Films need to have an emotional arc in then in order to connect with the audience and to add dimension to the film. Some films are more emotionally driven than other (many lead more towards action) but having an emotional arc in the film is still necessary to make a film great. One saying that I agree with is "action without emotion is boredom." You need emotions to create suspense, a sense of urgency, wonder, etc. in a film that can be conveyed to the audience. One of the easiest ways to that are with reaction shots. These shots can be long and slow or very quick, but they are meant to give you sense of the mood of the scene and how the characters in the film are feeling. Reaction shots are usually close-ups of the face, making us feel more enraptured by the emotions that the characters are trying to convey.
When we as an audience watch a film, we tend to feel more connected with the character when there is a close-up on their face. It pulls us in and we feel what the character feels. Reading their facial expressions becomes an activity in the movie itself, because we are naturally, constantly looking for cues on how to feel about people, events, or things in a film. This drives the emotional arc of a film. Take for instance Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. The film is based around the friendship between a boy, Elliott, and an alien, E.T. But what makes their friendship matter and so touching is Elliott's change. Elliot goes from being a young very headstrong boy who just wants to prove himself and feel accepted. His part in the film starts off with Elliott trying to hang out with his older brother and his friends. He wants to prove to them that he can be their friend, and he feels the need to fit in. In the midst of him trying to fit in with the other kids, he meets E.T. for the first time. This pushes people's opinions of Elliott even further off, calling him a liar when he tries to tell his family about his meeting. Here is a clip of that scene:
In this scene, it's obvious that Elliott is the odd one out. His mother and older brother obviously do not understand Elliott and think that he is immature. Elliott's sister, while not so flustered by Elliott's "imagination" seems to be too young to fully understand what's going on. Their mocking and disbelieving reactions to Elliott's sincerity creates a rift in the family, and establishes the beginning emotion of discord and isolation. Comparatively, once Elliott meets E.T., it's as if two lost souls found each other. They are two creatures who understand each other and all they want is to help each other. For Elliott, his mission becomes helping E.T. get home, and for E.T., he allows Elliott to be himself. Here is a clip of the two of them:
This clips is very telling to the emotional arc of the reactions displayed in this scene. Even though Elliott and E.T. don't really talk here, so much is expressed between them. The shock, wonder, and thoughtfulness of everything. E.T. is enamored by Elliott's mother reading a book to his little sister; the story of Peter Pan and his magical friend, Tink. Elliott tries to quietly help E.T. but hurts himself. When E.T.'s magic is revealed and he helps to heal Elliott's finger is when things shift. Before Elliott, E.T. had many unfriendly encounters with humans, so him extending help out to one in particular is a shift. He trusts Elliott and wants to protect him. Elliott's reaction is wonder and gratefulness. Their friendship is sealed by their reaction to the relatable story being told and the final act of Elliott putting his arm around E.T. This arc between characters and the shift in the emotional aspect of the film is only possible with telling reaction shots.
Many times, a filmmaker will use reactions shots to push the story forward. One of the great examples of this is in Quentin Tarantino's film Pulp Fiction. In Pulp Fiction, the key to all of the events is that Marsellus Wallace, a mob leader and a dangerous man, is trying to get back a briefcase. He sends his men, Vincent and Jules to retrieve it for him. The briefcase is opened twice in the film, but we never see the contents of it, nor do people explain the contents of it, just that it's very important. All of the emotion about the briefcase are conveyed through reaction shots. The very first time we see the briefcase is when Vincent and Jules are first retrieving it back for Marsellus. Now, they don't know what's in the briefcase; they haven't been told. The only thing they know is that it is of great importance. Here is a clip of when Vincent opens the briefcase for the first time:
What kind of object did you sense was in the briefcase? Was it something funny? Was it something bland? Based off of Vincent's reactions, we know that whatever is in the briefcase is something maybe a little confusing and shocking and possibly a little mystical. All of this information was gathered based off of a reaction shot. Now the film has set up a mood, how the characters feel about an object, and about how it affects them; all in one shot. Later in Pulp Fiction, the briefcase is opened again. This time, a robber who knows nothing about Marsellus sees what's in the briefcase and has his own reaction to it.
(The reaction starts at around 8:56)
The robber's reaction to the briefcase is different and similar to Vincent's. While Vincent was more pensive and shocked about what was in the briefcase, the robber is more in shock and awe. Both reactions though give a mystical sense about the briefcase's contents. Whatever is in there is something beautiful and dangerous and magical even. This scene is towards the end of the film, and it's interesting that Tarantino felt the need to bookend the film with reactions to the briefcase. The briefcase and it's contents are what catalyst all the other events in the film, so bookending it with reaction shots to the contents establishes and reminds the audience of it's importance and wonder. The whole film's plausibility is based on a singular reaction to a briefcase.
In both of these films, and many others, reaction shots are utilized to their very fullest. It no longer becomes about staring into the camera or saying lines. It becomes about emoting thoughts and story through the actor's face. Their expressions can make a film heartwarming of their expressions can make people fear clowns. It's all about a truthful, telling reaction to what is happening in a film. And this can push the emotional arc or connection between characters, or it can push the whole story forward. A singular expression, a singular reaction shot, can tell a story.
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