ABSTRACT
Lens flares can make a bold visual statement and overtly stylize the look of a shot; because of this, most filmmakers try to keep their use to a minimum, lest their inclusion becomes so distracting it pulls the audience out of the story. However, if flares are justified by a narrative context and are part of a consistent visual strategy that makes their meaning clear, it is possible to use them repeatedly throughout a film; when featured this way, they can suggest a range of ideas and meanings without the risk of being seen as merely a visual flourish for its own sake. Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider , a film that marked the advent of the independent American film as a commercially viable venture, is also among the first high-profile films to include an informed, creative, and narratively consistent use of lens flares.
