Film Sequence Blog

The scene I chose starts at the cafe with Sydney and Al.  It starts at about the 5:40 mark and goes to 7:30 or so.  I ended when Sydney and Dith Pran flee the scene.

It begins with a man rocking a baby in a cradle and then the waiter enters.  The camera is following his path and it is pretty dark in the restaurant.  He walks outside and heads to a table of soldiers, and here we get the first glimpse of Sydney and Al.  We see pedestrians behind them and do not understand what is being said.  The language barrier is broken when Al asks what they want to eat as the waiter approaches them.  They carry on a meaningless dialogue about what kinds of food they like and do not like.  Out of nowhere there is a massive explosion and Sydney and Al jump up.  Al begins to take pictures of what he sees, and Dith Pran seems to appear out of nowhere.  Sydney and Dith Pran talk and eventually enter a cab.

In terms of sound, the diegetic sound is a very important part of this scene.  At first we hear a language that we cannot understand, and are completely out of the loop.  Eventually English begins to overlap with this.  Shortly before the explosion, we hear a motorcycle but cannot see it.  This is an example of offscreen sound.  We are aware that there is a motorcycle due to the noises, but we cannot see it.  This contributes to our inability to really grasp what is happening in this scene.  It is interesting that there is both direct and offscreen sound here, as it makes the offscreen sound that much more apparent and important.  Right before the explosion we hear someone yelling.  We are unaware of the source but know that something bad is about to happen.  The lack of identity surrounding the screamer makes the noise stand for the overwhelming and universal plight of these people.  The scream represents the destruction of Cambodia and its people as a whole.  We then hear an explosion but again do not know where it is coming from.  The explosion and scream are that much more jarring because of what comes before it.  Sydney and Al are engaged in an extremely unimportant conversation and seem bored and disinterested.  But as soon as fire emerges, they jump up and are quick to action.  Thus, the offscreen sound takes precedence over sound that has a defined origin.

In terms of lighting, at the beginning of the scene, the restaurant is relatively dark and not particularly eye-catching.  As the waiter moves outside the scene brightens, but is not overwhelmingly vibrant.  This reflects the relaxed and inactive nature of everyone in the scene.  The scene uses lower key lighting (obviously on a smaller scale, as there is color and some brightness) to demonstrate just how shocking the impending events really are.  This also enhances the fact that we are left in the dark, both in terms of language and also what is happening.  But the explosion is incredibly bright and intense, a stark contrast to that which came before it.  The high-key lighting of both the bombing itself and the aftermath depict a tragic telling, particularly when contrasted to that which came before it.

At some points there is the use of deeper space (Again on a lesser scale than demonstrated in the film analysis guide).  We see this when Sydney and Al are at the table but we see people walking behind them and sitting around them.  This places them in the larger context of the scene and denotes their involvement in the events.  At some points there is frontality during their conversation at the table.  This asserts the viewer into their dialogue and makes us feel as if we are a part of it.  But there is also a large use of shallow space, particularly at the table and when Al is taking pictures.  The beginning of the scene gives us point of view shots of the waiter.  We are taken on his journey from the front door to the outside seating at the cafe.  This scene is largely reliant on panning in and out to portray what is happening.  We see close ups of Sydney and Al and then the camera pans out to show what is happening around them.  We consistently see people that are pretty inactive.  Two men behind them are sitting in chairs and people are wandering around further in the background.  This seeks to demonstrate how shocking the bombing was, as everyone was blatantly unprepared and unaware.  People also cut in front of the camera during the conversation at the table, a fact that further contributes to our blurred (literally and metaphorically speaking) understanding of the narrative.  At some points the faces in the back are blurred, an effect that places greater importance on Sydney and Al.  When the explosion happens, we only see the fire and nothing else.  This overwhelming shot cites how massive and horrific the bombing was.  And the fact that we cannot see anything else tells the audience just how shocking this moment was.  There seems to be no source of the bombing.  It instead appears to have come out of nowhere.  But its effects are devastating and overwhelming.

When Al and Sydney jump up from the table, there is a coupling of wide shots and close-ups.  There are close-ups of individuals that have been killed and lay bleeding on the road, and then the camera pans out to portray the scene as a whole.  In the wider shots, we hear screaming and other noises.  People are in a state of panic as they see the destruction around them.  Dith Pran eventually appears from a seemingly invisible place.  Sydney and Dith Pran talk and are surrounded by smoke.  We do not know what is happening around them in this moment.  Dith Pran is eventually able to give some details as to what has happened, but we are still unsure.  Here the shot is established and reestablished, as the camera moves between close ups and wider shots.