Cinema gives filmmakers an opportunity to be a modern-day Chronos: They can manipulate the time in their feature to their liking, whether it be in flashback dreamscape like Bernardo Bertolucci‘s “The Conformist” or tattooed on an amnesiac like in Christopher Nolan‘s “Memento.” Not only can the film be manipulated in execution, but a range of shots can be used to exemplify forward, or backward, timeliness. The slow-motion shot, helping movie protagonists everywhere fall in love since its inception in the early 20th century, is the quintessential example of time manipulation. While in actuality the camera is shooting rapidly, the playback, at a lesser speed, creates the illusion of slow motion.
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In a new video essay, Julian Palmer explores the art of using slow motion in film, citing directors from Sam Peckinpah to John Woo. Palmer explains how slow motion is used to portray emotions, for instance, in films by Martin Scorsese, where the director emits a character’s inner feelings (falling for Ginger in “Casino,” Travis Bickle’s racism) with a slow dolly shot. In other films, like “300,” the slow motion represents operatic violence, used to lengthen a fight scene and prolong its impact. Stanley Kubrick uses a slow-motion shot in “Full Metal Jacket” when the squadron is deceived by a vicious sniper, and The Coen Brothers notably use one in “The Hudsucker Proxy” as poor Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) takes a notable plunge, landing on the hand of a clock.
Slow-motion shots represent sensuality, too, especially when Wong Kar-Wai is behind the lens, though Brian De Palma uses them for something different in the infamous “Carrie” prom scene, as he mocks the entire scenario in itself before the tormented teen is drenched in a bucket of blood. Alas, the death scene and shootout are notorious for being in slow motion, with prime examples in Oliver Stone‘s “Platoon” and Arthur Penn‘s “Bonnie and Clyde.”
What’s your favorite slow-motion moment? Let us know in the comments below.