How have the directors of Troy and The Prince of Egypt use their knowledge about the architecture of Egypt and Troy to enhance various scenes of their movies?
Architecture is used in films not only to enhance the narrative, but to represent life itself. It shows what ones existed, exists now, or could possibly exist. This can be seen in the movies Troy, directed by Wolfgang Peterson, and The Prince of Egypt, directed by Chapman and Hickner. Both the movies plot in a historical setting, one in ancient Greece and other in ancient Egypt. One might think, that the architecture was already known, since the buildings that once existed just had to be replicated. However, the job does not end there; the architecture of a place is too vast, and it requires accurate understanding of a scene and imagination to decide which part of the existing architecture to be used as the backdrop for a particular scene in order to augment it. This essay shall explore how the directors used the pre-known architecture to enhance scenes in Troy and The Prince of Egypt.
There are various instances in Troy where the appropriateness of the architectural background can be appreciated. One of these is from a beginning scene; in this scene Peterson captures an image of a giant door behind which lies an entire city. The color and design chosen for the door is plain and dull, however the city behind it is shown as energetic and full of colors; The two are a stark contrast to each other which helps to accentuate the vivacity of the people and their love and respect for the king (since they are celebrating the king’s arrival). Further on, there is a fight scene in the movie where the invaders hide behind the pillars in the temple and then inconspicuously attack. The scene is aided by the provision of chunky pillars. Here, it might have been known that there were chunky pillars in the temple of Apollo, however the architect for the movie decided to choose that for the appropriate setting of this scene. Here, the architecture does not just serve as a backdrop; instead, it adds on to the plot and opens the chance to explore various stunts involved.
In addition, the director chooses to show the giant wall of Troy as a protection barrier from any invaders. The wall has various levels for different purposes, for example one levels for archers, another for fire balls. This not only helps to accentuate the feeling of security, but also acts as a symbol for the hierarchy in the system. The wall, also forms feelings of pride and power. It further enhances the contrast between the colorful inside to the bland outside. Another, interesting part of palace design is used to aid the plot of the movie. Towards the end of the film, the women manage to escape alive due to the existence of a secret tunnel. This was built inside the palace in case of any such emergency. This further helps to enhance the feeling of security that the king wanted his people to feel. Hence, as it can be seen through all the above examples, the movie would not have been as impactful as it is if the architectural backdrop was not appropriately chosen.
Such examples of using historical architecture suitably to enhance a scene is not only used in conventional movies like Troy; a fair example of this can also be seen in The prince of Egypt, where the director uses the various architectural backdrops to convey not only the characteristics of the various characters, but to also depict the mood. Towards the beginning of the scene, the director shows a chariot race between the elder prince and the younger prince. In this race, the brothers enter the town and disrupt it. The setting is created such that everything seems clustered; this helps to enhance the crazy, entertaining and immature character of the brothers. It also helps to establish their power, since they had the courage to disrupt the town without any fear. Further, there is a scene with an environmental setting. Here, the younger brother is in deep melancholy, since he has just found out the truth about his father. This mood is accentuated by the use of light colors in the background. The water he is sitting in, further builds the feelings of sorrow. Also, it is the first time in the movie that the setting is natural instead of a massive built structure. This marks a major change in the character.
Not only does the architecture in the film reflect on the forlorn mood, but it also helps to show feelings of power and pride. This is evident in one of the later scenes in the movie; here the character is talking about proving himself to be a great leader and making sure the world remembers him. In the background are massive constructed heads of the father of the character, and a bigger head for the character himself. It shows his urge for more respect and power. A similar feeling is conveyed when the director chooses to show the leader on a giant high seat and the slave down below. The difference in height also reveals the difference in their social status. It serves to enhance the contrast between the two characters. Hence, it can be seen that Chapman and Hickner used the known architectural facts not to limit their imagination for the setting of the scenes, but instead to enhance the impact and help the audience to further appreciate the film.
Although both the movies have a historical setting to them, reveal the leadership through the use of architectural setting. The stark contrast between the palace of the leader and the usual houses in The Prince of Egypt serves to reveal the importance of pride and power for the leader. In Troy however, the palace is in the middle of all the houses. The biggest structure built was the wall, around the entire city; this wall was not built for any pride but for the protection of the people; hence, further revealing the leader’s characteristics.
Both the movies explore the apt use of architectural setting to enhance the movie. It is however vital to understand that architecture is only one of the many features used to accentuate a scene; the directors have displayed the use of different camera shots, the lighting and the sound to create a mood for their audiences. Yet, in both the movies the architecture undoubtedly stands out; thus, showing the deliberate effort given to every scene in the movie.
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