Codes and Conventions - Use of Shadows

Convention of Shadows

Use of Shadows in Hitchcocks "Psycho"

As you can see from this image, shadows are used to great effect in Hitchcock's "Psycho". We can see that the background is clearly lit, in contrast to the character in center frame, as only a silhouette of the character can be seen. We can see the silhouette very clearly, it's what we can't see that's important in this shot. We cannot see what the character is holding, nor can we see what their face looks like; we are instantly left guessing who this concealed character might be. The connotations of 'shadows' are instantly brought to mind when we look at this shot. Unable to identify facial expressions we are left in the dark about what the character's thoughts and feelings are; we are disconnected from the character. The shadows in this shot create a sense of mystery and audience ignorance, we are unable to gather any real information about this character which leaves us filling in the gaps; leading us to make assumptions. These assumptions are vital in any thriller film. 

We could assume that he's a bad character for hiding in the shadows in the first place. Connotations that back up our assumptions - Darkness, evil, danger and death and the unknown. All these connotations add to the overall effect of the shot, making us question many things about that character. Making us make vital assumptions to fit in with our logic and to make sense of things is highly common of the thriller genre.

Use of Shadows in Carol Reed's "The Third Man"

Shadows work extremely well in this shot from Carol Reed's "The Third Man". Unlike the shot from Hitchcock's "Psycho" where the shadows are mainly used to conceal the character, this shot has the character standing amongst the shadows, he is surrounded by a dark environment. He is surrounded by shadows, connotations that come with this image - Surrounded by mystery, Surrounded by Darkness, doom, evil and suffering. All these readings can be made easily, making us feel he's in some kind of danger with the darkness racing toward him. This builds tension, suspense and thrilling.

All though these feelings are created by the shadows in this shot, things are still mysterious and unclear to us. Why is the character in question in danger? Why are the shadows surrounding him? All these questions promote a sense of mystery. This allows us to make assumptions about the character, making us logically answer the questions brought up by the shot. Possible assumptions made; the character is running from something dangerous, he could be on the run from the Villain or  possibly the police. These assumptions are vital, making us read into the image in greater depth and detail.

   

Use of Shadows in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight"

This shot from Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" uses shadows to create a sense of mystery and suspense. The shadows are used to make the Batman look powerful and mysterious. Both characters are placed centre frame, with the Batman standing in the background, surrounded by shadows and darkness, Showing that the Batman is more serious and likes to blend in with the shadows to hide his identity. The joker on the other hand is fully lit, a more positive mood is created which could also imply that the joker is less serious and more comical. The contrast between the Batman and the joker begins to appear. The binary oppositions of light and dark seem to have a head to head battle in this shot. We have the joker - the comical and comedic character who never takes anything seriously and the Batman - a very serious character, who usually has a rather pessimistic view on life which dampens his view on the jokers 'silly' humour. 

Contrasts lie between the Binary oppositions - "Light and Dark" - highlighting, not only the characters personalities but their roles in the film as well. With these contrasts between the two characters, we are easily able to use logic to read between the lines of the shot. We are able to apply our assumptions and come up with a logical response to what's happening in the shot in question.