LIZKO PRODUCTIONS
Movie Scene Critique #1
Ferris Bueller's Day Off- Museum Scene
​
I love this movie a lot, but this is probably my favorite scene. I have been obsessed with it ever since I was little. I think that the scene creates a really interesting contrast from the rest of the movie. Here are three high school students, who are ditching class to participate in a parade and watch a baseball game, exploring the beauty of an art museum. It gives the characters more depth, and makes gives off a more serious tone than the rest of the movie.
​
I also just noticed as I was rematching it, that the music in the background is a cover of I song I love by The Smiths called, "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want." It is such an interesting choice of music to be paired with a group of kids skipping class. The music choice, paired with the lack of dialogue makes that sets a nice tone for a calm and serious scene. There are so many cool shots in this scene, the one that is most memorable to me being the one where they pretend to be statues. The shot of Cameron, Ferris, and Sloan joining the students in brightly colored clothes in their walk through the museum creates a contrast between them and the adults behind them.
All of the shots are set up so they are aesthetically pleasing to look at. Even just looking at the scene that is used as the thumbnail in the youtube video, I notice that the frame is split into threes. Each character is positioned perfectly between the piece they are viewing, and the piece next to them. Sloan and Ferris are both wearing clothes with muted colors that aren't intended to grab the audiences attention. Cameron, on the other hand, is wearing a bright red because he is the person the audience should be focused on. The shots of the paintings are on the screen just long enough for the viewer to fully absorb the piece, and have no ulterior motive in furthering the plot. They show how the characters experience the museum.
​
Another important piece of this scene for me is the contrast between Sloan and Ferris in the beautiful room with the stained glass window, compared to the room the location of Cameron. I think the lighting in the room with the blue and yellow stained glass looks so calm and beautiful. But the painting Cameron is looking at is hectic. It is clear from the acting in that shot that Cameron is experiencing a life changing moment from looking at this painting. As he looks further and further into the eyes of the little girl, she turns into nothing; an indistinguishable figure.
​
The last part of this scene, I think is one of my favorite scenes ever. Not only because it shows the value of viewing art, and taking the time to absorb and focus on one piece, but because it shows an entire piece of Cameron's character development without saying a word. He sees himself in the girl on the painting, and worries the more you look into him, he might become nothing as well.
​
I watched this film last year and I really enjoy watching this scene. It portrays a young girl in a quirky and childlike manner, which works nicely to set up Amelie's character as an adult. I don't typically enjoy the use of a narrator to introduce a character and provide expository information, however, it works really well in this film. The use of narration helps to further the idea that Amelie was a quiet and reserved child, by expressing her thoughts through someone else. Also, I believe the line "Amelie has one friend, Blubber. Alas, the home environment has made Blubber suicidal," was a good enough line to make all of the narration worth it. I also just really enjoy the dialogue in this film. It was really well written. Like: "slung between a neurotic and an iceberg." I have no idea how people are creative enough to come up with lines like that, but it makes me envious.
​
There is a very clear color scheme in this scene of warm yellows, pale blues, and pops of soft red. This makes it obvious that all of the props in the atmosphere surrounding the characters, as well as the costumes of the characters, were chosen with extreme attention to detail. The yellow/green tint of this scene, as well as the color scheme, is continued throughout the rest of the film. I think that this element really adds to the overall mood of the film.
​
The camera work is something that I also feel like is different from most of the other films I've seen. The shots are really interesting. (I have screenshots of some of the ones that I really like in this scene, but my computer that I'm using to do this on is so slow, there's no way I'll be able to import them on here. I love the shot from above, of the mother attempting to find the fish under the refrigerator, the one of Amelie screaming, and the one of the records being made like pancakes.) They all make me feel like I am in a child's imagination, in a good way.
​