"Midsommar" Demonic induction from fear to "empathy" - A love story that erases the ego

Numerous visual clues

Director Ali is known for laying the foundations for the story and mixing in foreshadowing on screen, but Midsommar also has foreshadowing everywhere, and the structure is such that the audience notices it through repeated viewings. There is.

What is noticeable is the change in screen brightness as mentioned earlier. In the opening scene in the United States, where it is snowing, the screen is very dark, creating a very serious atmosphere. At the beginning, the shot of Danny's facial expression as he holds his smartphone is shot at an angle that is so perfect that it makes the viewer feel ``disgusting. '' (2019) and Black Widow (20), Pugh's hyperventilating passionate performance (her crying performance when a family member dies is so painful and wonderful that it gives you goosebumps). , which sharply stirs up anxiety in the viewer. In the early stages, almost all scenes are set in darkness or with indirect lighting, and the lighting design and tone are perfectly linked.

The dialogue between Danny and Christian is also excellently directed through a full-length mirror in the room. The two of them don't face each other, and only their words float in vain. `` Marriage Story '' (2019), which depicts a couple who choose the path of divorce, brilliantly expressed the atmosphere of ``disappearing love,'' but this work effectively uses stage settings to convey the feeling of separation. It shows the situation of lovers in crisis. Naturally, the colors on the screen are heavy and the amount of light is dark in this scene as well.

“Midsommar” (c)2019 A24 FILMS LLC. All Rights Reserved.

However, when we landed in Sweden, the screen suddenly became brighter, and just before we entered the Holga, the camera rotated and was turned upside down. This movement acts as a "switch," and the story begins to take a big turn after this scene. In Holga, everyone wears white clothing, colorful flowers bloom profusely, and there is no darkness due to the midnight sun. The only moments of darkness on screen are when Danny is dealing with family trauma or when his friends are in danger.

The more you watch the film, the more these visual tricks are used. For example, in Danny's room in the first half, there is a painting of ``Poor Bear'' by Swedish painter Jon Bauer. This suggests that she will go to Sweden afterwards, and that there will be a development in the second half. Also, in the scene where Danny talks to his friends, a photo of the scarecrow from `` The Wizard of Oz '' (39) is displayed. This also symbolizes the fate of university students.

Even in the scenes where drugs are ingested, you can see effects that have never been seen before in movies. Danny, who is in a trip state, has a hallucination where grass grows from his feet and blends into the ground. Furthermore, the flowers reflected in your field of vision will appear to "breathe". The stamens and pistils regularly contract and expand, making it breathe like a living thing. This new druggy expression is not only visually interesting, but also has a myriad of meanings.

“Midsommar” (c)2019 A24 FILMS LLC. All Rights Reserved.

If you read deeper into the story, Danny's sister committed suicide by inhaling exhaust gas, and the act of inhaling drugs itself overlaps with the death of a family member. "Smoke" is a metaphor for the fear and anxiety that haunts Danny, and it appears many times throughout the play. Also, the way Danny and his friends subliminally insert the faces of their dead family members into the Holga's horrifying ritual as they witness it is quite sinister but highly effective.

However, there is also a simple production in which everything that is about to happen is explained in a ``picture-story show.'' In this work, the film focuses on the above-mentioned ``ease of understanding'', such as a scene in which university students carefully look at each painting, showing a ``compromise'' that reminds the audience that ``this is definitely something.'' The emphasis is on it.

The story is easy to understand in one go, and the experience deepens as you watch it over and over again. This sense of balance can also be said to be a new weapon that director Ali showed off in ``Midsommar.''

Love story-like “accumulation of emotions”