"Caught up in the entertainment, we sometimes don't 'see' the camera work, composition, editing, lighting, and sound. Nor do we 'see' the production struggles that accompany every film -- including the script's many rewrites..." (From Writing about Film the packet handed out in class).
Formal Analysis
A formal analysis of a film or films requires that the viewer breaks the film down into its component parts and discusses how those parts contribute to the whole. Formal analysis can be understood as taking apart a tractor in a field; you lay out the parts, try to understand the function and purpose of each one, and then put the parts back together.
In order to do a convincing formal analysis of your scene you'll need to use the terminology provided to you in the Writing about Film packet. Keep in mind that the more proper terms you use, the more you convince your audience that you are an authority of your topic.
Click on the link below, choose one scene from North by Northwest and begin by conducting an annotated shot sequence -- a shot-by-shot analysis (see your packet and class notes for additional information). Count the number of shots and identify each one in the scene. List them on your shot sequence worksheet provided, noting the type of shot and who or what is inside the frame. After you have completed the annotated shot sequence, identify the other production aspects of this scene by reviewing the scene again -- the costumes, lighting, set decoration, music etc. List them on your worksheet as well. What are they telling you, the audience, about the scene and the characters in the scene. Turn in your shot sequence and production analysis on MONDAY. This is worth 40 points.
Then, using what you know about the film's plot summary, analyze in depth in 750 words or less what is happening in the scene. What do the characters' facial expressions communicate to us? If there is dialogue, what does that communicate to the viewer? Conduct a formal and very in depth analysis of your selected shot. This short analysis is the ONLY thing you will post on the blog. This is due by 3 p.m. on Tuesday and you MUST respond to another classmates' response. Your analysis is also worth 40 points. Enjoy!
Click this link for film clips to analyze for this assignment: North by Northwest Clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lifa3aEBEfM
ReplyDeleteIn the scene I chose, Thornhill is being escorted into the police station after he was forced to drive while intoxicated under the influence of alcohol. After the drunk driving scene he is finally stopped because a police car rear ends him while there is lots of surrounding traffic in the way. He is taken into the police station to be questioned for research. This specific scene gives the viewer a better understanding of what just happened in the previous drunk driving scene to make it more clear for audience. For the first shot, Thornhill is being escorted by two officers into the police station. It is a medium close shot of all three of them. This demonstrates that he has broken the law, and is in trouble. Also it is quite obvious that he intoxicated, which relays back to the DWI scene. The next shot is the same view, but the officers and Thornhill are at the receptionist desk talking. This is also medium close. Thornhill says "Someone needs to call the police," which provides evidence that he is severely cocked. The third shot is MC and one of the officers is leading him into the next door room. Fourth, Thornhill goes from sitting on one of the bench seats in the other room to lying on his back while the officer talks to him. Next, in MC view, the camera is facing the officer, and you can see part of Thornhill lying on his back on the bench. For the 6th shot, the camera goes from viewing the police officer's front to the officers back, and a front view of Thornhill lying on the bench still in MC view. Following, still in medium close view, is a different area of the room they are in, with a different officer walking through the door. They both stand next to Thornhill. He is brought into the other room to take all the attention off everything but himself, which leads up to the Police dept allowing him one phone call. For the eighth shot, the view changes to a further away camera angle in which Thornhill is shown making a phone call to his mother, and the officers are watching. The nineth and tenth shots are both of Thornhill being led back into the court room with all of the benches, but the camera angle switches from medium close to a close up. Finally, the last three shots are of Thornhill on back on the table, where the view changes form medium close to a side view of MC then to a close up of Thornhill which ends the video.
The UN Scene Analysis By Ethan Rogers
ReplyDeleteThe scene starts with Cary Grant playing Roger O. Thornhill as he frantically runs out of the Plaza Hotel and into a cab. The cab pulls away and Roger seems to calm down. Then the goons (Goon one played by Adam Williams and goon two played by Robert Ellenstein) come out of the hotel in a hurried manor and get into a cab. They order the driver to follow Roger. Roger, who is distressed by the goons orders the driver to lose the perusing goon cab. Roger then looks at a photo of Van Damm and Tells the Cab driver to drive him to the UN. The scene fades into an establishing shot of the UN and Roger’s cab arriving. He gets out and runs into the lobby where he talks to the Desk clerk about seeing Lester Townsend. The goons arrive, but only goon 1 goes into the UN. Roger is given a slip of paper and told to give it to another desk clerk in an adjoining room. He does so, and the clerk pages Lester Townsend via the intercom. Goon enters the lobby and runs in the direction of Roger. About to enter the room, Goon 1 hangs back right behind the room entrance. Townsend arrives and introduces himself to Roger. Roger is confused and asks a series of probing questions. We see the goon putting on gloves and taking out a knife. As Townsend starts to answer them, goon 1’s knife is thrown at him and stabs him in the back. The scene ends with roger taking the knife out, being photographed with the knife in his hands and running out of the building and into a cab.
This scene was very important to the plot due to the fact that it established Van Damm as a powerful villain willing to kill innocent bystanders to achieve his goal and because set up Roger Thornhill as the prime suspect in a murder case. Roger now has a reason to flee New York and to seek sources of help and refuge other than the police.
The camera angles and shots were not too varied. Each new area (UN building, Lobby, etc.) had an establishing shot or at least a long shot in the beginning. The majority of the other shots were Medium Close Ups. There was one close up with the photo in the cab. The camera angle was neutral until the final shots, where it was 90 degrees/bird’s eye. The use of parallel shots was prevalent with use when the goons were getting into the cab and when Roger was walking across the second UN room. The camera was used to guide the viewer in a way of thinking. The goons were shown in the exact same manner as roger, with the same back drop and same people. One after another, 2 different people with mutually exclusive goals in the same setting.
All of the characters were dressed in 50’s western business attire which added to the professional air to the film and scene. Dialogue was mainly made of brief, information-rich exchanges between Roger and service personnel (the Clerks, cab driver). The conversation between Townsend and Roger was formal but still brief. Conversations conveyed the hurry and worrisome rush of Roger. The emotions are affirmed by the facial expressions of Roger in the cab where he is always checking over his shoulder has scared looks on his face.
In all the use of filming techniques, acting, and setting communicated the objectives of the scene well.
Very good job Ethan, I really liked how you included a good amount on production value. I found you analysis of the Parallel shots and the 90 degree birds eye shots very interesting.
DeleteIn the police station after drunk driving.
ReplyDeleteThe scene that I am analyzing is right after he is caught drunk driving, he is brought to the police station very early in the morning to speak with a few officers and to get checked by a doctor to see if he is in fact drunk. He also makes a phone call to his mother. This scene was more of a cometic break for the audience after the climatic drunk driving scene. When he first stumbles into the police station he is obviously drunk, he is being held up on both sides by 2 officers. The cops seem very nonchalant throughout this whole scene. When Cory Grant tries to explain what happened in his drunken state the officers give a small chuckle to basically anything he says, they really don't take him seriously at all. After about 20 seconds Cory Grant is escorted into the court room by one of the officers, the camera angle then changes to him and the officer more or less walking to a bench in the court room. Cory Grant then tries to explain what happened to the officer he obviously didn't believe it. The camera than quickly changes to the other officer walking quickly into the court room to the other officer and Grant. Grant then gets up and mumbles something about having to make his one phone call, to his mother. The Cop agrees and helps him to the room where the phone is located. Once he gets on the phone with his mother he has a good minute long comical conversation with her about whats going on and why he is in the police station. He then stumble back into the arms of the officer and he help Grant back in the court room where he is accompanied by a doctor who checks if he is in fact drunk. The doctor asks him a series of questions and Grants response to all of them are far from serious. After a few questions the doctor then says he is clearly drunk and Grant continues to crawl onto of the table and seems to fall asleep. This whole scene is for a break from the main plot and is here just to add to the story line, this scene also adds a comical intermission to the movie. The lighting is very dull and the colors are not exuberant, I believe this adds to the comical part of the scene and gives it a boring background to focus on the dialog. The camera shots throughout this whole scene are not varied at all, they are all medium close up shots and there are a few panning shots. Overall this scene is very important to the movie as a whole because without the cometic break it would be a different movie. This scene also shows more of Cory Grants funny side and helps the audience understand more about the plot. This is one of the only scenes in the movie that the camera angle doesn't reveal more about the plot, it is just a calm cometic break.
Jay this looks to be a very good Plot summery but you don't analyze most of the shots. You tell us what happened but you don't try to explain or analyze the shots. Also its Carry Grant not Cory.
DeleteI agree that it was very clever for Hitchcock to add this comical break, otherwise the whole movie would be nothing but intense situations. This would stress and tire out the audience.
DeleteScene analyses
ReplyDeleteMount Rushmore
When North by Northeast first began Roger Thornhill played by Carry Grant was a simple advertising man but by the time he finds himself at mount Rushmore he is very involved not only in clearing his name, but also helping to stop Vandamm. The Scene first begins with Roger talking with the professor played by Leo G. Carroll, in this conversation the Professor reveals that eve is one of their agents. This turns roger emotions from anger towards her to fearing that he is the cause of the danger that she is in. The Scene then switches in an interesting way, we see carry grants face looking towards the camera but seemingly into the distance. Light then shines across his face and the scene fades in to a landscape of Mount Rushmore, the color of Mount Rushmore with the sun on it matches the color of his face with the light, this makes for a much more ascetically pleasing transition. We then see carry grant looking into a pair of binoculars commenting on one of the faces of the presidents. He and the professor are having a conversation about what has happened so far but instead of talking about them. They talk about it as if the president is seeing what has happened and commenting. This was a very interesting way to film the scene. During the conversation the camera switches back from one to the other very quickly as they each add to the conversation. Throughout this conversation Carry Grants face looks more and more concerned for Eves safety as the professor talks to him, this shows the viewer that Roger is clearly feeling a bit uneasy. This goes on for some time until roger go to check if Eve and Vadamm have arrived. Seeing that they have Roger walked into the cafeteria. Once in the cafeteria he walks to the counter to get food, the camera pans to the left as he walks and after he has finished purchasing it then follows him to the right were he goes to sit down. It is interesting that Hitchcock had such a large shot that could have easily been done in a sorter time by just having Roger walk to the table. Once Vandamm and Eve enter the cafeteria Roger tells Eve to leave and Vandamm to sit. Vandamm listens to him which is very unlike his character would normally act. You can also see that his hair is somewhat messier than Rogers, this might be explained by Vandamm running his hands through his hair nervously. This shows the Roger has the upper hand in the conversation that follows. When Vandamm goes to leave with Eve Roger follows and after dragging Eve she shots him twice. The shooting was very interesting, there were two shots, one for each time that she shot him, the first is a medium close shot, she shoots him in the knee and as he begins to fall she shoots him again, this time in the chest. For the second shot the camera is below him, this allows for a much more dramatic “death”.
i think that the long establishing shot of the cafeteria hints that something important is going to happen there. I like your point about the colors on Grant's face and Mt. Rushmore.
DeleteAnalysis - Drunk Driving Scene
ReplyDeleteCary Grant (as Thornhill) has just been forced to drink a bottle of bourbon and Vandamm’s thugs are preparing to put him in a car and have him drive over a cliff. In the establishing shot the characters are silhouetted against the headlamps of two cars, and you see two figures drag a third out of one car. The music is high-strung, communicating that something bad is going on. As the thugs put an intoxicated Thornhill into another car, one of them glances away and it cuts to a medium long shot of a cliff with waves crashing below it. Their plan becomes clear at this point and one of the thugs gets into the car with Thornhill and starts it. The music starts up again as it cuts to subjective shot of the cliff getting closer. The music starts out as a low, menacing sound, then it builds up. At the last second, Thornhill realizes what’s happening and pushes the thug out of the car.
The theme music begins playing as Thornhill, who’s very intoxicated, tries to gain control of the car. It cuts to a shot of the cliff getting even closer. The shots get shorter as they alternate between Thornhill, his view of the cliff, and the thug’s view of his swerving car. This creates more tension. There is a close-up shot of the edge of the cliff as the wheel of the car goes over it. Then there is a subjective shot as Thornhill looks out of the car, at the water down below. It cuts to his bewildered reaction, then back to the close-up of the wheel as Thornhill drives away.
It cuts to Thornhill swerving around, and the scene is dark around the edges. You see the thugs driving after him, and it cuts to a subjective shot from Thornhill’s point of view. The viewer sees the scene through Thornhill’s eyes. You only see what the headlights illuminate and everything is very unstable. The camera follows the car’s headlights, so the audience feels just as blind as Thornhill. It makes it more jolting as car after car suddenly comes into view. There are loud sound effects whenever he brakes to avoid hitting something. You see Thornhill squinting and then it cuts to a superimposition of roads. The music is very intense and makes the whole scene very fast paced and hectic. The scenes change quickly from a medium close-up of Thornhill to a subjective shot of his driving.
The shots get longer when the action slows down, which is when Thornhill speeds past the police. There are two drawn-out crashes at the end of the scene; when the police crash into Thornhill and when another car crashes into the police. In each case, there is a long shot of the cars coming closer and then a separate close up of the bumpers hitting each other. This draws attention to the crashes, and it gives them more effect. You then see the thugs stop just out of reach of the headlights and disappear.
The subjective shots used in this scene involve the audience in the story. It makes the viewers go through the actions with the character, which makes the scene more memorable.
The facial expressions throughout the whole scene convey how drunk Thornhill is, especially when combined with the special effects. Grant’s facial expressions show him as being alarmed and confused, but yet still in a haze. You can tell that he’s struggling to think - and see - clearly. The music/sounds are very loud and seem amplified. It makes the scene frantic, and the viewer gets into Thornhill’s head. The scene is funny and intense at the same time. It is all very effective, given that there is no dialogue in the scene at all (besides Thornhill’s drunken singing).
Because I chose the same scene, I enjoyed reading your analysis. I would agree that the facial movements expressed by Roger in this scene are very convincing in the sense that he is drunk and is having a hard time of understanding what's going on. The music is a great teller of what's going to happen in the scene and I'm glad that you touched on that. And I would also agree that the scenes change very crazily from Roger's facial expressions and driving to the road and the motion of his driving.
DeleteI agree that music makes the scene frantic and intense. When Thornhill is confuse and has no idea whats going on, the music is like his feeling and when he drives the music becomes more intense and scare that makes the viewers feel he might hit something.
DeleteYou did a really good job analyzing this scene. The facial expressions and the special effects make the scene very good and show how drunk he is. Also I agree with you about the music, it makes the scene more intense and suspenseful.
DeleteThis is an excellent analysis, this is written in a way that I can actually replay the scene in my head with all the detail that you put in. Mentioning the facial expressions that were in this scene were very important because those add an extreme amount of detail. I would agree with Marielle that the facial expressions are very convincing, showing how drunk he really was. The music in this scene is also very important for the climatic experience and add to it. The music also adds confusion, intensity, and suspension to this scene. Something also I would like to point out that the way you describe each scene is very good and descriptive. Overall, very good write up and very good descriptive detail.
DeleteOne of the most physically bizarre scenes in North by Northwest is when Thornhill arrives at the auction and meets Vandamm, Kendal, and Leonard there. Strangely enough, there isn't any music during the scene after Thornhill has entered the auction room. This gives the scene a very straightforward, tense feeling. The lighting of the ballroom is a bit dim, but the main characters' faces are at a decent brightness. The camera angles change rather quickly whilst the two main men are exchanging snarky comments, which builds tension and suspense that eventually leads up to Vandamm bidding on a sculpture. The dialogue between the men is tense yet controlled, as they are in a public place. During their discussions, the camera often pans to Kendal's face. She is constantly displaying a very blank, collected look on her face. She feels the tension going on around her, but she feels as though she shouldn't offer any input— she is, after all, a double-crosser. Leonard often looks at Vandamm to emulate his behavior, which shows his faithfulness and dedication to his body guarding job. Death threats and other dark retorts are constantly in the dialogue, but they are cloaked in clever, creative, and low-key ways as to not draw any attention to the party of four in the crowded ballroom. The scene is very awkward and suspenseful, and this is mostly due to Vandamm's malicious intent. Upon the camera's entrance into the auction room, all orchestral sounds fade and there is a medium close-up shot of Vandamm caressing Kendal with his hand on her neck. This allows the viewer to see that Vandamm isn't the loving man that Eve wants him to be, but rather a controlling, strict villain. As soon as Thornhill enters the room, Vandamm ceases his grip around Kendal's neck. At that point, Kendal knows that something unsettling has happened. This is where the tension starts to build up, and is then maximized as the two men speak to each other.
ReplyDelete@Ethan, I agree with your perception of Vandamm at this point. Hitchcock was smart to build the character's reputation through this scene; it shows how evil, unfeeling, and unsympathetic Vandamm is. He truly is a villain, and this is the first scene that really establishes that solidly.
Analysis - Drunk Driving Scene
ReplyDeleteRoger Thornhill’s identity was mistaken for George Kaplin, a made up CIA agent. Because of this the criminal, Vandamm, wanted to kill him to get him off his case. During this scene Roger Thornhill is forced to drink a large glass of bourbon, and then put him behind the wheel of a car. Vandamm’s goons plan was to have him drive off a cliff and die making it look like a car accident caused by drunk driving. Roger Thornhill was able to collect himself enough to save the crash and then continue driving. One important shot sequence is while Thornhill is driving drunk to try to escape from the goons. During this particular section in the scene the camera cuts from a subjective medium long shot, a medium long shot from the perspective of the driver, to a medium close up of Thornhill. The director continuously switched back and forth between these two shots. The subjective medium long shot show us what Thornhill, the driver, is looking at while he is drunk and still trying to drive. This shot is seen how Thronhill would see it with the head lights and an unstable, shaky camera to show how hard it is to see while drunk driving. Shortly after the shot will cut to another shot where it is a medium close up of Roger Thornhill. This shot would show the audience his facial expression and his reaction to what happened in the previous scene or how he is going to react the up coming scene. Most of the facial expressions shown are fear or panic. Fear because he is scared because the goons are trying to kill him while he is running from the goons. A lot of the facial expressions are panic. This is because while on the run from the goons on the road, there are many near misses. From the drivers point of view there are many sharp corners in the road which is already very tricky. During the chase there are a few near misses with cars, a couple close calls with hitting trees, and more than a few times almost going off the road after going around a sharp conner. The constant switching between the two angle’s of shots allows the audience to fully experience what is happening, from being able to see what is going on and then how a reaction would look in response to what happened.
In the scene that I chose, Rodger Thornhill is going after Eve Kendall. He found out that Vandamm’s house is on top of Mount Rushmore and he takes a taxicab to the front gate. Thornhill is trying to sneak into Vandamm’s house to try and warn Kendall that Vandamm’s crew found out that Kendall is really working with the government. Since Thornhill doesn’t want to be spotted, throughout the whole scene, there is quite music in the background that is what you hear when people sneak around. Playing this throughout the clip builds suspense and keeps the viewer aware of every little thing happening throughout the clip. Keeping the level of suspense up in this clip really helps to set the tone for the rest of the film. Another way that we can see the suspense build up is through the facial expressions of Rodger Thornhill. When he climbs up the supports of the house to peek in and listen to the conversation between Vandamm and Leonard, he has a confused look on his face. Since there is no dialogue for Thornhill in this part of the clip, the view has no idea what Thornhill is thinking and what his next move will be until it happens. Making the view think and speculate on their own about what is going to happen is a very good trick to keep the viewers engaged and focused on the movie. Even though this clip is shot during the night, light plays a big role in contributing to the film. When Thornhill gets out of the taxi and walks up to the entrance gate of Vandamm’s house, everything is black except for inside the house. This is the establishing shot of the clip and having the lights on inside the house makes it stand out even more. As Thornhill is climbing on the side of the house, he looks to his side and we see two sets of blinding lights on either side of a runway. The camera stays on this scene for a longer period of time and the viewer can infer that this will play an important role later on in the film. There are also fair amounts of panning shots in this clip. They are used mostly when one character is talking with another. For example, when Leonard is talking with Vandamm, trying to explain to him that the gun Kendall had shot used fake bullets, the camera follows him around from one spot. This technique helps to emphasize that what he is saying is important and that the viewer should pay close attention to what is being said.
ReplyDeleteYou made a great point about how the lack of dialogue really adds to the suspense of the scene. By only showing us characters facial expressions we as viewers are left to wonder and worry about what is going to happen next and focus intently on every hint so that we may somehow overcome our need to know what will happen to our beloved characters.
DeleteThe Drunk Driving Scene
ReplyDeleteTo start off this scene, you see that a full glass of alcohol is being poured into a glass for Roger (Cary Grant) to drink. Right off the bat, you can tell that this is not a pleasant surprise for Roger, as you see his face sink back and his eyes widen, showing that he does not want to drink it. As the scene progresses, and turns into a long shot, you see the two goons that work for Vandamm, carrying Roger from their vehicle to another one. They place him in the driver’s seat. Roger has no idea what is going on because by this point, he is drunk. You can see in his face that he is confused and has no idea of what is going on around him. His facial expression is kind of non-existent at this point because it looks as if he is going to pass out because of his intoxication levels; also looks like he’s sleepy (eyes closed). The goons place him in the driver’s seat and then one of them goes back to their car, and the other jumps in the passenger seat. At this moment, you know that this can’t be good. Roger is drunk and in no position to drive and the goons are preparing to frame his murder. So the goon in the passenger seat starts the car and begins to drive forward, toward the cliff that hangs over the sea, and potentially how they plan to kill Roger.
As the car starts to move, Roger begins to shake off his alcohol coma and begins to realize what is happening. You watch as his eyes bat to take in the fact that he is about to drive off the cliff, into the roaring waters of the ocean. Roger pushes the goon out of the car once he realizes that he is trying to get him killed. The viewer now knows that he as a chance to steer clear of the cliff, but also realizes that he is very drunk and from what we know about drunk driving, it may not end well. Once the goon is out of the car, Roger tries hard to stay awake and steer the car. The goons are shocked and jump in their car to drive after him. This makes the viewer think that they may try to kill him a different way or want to see that their plan works out and that Roger dies of drunk driving. The goons stop their car and watch as Roger continues to drive toward the edge of the cliff. He is still trying to stay awake, but seems to be finding it more difficult. As I was once the viewer, I recognize that his car is about to go off the side of the cliff, and miraculously, Roger steers away from the water and continues down the road. The camera shifts to the goons, whose expressions are priceless! You can see with their faces that they are so shocked that he drove away from the cliff and are also angry that he didn’t go off the side. Now they are angered and are going to follow Roger to see what else awaits him as he continues to drive drunk.
Then, as Roger continues down the road, he begins to wake up a bit and tries to take control of the situation he’s been put in. The camera jumps from his facial expressions of trying to stay awake, to the road, where Roger is dodging cars, trying to avoid an accident where he could be hurt or killed. This starts of the sort of chase. This is Roger’s chance to escape and the music adds a chasing element to the scene, as it gets faster and slower and points of high action and lower action of the scene. As the camera moves to show you the accelerating motion of Roger in the car, he passes a cop who is parked on the side of the road. Alarmed, the cop jumps in his squad car and starts to chase after Roger.
Eventually, Roger comes to a complete stop right before he is about to his a man on a bicycle, and the cop rear-ends him. You know that the piece that comes next will not be good for Roger, but as the goons see him and the cop, they know that they have not won and that they will meet “George Kaplan” again, and the next time, they will kill him. This furthers the plot by adding the fact that the goons did not succeed in killing “Kaplan” and will have to try again later.
Your analysis had good points with fine examples to back it up. Roger's facial expressions did have a great impact on the scene.
DeleteGood explanation of the facial expressions and how they change the viewer's perception. It also gives a good understanding of how Roger is feeling.
DeleteDrunk Driving Scene-
ReplyDeleteIn this scene Roger Thornhill played by Carry Grant who is mistaken as Chaplin by Phillip Vandamm and Vandamm is trying to kill him with his helper Leonard. The scene when Leonard forces Thornhill to drink a large amount of alcohol so they can make him to drunk driving and medium close up is used to show the glass of alcohol and the face expression of Thornhill’s that he doesn’t want it. Two guys take Thornhill to a road that’s next to an ocean so Thornhill can drives into the ocean. Thornhill can barely walk and the bad guys drag him to the car and place Thornhill into the front seat of a car and let him drive down. The music is playing and the music gives off a confusing feeling and shows Thornhill is confused in what is happening. The camera switch to the ocean with medium long shot to show the ocean is ahead of them. When Thornhill gets into the car he doesn’t know what exactly is going on and thinks he is on a cap. After the car is moving for few seconds he realizes something is wrong. Then he turns his face to the bad guy next to him and pushes him off the car then takes the wheel. The music gets more intense with high pitched. He drives over the edge of the road and the camera is looking up to the tire so we can believe the car is really at the edge. Thornhill looks down to the ocean and drive speedily away from the ocean and this is long shot so we can see full size of Thornhill’s car and it is leaving at high speed. When Thornhill is driving the car it is also interpreted by the music; it is a worrying-countdown sort of sound. Two bad guys chase after him. When he’s driving he can barely hold his head up and try to keep his eyes open because he is intoxicated. Through the process of drunk driving the camera is at the front of the car and close-up shot is used to show to terror and fear in Thornhill’s face. Then the camera is turn to the road and is then used to show what is happening in the eyes of Thornhill. The camera is alternate between the road and Thornhill’s face. It makes people think that Thornhill is really driving and shows what his facial expression is like when he almost hit a car. His drunken condition has left Thornhill’s reflexes a little slow, and he almost causes a crash, but swerves at the last minute. When Thornhill passes a police car at high speed Hitchcock used medium long shot to show both Thornhill’s car and the police. Then the police jump into his car and start to pursue the suspected drunk driver. Thornhill appears to hear something, and doesn’t know it is a police siren because in the scene has confused facial expression, and continues to speed away. A bike goes by and the camera alternates back and froth between Thornhill’s face and the bike, and Thornhill stops the car just in time to spare the cyclist from and accident. The bad guys who have been following him in another car see the police and turn around, driving away from the scene.
Hitchcock used music sounds confuse and high pitch music to make the scenes more intense feeling and fear. The camera switch back and forth to make the viewers to feel intense and also shows how Thornhill reacts while he almost hit a car.
Drunk Driving
ReplyDeleteReactions of characters give us an idea of how the characters feel and what is going on the movie. Roger Thornhill whose identity was mistaken as George Kaplan was taken by thugs and Philip Vandamm. Vandamm orders Leonard for Roger to be taken away to get rid of. Roger is forced to drink alcohol in an attempt to be in a fatal car crash. Roger looks scared and knows that they will do something to him. Roger’s expressions and actions play a big part in this scene. He is at first confused because he is being put into a car in the driver’s seat with another thug. The man is driving over him while Roger is looking around. While driving he sees how he is in the car heading right off the ledge. He knew that something was wrong and remembers that he was still with the criminals. To get rid of them he takes a hold on the wheel, having part of his impairment back and kicks the thug out of the car. After the guy is gone, he becomes dazed and confused all over again. There are thugs in another car watching with a smile on their face. They know that for Roger to have an accidental death because of alcohol would be a perfect plan to get rid of him. Drunk driving does not end well and they knew the plan would work. They had a face of satisfaction that it would work successfully. Roger is finally on the ledge but looks down and the expression on his face shows that he is shocked to see that the car is not on the road and the wheel is spinning. His reaction saves him from going off the ledge but is still looking swamped because of the alcohol. Roger’s reactions and expressions in this scene show us how he can still be drunk but know what’s going on and he was lucky that he did not fall off the ledge. His expressions showed how shocked he was in such a dangerous situation and reacted quickly to it. He seemed to know that he is drunk and his eyes begin to widen when he’s driving. The determination in his face shows that he wants to get away from the thugs safely and to try hard to stay awake to get through it and to take control in the situation. The thugs in the car are confused but follow him also determined to get him. Turns that Roger makes in the car surprises him and his eyes widen because he knows that he is drunk and does not want to be killed. He tries to look awake and has a firm grip on the wheel. He will squint and look around to make sure he’s safe. One thing that Roger did not realize or know was that he was going too fast. An alert cop who jumps on the side of the road sees that he is going to fast and immediately goes into action where Roger is pulled over. Roger had a face of calmness when he saw the cop but everytime something or someone was in front of him he would be immediately aware and stop or slow down. Roger showed that even though he was drunk he could get out of a bad situation.
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Deleten this scene, Thornhill has just been force fed lots of liquor so that the goons might drive him over a cliff and make it look like an accident. Thornhill then realizes what is happening and throws the goon trying to drive him over the cliff out of the car in shot 8 and proceeds to drive drunkenly away. The goons are pursuing him, until he is pulled over by a police car. The overall effect of this scene on the viewer is to create excitement and suspense.
DeleteExcitement and suspense are created first by the setting. The scene is taking place on the edge of cliff leading off to the ocean on the side of a winding back road. The cliffs are jagged and steep. The ocean is wild and dark. This is a very ominous setting. It is also night and is lit by nothing but headlights, so it is hard to see what is in front of you.
The music is also very ominous. When the goons are transporting him into the car that they will send with him over the cliff the music sounds threatening but also calm. When Thornhill takes control of the car, the music becomes more wild and out of control much like his driving, until he is pulled over by a policeman and the music slows down and then stops. This whole time car wheels are screeching and brakes are squealing. The overall effect is to make the viewer feel anxiety.
The scene is edited with quick shots that go back and forth quickly. They really speed up when the chase begins. Between shots 1 and 12, you see the action between the men, but it keeps cutting to the road and the cliff. This gives the viewer a sense of the impending threat. Then as the chase begins, the cuts between the men and the cliff get more rapid. This causes anxiety to build up in the viewer. When the policeman takes Thornhill into custody the shots slow down because he is now safe and in the protection of the police.
I thought the scene was done very effectively. I thought Alfred Hitchcock used the music and lighting in very clever ways, and the scene successfully imparted the feelings of the characters in the movie onto the viewers.
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Deletethis is a very good over view of the scene. you did a good job breacking down the individual parts of the scene and describing them. i think you also should have added what the lights was like and also maybe how the were adding in point of view shots to get a feeling for what it was like for him.
DeleteIn this scene the first thing we see is a clearly distressed and held down Roger Thornhill being poured a big glass of bourbon. The next thing we see is a somewhat far away shot now at night of him being dragged because he is so intoxicated to a waiting car parked in the middle the road. He is then forced into the car’s drivers seat and put in position so that he can drive. One of the goons goes around to the other side of the car and starts it, puts it in gear, and begins it rolling down the road which has a distinct bend in it that if you are not careful you will go straight over the edge and into the roaring ocean. All the while we are given lots of close ups of Thornhill’s face so that we can see how drunk he is. As the goon is driving the car towards the cliff Thornhill briefly sobers up and pushes him out. He then attempts to take control of the car but drunk as a skunk he finds it very hard and nearly goes off the cliff. His back wheel in-fact goes off and is spinning over the treacherous cliff. But he manages to steer away from certain death and pilot it down the road a ways. While all of this is happening the two cronies are sitting in their car watching with an expression of pure content at their plan almost positive that he is done for. A chase then ensues and Thornhill crazily drives all over the road in an attempt to evade his pursuers but because of his intoxication he finds it very difficult. The goons follow at a bit of a distance with a look of pure intensity and focus on their face as they pray for Thornhill to crash off the road and be seriously injured if not killed. We are given lots of close ups of Thornhills face in which we can see how he is clealy struggling to remain awake and drive the car but is incredibly intoxicated and can barely keep his head from falling over. As this car chase ensues the two cars fly past a cop at very high speeds which causes the officer to leap into his car and speed off down the road after the two of them. However, seeing that law enforcement is getting involved the two goons break off their chase for fear of being implicated in the following accident involving Thornhill. We cut back and forth between scenes of various people’s expressions and the winding road. This is done to create a sense of panic and danger that the audience can connect to and believe.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great summary of the scene and well written. What I also think should be added is lighting and music. They're both important in this part of the scene that Alfred Hitchcock directs. It takes place at night and Alfred Hitchcock uses the head lighting to show us cars coming suddenly. Also, Hitchcock shows the speed of the car by how fast things show up in the headlights. Music builds tension in the scene.
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ReplyDeleteThe UN Scene-
ReplyDeleteEarly in the movie “North by Northwest” by Alfred Hitchcock, Roger Thornhill, an advertising executive, gets accused of stabbing Lester Townsend, UN Diplomat. The scene in which this happens begins with two men following Roger in the taxicab. Earlier he has been mistaken for George Kaplan, who the foreign spies would like some information from. To get this information Roger was kidnapped, taken to Lester Townsend’s house, and then gotten drunk. He was put in the car and sent toward a cliff. Roger survives and with his mother goes to George Kaplan’s hotel room. In this scene at the UN, he meets with real Lester Townsend but before he gets too much information Lester gets killed. The scene was very suspenseful. It becomes clear that Roger is in a dangerous situation and a complicated situation. Now he is an accused killer.
The UN scene happens when Roger starts walking from the hotel to a taxi stand then it happens inside the taxi along New York. He walks into the UN, crosses the lobby and enters the reception offices. The lighting is natural and even in the taxi. Outside the UN it is a bright sunny day. In the UN it is artificial lighting and even. The story of what’s happening to Roger contrasts with the lighting and everyday setting. Outside in New York people are busy, it’s a bright day, and nothing is happening that is bad, but then one car tails another and a murder in public. Life for Roger is complicated and confusing.
In this part of the movie it is still early and we don’t know everything that’s going on. The audience is more sympathetic with Roger because the camera shots show his perspective and his reactions therefore we think he is a better guy than Valerian. Roger’s clothing is very sharp and he is handsome. This also makes him more appealing to the audience. He also has a sense of humor. In the taxi Roger’s facial expression is one of nervousness or worry. When Townsend gets murdered Roger’s expression is shocked.
In the UN scene we know Valerian is bad because the first thing he did was follow Roger, and the music during this part of the movie is very suspenseful. Tension is raised because Roger doesn’t see Valerian in the UN building but the audience does. Then the viewers know he is going to do something bad standing outside the reception area when he pulls on the black leather gloves. There are no camera shots of Valerians reactions. He seems unemotional compared to Roger.
It’s the timing of the knife being thrown that leaves the audience in suspense. Roger shows the picture of Vandamm but then Townsend gets knifed in the back before he can say anything.
The dialogue is ordinary and normal but when Roger talks to Lester Townsend he gets confused and Townsend also gets confused. What made it suspenseful is the music and the killing. The audience knows something that Roger does not know. Roger does not know who is following him and who threw a knife at Townsend but the audience knows.
Alfred Hitchcock used the UN scene very effectively. The car chase was very suspenseful and helps build the suspension before the murder. The next step Hitchcock uses to build tension is the meeting with Townsend. Both Roger and the audience are surprised when Lester Townsend shows up and turns out not to be Vandamm. Hitchcock used the audience so we can know something but Roger did not know who was following him and who stabbed Townsend. Hitchcock used a lot of shots that were edited together to build tension.
In the scene Nice Face, Eve Kendall and Roger Thornhill meet for the first time. In and another scene, A Girl Like You, Thornhill goes to Kendall’s hotel room and he is kind of mad at her because she sent him to the middle of nowhere where he was almost killed. Their facial expressions show us a lot during both of these scenes. At the very beginning of the Nice Face scene Thornhill walks in and he is worried because he is a wanted criminal but when he starts talking to Kendall he relaxes and takes off his glasses a kind of smiles. It shows that he is relaxing and that they are getting along. Also during that scene, Kendall and Thornhills expressions are friendly and they kind of have a little bit of mystery to them. In comparison, their expressions is the scene A Girl Like You are more worried and Thornhill is kind of mad. Eve is also surprised. Some of their expressions during that scene are fake too. Facial expressions can tell a person a lot about a scene especially in this film.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of both scenes Thornhill’s expression is almost the same. In Nice Face, he looks worried and he is looking around to see if anybody recognizes him. In A Girl Like You, Thornhill knocks on the door and his expression is worried but also mad. His expression shows that he is angry when he enters the room even though he doesn’t say anything that is mean or shows that he is mad. Hitchcock used facial expressions to show most of the emotion in the scene. Throughout the rest of the Nice Face clip their facial expressions show most of the meaning. Also during that scene their tone of voice tells a lot. Both Kendall and Thornhill’s voices are quiet and calm. At one point during that scene they talk about who they are and Thornhill says that he is Jack Phillips but Kendall says that he isn’t. She knows that he is Roger Thornhill. During that section, Kendall keeps smiling and has a calm tone to her voice and Thornhill gets worried because he thinks she will turn him in. During both of the scenes facial expressions and tone of voice show the watcher a lot about the scene.
Also the dialogue during both scenes isn’t very clear. Their facial expressions and tones make the scene what it is. If somebody were to just listen to the scene they would not get the same feeling out of it than if they were to watch it. During A Girl Like You, Kendall’s back is to Thornhill and you can see her facial expressions very clearly and they show that she is a little bit nervous. Also during Nice Face, Kendall says that she knows he is Roger Thornhill and if you didn’t see her face, you wouldn’t know she has a little bit of a smile that gives a different impression of what she is saying. The dialogue adds some to the scene but it isn’t as important as the facial expressions and tone of voice.
Through out the scene Nice Face, most of the shots are medium close ups and that works very well for the scene. In A Girl Like You, the shots are more medium shots and they show more than just the face and facial expressions, which is good in this scene. Also in both scenes there is quiet music playing in the background. It makes the scene more calming and when nobody is talking it makes the scene better. The music isn’t very important in these scenes unlike in the Drunk Driving scene but it adds a little bit to the scene.
Hitchcock does a very good job with editing, music and the facial expressions in the entire film. Everything he did the film was done on purpose which is amazing and it shows how good at it he was. Over all he did a very good job with his films.
In this scene Grant is chased around by a plane which ends up hitting an oil truck which is enough of a distraction for Grant to steel a bystanders car. This scene starts out with Grant and another man standing on the side of the road waiting for a bus. the location is the midwest farm lands. It is flat as far as the eye can see with farm lands growing all around. It would not normally be a strange sight to see a crop duster fly over head, but the strange thing is that the plane is dusting an area with out any crops. The expression on the men's faces is very neutral with a small hint of contemplation. Soon the bus pulls up and the strange gets on, but its not the bus that Grant takes, so he continues to wait. Just after the bus pulls away you can start to see the plane turning towards Grant. It starts with long long shots of the plane then back to Grant with a few medium long shots. The shorts start to get shorter and grants expression starts to change from worry to fright. The scenes start to switch even faster till finally the plane is right in front of grant and he turns and dives to the dirt. when he looks up he has a very worried look on his face and cousiusly looks up and gets up to run the other way. the plane turns back again being viewed with long shots getting closer. The plane comes back and grant drives franticly into a near by ditch. This time as the plane flies over the gunner in the rear shots three times at grant right above his head. He looks up again clearly very shaken and start to run for patch of dead corn where he hopes to hide from the plane. AS this happens music starts to come in giving a building effect to the whole scene, making it feel a lot more intense. the plane turns back to grant again and flies over the corn patch to spot him. Grant starts to get a small look of relief on his face as the plane keeps going. Again it turns back, but Grant does not realize that he has been seen so does not look to scared. His expression quickly changes as the plane starts to dust again and he realizes that it is going to dust over the patch where he is. the plane flies over and grant starts to cough and has to cover his mouth to breath. he runs out of the field back over to the road. He sees a truck coming and stands in the road in front of it so that it'll stop. he almost gets hit but it stops in time. The plane had already turned back at that stage and was headed straight for the truck which happened to be an oil truck. It was coimg in very fast and low so it crashed into the truck blowing up. grant was fine and later stole a bystanders car to get away.
ReplyDeleteThe UN
ReplyDeleteThe scene starts out with Roger fleeing Vandamm’s goons at the Plaza Hotel. Roger gets in a taxi and asks the man to take him to the UN and to try and lose the goons who have also jumped in a taxi. At the UN Roger goes to meet Mr. Townshend and finds him to be a different man than the one who held him captive at Mr. Townshend’s house. One of the goons who followed Roger then throws a knife into Townshend’s back without being seen and when Townshend falls on Roger, Roger grabs the knife handle making him look guilty of the murder. This forces Roger to have to run away waving the knife and threatening everyone to stay back making him look even more guilty.
The scene starts out with suspenseful violin as the only music. The music then builds with some wind instruments to add to the intensity as Roger and the goons arrive. The music stops while Roger talks to the woman at the UN and to Townshend. When Townshend is stabbed there is loud, dramatic music to show the feeling of panic and fear.
This scene uses various camera angles and techniques. It uses a lot of medium long shots and medium close ups and a few wide-angle shots of the UN when he arrives. The scene uses several panning shots to allow movement like when the goons are leaving the Plaza Hotel and when Roger walks into the UN’s public lounge. The second UN lounge shot in particular gives a large amount of information starting with Roger at the desk and panning over to the door where the goon is standing and then zooming in on him.