What dramatic technique is used to portray a moment of heightened tension or emotion through stillness?

The technique that effectively illustrates a moment of heightened tension or emotion through stillness is freeze frame. This dramatic device allows a specific moment within a performance to be captured, creating a striking visual image that freezes action and highlights emotional weight. When actors hold a pose or maintain their positions, the stillness amplifies the intensity of the scene, allowing the audience to absorb the significance of what is occurring at that precise moment.

In contrast, while movement can convey emotion, it does so through action rather than stillness. Slow motion may also enhance tension but involves the continuation of movement, albeit at a reduced speed, rather than complete cessation. Flashback, on the other hand, serves to provide context or background but doesn’t utilize stillness to convey emotion in the same way that a freeze frame does. Thus, freeze frame stands out as the most effective technique for creating an impactful moment of stillness in drama.