Double Indemnity Commentary

A key light is used to create a mysterious and dark scene. This could be used to show the audience that the scene that is about to take place isn’t going to be viewed by other characters and the only people that know what is going on are the people in the room and the audience. When Phyllis shoots Walter it is hard to see him because he doesn’t have any light on him so the audience just have to trust the sound however the audience knows that Phyllis has a gun in her hand but Walter doesn’t, this unrestricted narration is telling us this because of no lighting on Walter this is because he’s in the dark and doesn’t know that Phyllis is hiding the gun. It’s only once Walter walks towards Phyllis that the audience see the gun and get to understand what is going on. When Phyllis is telling Walter that she loves him, his facial expressions show the audience that he doesn’t really care or believe her. Again the audience don’t see the gun but can tell that Phyllis has been shot. Walter walks away as if he doesn’t care. The camera angles in the scene are low especially on Phyllis because she is weak around Walter and can’t shoot him and the camera angle stays on her when she is shot. With other camera angles, the shots are concealed because Phyllis is hiding the gun however with Walter, the camera angles are higher angle than that of Phyllis because he has slightly more power over her. Walter wears a suit throughout the whole movie and Phyllis wears a dress or nothing at all with just a towel round her. And to finish the scene off, the music plays an integral part of the film to make the scene dramatic, this is because it’s to create shock.

Elephant micro-analysis on image

Location/Setting

The location is in his basement at home. This suggests that he is a well hidden young man because he is hiding himself away from life because he wants to destroy it. Also the basement isa colder and darker place which resembles the character in this location. This suggests that the location is full of secrets and isolation of the character.

Props

The props in this image are a piano which for sound is very important in the scene. The only prop is the piano because it specifies it by being played and the song is quite dark and something that won't suit a film which involves teenagers. This means that the music portrays a dark film.

Narrative

Here the boy is playing the piano which gives the audience a relaxed feeling but is very intense to watch as it's dark and slightly disturbing. The boy is very troubled and this is a build up to the final scenes in the film when he will shoot the students in the school. In the school when he is shooting, he is very relaxed just like in this scene.

Lighting

The lighting in the room is natural and used no artificial lighting because it had to be real around his surroundings. In this image the picture is blue which gives it a cold feeling and lack of emotion in the picture.

Costume

The costume is very real and he’ wearing a hoody and clothes that would suit the college trend. He looks very normal in this picture but gives the audience a sense of wonder and something else which tells us something is lurking.

Performance

The boy in the basement is very calm playing the piano which gives the impression of his loneliness and doesn’t fit in as usually people like him.

Camera Angles + Framing

The camera is very hidden behind but up close it is spooky which gives us an uncomfortable feeling. Here the boy is not central in the frame because it is showing the piano, so the piano plays some part in the scene because the boy is playing it and also the sound which he plays is relaxing but also uneasy.