The Dirt Movie Analysis

Name of the Movie: The Dirt (2017) 

Specific scenes:  1. Tommy's POV (1:03:21 - 1:04:30) POV Shot 
                            2. Nikkis Drug Abuse (1:08:32 - 1:09:07) Multiple Flash Cut 
                            3. Last Scene (1:36:10 - 1:38:11) Tracking  
                            

    The movie I chose was called 'The Dirt' and I was stuck between this one and a movie called 'Boogie Nights.' I ended up choosing this one because it had a lot of different shots that I could pinpoint whereas Boogie Nights only had a couple that stood out. The Dirt is a biopic about a notorious rock band called Motley Crue, one of my favorite bands, and how they formed, rose to fame, and eventually hit some rough times. Because the Crue were at its peak in the 80’s, the movie was shot with a retro aesthetic and did not shy away from the issue they faced.  

    The first scene chosen was where one of the main characters, Tommy Lee, would describe what his life was like on tour in a rock band in the 80's. It was shot using a POV angle so it would turn from either facing him head on or to what he was seeing. In this, we get a more accurate sense of what he was seeing, doing, or feeling at the time. It follows him from waking up at 5 p.m., showtime at 7:30, and afterparty all through the night staying true to its POV frame. 

    The next scene is one where another main character, Nikki Sixx, battles with his drug addiction. It depicts him in barely any clothes, running on no sleep, and using heroin.  It uses multiple flash cuts of him doing various activities (using heroin, running around, locking himself in a closet, aiming a gun, etc.) to portray how he felt like he was going insane and how everything seemed so frantic and discombobulated. The seemingly uncontrollable shot changes also made the viewer feel like they were losing their grip on reality and right there alongside Sixx. 

    The last scene was a tracking scene of the whole band at the conclusion of their fame. It had followed Nikki through their rooms and out into a hallway where Mick (the guitarist) joins in. From there, Tommy and Vince came out and then it followed them through the long and winding area and onto the stage where they gave their last performance. Everything was rolled smoothly with minimal cuts so the audience could follow them and feel like they were there to share their final moments of glory with them. It eventually closes with the band getting into position on stage and Nikki, the Main main character, looking back over the camera to show how he was content and happy with where he was. 

 

    The other movie that I was trying to choose from is called Boogie Nights (1997.) This movie follows Eddie Adams, or Dirk Diggler, in his rise to fame in the 70’s film industry. Similar to The Dirt, it had a retro aesthetic and an R rating for a reason. This movie had used a ton of whip pans to portray the frantic atmosphere of a drug fueled environment. So much so that I think it was the example for whip pans in the StudioBinder Transition video. It used it to introduce Dirk in the beginning of the movie, showed him obtaining drugs with it, and it even showed it in party scenes. An example of the movie using it would be around (28:20 - 28:38.)