Spike Lee Cop Scene

Spike Lee, through his undoubtedly inventive yet obtrusive camerawork, embodies emotional impact. From lateral panning and jumpy camera sequences to his use of perspective, Lee inspires intensity and apprehension. An odd synchronicity between the camerawork and subject matter fosters these emotional reactions and inspires inquisition; the viewer conceptualizes the camerawork to uncover a significance the narrative cannot deliver. The cop sequence retains suspense and effortlessly transfers Flipper’s inherent anxiety; a “voyeuristic” perspective stimulates the former while rapid camera shifts and altering points of view maintain the latter. The scene in which Flipper asks for a promotion illustrates Lee’s emphasis on viewer impact and impression, …show more content…
This is extremely destabilizing and makes it hard to gather ones thoughts. An apprehensive confusion seamlessly transfers from Flipper to the viewer. We experience his consciousness. He begins spitting out sentences, explaining himself, etc. We only further take on his apprehension when the gun is up to his face and the perspective seems to mimic Flipper’s peripheral sight: we view the scene from the brick wall his face is up against and look outward towards the cop. Later in the sequence, the gun seems to point directly at the camera, functionally placing us in Flipper’s predicament. This scene is unfocused and slightly over the top but I feel as if I begin to inhabit the film space. It’s destabilizing nature only augments its anxiety-provoking purpose and helps to transfer the terror Flipper is presumably …show more content…
However, When Flipper asks for a promotion, the camerawork seems to command all the viewer’s attention and communicate the message virtually in lieu of the dialogue . The camera pans in a lateral direction despite Flipper’s instance on moving in the vertical direction (as discussed in class). It’s as if the camera is saying his request is moot: he will not move up but rather continue to work diligently, possibly “run circles around the others,” yet never receive due compensation. The camera’s lateral movement creates a circular effect and then even switches direction when Flipper’s bosses respond. This moves the power out of Flipper’s hands and into his bosses’. What is most interesting about this scene is its level of distractibility. I found this continuous circular motion so captivating in its slow and deliberate movement that I missed much of the conversation. I became completely aware of the fact that I was watching a movie. The question is: was this purposeful? By reducing the dialogue to a secondary position and upgrading the camera to the main communicative force, Flipper’s words become unessential. The bosses’ words become unessential. And rather, the scene stands to express Flipper’s presumable position according to a