Act of Valor

I recently saw the movie Act of Valor. Act of Valor is a movie portraying the duties of a team of United States Navy Seals. In the opening of the movie, the team of Seals is deployed to South America on a mission to free a United States spy being held hostage and under interrogation. After the successful mission, the Seals are again deployed to Mexico to stop a group of terrorists from crossing the United States boarder and suicide bombing various cities in the southwestern region of United States; they again succeeded in their mission and stopped the terrorists. I found it particularly interesting that Act of Valor featured real Navy Seals in the film, as opposed to actors. One editing technique I noticed throughout the film was the use of medium shots with very short duration, particularly during close quarters combat. These shots also featured quick panning movements. I believe that these shots were used to disorient the viewers and make them feel uncomfortable. The music in the film also increased in volume and intensity while the Seals stealthily moved toward their targets, as to create a sense of suspense. There was also heavy use of low angle medium shots on the captain while he was telling his fellow Seals the mission, conveying his sense of power. Also, the captain was often standing up while describing the mission while his fellow Seals were sitting; this being a mis en scene technique used to again show the captain’s power. One lighting technique I also noticed in the film was the use of chiaroscuro. Throughout the film, the faces of terrorists and collaborators were often shadowed. This use of chiaroscuro was likely used to show the shady nature of the characters as well as create a sense of mystery around them. There was also use of long and extreme long shots during transition shots in the film. These shots often involved panning and were used to show the characters’ surroundings.