ABSTRACT
The close-up is a relative newcomer to the cinematic vocabulary; before the visual language of movies was developed to include the large variety of shots we have today, early silent films told stories almost exclusively with wide shots, replicating the experience of watching a stage play. The introduction of the close-up as a narrative tool would have a tremendous impact not only in the way audiences connected with characters, but also in the development of a more naturalistic style of acting that departed from the exaggeration commonly seen in the theatre. A close-up does not simply showcase emotion, but the specific and unique ways a character experiences it. The physical closeness and intimacy of a close-up can elicit a strong emotional connection with a subject, making an audience care, empathize, love, and even hate a character.
