Hot Is a Classic Hollywood Comedy With Term Paper

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Hot is a classic Hollywood comedy with Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe, and it is special in many ways. Directed by Billy Wilder, a legendary director in Hollywood, the film was shot in black and white, and uses straightforward lighting, camera shots, and editing to create a film that is visual, but never takes anything away from the cast, the script, and the setting. It is the acting and the music that all add up to make this film memorable, and it is an excellent example of when to use unique camera and lighting techniques, and when not to.

Most of the camera shots in this film are straightforward. There are several deep-focus scenes, such as the pivotal scene in the garage when the car careens into the garage, and then the men are lined up against the wall. The lighting in this scene is dark in the corner where the two musicians are hiding and lighter when the men are lined up under the window, just as it would be in a garage. Wilder uses everyday techniques like this to illustrate these characters are "average Joes" thrown into a silly and decidedly non-average situation.
This is a comedy, so the camera, lighting, editing, and sound should not take away from the cast and the script, and that is one reason Wilder uses mostly straightforward techniques in the film.

There are numerous two-shots in the film that concentrate on the relationship between the characters. Often, Lemmon and Curtis fill up the screen, but there are also plenty of other two-shots featuring Monroe and Curtis and Lemmon and Joe E. Brown. The center of this film is the relationships between the characters, and these two-shots help build those relationships. Lighting is also straightforward, with little backlighting or special techniques. One exception is the scene where Monroe sings "I Wanna be Loved by You," in a decidedly see-through and risque gown. The spotlight cuts Monroe off just above her ample bosom, leaving the rest of the revealing dress in shadow, but leaving little to the imagination. The lighting could have been a result of censorship at the time (1959), but the dress shows up under regular lighting later,….....

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