Daphen Nakayiwa
Joe Wright’s
“The Soloist”
Joe Wright’s American drama “The Soloist” (based on the book by Steve Lopez) is based on a true story
of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Jamie Foxx) , considered to be a cello prodigy who then later on goes to
attend Julliard, develops schizophrenia and becomes homeless. Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) an LA
Times Columnist discovers Ayers and writes about him in the newspaper.
The sequence opens with Nathaniel and Steve laying down on the ground in an area dedicated to the
homeless. Afterwards Nathaniel makes a place for himself to sleep. He invites Steve Lopez to rest and
they then begin a conversation about Steve’s job and Nathaniel’s love for Classical music.
Cinematography establishes meaning for the audience by the different angles, movements of the
camera, positions and shots. At the beginning of the sequence there is a slow zoom towards the two
protagonists of the film, Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Ayers, while having a conversation about Steve’s job.
They are laying on the ground on a wide step with a locked door behind them. The character Steve is
facing the camera and Nathaniel is lying facing sideways. The zoom implies a slow progression in
emotion and interaction between the audience and the characters, in a sense of bringing the audience
closer to the story and that particular moment. Also it suggest that the conversation is going to increase
in meaning and emotion, due to the fact that the zoom moves closer to the characters faces. This then
allows the audience to see minute facial expression and changes that carry the emotion of the
conversation. In addition this also allows the audience to engage in the emotion felt by the characters
towards the topic. The zoom is a two shot of the two protagonist signifying that, that instant is between
those two people only. During the two shot zoom, people around them are walking past the camera and
all that can be seen is their shoes upwards to their knees. Indicating that the shot is also a low angle
shot. This could symbolise a low in emotion that the characters could be feeling, giving a sense of
melancholy and sadness, it could resemble the status of the people passing by and that they are
superior or of a higher in class than Steve and Nathaniel. Also it could signify their lack of importance
due to the fact that their faces (people passing by) are not shown. Since they have no identities and
Steve and Nathaniel do, they are the only two who are important. Close-ups of the two characters make
the emotion felt more evident for the audience. Making the scene more dramatic and intense.
There is an point of view shot used to show what the character of Steve Lopez is observing. It consist of a
close-up shot of Steve’s face then the next shot would be one that captures the on goings of the
surrounding I.e. a homeless man rummaging through rubbish possibly in search of something to eat or
to keep him warn for the night. This shot allows the audience to see what the characters sees and gives
a sense of what Steve could be feeling as he looks at the people around him. It allows the audience to
observe the surroundings and gain and insight into the other events taking place. The shot of the man
going through the rubbish could relate to Nathaniel and how he could be doing the same thing.
There is an arial shot of Nathaniel’s face as he’s laying down, looking upwards just off the camera.
During this, he’s saying a prayer. Since he is praying the shot could give a sense of faith and religion. As if
Nathaniel is looking up towards God and is communicating with him through prayer. The shot could also
signify a higher power looking down on Nathaniel as he prays.
During the sequence there is a one continuous camera movement starting with a tracking of a stray cat
revealing the surroundings to be abandoned and old I.e. broken burnt old cars, vandalised buildings. The
camera then catches a homeless man walking to a cue of people who are waiting to be served some
food. The camera continues moving up the line of people to the two people giving out the food. Passes
am American flag hanging from the side of a building and then turns into an arial shot over the homeless
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people sleeping. The effect of this un interrupted shot is that it allows the audience to gain an
understanding of the environment that the homeless have to live in. The shot allows the audience to see
how many people are affected and to the what extent. The shot of the American flag could signify to the
audience the concept of the “American Dream” (the idea that everyone in the United States has the
chance to achieve success and prosperity) and how once put into the context of the homeless, it
becomes a contradiction.
Another technical aspect that helps to establish meaning is Mise-en-scene., including setting, character
position, costume and props and lighting and colour.
There is graffiti on the walls and some are overlapping each other. This gives a sense of un-attendance
but also recklessness. However the colour used is white so there could possibly be connotations of
hope and brightness. Nathaniel and also nearly all of the people who were homeless were wearing
layers upon layers of clothing. I.e. hats, t-shirts under two jumpers and then a jacket. This could indicate
to the audience that the only thing or possessions that these people have are the things that they carry
around with them. It could also make reference to the climate indicating a cold night. In addition to this
the cloths that they are wearing are randomly assorted indicating that they picked them up from the
streets, dumpsters or found them. It signifies to the audience that they have to take what they can to
stay warm and healthy. The setting is full of rubbish, loose object abandoned goods, broken down cars,
trolleys and card board. All of these object are ones in which people threw away because they didn’t
like, need or want anymore. The area is basically left and abandoned. This could signify to the audience
that the setting could relate to the people. It could be interpreted that some of the people who are now
homeless are homeless because they felt like they weren’t needed or wanted anymore. In addition, all
of the stuff that they find in that area they use. So to the audience this is a home for the homeless.
Jamie Foxx’s character Nathaniel is wearing a yellow t-shirt, under an army jacket with a yellow light rain
jacket. His scarf is yellow, black and purple. His wearing baggy trousers with a cloth hanging from his
front right pocket and dirty white trainers. From what the actor is wearing the audience could get a
sense of Nathaniel’s characteristics. What he’s wearing could be a reflection of his Schizophrenia, in a
sense that this could be reflected through his choice of clothing. A symptom of schizophrenia is
disorganised speech and thinking. One could argue that his can be seen through his choice of clothing.
However, this could possibly be a result to him not having a choice in what he has to wear, wearing what
ever he can find or what he was left with before he became homeless. The colour yellow that is evident
in what Nathaniel is wearing could symbolise to the audience a bright and vivid character that Nathaniel
is known through out the film. However, the army jacket could give negative connotations of war and
battle. This could be significant to the character Nathaniel indicating that he has to fight to stay alive
while being homeless and it could also suggest the battle that he has mentally to control his thoughts
and stay focused due to his mental disorder.
Lighting also plays an essential role in this sequence of the film giving understanding of the main
protagonist and the surrounding. The two main lighting techniques used were low key chiaroscuro and
street lighting. Low key chiaroscuro was a plain white light, used on the character of Nathaniel’s face
during his prayer, only displaying half of his face. This lighting could be interpreted by the audience as
giving a sense of mystery. In a sense of not being able to fully engage with the character because he isn’t
showing his whole personality. It could also suggest a split personality, as if to say that one side of
Nathaniel is bright, open, pleasant and honest. And yet the other hidden side could suggest a side of
Nathaniel that we the audience have not seen yet or will ever get to see. There could also be
connotations of danger and obscurity. Street lighting was used during the long continuous shot of the
Daphen Nakayiwa
surroundings. This could indicated the time and place of where the homeless people are staying. Seeing
as how street lights are used at night this would imply that at that moment of the film, it was night time.
Sound also plays a vital role in piecing the cinematography and the Mise-en-scene together to create
meaning of the sequence. At the beginning of the sequence the dialogue is the dominant sound heard
along with sounds of people and sirens in the background. I.e. the sirens could suggest a accident where
someone got seriously hurt or injured.
In addition it helps to create the world of the narrative
(Diegesis). There is also a voice over of Nathaniel saying the “Our Father” prayer. This is heard whilst
the un-interrupted continues shot is happening. It could suggest that faith is shared among those who
have the least. That religion is the only thing that hasn’t or can’t be taken away from them.
In conclusion, these technical aspects do help to create meaning to the audience but also create the
world of the narrative. Giving an overall perception of the lives of the homeless.