Back+to+the+Future 

In the movie Back to the Future, directed by Robert Zemeckis, he had to make many choices to make the movie turn out as great as it did. At the climax of the movie where Doc is hanging from the top of the clock tower and trying to get McFly back to his present time, Zemeckis had to make many decisions to make the scene work.

1,2, & 3. In this scene the camera is placed on the ground while Doc is hanging from the clock tower,also the distance between the camera and the main subject of the shot, which is Doc, is also very far and finally the angle of the shot is looking up.The effect that these choices together create is a scene full of tension and suspense. With the camera so far away from Doc and angled up, it makes him look so small in comparison to the whole shot, making it look as if Doc is so small in such a big world, making him powerless.

4.Another choice Zemeckis had to make was the lighting, in this particular scene everything is dark and the only lighting appears from the clock tower and lighting. The reason there were no outside light sources used in this scene is to show the importance of these two sources of light. The effect this has on the movie is it shows that the only way for McFly to go back to the present is with the combination of the clock tower and lightning (light representing hope.)

5.The general color of this scene is a dark blue color with the exception of the yellow clock and bolts of lighting. With these combinations of colors, a soothing mellow background with occasional bright flashes of yellow it makes the viewer feel unsettled during the scene.

6. Even though this is a very face paced scene, with the use of slow cuts in between shots through out the scene Zemeckis is able to add extra tension to the scene. The reason these fast cuts are so impactful is because the viewers completely understand what is happening during the scene, allowing them to understand the frustrations McFly and Doc are having, for example the car not starting or the cables being unplugged.

7.Another choice Zemeckis made for this scene is the choice of music, by using suspense music instead of any other music, like horror for example, it makes the viewer question whether or not something bad is going to happen.

8.And finally the choice of using a close up on Doc’s face directly after the wide-shot of him hanging from the clock tower, it shows his determination and gives hope to the viewer that the plan is going to work, which makes this whole scene full of tension and work so greatly.