The document analyzes the cinematography in the ITV show Broadchurch. It discusses how the director uses techniques like eye-level shots, wide shots, reflections, and angles to enhance themes of distortion, vulnerability, reflection on actions, power dynamics, voyeurism, and more. These cinematography choices add to the mysterious nature of the show and immerse the audience in the investigation unfolding in the small town.
2. I will be analysing the cinematography within the latest episode of
Broadchurch.
Broadchurch is an ongoing TV show, currently on its second
series, with episodes every monday.
A seemingly calm and friendly seaside town becomes a town
wrapped in secrets when the death of an eleven year old boy
sparks an unwanted media frenzy. As the town's locals start to
open up about what they do and don't know, it falls upon the
police to catch the supposed killer. - IMDb
The two plot lines are absorbing, the characters are well-
drawn and the cinematography is even more stunning
-The Independent
Introduction
3. Cinematography Pt.1
In Broadchurch they use eye level, out of focus shots to create an unclear
reality (see shots on right). Teplitzky uses this to show how life in
broadchurch has become distorted and unclear after the murder. Suggesting
that no one actually knows anything for sure anymore and they have come
to question everything even the people closest to them. This adds to the
mysterious nature of the episode.
The director also uses wide shots making the characters seem small and
alone(see right). The characters now seem immaterial, irrelevant and
insignificant, as if they have no control over their surroundings. They could
also be seen as vulnerable, in such a way that they are vulnerable to
everything around them, enhancing the idea that the entire community is
turning on each other and the are not safe from anything anymore.
4. Cinematography Pt.2
The director also uses fades in and out of reflections to show the
characters emotions and suggest that they are reflecting on their actions.
You can see this in the shots on the right. These shots are suggesting that
the characters are looking back at their reflections to see themselves for
the first time, as though the investigation has uncovered more than
expected. It is also used to show what the characters focusing on, allowing
us to see it from their perspective.
In the shot on the bottom right Teplitzky uses angles and depth of focus to
illustrate power and ownership. Along with the words ‘chin up’
the creators are giving her the power in the scene and showing her
as the most powerful of the courtroom, as if she has ownership of
everything that happens.
5. Cinematography Pt.3
Teplitzky also uses wide shots in this scene to show their vulnerability. They
seem defenseless and open to the world after the investigation, giving the
illusion that nothing is hidden in the town anymore and everyone knows
everything about them and they are exposed.
They also used a low angle shot to show importance in a flashback, suggesting
that this character, Lee Ashworth, even dominates Alecs memories, as though
he even has power over Hardy in his memories.
This shot on the right is voyeuristic. Making the audience feel
like we’re intruding on the girls life. It can also be seen as a
PoV shot as it is looking over their fence, suggesting that it is
Lee who is spying on her. This enhances our suspicion
towards Lee.
This shot could also be intertextual referencing the voyeuristic
opening shot of ‘Psycho’, which implies that the girl is going to
suffer the same horror as Marion.
6. Cinematography Pt.4
In the shot on the right the director has chosen to show us the characters
through bars implanting the idea of prison into the audiences mind and
possibly foreshadowing that the character, Beth, will go to jail. This
makes the audience rethink what they think we know about Beth and
consider the possibility that she was the murderer.
They use another reflection to show more characters reflecting on who
they are. These shots are suggesting that the characters are looking
back at their reflections to see themselves properly for the first time,
implying that the investigation has uncovered more about
themselves that they didn’t know before. The repetition of this to
more characters suggests that the whole village has been
dragged in and they are all questioning what is real and what
is not and they are finding more about who they are than they
originally expected. The fact that the actor is also looking around in
anxiety suggests that he is embarrassed by the person he actually is,
so doesn’t want anyone to see who he really is.
7. Cinematography Pt.5
In one scene they use close up, shot reverse shot to show an ongoing
power struggle within the relationship of Hardy and Ashworth.
however at the end of the conversation the camera pans down to a
low angle shot suggesting that finally Lee has taken power and
dominance over their relationship and now controls all the
information that Alec gets from him.
When Beth walks into the church to meet the sex offenders the
camera slowly moves closer, zooming in to an extreme close up of
her face. This implies that she is being engulfed by everything
around her and she is overcome by all the emotions.
The shot on the right is positioned as though it is a point of view
shot and someone is spying on them. This adds to the voyeuristic
feel of the show, as though the creators are saying that police work
is voyeuristic.
