Film Analysis: Cloverfield

Cloverfield is an extreme example of the POV shot. However, rather than the audience being 'omniscient' and seeing everything from the ideal observer, they are forced to see through the eye of the character in the first person. This makes Cloverfield a unique film, but also a found footage genre piece.

Cloverfield has a number of shots that are there purely to create tension and audience association with the other characters. The idea of the hand-held camera, and being in the first person is so that the audience comes to feel for the other characters in the way that the character behind the camera feels for them. This includes shots which focus on specific angles, and show the characters the way that the other sees them.

Shaky camera is also a technique that they employed to make it seem more realistically from the first person and it is something that we will be employing in our film.

The difference in colour between the flashback camera scenes and the current film is noticeable. The scenes from Jessica on the camera from another day or week are very contrasting in colour to the 'live' footage of the attack. Sepia's and dark tones dominate the film, whereas in these rare flashbacks to before, the colours are bright, yellows and oranges and daylight tones.

The atmosphere of the film is nailed by this culmination of shaky camera, first person POV and camera angles. They truly create a realistic tension that a genre piece should have. Characters are aware of the camera in this genre, which creates a perceived reality to the film. 

Another realistic part of the film is in fact, the justification of the recording. In the scene where the statue of Liberty's head comes flying through the air to essentially rest at Hud (and the camera's) feet, everyone whips out their phones to take a photo- which justifies the continued recording of this event by mirroring reality. 

The film can be divided into two feelings of human nature - flight or investigation. When the film and its characters are in flight, e.g running away from the monster, the tone is set to that of panic, and the sound is much more rushed but extremely realistic. This sets the tone and builds on the scenes. However, when in investigation, the characters seem more calm, and this lulls the audience into a false sense of security. That they may infact, find something else, or even perhaps the monster waiting and hiding behind the corner. I feel like this film mirrored War of the Worlds in this sense. 

J.J Abrams casting and directing in this film was extremely important. Unlike in some films when they forget to frame around the POV shot, this could not happen. The entire film was framed around this singular POV shot and it largely added to the entire aesthetic of the movie. 

The ending of the film is also realistic enough for a genre piece that it leaves it largely open ended. Although it truly ends with them being bombed in the tunnel, where the footage cuts out. The film itself continues with backdated of footage of the both of them at Coney Island, focused on the Ferris Wheel and seeing the 'creature' possibly crash into the ocean behind the camera. The last line of 'We've had a really good day' adds irony to the entire film, but also ends on a more human note.