Blog #3 UP Montage Analysis

Pixar’s UP opening montage is a prime display for the collision of images. The manipulation of multiple shots displayed the story of Carl and Ellie and evoked; although the montage did not utilize any dialogue, it successfully evoked multiple emotions and captured the lives of two individual in a short period of time. The montage starts by zooming out on Carl in a tuxedo; the zoom reveals Ellie to be the wife of Carl. The marriage celebration then cuts to the newly wed building their new home. Carl and Ellie and then shown having a picnic date, viewing clouds, at a park. The montage cuts to their occupation at a Zoo where Ellie handles the animals while Carl sells balloons. The primary goal of these shots ultimately shows the interaction between Carl and Ellie as a couple. The montage cuts to another date at the park. However, the clouds transform to little babies, indicating a transition within the relationship between Carl and Ellie. A shot for “preparations” is shown through the painting of a child’s room. However, the lively music dwindles to a slow, sorrowful melody as Ellie is diagnosed with infertility in the following shot in a doctor’s office. Carl revives Ellie’s livelihood is displayed in a shot where Ellie paints Paradise Falls as they begin to fund their vacation through a jar of change. However, a series of unfortunate events are sequenced together where they are forced to use the money within the jar. A mixture of shots showing Ellie fixing Carl’s tie illustrates the passage of time that occurs within their marriage. The aging Carl then attempts to surprise Ellie with tickets to Paradise Falls during a date. However, Ellie collapses and the shot pans right, fading into Ellie in a hospital bed. The music, once again, shifts to a sad melody, as Carl is shown at the funeral, sitting alone. As he faces the casket, it fades into his home as he enters alone. Although many settings of the different shots were recycled, the settings were cut into a way that allowed for the progression of the story. The music successfully reflected the shots that were displayed and evoked many different emotions throughout the duration of the montage. Each different shots showed a different time period within the marriage of Carl and Ellie.

  Although the collision of images allowed for the rapid passage of time to be shown, the themes and settings of the shot also showed fluidity of the story. The church, Carl and Ellie’s house, the park, the zoo, and the hospital bed were repeatedly used in different ways, emotionally and physically; the displayed the dynamic effects of the music and period in time in comparison to the shot displayed. While the montage utilized aspects of the collision of images, it also utilized aspects of the continuity of images in a thematic way; combining two different two aspect into one montage.

LINK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G371JiLJ7A