Tenet Fight Scene Explained — How Christopher Nolan Directs Perspective

Описание: Tenet Fight Scene Breakdown — How Christopher Nolan directs perspective in the Tenet Freeport fight scene.

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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro to the Tenet Airport Fight Scene
00:55 - How Nolan thinks about Perspective
01:43 - Technique 1: Framing
03:08 - Technique 2: Editing
05:09 - Technique 3: Sound
06:24 - Tenet and Beyond

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Tenet Fight Scene Breakdown

The Tenet fight scene truly expanded the possibilities of what an action scene could look and feel like. By combining forward and reverse motion, director Christopher Nolan and his editor Jennifer Lame helped craft one of the most unique showdowns. But perhaps the most interesting lesson Nolan has given us is how the concept of “perspective” works in film generally and in a fight scene specifically. In this video, we’re going to break down the Tenet freeport fight scene by looking at how subtle changes in composition & framing, editing, and even sound design help create the same fight from two different perspectives.

Framing & Composition

The first difference between Fight 1 and Fight 2 is that much of the action is shot from opposite angles. By shooting each fight from different sides of the 180-degree line, the audience is subconsciously aware that we’re perceiving the fight differently than we did the first time.
One simple trick Nolan does in this thrilling Tenet fight scene is to keep the main subject of each fight center-framed. Granted, the combatants are constantly moving but there are clear moments when efforts are made to keep our eyes focused on the subject in the center of the image. This is especially obvious when the camera moves in unison with the subject, maintaining that center-framed composition.

Editing

Another trick to creating two different perspectives is by cutting to single shots of the main subject. Since most of the Tenet fight scene has both characters on-screen simultaneously, any cut to a single helps tip the perspective scales towards that character. For example, in Fight 1 we cut to the Suit character throwing a barrage of punches; in the corresponding moment in Fight 2, we cut to a single of the Soldier defending against them.

Another editing trick we find in the Tenet fight scene is the use of POV and reaction shots. This combination of POV/reaction is the foundation of film grammar and the audience knows that in these moments, we are seeing what the character sees and their reaction. This simple technique puts the audience in the mindset of the character and, therefore, aligns our perspective with theirs.

Sound Design

Finally, Nolan uses different sound designs for each fight to give the audience a different perspective. In Fight 1, we hear the scene more objectively, as if we were in the room with the characters. Any vocalization we hear is usually from the Suit but, in Fight 2, this is reversed. Now we hear a much more subjective sound design, as we hear what the Soldier hears. The muffled breathing, the compressed air of his gas mask, etc.

None of these techniques are very obvious, and by themselves might not be as effective. But in combination, with these subtle differences in framing & composition, editing, and sound design, we are given two distinct perspectives on the same fight. These techniques are applicable to any scene in any movie but, as you can see, are very effective in such situations as the Tenet inverted fight scene.


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VIDEO EDITOR: BRANDON SCULLION
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