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Lighting Techniques In Lenny Abrahamson's Film Room

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Lenny Abrahamson’s drama film Room follows Joy and her five-year-old son Jack and their experiences of living in a tiny room with only so much space. Throughout the film, both aspects of low-key lighting and high-key lighting are filmed in various scenes. These lighting styles indicate both the rough and unstable atmosphere of living in just one small room as well as the freedom of escaping the small room and starting a new chapter in their lives. In addition, both lighting styles also play an important role in the film’s plot and set the mood for the plot by either adding suspense or relief. Room narrates the story of Joy and her son Jack’s lives as they are trapped in a very small shelter that they refer to as Room. The entire room is dark without any lights in the room, and the ceiling skylight window is the only source of light that comes through the room. Jack also thinks that Room’s atmosphere and the actual Room are all that exists in the real world, and everything that he sees on television just exists on television and not in real life. Joy then lets Jack know that there is more to the real world than Room and its atmosphere. Together, they both get a glimpse of the outside world as they leave Room and head to the hospital and start over in a new home. The first half of the film takes place in the tiny shelter named Room, and this first half is filmed in low-key lighting. This lighting technique emphasizes the …show more content…

Jack and Joy go through their experiences together throughout the movie in different environments both in Room and outside of Room. The low-key lighting of Room represents the gloomy and rough environment they were imprisoned in, and the high-key lighting represents the freedom of escaping Room and exploring the real world. Jack also learns valuable life lessons throughout the film and realizes that there is more to life than just

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