ABSTRACT
Telephoto lenses with extra long focal lengths can show a dramatically compressed perspective, making even large, open spaces appear cramped and confined, but there are other factors that can enhance or diminish this effect; it is also important, for instance, to consider the precise camera angle, the “sweet spot”, that best complements the degree of compression being used. A common mistake novice filmmakers make when trying to create the appearance of a flattened perspective is to automatically select the maximum level of compression available without considering the visual features of a space at all. Telephoto compression is prominently featured throughout director Yimou Zhang’s The Story of Qiu Ju, as we follow the titular character, a pregnant peasant woman, on her journey to the capital of her province to ask government officials for justice after a bureaucrat attacks her husband during an argument.
