How Does Ridley Scott Build Tension In Film

Legit essay:
The famous British film director and producer Ridley Scott was born on the 30th of November 1937; notably only two years before the beginning of World War Two. Scott is well known for having a striking visual style. He carries out this striking visual style by creating realistic atmospheric lighting to make the audience feel as if they are a part of the scene, living with the characters. Scott also commonly uses slow pacing to build tension in the lead up to action sequences. Another technique Scott uses to build tension and other emotions is the use of sound or music – both diegetic and non-diegetic sound effects. It is suggested that Scott has an Eidetic memory which gives him the ability to vividly recall images after only

Doves are considered to be pure due to their typical role as a messenger or a symbol of the Holy Spirit; they often appear alongside the Virgin Mary and tend to correlate with peace. This dove adds a conflict of interests in the scene as Batty goes to “retire” Deckard. The dove resembles the change in mind-set of Batty as he saves Deckard’s life in his last moments of life. After Batty passes away, the dove fly’s away like an angel carrying him to heaven. Scott’s use of sound and music overtop of the visual cinematography further defines the mood of the scene. He has added the sound of a high pitched violin which creates tension, ultimately forcing the audience to the edge of their seats. This non-diegetic sound helps develop the tension as the Batty’s defying moment approaches. Following Batty’s heroic actions, we begin to hear the chime of a clock hit midnight symbolising time is up for Batty. Following Batty’s death, we hear the sound of a canon being fired as the dove fly’s away. The sound of the canon is often heard at a commemoration service such as at ANZAC day services where the community remembers the fallen. This suggests that Scott views Bratty as a soldier that has lost his life too early – I wonder if the same would have occurred if he hadn’t had saved Deckard. Diegetic sound heard in the scene, such as the raindrops, reflects the mood of the two characters. Prior to Batty saving Deckard, we could hear roaring thunder and see flashes of lightning showing the tension between the two characters. I believe that in the moments before Deckard loses his grip on the ledge, Batty reaches a type of inner peace and satisfaction of how his life has panned out; and in his final moments, deciding to save a human beings life (the man that has been trying to kill him). It is also noted that Batty does all the talking in the scene making him seem like the dominant