How Are The Micro Elements Of Essay Example

to show the ruthless nature of the antagonist and increase our fear for Leo. The victim's death is sudden, brutal and unexpected, as evidenced by his clutching of a cigarette.

The gangster in the shot is slightly blurred, creating an enigmatic and mysterious character for the audience. The focus on only his legs in the frame adds to this effect, establishing a sense of fear and unease. Meanwhile, the elegant rendition of “Danny Boy” playing throughout the violent sequence creates a heightened sense of spectacle. The contrapuntal soundtrack shifts from diegetic to non-diegetic as Leo gains upper hand, offering viewers hope for his survival. Low key lighting creates a sinister atmosphere as one gangster allows his accomplice into the house, with shadows cast on the characters, encouraging the audience to see them as skilled covert assassins.

By juxtaposing the brightness of Leos' room with the darkness in other scenes, the Coen Brothers highlight the stark contrast between the protagonist and antagonists. Furthermore, they use the traditional connotations of light being positive and dark being negative to create a clear binary opposition, which allows viewers to make quick judgements about the characters. The mise-en-scene in Leo's bedroom, featuring colors like purple and gold that connote royalty, power, and indulgence, along with props like a large bed and chandelier, effectively represents Leo's persona. These elements convey that Leo is at the top of a crime syndicate. Additionally, Leo's attire of pyjamas and his prone position in bed suggest relaxation and ease. Since viewers have an omniscient view, suspense is created over whether Leo will realize the danger he faces as he appears to be oblivious.

The audience experiences a

mix of pleasure and fear from their omniscient viewpoint. Being knowledgeable of all that is happening can be enjoyable, but it also causes concern for the protagonist's safety. The protagonist's relaxed disposition and regal status challenge his heroic potential, making it shocking and thrilling when he ultimately defeats the gangsters in his home. Cinematography tells the story through tracking shots of the antagonists, keeping the audience engaged in the action with a sense of urgency. Fragmented and abstract shots of the antagonists' feet and gun tips enhance their enigmatic portrayal, creating a mysterious mood. Mise-en-scene shows a sharp contrast between the black clothing of the antagonists, which connotes evil, and the white backdrop of the stairs. This contrast highlights the presence of the antagonists, making them seem out of place and thus resented by the audience.

Observing the organized movements and uniformity of dress and weaponry, the two antagonists present a formidable and deadly duo in the eyes of the audience, emphasizing the dangers faced by the protagonist, Leo. Wide shots capturing both opponents highlight their advantage over Leo in numbers and firepower. Meanwhile, static shots featuring Leo create a false sense of security, which is emphasized by the gradually closer shot types - starting with a long shot, then a medium shot, and finally a medium close up - whenever the action cuts back to him.

The camera steadily zooms in on his face, intensifying the audience’s sympathy by revealing detailed facial expressions that show his changing emotions. We witness his confusion turning to comprehension, indicating he has finally recognized the danger. Furthermore, the Coen brothers amplify the suspense through parallel editing; cross-cutting is utilized

in this scene to switch between the oncoming gangsters and Leo’s obliviousness. As a result, spectators become omniscient, observing both the hunter and hunted’s actions while their uncertainty grows regarding whether the protagonist will realize he is being targeted. Fear and anticipation mount, as tension is heightened throughout this portion of the sequence.

Through clever editing, the audience is able to follow Leo's thought process as he recognizes the danger he is in. The camera cuts from a close-up of his gun, to Leo, then to the door, indicating his awareness of the situation. This shared understanding creates empathy between the audience and Leo. When the gangsters enter Leo's room, the camera zooms in towards them, adding to the intensity of the scene. The gunmen's faces are mostly out of shot, emphasizing their enigmatic portrayal and creating a fear of the unknown. This shift in editing rhythm creates an excited heartbeat-like pacing that draws the audience into the intensity of the sequence, causing empathy with Leo as tension builds.

By positioning the camera on the floor with a point of view shot from beneath the bed, the audience is brought to the same level as Leo. This creates greater empathy and understanding of his perilous situation. The antagonist is captured in medium and close up shots, which presents an interesting and engaging sequence. Moreover, close-up shots reveal how the action is unfolding, such as bullet wounds. Despite his victory, the brutal killing of a subdued antagonist raises questions about Leo's moral code. The complexity of the action sequence adds depth and maintains audience interest.

Using a static, very long shot, the scene shows Leo jumping

out the window while simultaneously depicting the scale of devastation with his burning house in the mise-en-scene. The flames hold connotations of both destruction and excitement, which create a great sense of spectacle. Once outside, low angle shots capture Leo as he looks up at his burning house, portraying him as a grand, powerful character through the contrast to images of him cowering beneath his bed. As Leo opens fire on the gangster, a crane shot is utilized, creating excitement due to the power displayed by the protagonist reflected in the controlled, choreographed cinematography. The duration of the shots on the bullet-ridden gangster is particularly long. The relatively slow editing rhythm enables the audience to observe gory images of blood spattered, jerking man, satisfying audiences' desire to see the antagonist suffer for his murderous actions and needless to say pleasing them. Additionally, other violent elements such as the antagonist's gunfire blasting a light fitting and his own feet due to his jerking around contribute to making it a very violent moment of confrontation.

In the "Danny boy" sequence, Leo is attacked by gunmen in a car, but he emerges victorious as their car explodes. This juxtaposes with his calm expression, slow camera movements, and old man appearance in pyjamas. Leo's importance is emphasized by his positioning at the center of the frame. The explosion of the car provides a fitting end to the sequence, gratifying the audience's desire for a dramatic and satisfying climax. Overall, this sequence successfully creates tension and spectacle for the audience to observe before progressing the film's narrative in an interesting way.