THE LAST PICTURE SHOW: Friday 29 February 2008

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW

The Last Picture Show (Peter Boganovich, 1971) was one of the few feature films since 1960 to deliberately use black and white film stock instead of color, which by then (under commercial pressure) had replaced black and white as the film stock of choice. Bogdanovich chose black and white to evoke a dusty and dying town and way of life and link them to the films shown in the story's movie theatre.
    There are other elements of cinematography we'll study in this film. For example, a moving camera shot can emphasize an element in a scene more effectively than lighting, as when the camera tilts and pans from the bed to Ruth Popper and the youth, Sonny (top, left). A dolly-in followed by a dolly-out keeps Sam the Lion's monologue interesting (above, right); this is also followed by a fadeout. Finally slow lap dissolves can link different characters or different places and times (left).

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