Student Name

ARTH 334 6210

June 28, 2014

Man On Fire

Leonard Klady review of Man On Fire in the Los Angeles Times focuses heavily on the narrative, cinematography, and other film aspects used brilliantly at the start of the film but are less apparent towards the end of the film. It is apparent that Leonard Klady is not a fan of the film as his opening statement for the review states, “The sparks are few in Man On Fire” (Klady).

The narrative in Man On Fire is extremely busy according to Klady. He also feels as though the story comes to an end once all of the main characters and relationships are developed. I do agree with Klady in some aspects. The film opens up strong tying together all of the main characters and their relationships which then leads to a sequence of action scenes. However I disagree that the story comes to an end once all of the main characters are introduced. The story continues to build in particular the relationship between Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. This is evident especially when Washington is teaching Fanning how to improve her swimming time and his appearance at her swim meet in the absence of her parents. If anything the story continues to build as Washington attempts to tie everyone together who is responsible for the kidnapping of Fanning.

Klady criticizes the film for having dark and grainy cinematography that leaves the audience in the dark throughout the film. More than likely I think this was director Tony Scott’s intentions, as the film is meant to be grainy and dark in order to stay true to the nature of the film. In addition the camerawork within the film offer many point of view shots and close-ups that enhances the nature of the film. This was particularly important during the first real action scene in which Fanning is kidnapped while leaving a villa after piano lessons. There are numerous point of view shots of Washington and the hired kidnappers. This particular film shot offers realism between several distinct characters and provides their perspective or role within the film.

To create an uneasy atmosphere that quickly changes the mood of the film and the demeanor of the characters, Scott makes good use of the tremor effect when shooting the film. Many of the shots within the film appear shaky inducing a sense of panic and adrenalin rush all at the same time. This is evident in the scene in which Washington is torturing a corrupt police officer by cutting off his fingers. During this shot the camera is shaky as the audience witness blood splattering on the windshield of the vehicle, Mexico City landscape is captured in the background, and the film is presented from the viewpoint of the police officer that is missing several fingers. As pointed out by Klady the use of the camera in such a manner retains the audience attention but can become overwhelming at times.

The presentation of subtitles used throughout the film was unique. As described by Klady the subtitles were not your typical subtitles appearing at the bottom of the screen. They were presented randomly throughout the screen and highlighted key phrases when the dialogue was translated from Spanish to English. There is even a few times in which a few choice lines in English are presented in subtitles. One scene that uses subtitles brilliantly is when Washington is talking to an elderly couple in Spanish and the dialogue is about forgiveness. Washington explains the reasons for his actions connecting religion to his moral obligations. This particular scene invokes a sense that the time has come for Washington to seek revenge for the kidnapping of Fanning.

As pointed out by Klady the audio style and music selection was unique and fitted the film well. Scott loaded the first part of the film with a lot of dialogue and as the movie moved along in particular during the time in which Denzel seeks revenge the sound track takes shape. In the film one can find a varied mixed of tunes during the start of the movie but the music shifts to support the cultural environment of the film. Later in the film Mexican guitar music is used heavily. Referring back to the scene in which Washington is torturing the police officer for his role in kidnapping Fanning you can hear the Latin version of “Hey Mickey” being played in the background. For both the audience, if noticed and the police officer this creates a sense of unrealism. The audience witness for the first time Washington’s extreme act of violence and for the police officer is confronted probably for the first time of his wrongdoings.

Man On Fire. Dir. Tony Scott. Perf. Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Christopher Walken. Fox Studios, 2004. Film.

Klady, Leonard. “The Sparks Are Few In ‘Man On Fire’. Rev of Man On Fire, dir Tony Scott. Los Angeles Times 21 April 2004. Print.