Inglourious Bastards
is a 2009 action war film directed by Quentin Tarrantino set in Nazi-occupied France . The scene analyzed is in the projector room
when Fredrick interrupts Shosanna.
The scene starts with
a tracking hand held shot following Fredrick walking towards the projection
room. This builds up tension and suggests to the audience that something
important and significant is about to occur. Fredrick also appears in the
centre of the screen which implies that he will be the catalyst for something to
happen.
When Shosanna answers
the door and talks to Fredrick, the two characters are divided by the doorway,
which shows the conflict between them and the difference of opinions the two
have. They use Medium-close ups on the two when they talk to easily show their
emotions and they use over the shoulder shots to represent the suspicion of
each other but also of the time as no one could be trusted. They also use clean, sharp cuts to divide
them and to again show how the two are different.
Lighting is something
that is important in this clip. When Fredrick knocks on the door, Shosanna goes
into the shadow. Fill light is used to shadow her which shows her bad
intentions and foreshadows her actions. However when she talks to him in the
doorway, she goes into the light whereas Fredrick is in the dark. This
illustrates who is more morally right, and who the audience is rooting for. But
once Fredrick is shot, the low key lighting causes Shosanna to go into the
shadow, while wounded Fredrick lies across the light. This builds up suspense
but also casts judgment on Shosanna and portrays Fredrick as innocent. The changing lighting of the scene help to
add to the narrative and the story. But also shows the conflicting feelings
Shosanna as she attempts to do something good but uses morally wrong methods.
In the scene it cuts
to the man behind the screen. He is back lit to show his importance to the film
and the situation. Moreover he is the only thing visible in the shot, which
just emphasizes his importance and suggests he will do something dramatic in
the film. Also he lights a cigarette and starts to smoke it, suggesting he is
nervous and how tense the situation is. This foreshadows that something is
about to happen in the film.
Shots are also
important to the scene. When Fredrick barges into the projector room, a low
angle, long-medium shot to show his power over Shosanna and his superiority. He
is also in the centre of the shot; to show is his dominance over the shot, and
Shosanna. Moreover when both lay shot on the floor, the sequence cuts to a high
angle of them both. They are looked down from above, showing how both are as
bad as each other, and both have committed morally wrong actions. Also, it
shows how both are insignificant in the wider war and are just another two
people who have been damaged by the war.
As well as that the
mise en scene of the scene is important to. Shosanna appears in red, which
implies how dangerous she is but also represents the love and lust towards her
that Fredrick feels. Also Fredrick’s
uniform suggests an internal conflict. The black collar and cuffs show his
darker tendencies and reminds the audience and the immoral things he has done.
But the white jacket shows how he wants to be good, and not hated and that he
is ashamed of some of his actions.
Once Shosanna is shot,
the scene goes into slow motion. This helps to emphasize the significance of
her death and the dramatic and violent way she died. This is supported by the shallow focus which
makes her the focus point of the shot. Furthermore the sympathetic music helps
to highlight the tragedy of the scene and her death.
Without these key
parts the scene wouldn’t be as dramatic or memorable.
