Still images from a film allow you to fully analyze and appreciate the choices made by the director at any given moment. Within these two very different scenes from L.A. Confidential and Double Indemnity we can pin point very similar goals in cinematography.
Both allow the viewer to derive a relationship between the two characters based on posture and action from them. I chose these images specifically because they include the main character and then a sub-character that holds significance within the story. Now Keyes is obviously not the Femme Fatal because, let’s face it, he just doesn’t look the part. However, both Keyes and Lynn are seen as both a threat and an ally by the audience and protagonist alike. These images lean more towards the friendship or love between those involved rather than the problems they bring to the plot.
The sub-characters are being explained inadvertently through the use of objects set in the background. Keyes is immediately set up as an office man who has a keen eye towards numbers. We first meet him in this scene in his office as shown by the writing on the door and he is dressed for leisure by taking off his suit jacket and smoking a cigar. The chart on the back wall showing the, “life insurance surrender rate at all time low,” explains a pride and appreciation for his own work in the field and that he is indeed very good at his job.
Lynn on the other hand is explained by her setting as a whole. The fact that she took Bud into her own personal bedroom decorated with her childhood effects represents a level of trust and emotion between her and this man that she has not had with any of the other people she has slept with. And, considering her line of work, is probably a lot. The viewer is reminded of how personal and private her room is with the placement of the Arizona pillow in the background. Her deep-rooted love for her home state and floral patterns show that this is not the room meant to impress lovers, but rather to give her a place for comfort and escape.
Even given the time gap between these pieces, the directors still followed very similar artistic guidelines and ideas. Using posture and Mise-en-Scene to not only create a gorgeous image, but also to give as much information to the audience as they would have gotten from watching the entire movie beginning to end. And even a little bit more than what they bargained for.
Nice post, Drew! Interesting connections across the two films. I really liked this comment, in particular:
ReplyDelete"However, both Keyes and Lynn are seen as both a threat and an ally by the audience and protagonist alike. These images lean more towards the friendship or love between those involved rather than the problems they bring to the plot."
I agree that Lynn and Keyes are important characters to the plots of the movies. They both help and hurt the characters. Keyes, in particular, hurts Walter by discovering that he is the murderer, but is also a good friend. The life insurance helps prove this point because it shows that he is good at his job, seeing if people are telling the truth. However, I think that a viewer would have to watch LA Confidential to understand the point of the Arizona pillow. One would have to see the contrast between this room with the fancy bed downstairs to understand that Lynn is showing another side of herself.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Lynn and Keyes but i do not agree with you that Lynn is on the same level of antagonist as Keyes. Lynn never really comes off as the bad guy in any of her scenes and she doesn't really try to put the characters in bad situations where I suppose you can say the same about Keyes but he is trying to figure out the crime that the Neff or the protagonist did. I believe Keyes comes off as more evil or like the bad guy.
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