On the 10th anniversary of Mysskin's brilliant crime thriller, we give a gist of his most-favorite filmmaking tropes.

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10 Years of Yuddham Sei: 10 signature filmmaking-choices of one of Tamil cinema's emerging auteurs

One element that cannot go unnoticed in his films is the surreal imagery, that Mysskin has famously come to be known for.

Team CE

Updated:12th Jan, 2021 at 3:48 PM

1. Use of ‘Bird’s eye view’ shots: The bird’s eye view shows the happenings from directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle.

Mysskin often places the camera above the street lights or a tree, putting his audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action.

The stress seems to be on establishing the mood and a wider scheme of things, putting people in perspective.

2. Recurring extreme wide-angle shots: Mysskin apparently wants his scenes to have a lingering effect on the audience, and hence tends to choose the wide-angle shots more often than usual.

These shots have a greater horizontal plane and scope for action and greater depth of field.

And, what more! They make dialogues perfunctory.

3. Extreme long shots with an existential tinge: The ELS, which normally shows an exterior and used as an establishing shot, gets handled in experimental ways by Mysskin.

Mysskin uses these ELS shots when he wants to foreground an environment, a central character is attached to or finds themselves in.

These ELSs may facilitate the reading that the character in focus is isolated and far from people’s help, or it might signify the distance or path that the characters had to travel.

4. ‘Worm’s eye view’ or low angle shots: Mysskin uses the worm’s eye shot often, when he places the camera at the lowest possible point facing upwards, providing a view of a subject from below.

The purpose is to make the audience look up at the character or situation, as though they are a worm.

Thus, through these low-angle shots, a character is made to seem powerful/rude/strong as the case may be or to depict a seemingly insurmountable situation.

5. Striking use of ground level shots/foot-level shots: Probably, they allow him to capture his characters’ physical/emotional journey through uncharted territories to perfection.

Mysskin shoots many a sequence with the cam just a little above floor-level, sometimes just to create mood, at times to show another face of the character without coming across as obscene.

6. Bizarre camera angles and unusual shots: So typical of Mysskin to show the impact of a family’s life turning upside down, or the unexpected triumph of a small knife using such shots.

Sometimes, just for the kick!

7. Distinct lighting techniques: Mysskin makes use of natural lighting as much as possible, and relies much more on shadows and silhouettes to convey the tension and atmosphere.

Even artificial lights are used quite distinctively, giving a feel of realism and brooding fear. Case in point, the scene in Yuddham Sei where JK uses his torchlight to search the dark doctor's room.

8. Bewitching background scores: Mysskin's films boast of soulful BGMs. Mesmerizing violin and cello solos, enchanting flute pieces and singular piano tunes serve to collectively assault our emotions.

9. Philosophical undertones: Mysskin's films are usually littered with unending religious symbolisms.

For instance, the scene in YS, where Cheran's character gives the book ‘Man’s search for Meaning' by holocaust survivor Victor Frankl to the the troubled youngster.

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