Ratatouille shot review
It tells the story of a rat named Remy, who is a rat fascinated by good food, and wants to become a chef. It follows him from his home to a restaurant, where he befriends a young busboy who is the son of a famous chef, and dreams of becoming one himself.
The first shot is one of the prettiest shots in the film. It is a wide shot, and depicts Remy looking out over Paris, seeing the sights that he had longed for, for all of his life. The shot composition has Remy sitting on a mailbox, staring directly at the Eifel Tower, with the buildings of Paris in between. It is well proportioned due to the fact that Remy is close up, and the tower is far away; rendering them the same size. This shot is trying to show Remy’s love for Paris. Another way that Remy’s joyful wonderment is shown is the contrast between his grey fur, and the bright lights of the city.
The next shot is a medium wide shot; when Linguini first catches Remy adding spices to a soup. Linguini looks shocked to see a rat near soup, and Remy looks shocked to have been seen. The shot is well proportioned, having a shocked human on one end, and a shocked rat on the other, with a pan of soup in between. Remy’s hand is open and outstretched, as he has just dropped a ladle in surprise. Remy is in the foreground, with Linguini in the background, which signifies that the leader of the next will be Remy, who is about to run away. This shot was made in order to introduce you to the next main character, and also carry along the storyline in a way that makes sense both visually and to the story itself.
The final shot is a medium wide shot where Remy is walking along for the first time in Paris, with hands outstretched, talking to himself. The composition is very creative in this one. The background in blurred, showing the intent that Remy is the main focus, and that he has entered from the blur, and into the clear. He has left behind his old life and come into the new. This point is further supported by having Remy in the foreground, having stepped out from the bleaker times of his boring past as an ordinary rat. He is thrilled to be in Paris, and he takes his passing with courage. The shot shows his excitement by the cocky thumbs up Remy gives as he passes. His right foot is also raised, showing that he heads onward, and is looking forward for the future.
This movie is wonderfully done, and all of the shots do their jobs perfectly. The story is captivating, and through carful transitioning with shots, the animation is very well designed.
