Inara's spongebath scene

POSTED BY: Sleeter
UPDATED: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 18:14
VIEWED: 8259
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SLEETER

Monday, February 25, 2008 8:47 AM

Hi guys,

I'm writing a media studies essay on the frist two episodes of the Firefly DVD box set and I was wondering something.

On my version of the DVD the scene jumps a little. Not much, just very subtle pauses of a second or two. I was wondering if this was just my old, crabby DVD player, or if it was the same on other people's? I really like the effect it creates and would like to comment on it in my essay, but don't want to be wrong...

So, can anyone help me? Am I just seeing interesting cinematography where none exists?

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, February 25, 2008 8:55 AM

There are several places where i get pauses, and sometimes I lose the audio for a bit, have to reverse/backtrack a bit and then forward again and it's often okay, but not the Inara scenes you mention. I assume they are from shifting tracks on the DVD file. I get a oause when the sponge is getting wrung, with dripping water freezing in frame, and something else in the same scene.

SLEETER

Monday, February 25, 2008 9:10 AM

They are the places where I get the same pauses.

It could be a technical problem, with track switching. Since you have the same pauses though, I think I am going to argue, in my essay, that they are to make the viewer uncomfortable.

We've been doing a lot of work on the male gaze and male dominated society and this scene struck me as a little odd from Joss, and in another essay I read about neo-feminist ideology he was slated a little bit for it. However, if he's made it so that the viewer is supposed to noticed themselves watching a naked woman bathing herself, by putting in pauses to break the flow of the narrative and the suspention of disbelief, then this puts a different spin on things.

Thank you for your reply!

THESOMNAMBULIST

Monday, February 25, 2008 10:15 AM

Hi Sleeter.

Yes I get that in exactly the same spot every time it plays. I always thought it was a deliberate part of the edit. Given the strange time lapses in that scene with Inara anyway where we see her looking off screen, in what appears to be seperate to the present action, I figured it was all part of the 'flavour' of that scene.

I wouldn't have said it makes for uncomfortable viewing though, but that's my take on it.

Interesting that it may b a glitch...

ECGORDON

Monday, February 25, 2008 12:31 PM

I am sure it is not a glitch, and you are hardly the first person to mention it. Joss edited it that way for a reason. There are several pauses like that in the Mal/Nandi love scene in "Heart of Gold" as well.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

PIRATECAT

Monday, February 25, 2008 2:27 PM

Mine does but I'm hitting the rewind button and reaching for the hand cream hey hey uhhhh.

"Battle of Serenity, Mal. Besides Zoe here, how many-" "I'm talkin at you! How many men in your platoon came out of their alive".

MSB

Monday, February 25, 2008 4:19 PM

Hey if it does pause there... just savor the extra few moments with naked Inara:)

____________________________________________

Ain't Love GRAND!!!

DESKTOPHIPPIE

Monday, February 25, 2008 4:23 PM

Actually, it was done on purpose. Joss mentions in the commentary on the episode that he thought he was being all arty and subtle, but that when they watched it everyone thought their DVDs were skipping. He was a bit upset about that.

Banners, Avatars, LJ Icons and other fun stuff at www.desktophippie.com

WORLDOFHIGLET

Monday, February 25, 2008 8:23 PM

This scene is certainly 'arty' and the way it is shot/cut does add to that (although I can't be the only one who half expected Inara to turn around and see Harrison Ford ('Witness') in the mirror!).

My first boxset was faulty and had skips and glitches all over anyway, so you can't blame people for thinking that it wasn't done on purpose.

Overall the effect is sensual and appealing on many levels...

You are beholden to no man
http://worldofhiglet.blogspot.com/

STORYMARK

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 12:27 AM

Those are just jump cuts ans still frames. All intentional, and fairly common editing techniques, especially when trying to hit a certain rythm with a scene (the still useually correspond to specific ques in the music). Steven Soderberg uses both techniques a lot, my favorite example of which would be Out of Sight.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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