On Sun, 12 Jun 1994, Donald Larsson wrote: > In reference to the recent discussion of anamorphic/wide-screen vs. "flat" > processes: > Has anyone seen Spike Lee's CROOKLYN yet? There is a whole sequence in that > film in which Troy (sp?), the daughter, does to live with relatives in a > > middle-class suburban "normal" hell-hole; the whole episode is shot with > an anamorphic lens but left "squeezed". > > I assume that the process is meant to convey a subjective sense of Troy's > being "squeezed" by the restrictive lifestyle of the household. It's a > cute idea--and in line with other "subjective" bits in the film (Troy's > nightmares, the glueheads walking upside down, et al.)--but I don't think > the sequence really works. For one thing, it's much too long and gets > to be merely annoying after a while. Secondly, until quite late into the > sequence, when the scenes are crosscut with scenes in Brooklyn, there's > nothing to confirm that it is in fact a subjective effect. I was tempted > to run out and complain to the theater management, but waited, knowing it > was in Lee's style to do something like that on purpose. I really had > to restrain myself, though. (Aside from that and the rather obsessive > soundtrack, I like the film--it's one of Lee's lightest and maybe his most > personal.) > Yes, this process in _Crooklyn_ was discussed some time ago on this list, although you bring an audience dimension into the discussion which, I think, is interesting because I couldn't help wondering as I, too, became annoyed that that was precisely Lee's intention--to somehow make us feel as trapped and annoyed as Troy. --Patrick