. The aerial shot shows the ruined city as the final scene with no further explanation leaving the ending to the audience's imagination rather than a normal solidified ending. The different dynamic and intimate shots throughout the movie add depth, emotion, and intensity to each scene. The specific angles chosen also make the characters feel more personable, creating a connection between the audience and the characters which also adds to the tension.