Symbols in film art can represent a philosophical meaning or a statement that is tried to express by the storyteller. Jüri Lina has said that symbols can be either realistic (substance) or abstract – a metaphor, for instance. He has also said that a metaphor can be visual, can consist of objects, facts, images or scenes. A metaphor on screen can be either seen or heard. [Jüri Lina, 1998] I have written out some elements of film that can be interpreted as a symbol that also emphasizes the film's characters and helps to progress the narrative.
Objects as symbols can characterize a protagonist or antagonist, also substantiate narrative events, especially when objects/symbols are concurrent in the scene and they recur in the story.
The use of light and colour has a deep impulse to a character-driven story. It is also important to notice how characters are positioned in the space. An important aspect is camera movement that gives the narrative a subjective point of view. It makes a great difference if we notice the camera's position and angle and whether it is moving and how it is moving. Frame sizes also count when it comes to structure of story. Throughout the story, symbols are used as motifs that occur in the narrative several times.
Two films will be analysed from a similar genre – both are crime thrillers. One is Estonian and from year 1994 and the other one is USA/UK from year 2013. These films represent characters that are driven by similar intention – wild justice. The films were chosen to analyse film symbols in similar narrative terms.
„Tulivesi“ (1994) is an action thriller about spirit smuggling in late 1920's in Estonia. Eerik, a spirit smuggler tries to earn a living by smuggling alcohol from Estonia to Finland. Aleks, a honest border checkpoint guard wants to stop the smuggling whatever it costs. The story evolves when Eerik is inprisoned in Finland and Aleks meets with Eerik's girlfriend Hilda. After Eerik returns, he threatens Aleks. Another smuggling takes place – a young boy is killed during a shooting and Hilda's uncle is captured. Aleks, trying to capture Eerik, discovers the truth about spirit smuggling that leads to higher authorities, who were connected to Hilda's uncle's suicide in prison. Aleks, with the help of his greatest enemy – Eerik, tries to make things right as an outlaw. He returns home. After being rejected by Hilda, he is trying to revenge Eerik who is on a romantic smuggling mission with his girlfriend. After a boat accident, Eerik and Aleks get castaway and are picked up by a submarine, while Hilda stays missing in the sea.
„Out of the Furnace“ (2013) is a crime thriller about Russell, who after a serious car accident, resulting several years of inprisonment, tries to find self-redemption and peace. Rodney, his younger brother, having returned from a mission from Afganistan, becomes involved with one of the most violent and ruthless crime rings in the Notheast. In order to earn money, Rodney gets himself into a street fight ring that concludes in serious injury. Together with a small town accountant he is stopped on his way home and is brutally murdered by the head of a Jersey gang – Harlan. When the law enforcement does not follow through fast enough, the older brother Russell takes matters into his own hands – he goes to find Harlan. After the unsuccessful scout to one of Harlan's narco-nests, Russell decides to set a bait on Harlan and waits to capture the murderer by himself.
Symbols in scenes can recur in the story so it becomes like a leitmotif. The purpose of the motif itself can be either to substantiate narrative events or to show character's state of mind or development throughout the film. For instance, a main motif to the film „Tulivesi“ is water. The first occasion where we see water, is when the title of the film comes up. Water - it is a substance that is needed for the events to take place. The characters are driven by it, it is also fatal to some of the characters, for example to Hilda: a boat exploded and she had to let go of Eerik. The water had to be there to fulfill the naive dreams of Eerik and Hilda.
The other element of the film is fire. Smoke was used throughout the film, which also foreshadowed the events happening. Wherever there is smoke, there is fire. There is gunfire, explosions and thick smoke. Fire and smoke could be associated with Aleks' character. He is so determined in his goals – driven by law and justice. Whenever he is around, boats fire up, houses explode and cars run off cliffs. He likes to play with danger. He is a soldier.
In the film „Out of the Furnace“ the main motif is also fire, it is also a leitmotif for the protagonist. Russell works at a metal factory in a small town in a Rust Belt region – an industrial region in the Northern America, which was established in the beginning of the 20th century and now suffers from high crime rates and unemployment. The metal furnace factory has been a workplace for Russell and his father, who is in sickbed. We see Russell several times working at the furnace during the film. Russell has childhood memories from a derelict factory in town where he spent playtime with his brother. After his brother gets murdered, he finds himself in the old derelict factory again – he is about to hunt down the murderer Harlan. In the course of the story, Russell is a patient, mercyful and charismatic character. However, when it comes to revenge, he changes into ravaging fire.
Objects as symbols can also occur concurrently in a scene or sequence. They can be taken as a metaphor in a way they work together in a narrative. For instance, in the film „Out of the Furnace“ we see two sequences of events running at the same time period in different places. One sequence is about Russell's younger brother, who is fighting in a ring and is saved from certain death by a small town accountant. On the way home they are cornered by cars and are brutally murdered by a vicious gang. The other sequence is foreshadowing the same bad events – Russell goes deer-hunting with his uncle Red. Russell is targeting a deer: it is possible to make a clean shot, but he does not shoot. He returns to his uncle who had shot a deer and is cutting it open. They start to skin the deer, the blood is dripping from the deer. At the same time we see Russell's brother in a bad condition. The shots in the film are represented in a way that the deer is a symbol for Russell's brother.
In the film „Tulivesi“ Aleks is passionately against spirit smuggling and any kind of alcohol consumption. After chasing Eerik to the boat and the huge fight, they spend a friendly night on the shore. It is cold. Eerik offers Aleks a drink against the cold. Aleks accepts. The spirit bottle is like a symbol of change in Aleks. After that desicion and the events on the following day, Aleks and Eerik are more like one-another. The more the story develops, the more Aleks is like Eerik. When Aleks went to see Hilda in the funeral, he accepted a large sip of alcohol from a local's bottle. After that he had a suicidal idea to capture Eerik on the sea with a rifle that resulted in being trapped on a submarine on a way to America.
Another important element of film visual is the use of light and shadows, colour palettes and contrast that can be separate symbols for characters. Use of light can charecterise, reinforce narrative, foreshadow something that is supposed to happen or reflect a person's state of mind.
For example, in the film „Tulivesi“ there is an action sequence, where Eerik and Aleks are on a boat and doing close-combat fighting. They fall into the water. As Aleks gets into the boat, Eerik is aiming him with a gun. We see a close-up of Aleks against a boat wall. The image is contrasty: there are blacks, whites and dominating reds in the shadows and midtones. There is harsh light on him, his face is lit like a Rembrandt's painting, one side of his face is dark and redish. There's a spark in his eyes. From the colour palette and the contrast we can say a lot about the character without knowing him previously: he is courageous, determined and burning inside.
Another example where light and colour says a lot about the character is a sequence from „Out of the Furnace“. It is night. Rodney has just been captured and taken into the forest by Harlan's gang. Harlan is aiming a gun at Rodney. Rodney is on his knees and refuses to look away – he looks into Harlan's eyes. Rodney's face is covered with blood from the fight, a flashlight is lighting his face from above. Rodney repeats to himself „I don't care.“
Dominating colours in this sequence are black, blue in shadows (teal), red blood on the face and strict white light coming from the flashlight. There is no spark in Rodney's eyes. From what we know about the character earlier: he is a war veteran from Afganistan. He had told his brother about the horrors he saw in war. He wasn not capable of earning money any other way than gambling or street fighting – he had nothing else to lose. If we could take a still from that sequence, it would be a psychological portrait of him – a person physically ripped apart with an empty look, having nothing to lose.
Camera movement and position effects a great deal how the viewer perceives the images and the narrative. There has to be a specific reason why the camera moves or why the camera is in a specific angle. In „Out of the Furnace“ there is mostly used handheld camera and steadycam for tracking shots. There is a scene in the police department, where Russell and uncle Red are informed of Rodney's disappearance. Russell over-reacts to the officer's statement and the police-officer tries to give an argument. The camera is on Russell and when he finishes the line, the handheld camera instantly pans to the officer. During that particular scene and even the whole film, handheld camera gives the impression of being a third party character in the story, which gives the film a more realistic effect.
In conclusion, there are several more aspects to mention when it comes to describing symbols and intentions of film – how visuals help to express them and drive the story. Symbols can play a role telling a story about the character, but can also tell the story itself. Symbols can form a motif if used several times throughout the film. The use of light and colour help to emphasize characters and reinforce events. The camera movement is the subjective eye in the film that helps to create mood and tension. These are only few visual tools that combined with other tools, such as music, sound and editing, can create even more meanings and possibilities of interprerations to scenes and characters.
References:
(1) Lina, Jüri (1998). Filmikunsti väljenduslikkusest : filmikujundi struktuurist ja dünaamikast.
(2) „Out of the Furnace“ (2013)
(3) „Tulivesi“ (1994)
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