1.
Inja begins with a wide shot of workers in a garden, however it is clear they are not the main characters, a boy’s voice is heard before the next shot of the boy appears. The audio and centering of the boy in the foreground suggests that he will be the main character. He is first seen playing with a dog, then shortly after he is seen stealing cord to make the dog a collar. The sequence of close ups of the boy’s hands, the flag, and his face establish his position in the film as a worker under an oppressor and as an innocent and compliant character. Throughout the film he continues as a loyal worker, highlighted in several two shots, where he is seen in similar posture to his boss despite their many differences.
Indiana Jones begins with a close up on a golden idol and pulls to a wide of Jones attempting to eye the weight in comparison to his bag of sand. Through this beginning sequence, there of several close ups of Jones’ face, highlighting his careful observations. Some of these shots depict his guide in the background, allowing for cuts back and forth between the two as Jones is betrayed. This serves to highlight the differences between the characters, where Jones is calm and observant, his guide is anxious. Throughout the intro, Jones is shown using both close ups to depict his ability to reason and stay calm under pressure, while wide shots are used to depict the scale of his obstacles in order to highlight the sense of danger.
2.
Inja uses various wide shots to establish the settings. The film opens with a wide shot of several workers and their song, a song that is repeated again when the dog gets his collar, when the boy and his boss leave for work, and when the dog is shot. A noteworthy discrepancy occurs just after the boy raises the new flag, signaling the passage of time and change in government. When his companion rides up on his bicycle, a new song is playing with lyrics such as “reap what you sow” clearly heard over this distinctly new rhythm. Despite the clear passage of time, the same wide shots still show workers throughout the ranch and their songs are still heard, depicting how the lack of social change despite the political change.
The world of Indiana Jone serves to characterize Jones himself. Established using wide shots to depict towering obstacles and close ups of closing doors and flying darts, every detail is used to highlight Jones’ ability to overcome them despite the massive scale or unfavorable odds. A dramatic and fast paced score accompanies Jones’ escape, building tension as the film progresses until his narrow escape.
3.
The tone of Inja is that of personal betrayal. This is established mainly through the use of close ups of the boss, the boy, and the dog. Their facial expressions, emotions, and struggles are highlighted in comparison to one another, this is exceptionally clear in scene where the dog is beat and again when the boss has collapsed and the boy is forced to kill the dog. The relationship between these 3 characters is complex and ultimately tragic. The boy is introduced with the dog, and he is depicted as taking risk in order to build the dog a collar, their relationship is established early on. Similarly, the boss and the boy are shown together often, many times in a two shot where they share a the same pose and body language, the boy demonstrates no ill-will towards his boss and perhaps looks up to him. This relation ship is betrayed when the boss forces the boy to bag the dog before it is beat as to increase its loyalty to the boss. Close ups of their faces reveal the cold and bitterness of the boss, the betrayal of the dog, and the boy’s grief. This scene is mirrored at the end of the film in a similar fashion.
Indiana Jones has an adventurous tone throughout. Wide shots establish scale and danger, while close ups of Jones serves to highlight his stoic and observant nature. Examples include the opening as he observes the idol, carefully considering how much it weighs and how to take it without triggering the traps that protect it. When this attempt fails and the temple begins to collapse, wide shots are used to capture as much of the chaos as possible, depicting Jones as small and unlikely to escape. In the moments where he is closest to failure, a close up is used to highlight his composure and his ability to solve problems under pressure, escaping unbeatable odds without a scratch.
4.
Inja is a slow paced film, every second reveals more details contributing to the narrative. The viewer is able to pick up on these details because for the most part, single moments are drawn out between several shots to cover the fine details and setting as a whole. An example includes the dog beating scene, what could be a chaotic scene is unsettlingly quiet and drawn out, showcasing each character’s reaction and the affect the event has on their relationships. The important feature of the scene is not the brutal abuse, but instead the deep emotional betrayal felt by the boy and the dog, and the coldness of the boss. The film does have a change of pace at the end, after the boss collapses. In this case, full shots of the running boy, and quick cuts keep the tension up as the boy realizes he must betray the dog he loves if he wants to save his boss, someone he respects. The tension of this moment ultimately is released once the pace slows again, the workers song begins and a gunshot is heard.
Indiana Jones is briefly slow, as the first scene serves to introduce Jones’ character, however it quickly raises the pace as the temple begins to crumble and traps are set off. Quick wide shots and close ups serve to demonstrate the chaos, magnitude, and difficulty of Jones’ challenges. Shots are often shot and cuts are fast in order to keep the tension high until the very end when Jones escapes.
5.
For Inja, some of the strongest elements were used in repetition. The workers’ song served as a motif throughout the film, occurring a major plot points from the boy’s introduction, to the walk to work, and finally in the last moments of the film. The one time this song is not used is the the arrival of the visiting friend of the boy. This song not only marks a departure from the old system under a foreign power to a sovereign nation, but also serves to foreshadow the tragic ending faced by the boss. A similar repetition is seen in the raising of the flag. One of the first scenes is made up of a sequence of close ups of the boys hands, the flag raising, and his face. This scene is recreated almost shot for shot in the second half of the film, tying the film together while conveying a passage of time. Again the differences such as the flag highlight the major points of change while conveying that socially very little has changed. The film is powerful and uses a variety of camera techniques to convey complex relationships even without dialogue.
For Indiana Jones, some of the strongest features were the quick cuts between wide environmental shots and closeups of Jones’ face. Between the two, the setting is used to develop Jones as a character without the use of dialogue. Jones’ story can be told through his ability to think and act quickly and carefully, contrasted with his guide who is depicted as anxious and less skilled. The score also plays a significant role in building tension and adding to the chaos of the escape. The film is engaging and the build up of tension makes even the viewer nervous about Jones’ ability to figure his way out of the chaos.
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