In the previous text I wrote here I talked about how certain elements we don’t notice at first sight end up affecting our perception of a movie or series. To continue with this idea, I would like to talk about symmetry.
Although we may not be aware of this, in every scene of a film there is a predominance of a photographic perspective: this is the way in which objects and characters are arranged in the frame of the camera. While this is a basic notion in filmmaking, the way it works does not look the same in all the movies you see.
Symmetry is something you do not consciously think about when you look at the world around you, but it is present in many of the things we encounter on a daily basis. Since the origin of human history, symmetry has been associated with beauty and order: from the facade of the Taj Mahal to the patterns on butterflies’ wings. Symmetry, of course, is not a human invention. It is present all over nature; even on our own faces! This is why a perfectly symmetrical shot in a film generates a sense of tranquillity in the viewer, as it harmonises the image and the experience we have of it. Symmetry is an essential part of our unconscious daily perception, and when we see it in a movie it inevitably produces an effect on us since it has to do with something from within taken outside and brought to the screen. So, even if the concept of ordering elements on a film shot sounds like really basic stuff, it actually carries biology and magic in it.
Wes Anderson is well known for his symmetrical style, Keaton as well, but no doubt the king of symmetry was Stanley Kubrick, director of films such as The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, 2001 a Space Odyssey, and a lot more.
Kubrick orders his photograph around a central point, which unconsciously forces us, as spectators, to look at what he wants us to pay attention to. Stanley Kubrick conveys what he wants to convey and takes the viewer unconsciously through different sensations: fear, suspense, calm. If you pause a Kubrick’s film at certain moments you will discover that each small detail is ordered towards the centre. This kind of arrangement definitely harmonises the film making it much more powerful, visually and in content.
I found this stunning video with lots of scenes of Stanley Kubrick`s movies in which we can appreciate the magic of the one point perspective:
And, for a quite different experience on symmetry, you can watch this: