Made in 2001 in English language and with American money, Black Mask 2 is finally released a year later in video in the USA. Let's see how interesting Black Mask 2 is and what does it tell us about its creator…

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Analysis of a scene
Here is a sample of shots from the beginning of the movie. Note the camera angles. They are called canted frames or Chinese angles. This type of angling of the camera has become a conventional way of conveying disorder and mayhem. Tsui Hark uses extreme angling in Black Mask 2 to convey the mayhem of a comic book lay out as well as the mayhem of the story. Either the horizontal frame line is not parallel to the horizon or the subject is bent.

The shot, reverse shot pattern between the scientist and the Black Mask, which usually represents the Hollywood dialogue staging style, is not traditionally done here. It is staged this way in order to enhance the graphic figure of the super hero. He is always backlighted and shot in close up in order to give him an aura of mystery. The scientist, represented by the colour white from his lab coat, is shot from afar and he symbolises the victim. These colour and dimensional contrasts are distinctive features from comic books.

Frames to be read from left to right.
Sequence running time: 1min 17 seconds.

Laurent Henry, January 2003
Translated by Thomas, Jan 2003

Pictures courtesy Columbia Tristar, 100 Years Of Films, Film Workshop.

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