This moment from “Zero Dark Thirty” is another striking example of how lighting and shadow can be used to convey character, theme, and story. Before the door opens, the room is drenched in pitch black. Then, as soon as the door opens, a harsh, bright, white light floods in. It is a jarring visual transition captured brilliantly by cinematographer Greig Fraser. The sudden burst of light feels like a shock to the system, breaking us, the audience, out of our complacency.
With this moment, the film declares its intent. The murky, unseen acts committed in the name of the War on Terror are now brought into the open, exposed for us to witness. For the next two and a half hours, director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal force us to confront uncomfortable truths and ask difficult questions: How far is too far? What do we lose in the pursuit of national security and safety? When the truth finally comes to light, can we still bear to confront the dehumanization and brutality that happened, or do we look away?
