Picture Description

Look at the picture on p. 7 of your text (from the film House of Flying Daggers). Describe the setting in terms of time and place, then explain how the colors, shapes, lighting, and other elements of composition create a particular mood.

The scene seems to be set in oldern China. I can determine this from the character's dress robe and the incorporation of martial arts in the photo, which is not commonly seen in modern times. Due to the large amount of bamboo, it can be agreed upon that the place is somewhere in China.
Specifically the photo takes place in a bamboo forest.

Though the photo is taken horizontally, the expanse of bamboo and the people who are falling down vertically allows the photo to have a vertical feeling. The main character though, is standing stoutly, grasping a horizontal piece of bamboo. This is in contrast to the background and the contrast allows it to be the focal point of the photo and provides a base for everything else.

The photo is almost entirely green. Green lushness can be a symbol of life, yet also confusion, decay and death. It contributes to the mysterious feel of the photograph and the obvious contrasts in the photo, which I will go more into depth on.
There is light shining onto the ground through the bamboo above. However, the background is completely shroud with a thick mist, obscuring any vision and canceling out the light. This contrast of light and darkness allows the photo to have a feel of a battle; the contrast between the dark taking over or the ligth shining through the unknown.

There are figures falling in vertical motion down with the bamboo. However, their identities are completely covered and unknown, unlike the main character, who's face is plain for all to see. They wear dark suits in contrast to the gren around them, and their odd position also contributes to the mysterious feel of the photo, and the suspense of an oncoming event.

In conclusion, the contrasts in color, lighting, and shape create a mood of mystery, of suspense, and of a world where dark and light is clashed.