Never underestimate the power of cinema, the ability for a movie to really hit home in terms of its psychological effect on us, both in the short and long-term. Even those who don’t watch films on a regular basis will have favorites that they hold a special place for in their hearts and minds.
Then there are those who are besotted with cinema and never miss a chance to see a new release or rewatch classics that have been firmly imprinted on their very souls. When they are at their best, movies convey much more than we give them credit for. These exceptional films live long in the memory, long after their running time comes to a close.
Often a filmmaker will look to special tricks and use the art form to such a degree of pinpoint perfection that even a single close-up can capture a world of possibilities. A picture, as they say, paints a thousand words, in which case a well-used close-up can do so tenfold. Let’s take a closer look at the masterful moments that show just how effectively a close-up can be used to capture an audience’s attention and transport them to a higher plane.
What is a Close-Up?
In technical terms, a close-up is a tight shot that frame’s an actor’s face and does so in a way that adds an emotional and visceral emphasis that will help to truly capture the attention of a movie’s viewers.
It’s something that, as an audience, we’ve grown used to, and it’s a camera trick that is used frequently, sometimes to excellent effect and one occasion overused. It helps a director make a strong connection between an audience and a character and lets you get a closer look into the psyche of your main characters.
It can be intimate and, if well used, can add tension and impetus to a scene as well as to the film as a whole. A close-up shot creates a direct line between the action on the screen and a viewer, and when used at the right time and with the correct circumstances (and score), it can be truly unforgettable.
Close-ups have been used on movies pretty much from the inception of cinema and are now, perhaps, too commonplace. Here is a selection of some close-ups that have lived long in the memory and are genuinely part of cinematic folklore.
Five Unforgettable Close-Ups
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western is, of course, a classic of the genre, and even if you’ve never seen it, there’s every chance you’ve seen the iconic close-up of Clint Eastwood in the midst of a Mexican standoff with Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach. The trio of characters, their faces locked in steely glazes as the tension and atmosphere ratchet up and up until the inevitable conclusion.
Of course, this close-up is coupled with an outstanding choice of music, Ennio Morricone’s elevating score being another aspect you may be aware of even if you’ve never watched the entire movie. Everything about this series of close-ups is perfectly pitched and performed to perfection by all concerned.
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick was not only a master of the directorial arts; he was also a sucker for a great close-up. In his ultra-violent masterpiece A Clockwork Orange, the close-up we are focusing on (no pun intended) sees Alex (Malcolm McDowell) staring devilishly straight at the camera with real menace.
The close-up then zooms slowly out to offer us a glimpse of the entire picture, which shows off the ‘Milk Bar’ where Alex and his friends are enjoying themselves, prior to some more dastardly shenanigans. Here the color palette is also key to creating a reaction with the viewer.
Casablanca
These first two selections were all about tension and the threat of violence; this third example is about using a close-up to display a true emotional connection. Here Ingrid Bergman is saying goodbye to Humphrey Bogart before he delivers the iconic line “Here’s looking at you kid,” Bergman’s face full of raw emotion, in tears and soft focus.
It’s a memorable scene, and the shot does an expert job of showing the depth of feeling between the two lead characters. Casablanca is a classic, and it is shots like this that helped make it so. It’s also perfectly countered with a final long shot as Rick Blaine (Bogart) and Captain Renault (Claude Rains) walk off into the sunset before the immortal last line, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
The Shining
Another Kubrick classic close-up. This time the threat of violence is very real, and the menacing close-up belongs to Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), who has (spoiler alert) gone quite insane at a mountain retreat. Having taken an ax to a door, Torrance then squeezes his head through the shattered wood, offering a glaring smile before exclaiming, “Here’s Johnny.”
This close-up is so effective that no doubt it shocked audiences on first viewing, such is the way it’s built up to earlier in the scene. It’s haunting and absolutely terrifying. The use of close-ups in horror movies, which is what you might term The Shining, has become very common but never used as well as in this scene.
The Godfather
Sometimes a close-up can be used as a great bit of exposition, setting the scene and giving the viewer an early indication as to the story to come. In this close-up in the first of the three Godfather movies, Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), consigliere and advisor to Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), is delivering a whispered message to our lead.
In this one shot, you get an idea of the power dynamic in play between the others in the scene and The Godfather himself, and it’s lit in such a way that makes it almost romantic and intimate. There is also the veiled threat of aggression about the way the close-up is framed, and immediately you can see the gravitas and importance of the character that takes center stage of the frame.
