Film Shots

In Professor Ramirez-Berg's lecture on Monday, he went over the three basic shots, the long shot, medium shot, and a close up. Berg went into detail how a shot conveys a certain message during the film. The following are examples of the shots and their intended meaning in the film Dirty Harry.


The Long Shot

The use of the long shot in this scene convey's the isolation of character. Inspector Harry Callahan is singled out since he is a dirty cop.  He doesn't associate with other police officers and is seen as a sort of a lone wolf. The scene of Callahan walking away from the crime exhibits his ability work alone when others fear him for his unconventional tactics.


The Medium Shot

The use of the medium shot in this scene displays the hostility between the two characters. At this point in the film, Scorpio had kidnapped a school bus filled with children and was threatening to not reveal where he was hiding the girl he kidnapped earlier. The shot emphasizes Inspector Callahan's aggression towards Scorpio by putting his gun and clenched fist in scene. The shot is also able to capture the emotion of both characters with both of their faces clear in shot, creating a clear hostile relationship.

The Close Up

With the close up, we are able to see the true emotions of the character. In this scene, Inspector Callahan is showing no mercy towards the Scorpio killer and is completely willing to shoot him. The view of the character's eyes exhibits his lack of fear and aggression. The angle also emphasizes his role as an authority figure as it is shot from below.

 Photo Credits:
http://www.fernbyfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dirtyharry.jpg
http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Dirty-Harry-movie-18.jpg
http://www.fernbyfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/clinteastwood.jpg