O Pagador de Promessas and Madame Satã: filmic photography and the spectator

Abstract

In a movie, the direction of photography is in charge of turning the ideas of a script into reality, from the aesthetic concept defined by the movie director. The choice for lighting, takes, angles and the movement of the camera aim the construction of the filmic narrative as well as its comprehension by the spectator. Nevertheless, beyond technical issues, it is important to consider that this spectator is part of the construction of filmic meanings according to their own knowledge. In order to elucidate how photography details add information to the work, beyond bibliographical references on the subject, the movies O pagador de promessas and Madame Satã are analyzed from a more superficial approach, and comparing how the author’s knowledge on photography interferes in her comprehension about camera and lighting choices, allowing her to participate more actively on the narrative. Reflections about the different layers of information inside a movie take and how spectators can infer more abstract knowledges, depending on their own understanding about technical choices of what can be seen on screen, highlight the importance of knowing how to read an image.