For this assignment I chose to analyze the Joker party crashing scene from "Batman: The Dark Knight". I think that the filming techniques used here, along with Heath Ledger's brilliant acting, made this a great, very memorable scene from the movie. The first thing I noticed about this scene is that the shots don't move very smoothly, almost a little shaky while following the Joker through the party. The shakiness, I'm going to guess, is supposed to mirror what's going on in the Joker's head. He's clearly not a very mellow guy so the shots that move around a lot are reflecting the chaos in his mind. This technique increases the Joker's quirky and frightening disposition, and makes the scene more dramatic. By following the Joker through the party we are able to see the party-goers through his POV and therefore can see the confusion on their faces from his unique standpoint. The jump cuts to the man in the suit, along with the dramatic orchestra music, adds to the suspense of the scene. The way in which the cuts are situated puts us on the edge of our seats because we know that something is about to happen. I liked how when it cut to those scenes with the guy in the suit, the music got really fast and nerve-wracking, but when it cut back to the Joker, the music stopped. It gives us the sense that something is about to happen with the Joker, although he isn't aware of it. Additionally, in the part where the Joker is speaking to Rachel, the way the camera never stops moving, going a full 360 degrees around the conversation, is an awesome technique to build up the suspense of what's about to happen. This unique way of filming lets us see every part of the atmosphere and makes us feel like the room is spinning, which is probably how Rachel felt right there with a knife to her throat. Lastly, the ominous music that's playing in the background right at the end when the Joker is talking to Rachel helps lead us to what's about to happen at the end of the scene when Batman creeps up.
