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The Fiction of Eye Contact

This picture makes me so uncomfortable. 

While it's eye-opening to find reason behind the normalities of point of view in film, the eye-level shot appears far from normal in my eyes.

Is it the purple suit? The hands crossed? Or the specific positioning of the viewer on a table that makes me so uneasy? It's probably a combination of my suspicions, but I've decided that to its core, it's the eye contact that creates my discomfort. Most of these types of shots never reach the extent of eye contact. Instead, the similarity in levels creates a feeling of similarity shared by the character and viewer. There is no power disparity, no difference in viewpoint. Look at Forrest Gump and this eye-level shot (note that he's not looking at you).


But once eye contact comes into play, the connection is too strong. Of course, any good producer will aim to form a connection for an audience to a film. However, there's comfort in a screen lying between a film and its viewer. It's the barrier between fiction and reality. A good movie will encapsulate you. All your attention should be drawn to the plot and everything you see. And it's almost like you're in it. Almost. But strong eye contact breaks that barrier. It feels like the man in the purple suit can see me, and, suddenly, I'm too close. The comfort of only watching and never being in a horror movie vanishes as soon as you feel like you're being watched. 

I guess having the fiction stare back creates a new fantasy: that you're apart of it.




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