Amelie is a very curious and mischievous character, set out in search of love or the actual meaning of life we may say. She is a daydreamer. While she works as a waitress in Paris, she ponders upon the sarcasm portrayed by life itself. Her curious nature comes from the fact that during her childhood, she lived in a very protective environment and didn’t get much exposure to the real people and the real world. So she was always in a fantasy world of her own. In this journey of knowing the universe, she realizes that she must gather herself up and try to look at the world how she used to look in her childhood.

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Just like other movies of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, this one also follows a certain visual style, and it remains consistent irrespective of the other crew of the film. In this movie, the story itself is very powerful. Yet, the cinematography is one thing that would blow your mind away. Each shot, each frame, each scene; each composition is captured so beautifully that it would send you only in some fantasy world. The aura of the Amelie is very much probing; her pale face is much fascinating too. The cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel has created a dream world with his compositions and color usage in the movie. Yellows, greens and browns are the colors used mostly to create the same effect, which also give it a very warm feel. Even the motion is the movie is used as tool to give a similar effect. For example, when she is eager, the movie runs in slow motion. Whereas, when she is enthusiastic and strong, it runs much faster.

                                              

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During the introduction of the characters, they are just asked to stand still at a place, and their face is zoomed in to introduce them. We won’t even get a chance to look at what was happening in the background. On the other hand, at some points the movie would be so slow that you will be able to notice each and every thing, as if it was a playground. Eye-level shots are very minimal, to reflect the dramatic feel of the movie. Mostly, overhead shots, low angle shots and face close-ups are visible throughout the film. Even the camera movement is done a lot. For example, in one scene where Amelie is lying on bed, the camera is at the level of the ceiling and it rotates and zooms into the face of Amelie.

                      

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Things like perspective, framing and the motion of the movie have been played with a lot to give such wonderful effect to the film. The movie would make you also wonder about the ironies of life, just like a small child. For the time when you can’t understand what life is offering to you, just go and watch this piece of utter amazement, if not given a proper direction, you will definitely experience something out of the usual world.

REFERENCES:

1. Evanerichards.com, (2011). Deconstructing Amelie @ Evan E. Richards. [online] Available at: http://evanerichards.com/2011/2120 [Accessed 11 Apr. 2015].

2. Biomechanical Rhetoric, (2012). Amelie is Salut Beaute (Cinematography essay). [online] Available at: https://biomechanicalrhetoric.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/amelie-is-salut-beaute-cinematography-essay/ [Accessed 11 Apr. 2015].

3. IMDb, (2015). Amélie (2001). [online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/plotsummary [Accessed 11 Apr. 2015].

4. Movieinsider.com, (2015). Amelie Movie Review. [online] Available at: http://www.movieinsider.com/archive/4376/ [Accessed 11 Apr. 2015].