For this post I would like to detail the technicalities of the scene I am looking to mimic, this is the opening dialogue scene from Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. In this scene we have a Blade Runner interviewing a replicant so he can discern whether or not the man in front of him is in fact a replicant. This scene is excellent mainly due to the tension of it but there is also something compelling about the content, the Voight-Kampff (the psychological test for whether someone is a replicant) is an interesting subject due to the nature of the questions and their odd but somewhat philosophical questions that elicit an emotional response in both character and viewer. However, the acting and substance in this scene is for another post, this post is concerned with the logistics of the scene and how the scene plays out visually. While I am aware that my project does not concern visuals, it would be naive to think that they have no part to play in what I hope to achieve and as such I feel it is important for me to get these right so they can be a catalyst for the actors to shine.
This is one shot that starts high up and pulls into a two shot before cutting into the next shot. This is an excellent introductory shot as we straight away know the setting and we also see from here that Leon (the replicant) has been called into the room and as such his role as the less powerful participant is established. From the setting we also are given a glimpse of the character being one of at least a few as his office appears to be part of a block of more, meaning he isn't particularly special, but we see from the character that he does have a degree of prestige.
We then cut into a shot of a mystery machine setting itself up, this creates intrigue as we do not yet know what this machine is for or its relevance to the scene. I believe that the character will feed off of this because he too in this scene doesn't know what the machine is, this is something that aligns us to Leon in a sense because the machine is odd to us both.
We then cut to a side angle close-up of Leon, this could be considered to be similar to a prison mug shot in a sense as it resembles the side view of an inmate that is commonly asked for when a suspect comes in. The other significance of this shot is that it is our first view of the character, couple this with the prison style shot and we are given the impression then that this man is a convict of sorts. The lack of complex or busy background also is used to draw us only to the character and makes him the sole focus, unlike later shots which have many other elements on show.
This is the machine setting up further, I believe this is to make the set up more interesting and to further establish the machine as a key element in the scene, this also makes for an easy way to show dialogue in an interesting yet basic way whilst actors are still moving around in the scene, this helps hugely with continuity.
This is the reverse shot of the one previous and as well as fulfilling the role of the previous shot, it also serves to show Leon sitting down in a much more interesting way than him simply sitting down.
This is the final piece in the puzzle of deciphering what the machine does and it ties up that enigma of what the machine was there to do. We can now see that it is scanning his eye, this is coupled with the fact that close to this point we will find out from the dialogue that the Blade Runner is looking for an emotional response and as such the eye is scanned to look for something that may give it away.
This wide shot of the two of them sat at the table establishes the distance physically and metaphorically between the two, with the eye scanner acting almost like a physical barrier between the two, this isn't the last time in this scene that this will be the case. The fan in this shot is used to create movement in the shot which makes it flow much nicer but it may also be a preemptive warning to say to the viewer that things will get heated, which they certainly do.
This is used to cut back into the scene and remind us of why the two of them are having the exchange that they are having, the slow pumping of the machine and the fan in the previous shot are as well paired to create a slow rhythm for the scene which in turn creates tension because the pace of the scene begins to speed up as the tension builds.
This is a Mid shot of Leon that makes it look as though he isn't talking to the man in front of him but rather the machine, it looks almost as if he is squaring up to it as though he was to fight it. Although the look on his face is more of confusion so this then seems more like he is studying the machine than he is sizing it up.
This is the reverse of the previous and again features the eye scanner, though in this case it is much closer to the subject and as a result seems somewhat like a shield or a a fake wall between the two men. It is also of note that this shot is much busier than its predecessor, perhaps reflecting the minds of the two men, showing Leon is much more empty headed.
This section is a basic shot reverse shot sequence as the two exchange words, the pacing of this is key and cutting in the right places to see the emotion in each character (particularly Leon) as the two converse.
The shot goes closer into Leon's face as we start to get more to the centre of his mind and also as the Blade Runner's scrutiny of him intensifies, the low angle on this however, does also make Leon seem more powerful than previously, this perhaps suggests that when he feel threatened or like his is being interrogated he becomes more dangerous, this is a lot to infer from a shot but it is not beyond the realms of possibility.
To match the closer in shot of Leon, we also go closer to BR, this intensifies the scene as the empty spaces are being filled by the two men, drawing the focus further into their exchange and the significance of what they are saying. It is of note that no matter how focused on the two we become the eye scanner still separates the two and acts as a barrier between the two.
We go yet again closer into Leon's face to intensify further his emotions and to aid the actor in their portrayal of emotion, this is because this close into his face, every subtle movement is noticeable and every subtle movement serves to highlight the confusion and agitation in the character.
The shot is not matched by a BR equivalent at this point which shows how the focus is definitely upon Leon and he is being scrutinised intensely. It is almost like he is under a magnifying glass and being closely watched. It is at this point we realise that this scene is not at all about the Blade Runner and Leon is the main focus.
We have a back and forth in this format to ramp up the tension somewhat and to intensify the line of enquiry from the Blade runner, until the shot pulls out again between cuts and we see that Leon has been let off the hook somewhat, though we still keep watch on his face, it is not as intense as the previous exchange.
We then cut back to the eye machine and are firstly reminded that this is a test and that Leon's eyes will eventually give him up if he fails the test. This also gives us an indication that the Blade Runner has potentially seen something to that effect and is on to Leon.
Here we go back to a relatively calm shot reverse shot of the two exchanging words as BR questions Leon further but with not real intensity or vigour, he is just calm waiting for the chance to again gain the emotional response from Leon, this still builds tension between the two but it is done in pacing more than shot type, at this point we are almost certain that BR is onto Leon which makes the scene all the more intense.
Then we go back right into Leon's face and we see the panic and intensity all on show in his face, with no distraction or any misleading objects, this is simply a full view of Leon with all his emotion on show.
We then go back to the eye scanner and we are again reminded that he is on trial of sorts, this also gives us the impression that his eyes have finally given him up and the machine will tell BR exactly what he has been looking for.
This then intensifies further because we are now right up to BR's face and we are suddenly very trapped in the emotion of the two people and there intent, we see nothing but pure emotion from the two at this point and they feel much closer together, like they are building to an aggressive conclusion, like two men getting right in at each other. Though, all the time the eye scanner is still present to act as a metaphorical barrier between the two of them.
The whole scene plays out like a game of cat and mouse and when the cat (BR) is most intensely stalking his prey it pulls right into their faces to convey the intensity, we pull back out of the intense close-ups because BR lets up the pressure on Leon, however, he doesn't let up completely, we know this because we are still fair close into Leon's face, so much so we can still study him as BR is studying him.
The game is up, BR has what he wants, and has a resolution, we now longer need to study Leon, we can pull out of the exchange and see where it goes from here, this feels like the exchange has drawn to a conclusion as we now have the feeling of being able to leave save for the final few formalities in the scene. The shot slows the scene right down and sets it up for the quick jarring change of pace that comes in the final segment of the scene.
This quick shot of Leon shooting through the table is on for less than a second and the series that follows is over the space of around 4 seconds, thus changing the mood from tension to action.
The close-up of the flash being shot shows the path of the bullet and also the anarchy and mess it causes, also the spilling liquid is symbolic of the blood that we don't see coming from BR because the shot has already hit by the time we cut.
This is a simple shot to show what happens to BR but interestingly we no longer see the eye scanner, showing the barrier he hid behind is no longer there and it did not save him in the long run, you see the eye scanner represented BR's intelligence and also his perceived power over Leon, but all of this disappears when Leon points a gun at him.
The final shot illustrates the point of the previous shot even better, it shows Leon rising above the scanner and everything it stands for in order to show he is more dangerous than those things could hope to control and as such he is able to overcome BR and shoot him despite BR being the controlling force in all of the prior shots.
That is a summary of the shots and the meanings in this scene, where possible I have tried to explain how this helps the actor and how the performance shines through certain shot choices, this has certainly been a useful exercise for me as I now see that performance can be enhanced throughs the camera as well as the actors.
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