127 Hours Film Techniques

‘127 Hours’ directed by Danny Boyle is a miraculous drama/thriller film based on the true events of Aron Ralston; a skilled hiker who craves solitude. One scene that depicts a breaking point in the film is when Aron Ralston makes the choice of amputating his arm to extricate himself. Particular film techniques are used to convey a breaking point. This shows that despite the strength of the human spirit, everyone has a breaking point.

Danny Boyle uses editing to demonstrate Aron’s hallucinations to convey a breaking point in the film. This particular scene is shown through the use of editing; when Joe encounters his own hallucinations as he looks up and exclaims “Hey, Blue John”. A film technique which outlines the idea of his breaking point

Dramatic film techniques such as a close-up is used to create a deep focus on the boulder trapping Ralston 's arm, which highlights his strain and the claustrophobic surroundings of the crevice he’s trapped in. In the scene, Danny Boyle depicts Aron trying to dislocate his arm in order to set himself free, there are close-ups of his face when he clenches his teeth and screams agonizingly as his arm fractures. The use of close ups causes the audience to feel uncomfortable and constricted, we feel sympathetic, almost as if we’re in the same situation as Aron. In the film, it is demonstrated that Aron tries to come up with multiple solutions, such as chipping away at the rock and lifting the rock with a climbing rope. We realize that Aron is at his breaking point when we are able to see that he’s finally at his maximum turning point where he has no choice but to amputate his arm. This highlights the idea that although he is mindful of his strength, in the end he still has a breaking point. Boyle’s utilisation and impact of these factors all represent a Aron Ralston’s breaking point in the

Boyle uses symbolism to emphasize transitioning scenes of a flying raven , representing freedom, in contrast with Aron under the boulder, representing confinement. The Raven symbolizes freedom as it flies high in the sky, enjoying and having advantage of its own freedom in the air. Ravens also symbolize death and the underworld as it is black, and it preys on the carcasses of dead mammals. Ravens mark a moment to pause and give consideration to messages coming your way. This is significant as Danny Boyle juxtaposes that Aron craves freedom like the raven in the sky, and contradicts to Aron as he is opposite to what the Raven is experiencing. Aron is trapped in a enclosed crevice whereas the raven is free. The notion of freedom drove Aron to his breaking point as he has been stuck in the crevice so long, also relating to us and society as we also crave freedom out of school and away from study. Death and underworld symbolism that death is pursuing Aron as he struggles to survive and set himself free. The long shot of sunlight passing along the canyon symbolises hope for survival and new life which he also desires. In the solar system, the sun is a star that illuminates planets, making life possible, therefore being a symbolism of life. Along with freedom, Aron possesses desires for his own survival and ‘new life’ out of the canyon. The symbolic representation relates to us in a manner that we