Vengeance is mine lighting part 1

This shot is fairly typical of Vengeance is Mine in terms of the type of lighting. The main light in this shot seems to be located almost directly above the actors, judging by the shadows cast on the table by the bowls. Our murderer protagonist Iwao Enokizu has a fair amount of shadow cast over his face, in this frame, by his fringe and brow. These shadows do not stay in the same place for the entire shot length however because his head moves around a bit. His eyes are in shadow at this frame. A character’s eyes being in shadow often makes a character appear menacing in some way, as in many of the scenes in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. Here however this is not the case, despite the fact that Enokizu is in fact a serial killer. This is because the light here is not harsh and filled with moody light and shadow, it is quite flat. It does however, have the effect of making him seem distant and untrustworthy. Haru, the woman getting drunk with him, is more well lit. There may be some slight fill lighting on her, but I am not sure. It may be because the light is more directly above her, but it could also be a very modest reflector, like a piece on white foamboard or something, reflecting some light back up onto her face. I think Haru is possibly lit more brightly to reflect the fact that she is a more open character who is in touch with her emotions and therefore more trustworthy, despite having her own faults.

The characters are standing out from the background and have quite defined outlines, so it would seem that there is some form of backlight, but I’m not sure where it is coming from. I think it may be above the green beam behind Enokizu’s head, as this is the brightest part of the background. This light seems to be casting a small shadow below the frame of the screen behind them. There also seems to be some light behind the screen, coming from above.