Productions Aspects - Film By Film [Cinematography | Art | Sound Direction | OST]
Paradox Spiral V | Cinematography
The fifth entry to the series “Paradox spiral” is probably my favourite, being that it’s action packed and so visually compelling in the way it has such an effect on the story as a whole, speaking volumes of Takayuki Hirao’s ability as a director and storyboarder.
But you see the reason why it stands out so much, is not only because of the fifth film being at a climactic point in the story, it's because it was so differently approached from a directorial standpoint than any of its predecessors prior to it's debut. Where the second film directed by Takuya was extremely objective and conservative in its diegetic storytelling, while also being so distinct and flat out genius, on the other hand this film felt far more new wave and psychedelic thanks to Takayuki's flexibly playful style.
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| A Visual Metaphor Running Counterpoint to the Scene |
But you see the reason why it stands out so much, is not only because of the fifth film being at a climactic point in the story, it's because it was so differently approached from a directorial standpoint than any of its predecessors prior to it's debut. Where the second film directed by Takuya was extremely objective and conservative in its diegetic storytelling, while also being so distinct and flat out genius, on the other hand this film felt far more new wave and psychedelic thanks to Takayuki's flexibly playful style.
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| Macro ECU Shot |
[Match Cut Transition Montage Sequence] - [ Time-lapse]
The film would simply be incomplete without him, since the film's core themes such as mundane repetition and contradiction, through variation is characterized so distinctly through his use of these primary staples. His use of one take transitions when condensing time are absolutely brilliant and genius while adding on to the surreal and psychedelic motions the film goes through, as well frequent time lapses and heavily cut montage sequences.
But what some of his predecessors don’t understand is the aspect of “Dynamics” something Takayuki executes brilliantly. He understands the phases of each segment within the story and how to progress and change with each step the story takes. So the story isn’t as fast paced and compressed as I make it out to be, because Takayuki also has very played down diegetic scenes which takes run for long periods of time. Which allows the film and it’s characters to have their moments of rawness and impulsiveness, not glazed over by subjectively biased framings, allowing us to connect the dots ourselves, which heavily plays into solving the films paradoxical relationships and mysteries that are alluded to it. And as a side note almost the entire film has a light mask/vignette applied, which makes Takayuki’s sequential editing when shuffling around events seem indiscriminate, and subject to manipulation - Which later on you'll find out why this is so absolutely crucial. |
| Low Angle Tilt Tracking Shot |
Though again, this film is just such a beautiful mixture of respective styles, so even subjective reaction and or profile shots take precedent here as a staple of the film. And I love how he rarely ever uses non diegetic monolog or narration, whilst keeping the entire film feeling fresh and fluid. He’s also pretty clever with how he stages opposition in that, he’s pretty intuitive about using the space within a frame to voice such oppositions or perhaps two shots for agreement. And he’s no stranger to playing with the vertical angle of his shots, as it’s not only a pretty diverse selection, but distinctive in each angle's individual use. In that he utilizes high angle tilt more so for more oblique reaction shots or when establishing two characters within a scene, or a low angle tilt for tension in a more grounded and heavy profile shot, coupled with say a dutch angle in addition to that.
[Rule of Thirds Applied Framed in Conjunction W/ Set Geometry] - [Dutch Angle]
A nice touch here is his clever use of reflective surfaces as well, in that some of his framings are shot from an objective point of view where we're not directly privy to seeing the subjects face, but through the use of reflections or even someone’s eyelid we now are. Being that it almost feels as if we are peeping on a conversation, and as a result it feel's as if we too are in the room as well from the outside looking in as a third party. In that he uses these reflectively transparent surfaces sometimes almost as a dissolve overlay, being that beyond the glass can draw a parallel to what's reflected on the glass as well, which is very similar to what directors such as Takayuki and himself do with an actual dissolve.
[Clever usage of reflective & transparent surfaces to change the perspective of the viewer & to also draw a parallel between what lies beyond the glass & what's reflected off of it - Very cleverly serving the same purpose as a match cut/dissolve but in a diegetic manner]
His use of lensing, lighting and colour palette are also on point as well. Since he's able to utilize the full range of lenses, primarily being the standard and the telephoto for bokeh isolation. Though he’s able to cleverly splice in macro shots for ECU’s (extreme close ups) and fisheye lenses for special situations as imitating the peeping hole on an apartment door, in addition to the occasional wide angle lens for more unnerving and worldly shots. Thanks to the use of more distance placed between the camera and the given subjects, as blocking techniques combined with the telephoto profile shot also take place here. Also thanks to the set locations, Takayuki is also able to have a wider colour palette in addition to some more unique lighting situations as a result.
[Fish Eye Lens] - [Telephoto Profile Shot W/ Bokeh Isolation] - [Wide Angle Lens]
Art Direction |
Colour wise, the film Paradox Spiral from the get go has a very gritty & grounded feel to it, as red hues and darker mid tones play a large role in achieving this. Relative to other Sinners films Paradox Spiral was quite warmly lit and composed in terms of colour, as it almost seems comforting, which plays into the films manipulative nature to throw you off guard. Emi Chiba's work here largely houses quite a bit of analogous colour schemes, to give the film it's comforting look, however will add the dynamic of contrast regarding having split complimentary compositions such as red, orange & a tertiary blue. Though obviously during more psychedelic and abnormal scenes, as every Kara No Kyoukai film has. Emi Chiba and now returning Nobutaka Ike opts for more extreme contrasts that triadic schemes offer, particularly with the distinct lighting and glow a scene may have thanks to director of photography Yuichi Terao & Seiji Matsuda. As a side note, literally every single time when you see some sort of secondary or turquoise like blue in a scene's lighting, you know something abnormal is up.
Despite having quite a bit of outdoor set locations so to speak, this film in particular seems quite a bit more surreal, rather than being photo realistic, in that along with the non linearity of the film, there's always a discernible pattern pattern here regarding colour composition. It's even how there's this particular glossiness & glow to the film that further enhances the film's psychedelic theme and atmosphere. This film along with others in the franchise such as the third & second film really have a sense of dynamics from beginning, middle to end, as Emi Chiba & Nobutaka Ike's department are quite timely in their use of contrast, in how they progress and transition through the story. Being that the films over all composition regarding colour, shot flow & cinematography is indefinitely changing scene to scene, since the film never seems monotonous or too predictable, being that there's a distinct visual tempo and rhythm that was worked into the film. Even despite numerous character acting cuts, the film still flows beautifully.Sound Direction |
Yoshikazu Iwanami & Takayuki Hirao's work on this film was evidently brilliant, as through the combination of keen editing & composition, the sound of the film is cued very timely over the film's visuals. As the sound is able to tell a story on it's own, not just as a composite of the film, but being how distinct and meticulously edited and designed it was to run counterpoint to the visuals of Paradox Spiral. As there's a keen unpredictability that the shot flow composition and editing that makes the sound component just as unpredictable, such as sudden jump cuts to sap you out of the rising crescendo of a scene's momentum, always keeping you on your toes. As the tempo and voice of a given score is meticulously selected to match the tempo and message of the scene for beautiful results. In that it's an entire ecosystem of sound is recorded binaurally with the ambience and environmental noise that's displayed in each scene. The sound here plays such an important role that even cue's within the recording are actually used cue the next scene/cut, not the other way around.
OST |
The score on this film is cued quite timely but subtle at the same time, in that while working with director Hirao & Iwanami, Yuki Kajiuira's work here had a beautiful presence within the film, however her arrangements never go so far as overpowering a scene's dialogue or main action, but strongly support it. As Iwanami was keen on when to respect character acting cuts and dialogue, so that that they could exist in silent isolation, and also how to make use of many of Kajiura's mood pieces that the film has to offer. In that they are often unobtrusively used in temporally compressed lapses of time or when the visual tempo of a high action scene is quite high, really just to get through the motions and contextualize the sense of atmosphere and tempo the film may have. And as you might expect the music is cued quite timely in respect to the dialogue where such opportunities may arise, as the music is quite often cued right in the middle of a scene's ongoing development or introduction.
In terms of the actual music however, I feel that Paradox Spiral is definitely on of the strongest, most consistent, and longest these film's have to offer, and to me the most interesting at that. The first track M01 starts off as a sort of twisted lullaby as it introduces the artificial flavour that the dissonant synth provides, but then a wonder of metallic notes from a Glockenspiel sweeps in like a lullaby, with the creepy gregorian chant of Kalafina's kicks in, it plays directly into the scene's particularly disturbing feel, as it seemingly cues impending doom. Then fittingly a bowed solo performance (M02) by an upright bass accompanies the next scene's hard boiled scene at detective Daisuki's office. The wavering rhythm perfectly matching the scene's stressful mood, as does the instruments resonance. The track M03 that introduces Shiki to Enjou is a quick high frequency crescendo done with keyboards, and as the fog clears and both of their faces are revealed, a familiar segment from the "Garden of Sinners" arrangement starts to play, an absolutely beautifully composed moment, as this arrangement is also used later on in the film (M07) in the middle of a scene where Shiki starts stabbing her pillow in frustration over Mikiya.
Then once again during a suggestive scene's development, as the shot is framed from Tomoe's perspective as he reminisces watching as a track star runs on the electronic billboard in front of him. It's a beautiful piano arrangement that was rearranged from "The Garden of Sinners' theme again, but this time utilizing the arrangement's opening melody, instead of it's later parts. This arrangement is repeated a couple times over, such as in a few of Tomoe's flashbacks, with the stringed arrangement that M20 has to offer. A couple scene's afterwords introduces a track cued right on the wipe transition cut of the Häagan Dazs cup, introducing a melancholic reverb of a electric guitar's broken chords, then as the temporal compression of the scene continues and the score exists in isolation, percussion along with a sweeping effect is achieved on the keyboard, reminiscent of a stringed instruments modulation of pitch. As the track progresses an actual violin arrangement plays, that's wavering and bittersweet, taking center stage as the vacant and monotonous time lapse of days play out in the scene's of Tomoe and Shiki living with each other. A fantastic track, perfectly synergized with the visual component.
Another track that's played during a scene's development is another character acting cut between Tomoe & Shiki where Tomoe begins to foreshadow about his past. The sound of what seems to be a harmonium plays, but with soft, slow & resonant notes, as the the notes somewhat buzz, it gives the already dark scene a chilling and unnerving feeling. But then suddenly introduces an actual piano arrangement, that's quick and dynamic, just as Hirao cuts to Tomoe making his confession in front of Shiki regarding his tumultuous past. It's a beautifully timed piece as always, and it speaks so much to what the scene is trying to say, just as it should. As the film really is jam packed with such moments. As even a few scene's later when major twist is revealed, Shiki & Tomoe set out to investigate, it cues a prog rock progression (M09) of chords on the electric guitar as they begin to hit the road, but then just as the scenery of the city scape opens up, a fantastic stringed section comes in, beautifully synergizing with the scenery as it does with the visual tempo and progression of the scene. Feeling as if something is about to be lost, the violin section starts to waver, as the electric guitars offer the grit and violence that's about to destroy it as the scene and music both build up to a climax. It's beautiful track that's actually repeated in another driving scene similar to the one here, making some of the absolute best moments the entire film series has to offer.
Since the dialogue is relatively short, Iwanami saw it as a perfect opportunity to have a strong musical section with a dominate voice, adding so much emotional context to these scenes, it's a truly well timed and beautiful score within the movie. Right after however a relatively unnerving track plays, again cuing Kalafina's creepy chants. Then of course, like all Kara No Kyoukai's battle scenes a modified version of the Garden of Sinner's theme is turned once again into a battle Bgm once again, really nothing special here. However in the next scene after words the piece that plays thereafter when the "Final Boss" shows up is actually quite epic, having a powerful bass section with a bowed upright bass starting the piece, in addition to it's high pitched string arrangements, whilst layering creepy chants and brass sections on top, making for a quite violently compelling scene. As fugue like this is quite perfect for the chaotic battle that ensues.
Moving on however, as you might expect, the music is also used quite repetitively in the film such as the fugue arrangement on M18a. In that after the first half of the film, Hirao jumps back in forth between timelines for reasons I won't explain here in that they'd be spoiler material, but in this switching, so does the music, and this waltz is perfect for the petty corkiness of the encounter between Touko & Cornelius. As the track resembles a waltz, since the first note is always accented and the sense of meter is in 3/4 time, with all the corkiness that plucked strings, and the waltz arrangement of the viola & flute provides, later on adding cymbal hits to make even more of a grand and frivolous track, as it ends with the last arrangement on the piano. Being that when the clock ticks it cues the track again every occurrence they so happen to meet, since the scene is repeated quite a few times, just at different parts. It's a warped track perfect for the title of this film, Paradox Spiral, as it sounds nauseating, which is sort of the point.
A scene over however, cues a keyboard arrangement when Toko & Mikiya are conversing, however when an on screen blueprint of the building he's describing appears on screen, it slowly transitions into a dissolve/jump one take transition to the actual scene of the building with them walking through the lobby as they enter the scene of the crime. Cuing once again Kalafina's eerie chants that we've heard earlier on. This track plays on for quite a while as the the film continues to be a series of jump cuts in switching timelines. But the hilarious thing here is that the music just suddenly stops, completely zapping you out of the moment when Kokuto asks Touko a question she's completely shocked by, again good editing by the sound department to produce the gag.
Another notable scene is the showdown that occurs in the Ogawa apartments lobby, as M18b caps off M18a in a fantastical fashion as it does the encounter between Tōko & Cornelius. Which then transitions into another scene just as another person appears, cueing a familiar arrangement to the second track in the film (M02), which a bell rings and is synced with a surprise attack, closing it off with a piano arrangement of deference, as Touko unknowingly draws a parallel between herself & what Shiki says earlier on in the film. The climax of the film is accompanied by a 15 minute suite comprising most of the said compositions up until now, as I find the middle section particularly well synergized with the film coming to a tipping point. As I absolutely love the gregorian chant of M24 as it's used in the final battle of the movie & the stringed arrangement of the Garden of Sinners theme quite a bit, as it really speaks to making the moment more grand. Being that the final battle is absolutely epic and completely nuts regarding the animation and just how much the camera is spins, telling you that "This is it" that this is the final battle.
To cap it all off of course is yet again the "Garden of Sinners" theme, and of course although it's a beautiful song, it's just at this point I'm kind of tired of hearing it so often. In that Paradox Spiral's score was the longest and most expansive of the films, just behind the the film Murder Speculation Part 2. Asides from the repetition of arrangements, the score is filled with beautifully diverse and epic music, quite a fantastic job composing it by Yuki Kajiura, and application to the films by Iwanami.
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| The Garden of Sinners: Paradox Paradigm [V FIlm OST] |
Vocals :
Kalafina - Main Group -
Wakana Ōtaki, Keiko Kubota, Hikaru Masai
Supporting Vocalists -
REMI, Yuriko Kaida, Hanae Tomaru
Former Members -
Maya Toyoshima (Left in 2009)
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Musicians :
Keyboard & Programming - Yuki Kajiura
Strings - Kiyo Kido Strings (Group)
Rie Akagi, Yuriko Kaida
Viola - Yoshiko Kaneko
Cello - Masami Horisawa
Flute - Rie Akagi
Guitar - Koichi Korenaga, Susumu Nishikawa
Percussion - Tamao Fujii
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Article Contents - Comments Section
- Overlooking View
- Murder Speculation [Part 1]
- Remaining Sense Of Pain
- The Hollow
- Paradox Spiral
- Oblivion Recording
- Murder Speculation [Part 2]
- Epilogue
- The Future Gospel
- The Future Gospel [Extra Chorus]
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