Week 84: Socials Roundup

Posts from 12 Aug - 18 Aug 2024

Week 84 posts include shots from Blue Jean (2022); The Cooler (2003); Fleabag (2016, 2019); Loudermilk (2017-2020); and The More the Merrier (1943).

The Cooler

This scene from The Cooler gives a perfect example of how 'shot language' tells us something, even outside of larger plot and film context.

Without knowing the backstory of Natalie (Maria Bello) and Bernie (W. H. Macy), once that salt gets knocked over, you KNOW this means something to them, and that something . . . ain't good.

You get the 'feeling of doom' from a combination of film grammar, including: an ultra-closeup of the salt going down, use of slo-mo, exaggerated sound mix of the lid 'crash and spin' + salt spill, then closeup/wide/closeup/closeup of Natalie and Bernie reacting before either speak again.

The More the Merrier

When Constance (Jean Arthur) and Joe (Joel McCrea) stop along their walk home, The More the Merrier pulls a neat, simple little trick.

An object such as a tree in the whole frame between us and the characters already reminds us we're 'spying' on people.

Putting Constance and Joe behind/between two trunks of a tree nearly obscures them from us completely, so, we lean in - the better to see if they're really going to kiss!

The whole blocking/framing further strengthens our voyeuristic feeling.

Fleabag

How MANY times does Hot Priest notice Fleabag noticing us in episode 2.04?

Does God also break the fourth wall?

Are we Fleabag's intrusive thoughts?

Listen to Mel, Chas, and Stu hash all this (and more!) out here.

Loudermilk

In Loudermilk 1.01 "A Girl in Trouble Is a Temporary Thing" Sam Loudermilk (Ron Livingston) says he'll find a new place for his AA meetings.

The next shot begins with a significant amount of vignetting on the sides, suggesting not only has he, but it’s a heavenly place.

Only as the camera slowly dollies backwards does it reveal that effect is actually wall paint which the character has been framed between.

And then with a cut, reveal it to be Sam’s coffeeshop.

Though this sort of ‘fake out’ shot could work any time, it's perhaps most effective in a pilot episode like here, where we're not yet sure what the visual language is, whether the show uses flashbacks, etc.

Blue Jean

We have a few deeper looks at Blue Jean coming up on our Substack (one on colour theory, one about J-cuts), but we want to take a moment to appreciate how it uses mirrors.

The bathroom mirror bifurcates Jean's face, while the motorcycle and car mirrors reflect what's behind her while she doesn't (or can't) look forward; lovely stuff.