Week 98: Socials Roundup
Posts from 18 Nov - 24 Nov 2024
Week 98 posts include shots from Fear (1954); Mona Lisa (1986); Strange Darling (2024); Sullivan’s Travels (1941); and Murder by Contract (1958).
Mona Lisa
This scene from Mona Lisa stays with George (Bob Hoskins) to really sell the Texas Switch from 15 year old Cathy to . . . some much older platinum blonde chainsmoker!
The little bit of actorly business Hoskins does with his coins and then sipping his coffee helps sell that he’s not noticed anything amiss.
Once George arrives back at his table, the shot holds just long enough for us (and him) to guess at what’s happened before it cuts on his almost-360-spin-and-check before he rushes out the door.
Murder By Contract
Sometimes all you want in life is a dramatically scored, perfectly framed crawl scene, where the torch / flashlight gives lens flare and creates small stark stripes of white along the edges of a beautifully corrugated metal tunnel.
Strange Darling
This split diopter shot lets us see the Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) looking at us, while also clearly seeing the Demon (Kyle Gallner) fixing his gaze on her from behind.
If you're not sure where they're hiding a split diopter's 'fuzzy' middle line, it's often in the wall, or in someone's cascading hair.
Fear
Fear was released in a few languages and versions, but relies on visuals to drive home many of its themes.
When Irene (Ingrid Bergman) meets Luisa (Renate Mannhardt) at a restaurant for a confrontation about blackmail, you can see far behind Irene, her husband Albert walks into the street and stands watching. With Luisa in a white coat and Albert in the dark, they look like an angel and a devil on each of Irene's shoulders; we think Luisa is the devil and Albert the angel watching over Irene.
Soon, however, we learn Albert has been manipulating Irene all along, and the stark shadows and dark coat he wears actually show him to be a devil indeed!
Sullivan’s Travels
Sometimes you want to use your shots for a personal message.
This opening dedication from Sullivan's Travels reads "To the memory of those who made us laugh: the motley mountebanks, the clowns, the buffoons, in all times and in all nations, whose efforts have lightened our burden a little, this picture is affectionately dedicated."