Near Algodones Vignette 2 from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by the Coen Brothers 2018.
All the vignettes are consistent in that they start with book text and colour plate. (see lesson 1)
The film starts with the above establishing shot: The horse and its master contemplating a bank robbery and a bucket hanging on a well.
Obviously the story will focus on the wannabe bank robber, but the bank robbery is just a prelude to the story. The most important components are the horse placed at the left of the screen and the hanging bucket to the right. This is a story about the protagonist at the mercy of a death by hanging and his horse.
The first close-up is that of the protagonist, followed by that of the bank. Once back to the protagonist we follow his eye's line of vision to the well. The hanging bucket on the well may well serve as an enigma at this point, but the audience has understood its relevance. Once all this has been established we are back to the establishing shot ready for action.
The second scene starts with a closeup of the protagonist's face with a noose around his head. The reverse shot of the sheriff is a mid-shot demonstrating secondary importance. Once we return to the protagonist it is again a close-up shot and then we follow his line of vision to see the rope hanging above, (There is a consistency throughout the Coen film with this following of the line of vision. See lesson 1)
The third scene: Apart from his miraculous salvation due to Indian intervention and apart from this being a great shot composition, dissolves are used to show the passage of time. Long shots from different angles also contribute to the passage of time.
Suspense is built through the close-up of the horse grazing and therefore stepping forward risking his rider's terse end. As the horse moves, the rope around the rider's neck gets tighter.
The last scene starts with the protagonist in close-up, once again with a noose round his neck. There is a consistency in shot. Once again we follow his line of vision to see the other people who are to be hanged with him. These other men only act as a mirror to what is happening to him. There is a little humour when the man next to him starts crying and the protagonist remarks, 'I see, it's your first time.' But it is a wry humour, because there will obviously be no next time. And yet for our protagonist he has already survived one hanging. The other men are mirrors, because we never see a shot from their line of vision. As sacks are placed over their heads, the protagonist now looks at the crowd. He sees a beautiful girl and then the world goes black. It is only now that we get the girl in the crowd's viewpoint - albeit very brief of a dangling rope - like the bucket that has fallen into the well.
Comments
Post a Comment