Steven Spielberg also used many camera shots to create interest such as an opening dissolve; this made a smooth opening from the “Universal” logo into the film. The opening shot is an establishing shot; this creates interest because it shows that they are in a rainforest, in the mountains. He also uses tracking several times to create the effect that the watcher is walking in the jungle with the group, this is normally at a long shot range to show much of the setting as well as characters. There are some ELS shots to show large areas, for example, when the group walks across a small stream, this shows; the characters, the stream, light coming through the trees, mist rising off of the water and the jungle terrain around them. There are many two shots to show two characters and their expressions as they speak. He uses close-ups to show the characters expression and he uses reaction a shot to show their reaction to a certain action, for example, when the light sensitive spikes shoot out to reveal a corpse the accompanying character is shocked. At various points there is a zoom, this is effective as it tells the watcher when something is important, because it zooms in and focuses on that object, it also makes you understand the importance of the object for example when Indiana places sand into a bag or when he sees the artefact for the first time. There is also a pan used to move from an arrow stuck in a tree to move over and look at Indiana this gives the feel that you are moving behind and around a tree to see what is occurring. Also you do not see Indiana’s face until the other character points his gun at him and he turns around, this makes it so that the first time you see what he looks like, is whilst he is doing something heroic, this helps show that Indiana is a hero in the film. It also makes you unsure of whom he is, so you watch the film to find out and you try to figure it out yourself, and to do that you need to pay close attention to what is happening and this makes the viewer pay attention.
As well as camera shots Steven Spielberg uses various camera angles, such as tracking the group as they walk through the jungle, it is as if you are watching the group, this is effective because it helps get the viewer interested in the film by making them feel like they are in the film with the characters, it also helps create some tension by making the viewer feel nervous about what may be in the trees. To help with the point of view shot there are many shots from behind the group, this makes you feel as though you are watching them in secret, to help build the tension that something might happen. There is a low shot from the bottom of the pit that Indiana has to swing across, this is effective because it emphasises how deep and dangerous the pit is but it is just an illusion to make the pit look deep. There are many same height shots to make you feel as if you are there, for example when Indiana first looks at the camera, you are looking into his eyes, making it feel as if you are right in front of him.
In the opening there are many occasions where diegetic sound is used, for example when they are walking through the jungle and you can hear animals in the trees and around them, this helps make the setting feel more real. You can here their footsteps as they walk, this makes it interesting because it makes you think that they are all alone, you can also hear the wind at some points this just helps to emphasis realism. He doesn’t only use diegetic sound, all the way through the scene there is non-diegetic sound, this is music, in the beginning it is quite eerie, creepy music to help create tension, and whenever there is a discovery or a surprising action the music will suddenly become louder this helps emphasise the importance or shock of the action. Also as Indiana is about to swap the artefact for the bag of sand the music steadily becomes louder and more noticeable until he swaps the bag of sand for the artefact at this point the music climaxes, then it becomes quiet making you think that he is ok and they will get out alive, but as in most films of this genre something has gone wrong. This leads to lots of things happening at once, for example, arrows firing, rocks falling, doors closing, boulders rolling, these are all diegetic sounds to help create interest by making the setting seem more real. The non-diegetic sound creates interest by helping to set tension, and as you watch the film the music makes you pay attention to what it happening because if there is a change in music you will notice. The pace of the music is relatively slow this creates tension because it helps the music sound more eerie and chilling, this makes the viewer pay more attention. But at the point where Indiana has to escape from the tomb the music speeds up and is more dramatic.
The lighting in this film is very realistic, it seems to be a real rainforest, because in some areas you have light breaking through the trees and in others you have an open area with a view of the sky, this is very effective because it makes the setting feel more real by having a more realistic view. As well as outside the light in the tomb is very effective, the light from outside shining in through the entrance gives the tomb a chilling feel, and as the natural light diminishes the main source of light is the torch, this makes the setting more real as well because it is set in an old time before they had torches worldwide it also creates a mysterious effect as it is very dark. As they move into the room with the artefact you notice immediately that this room is important, because it is well lit and is a large area. As he approaches the artefact there is a distinct beam of light around it, it is like a halo surrounding the artefact, this shows that it is important and that it has a significant meaning to whoever placed it there.
The setting is very realistic; the rainforest appears to be on location as it is a very large open area full of natural formations, like streams, trees, lakes, mountains and even growing plants. Whereas the tomb is in a studio, because it does not exist and it does not look very real at some points, for example, the boulder, the walls, the statues, the touch sensitive floor and even the rocks that fall. The rainforest creates interest because it is real, it is something to relate to, but the tomb is unrealistic, and there is no way to relate to it or locate it. I believe they chose this as a setting because the rainforest is real and it is an open area and also there are lots of places and different angles you can take a shot from.
Steven Spielberg uses basic cuts to keep the viewer with the group as they are walking, it makes you feel as though you are watching them walking with them because the camera never moves any faster than they do, it also makes it easy to move from one place to another without the viewer noticing. There is some invisible editing, as Indiana and the other man walk into the tomb it switches from outside to inside, this is so you can follow the storyline and stay with the two.
In conclusion the film is quite effective at making the viewer pay attention, there are some discrete ways of doing it, for example invisible editing or even the music, this can subconsciously make you pay attention by showing you something or you hearing something that causes you to react to it. This opening is not completely serious, there is some subtle comedy with the spiders or with the incredibly advanced technologies that were built by relatively primitive society’s, Indiana only has a few on his back, and when he checks the second mans back there are many more. The film is a good film for its genre, it has action, mystery and a lot of tension but it is not the most entertaining or original ideas, compared to “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” it is not as groundbreaking or mind twisting, there is no real depth or hidden mystery so I personally found it disappointing but it still is capable of entertaining others.
