Double Indemnity and LA Confidential Still Shot Analysis

 

In film noir, women are often shown as a dangerous figure much differently compared to men. Instead of being direct and macho, women often use their sexuality and female charm in order to get what they desire. These characteristics adheres to the film Double Indemnity and LA Confidential  as evident in the relationship between the female protagonists, Phyllis Dietrichson and Lynn Bracken, and their male counter part such as Walter Neff and Edmund Exley for example. In Double Indemnity, both Phyllis and Walter try to gain power over the other.  For example, in this shot, we see Phyllis using her sexual appeal to manipulate Walter not only to gain power over him, but to convince him of taking part of a murder plot. At the same time, a low camera angle shows Phyllis high up on a staircase, with Walter looking up at her. These two elements put together put Phyllis in a power position over Walter, and represents her dominance in the murder plot for the course of the film. Her beauty is something she uses to her advantage to keep Walter entrapped in her love in order to successfully carry out her idea for the murder. Almost only a minute after the Walter had met Phyllis he said “I was thinking about that dame upstairs and the way she had looked at me.” His thoughts are very clear in showing how quickly Phyllis’s sexual appeal got to Walter’s head, making him weak and easy for Phyllis to manipulate.The same concept applies in LA Confidential; in this scene, Edmund Exley is trying to find evidence for the Nite Ow case by questioning Lynn Bracken. Even though Edmund Exley is positioned higher than Lynn Bracken in order to demonstrate dominance, Lynn Bracken actually holds the power in this scene. The reason why she holds the power is because of her feminine charm and sexual appeal. Since she received plastic surgery to look like Veronica Lake, she used her beauty in order to gain the upper hand on Edmund. Thus we see the confidence in Lynn Bracken as she stares at Edmund Exley. As a result, in this scene, Lynn Bracken successfully seduces Edmund Exley in order for him to take part in a scandal for Hush-Hush magazine.

Minority Report Still Shot Analysis

 

Our eyes are focused between John Anderton and Danny Witwer. In this picture, their is tension between these two men. Since Gordon Fletcher is standing in the middle of the shot with his back turn, the tension is realized because Gordon Fletcher is the dividing line between the two.  Also the camera is set up in a medium close shot (mcs). By focusing on the characters from the chest up, the viewer will divert their eyes on either John Anderton or Danny Witwer without distraction. To understand why John Anderton and Danny Witwer are on opposite ends is because they are arguing their thoughts on predestination. In this scene, Danny Witwer believes the Pre Crime division is flawed because it arrests individuals who have broken no laws. John Anderton acknowledges the paradox Witwer raises; that the precogs prevent an event accepted as fact, but one which will never happen.To show him that people regularly use predetermination, Anderton picks up a wooden ball and rolls it toward Witwer, who catches it before it lands on the ground.When asked why he caught the ball, Witwer says "Because it was going to fall." Anderton replies, "But it didn't." Then confidently tells him, "The fact that you prevented it from happening doesn't change the fact that it was going to happen.". The dialogue in this scene demonstrates John Anderton as the winner in the debate, however what is interesting though is both characters are brightly lit and at the same height level. One expects John Anderton's face should be more brightly lit or elevated more than Witwer in order to show dominance. However, since both characters are brightly lit and at the same level, you cannot tell which character is the most dominant in the struggle. However in the background, you see two different color contrast. Tom has a light color that look like water ripples, while Danny is completely bleak. Since their is a huge contrast in color, you notice the difference between the two just like the difference in John Anderton and Danny Witwer's belief in Pre Crime.

Summer 2013 Film

Monster University
Resevoir Dogs
Pyscho
The Shining
Memento
Fight Club
Silence of the Lambs
Rear Window
Chicago
City of God
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
12 Angry Men
The Matrix
Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Departed
Up
The Host