Let’s dive deeper into the reasons behind using a Dutch angle…

When a camera angle is tilted, filmmakers are able to aesthetically indicate a specific character’s distorted or skewed perspective within a scene.

A canted angle typically suggests a degree of unsettling disorientation or unrest, signifying chaos or disturbance. This technique is often used by filmmakers to build tension in a scene.

The Dutch angle can also serve as a metaphor, representing a world turned on its side or characters mired in some form of disparity.

Moments of psychological agitation, unease, and disturbance are often indicated with a Dutch angle.

Dutch angles can be used to strengthen and heighten the dynamism and energy of action sequences.

The Dutch angle could be used as a filmmaker’s choice to enhance the style and visual aesthetic of a film to add some distinction to the finished product.

This is arguably the most important aspect of creating a Dutch angle – answering “why” you’re doing it. Is it to create tension or unease? Symbolize something? Craft a film’s visual aesthetic and style? As the filmmaker, you want to make sure there are clear and sound reasonings before getting crafty with your camerawork.

It’s important not to overuse Dutch angles, as an overabundance of them will diminish their effect on the viewer and ultimately undermine their overall visual impact.

The tilt of the camera is crucial to Dutch angles. The degree to which the camera is angled is the essence of the shot and defines its purpose. Common angles range from 10 to 45 degrees, but extreme angles can also be used, depending on the effect you’re looking to achieve.

Like typical shots, Dutch angles should be composed carefully, even meticulously. As a filmmaker, you have sole control over what the audience sees (and doesn’t see). Be aware of all objects and characters in the frame and how they’re positioned in relation to each other once the angle becomes askew.

Highlights and shadows are affected by lighting. You’ll want to experiment with different lighting techniques as your angle changes – an off-kilter view can change more than you know.

While a camera can tilt in a Dutch angle, it can also dolly, zoom, and pan. These are all tools at your disposal to manipulate the effect of a shot.

The beginnings of the Dutch angle can be traced back to the silent film era of the 1910s and 1920s. Its specific origins are often associated with filmmakers F. W. Murnau, Fritz Lang, Robert Wiene, and Lupu Pick of the German Expressionist movement. These films were known for evoking psychological tension, distorted realities, and augmented emotions, particularly for their high contrast lighting and stylistic camerawork. As a cinematic tool, the Dutch angle gained recognition and prominence and was soon adopted by Hollywood directors looking to infuse their films with an added burst of artistic flair.

And to that, let’s take a look at some of the most effective uses of the Dutch angle in Hollywood cinema…

Let’s go all the way back to the first film in the franchise for this. Director Brian DePalma gives us an extreme Dutch angle (and close up) when Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) realizes there was an additional team involved in their last mission. The angle accentuates the character’s revelation and sets a visual tone for the excitement about to unfurl. Check it out…

Steven Spielberg’s HOOK uses a moving canted angle to emphasize Smee’s (Bob Hoskins) change in his strategy for Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) to use against Peter Pan. The camera shifts from one angle to another and then back as the plan becomes clearer and more pronounced. Watch it here…

During the Andy Warhol party scene in Oliver Stone’s THE DOORS, the camera begins something of a dizzying cant. It continues to tilt rhythmically, putting the viewer inside Jim Morrison’s (Val Kilmer) drug-clouded mind. The scene’s a trip…

To reflect the mood, vibe, and atmosphere of an insane asylum, director Terry Gilliam employs a number of Dutch angles to put us inside the characters’ heads and add to the film’s overall visual aesthetic. Take a look…

The villains in the ‘66 Batman TV series were often photographed at Dutch angles, this was done intentionally, as the producers of the show wanted them to be seen as “crooked”¹. Have a look…

The Bar Mitzvah scene in the Coen brothers’ A SERIOUS MAN is populated with several Dutch angles. This is to put the viewer inside the head of Danny Gopnik (Aaron Wolff) as he’s about to become a Bar Mitzvah. The character is high on marijuana at the moment and the tilted camera really puts the audience inside the character’s shoes. You can find it here…

Phil Joanou’s THREE O’CLOCK HIGH is a hyper-stylized film about a nerd who gets himself into trouble with the school bully and has to face him mano-to-mano when classes let out. The movie is filled with Dutch angles and several impressive camera tricks and motions. For the sequence that kicks off Jerry Mitchell’s (Casey Siemaszko) rivalry with the imposing Buddy Rivell (Richard Tyson), watch for the Dutch angle at the 1:30 mark…

For a Dutch angle that highlights how a character’s (and audience’s) world is completely upended, check out this moment of inventive camera work in Robert Zemeckis’ WHAT LIES BENEATH. The moment is a tremendous reveal (and a true feat of CGI), for both the characters and audience and the accentuation of the Dutch angle highlights that perfectly (spoiler alert – if you haven’t seen the film yet, this moment reveals who the movie’s true antagonist is. You’ve been warned)…

For the sequence when Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachery Quinto) fight in JJ Abram’s 2009 STAR TREK, watch for the Dutch angles as the power dynamic shifts in the scene. The camera manages to put the viewer not just onboard the Enterprise, but right in the middle of the smackdown between the two leads. It pushes narrative and conveys energy excellently…

Harry Lime’s (Orson Welles) entrance in director Carol Reed’s THE THIRD MAN is an iconic moment in cinema. The movie makes use of several Dutch angles, but none so memorable as this one, in a film that energetically depicts a wildly unpredictable and mysterious world through the eyes of an outsider…

The Bride’s (Uma Thurman) epic face-off against the Crazy 88’s in Quentin Tarantino’s KILL BILL is sweeping in both dynamism and scope. This is due in no small part to the wild camerawork of Dutch angles, dollies, zooms, and tracks. The movie itself is packed with impressive and dynamic cinematography, and this scene is emblematic of it all, turning the camera into another character in the sequence. You can find it here…

Director Spike Lee uses Dutch angles to accentuate this incendiary scene between two characters (Danny Aiello and Giancarlo Esposito) who’ve been at odds for the entire film. As tensions mount to a boil, so does the degree of the camera tilt, to both unsettling and engaging effect…

Oliver Stone’s NATURAL BORN KILLER is a masterclass in wild, evocative camerawork. In the opening scene of the film, we’re introduced to Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis) Knox through markedly styled camera work and a variety of film formats. Dutch angles are key to this early scene, setting the visual tone for things to come in a movie that depicts chaos as it’s never been done before. Click below to watch it…

The Dutch angle is emblematic of a camera’s unique and creative potential to transform scenes and shots from ordinary and mundane to extraordinary and unforgettable. The device never fails to make a strong statement to the audience, but filmmakers should be careful not to overuse it, and risk diminishing its impact. Its uses and application continue to evolve, as filmmakers constantly search for new ways to engage audiences on both narrative and emotional levels.