Why Was the Battle Scene in The Long Night of Game of Thrones So Dark?
The battle scene in The Long Night of Game of Thrones received significant criticism for its darkness and visibility issues. Several reasons contributed to this, involving creative choices, cinematography, technical limitations, and viewer feedback.
Creative Choices for a Tense and Atmospheric Feel
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the showrunners, aimed to create a tense and atmospheric feel for the battle against the Night King and his army. The darkness was intended to enhance the horror and chaos of the situation, aiming to make viewers feel the intensity of the moments.
Cinematographic Intent to Immerse the Audience
The cinematographer, Fabian Wagner, sought to achieve a cinematic look that resembled the style of war films. This often involves low lighting to create a more immersive and gritty experience.
Technical Limitations of Night Shooting
The episode was shot primarily at night, which presents challenges in balancing brightness and detail. High dynamic range makes it difficult to achieve the right balance, and viewers with different screen brightness settings experienced varying levels of clarity.
Viewer Feedback and Mixed Reactions
Many viewers found the darkness excessive, making it hard to follow the action. This led to widespread discussions online, with some fans calling for brighter scenes in future episodes.
Positive Responses to the Dark Battle Scene
Some viewers and critics appreciated the dark cinematography, finding it realistic and effective at conveying the terror and despair of the situation. They praised the way the darkness highlighted the flames and the desolation of the battle.
"It was more realistic for sure. Remember, movies set in caves are best watched in a dark room with the TV on theater mode. I saw it just fine,"
Others defend the creative choice, arguing that the dark scenes werent a failure but an intentional artistic decision:
"Because it needed to be. Because it amplified the sense of terror and despair as the defenders were engulfed by the tide of death. Because the dead don’t care about the dark. Because the flames shone all the brighter against the darkness. Because it served as a heavy-handed but fitting metaphor for the conflict itself."
Despite its realism, the darkness also had its critics:
"It was because David Benioff insisted on filming the battle at night instead of doing what anyone with any experience in cinematography would do: film during the day and put a dark filter over it. The showrunners didn’t seem to understand that when filming you can make light shots darker, but you can't make dark shots lighter without losing serious levels of picture quality. Any professional with a camera could tell you that, but they insisted on filming at night when the cameras couldn't actually pick up fine detail, essentially ruining the picture all for a futile out-of-touch attempt at realism."
Technical Challenges and Viewer Adjustments
Technical limitations and the decision to shoot primarily at night meant that the battle scene was more challenging to balance in terms of brightness and detail. However, viewing the episode with a properly adjusted TV can greatly improve the experience:
"A lot of the problem is that a lot of people don’t know how to tune their TVs properly. If you’re not in a completely dark room, the contrast ratio of your television will affect how the scene looks."
Critics argue that the issue lies not in faulty TV settings but in the original decision to film at night when it wasn’t necessary:
"That contemptuous dismissal is not the reason. The fault does not lie in people not knowing how to work their TV settings. It was mostly because the battle was filmed at night when it wasn’t required."
Understanding the creative intentions and technical challenges behind the dark battle scene helps appreciate the artistic vision while acknowledging the struggles of balancing visual clarity and atmospheric intent.
Keywords: Game of Thrones, Battle Scene, Cinematography