The scene begins with a long shot of the open desert, with a small convenience store and gas station tucked away in one corner ( use of rule of thirds ). This shot shows the absolute desolation of the area, and gives the sense of isolation, and possibly entrapment, with nowhere to run.
The scene is then put inside the convenience shop itself, showing the main character, and the store owner.
The body language between the two is very noticeable. Both stand sturdy and sure of themselves to begin with. This shows almost a wild west style ' showdown ' between the two. As the scene progresses however the shop owners stance, and facial expression show he is faltering. He is confused and slightly worried about the intentions of the other character. The main characters body language shows hostility and seriousness the entire way through the scene up until the last moment.
The shots used in this scene define the characters also. High angle shots are almost always used on the main character, to show he is imposing and powerful. The tension in the scene comes when the coin is tossed. A close up shot is used in this instance, and this adds to the intensity. The result of the toss is not shown however, and this scene genuinely gets my heart beating every time. The main character delays in telling answer of the toss on purpose to build suspense.
The room the entire way through the scene is very dull, and the main characters face is slightly shadowed. This is a thriller convention, and adds to the mysteriousness of the main character.
Well done, Jordan.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the 'showdown' and shows genre hybridity (thriller/western).
This analysis would have benefitted from further analysis into shot types such as 'over the shoulder' and the effect intended. Discussion surrounding the transition to one shot type from another would also promote understanding.