-
Essay / The concept of betrayal in the film Lantana
Lantana, directed by Ray Lawrence, is an Australian film that follows the lives of a group of people living in the suburbs of Sydney, as they attempt to deal with their relationships with those they love. . The film explores intense themes of betrayal, trust, loss and love, and allows the viewer to gain insight into everyday issues that occur behind closed doors. Lawrence uses cinematic techniques such as mise-en-scene, soundtrack, camera shots, camera angles, and lens focusing to expertly convey these themes to the viewer. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Throughout the film Lantana, the concept of betrayal between life partners is explored both through the relationships of John and Valerie, as well as Leon and Sonja. In the scene in which Valerie's phone calls are ignored by John, mise-en-scène is used to convey the sense of betrayal in John's actions. The recurring image of the telephone and answering machine, coupled with photographs of their daughter and them as a couple, presents a sad irony in the way their relationship developed. Additionally, the stark contrast between the harsh lighting of the phone booth from which a voiceover of Valerie's pleas can be heard and the warm lighting of their home highlights the harsh betrayal with which John ignores her . Likewise, the theme of betrayal is also strongly present in the scene in which Léon recounts the affair to Sonja, after telling her of his knowledge of his visits to Valérie. In this scene, a medium shot of Sonja is included to express the strong sense of betrayal she feels, as the shock is clearly evident through her facial expressions. Cynicism is also used by Lawrence to express the betrayal Leon feels over his wife's secret, through his statement that there was a time when there was no privacy between you and me. Clearly, the technique of staging, shots, and sound undoubtedly conveys Lawrence's ideas about betrayal throughout Lantana. Lawrence also explores the necessity of trust in a functional, loving relationship in his film Lantana through stylistic elements such as sound, camera focus. and lighting. In the scene in which Paula collects her children from Jane after Nick returns from being questioned, Paula clearly shows her trust in Nick through the use of dialogue. Paula declares that he did not do it Jane [...] He told me, and it is through this declaration that his great confidence in Nick is manifested, showing Jane that his word is enough for him. As one of the only happy couples in the film, Lawrence makes it clear that trust is necessary for a relationship to work. Through the budding romance of Claudia and the mysterious man, Lawrence is also able to convey the idea of trust to the viewer through techniques such as camera focus and lighting. Towards the end of the film, Claudia returns to the restaurant and warm lighting is used to symbolize the new hope for her and the mysterious man. The camera lens focuses on these two, blurring their surroundings, and it is clear that Claudia trusts that he would return to the restaurant, expressing the urgency of trust in a healthy relationship. Without a doubt, Lawrence is able to convey the theme of trust through techniques such as sound, camera focus and lighting. The concept of loss is almost dominant in.