Scene Deconstruction – ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Duration: 00:04:27 – 00:20:23
Shot Breakdown:
1. Long shot Hans & Farmer from behind two daughters
2. Long shot three daughters
3. (Return) Long shot Hans & Farmer – Tracks to mid shot of Hans
4. Close up daughter
5. (Return) Mid shot Hans
6. Close up daughter
7. (Return) Mid shot Hans – walks back to reveal long shot [balanced composition]
8. Long shot girls & Hans
9. Mid shot Farmer
10. Mid shot Hans & daughters
11. Mid shot Farmer
12. Long shot daughter walking to window
13. Mid shot Farmer & daughter
14. Mid shot daughter closing window
15. Mid shot Hans at table
16. Close up daughter [Important eye line]
17. Mid shot Farmer
18. Lower angle mid shot Hans at table
19. Mid shot Farmer
20. (Return)Lower angle mid shot Hans at table
21. (Return) Mid shot Farmer
22. Mid three shot, Farmer sits down at table – Pan & Tilt – Mid two shot
23. Close up daughter
24. (Return) Mid two shot
25. Long shot daughters leave
26. Low angle long two shot – table Hans & Farmer
27. Mid shot Farmer – Behind Hans
28. Mid shot Hans – Behind Farmer
29. (Return) Mid shot Farmer – Behind Hans
30. (Return) Mid shot Hans – Behind Farmer
31. Mid shot Farmer [Tighter]
32. (Return) Mid shot Hans – Behind Farmer
33. Mid shot Farmer
34. (Return) Mid shot Hans – Behind Farmer
35. Mid shot Farmer
36. (Return) Mid shot Hans – Behind Farmer
37. Mid shot Farmer
38. (Return) Mid shot Hans – Behind Farmer
39. Mid shot Farmer
40. Mid shot Hans – NEARLY POV Farmer [revealing window]
41. Mid shot Farmer
42. Mid shot Hans – Behind Farmer
43. Mid shot Farmer – Behind Hans
44. (Return) Mid shot Hans – Behind Farmer
45. (Return) Mid shot Farmer – Behind Hans
46. Mid shot Farmer [Tighter]
47. Close up Farmer – tilt, pan & focus change to pipe
48. Mid two shot Farmer & Hans – Tracks behind [almost 180 degrees]
49. Extreme close up writing
50. Close up Farmer – Side angle – Tracks down through floor revealing hidden Jewish people
51. Close up eyes through floor – Tracks up
52. Long shot Farmer & Hans
53. Low angle two shot Farmer & Hans
54. Mid shot Hans
55. Mid shot Farmer
56. (Return) Mid shot Hans
57. Mid shot hidden Jewish people
58. Mid shot Farmer
59. (Return) Mid shot Hans
60. (Return) Mid shot Farmer
61. (Return) Mid shot Hans
62. (Return) Mid shot Farmer
63. (Return) Mid shot Hans
64. (Return) Mid shot Farmer
65. Low angle two shot
66. (Return) Mid shot Hans – Pan [Camera follows his movement]
67. (Return) Mid shot Farmer
68. (Return) Mid shot Hans
69. (Return) Mid shot Farmer
70. Low angle two shot
71. Mid two shot Farmer & Hans [Change angle]
72. Close up Hans – Track forward
73. Close up Farmer – Track forward
74. (Return) Close up Hans – Track forward
75. (Return) Close up Farmer – Track forward
76. (Return) Close up Hans – Track forward
77. (Return) Close up Farmer – Track forward
78. (Return) Close up Hans – Track forward
79. (Return) Close up Farmer – Track Forward
80. Long two shot [Change angle]
81. Mid shot Farmer & table
82. Long shot Hans – Behind Farmer [Camera follows his movements]
83. Close up Feet walking
84. Mid shot German’s
85. Mid shot Farmer & table
86. Long shot German’s – Behind Farmer
87. Mid – Close shot Hans
88. High angle, looking down to ground
89. Mid shot Farmer
90. Mid shot feet German’s firing
91. (Return) High angle, looking down to ground
92. (Return) Mid shot Farmer
93. (Return) High angle, looking down to ground
94. Mid shot Hans
95. High angle, looking down to ground through roof [Parallels rat analogy]
96. Low angle, mid – close Hans looking down
97. Close up floor as Jewish people flee
98. (Return) Low angle, mid-close up Hans
Analysis:
The 2009 film, ‘Inglourious Basterds’, Directed by ‘Quentin Tarantino’, is a graphic representation of the various rebels who attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II. The narrative follows multiple story lines as they converge. The opening sequence plays a significant role in revealing two major characters within the film, as well as desensitizing the audience to the abrupt violence. This presentation of violence is prevalent not only throughout ‘Inglourious Basterds’, but also within other ‘Tarantino’ films such as ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘Kill Bill’.
The opening scene evolves around a Nazi Colonel ‘Hans Landa’ who is making a visit to a German family of farmers who are suspected of hiding Jewish people within their home. The scene, from the time the Colonel enters the house, to the final shot of the girl escaping, runs for over 15 minutes. It is a significantly long scene and the camera coverage aids in maintaining the audiences attention and in driving the narrative forward. Space, movement and timing within each composition are manipulated effectively, contributing successfully to the overall reception of the scene and throughout the film. Significant colour pallets and lighting set ups can be recognized not only within this film, but within the workings of Cinematographer ‘Robert Richardson’ in films such as ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘Shutter Island’.
The use of space and timing of the performance is imperative to how the scene progresses. The dialogue is extensive and significant. It takes the audience on a journey as it unravels the connections with the location, the importance of Hans’ visit and the direction the scene is going. Tension plays a huge role in audience reception. The audience doesn’t want Hans to find the Jewish people, however his wit and prior experience as the ‘Jewish Hunter’ forbids this.
Together ‘Tarantino’ and ‘Richardson’ have constructed each shot in order to reveal something significant. This is expressed through their use of composition. For example, the shot displayed below on the left has been broken up into sections. Each of the four characters fall in a fifth of the frame. The window is represented as the most significant. Within the window is Hans’ soldiers. It is revealing to the audience that they are ‘guarding’ the house, which also gives them a sense of isolation, aiding to the rising tension and conflict throughout the scene. Later in the scene a second window is revealed, as the shots change from a conversation reverse shot, to Hans’ from a different angle. The change almost seems unnecessary until a second window reveals to the audience that there are no guards outside this side of the house. This foreshadows the girl’s escape at the end of the scene when she runs in this direction.
‘Richardson’ has used predominantly wide and mid shots similar to the above images. The composition within every shot has been strategically constructed. The negative space becomes the space that the ‘Farmer’ walks into to retrieve his pipe, or where Hans brings out his folder onto the table [refer above] The characters use all the space that is provided to them and the composition has been adapted to this. This style of filming is quite mechanical and contrived. If the actors and the director were not as competent, the scene may have dragged and felt boring to the audience. ‘Christoph Waltz’ performs his lines of dialogue with conviction that immerses the audience into the drama of the narrative.
Camera movement is used very few times within the scene. The camera pans and tilts to follow the characters movements, although is only tracks around the room when it is about to hit a beat in the scene. There are two or three beats within the scene that are recognized through a change in tone, the arrival of non-diegetic sound and these camera movements. For example the camera tracks around the back of the two characters and then from this position moves under the floor boards to reveal the Jewish people hiding. The slow pace in which the camera moves increases the tension within the scene and is emphasized through the lack of non-diegetic sound up until the final climax of the scene.
Lighting plays a significant role within the opening scene of ‘Inglourious Basterds’. It is quite high key, giving depth to the characters in order to separate them from the background. All light sources are identified. The windows provide the most light source together with a small lamp that subtly supplies a back light. A fill light has been used for the characters faces. The lighting is quite warm, which could be the result of reflection from the oak and wooden colours or the implementation of filters to create this effect. The table at times appeared to be over exposed, perhaps to highlight the importance of Hans’ folder which was the key to the fate of the family.
‘Richardson’ along with the production design crew have crafted a very neutral colour pallet. Through the use of grey tones, oak, wood and quite warm hues, the aesthetically pleasing compositions do not detract from the focus of the scene. The negative space within the frames, unless the characters interact within that space, is quite dark and subtle. ‘Richardson’ or ‘Tarantino’ have chosen to omit any distinct colour, besides one object, Hans’ pipe. This may be to contrast the wooden, less attractive pipe that the ‘Farmer’ uses. A similar motif of colour can be identified in the 2010 Martin Scorsese film ‘Shutter Island’ where ‘Teddy Daniels’ bright coloured tie contrasts the very neutral colour pallet. ‘Richardson’ was Cinematographer for this film as well and represents a good comparison of craft.
‘Richardson’ has used a similar style of composition depicted within ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and ‘Shutter Island’. The opening scene of ‘Shutter Island’ represents a similar theme of being guarded, isolated and threatened by an authoritative figure. Referring to the frames depicted below, ‘Richardson’ has created a symmetrical composition that emphasizes the authority through a ‘triangle’ shape representing hierarchy. This technique causes the audience to feel restricted and confined.
A reoccurring technique used by ‘Richardson’ is his ability to create a very eerie, surreal depiction of terror. He projects light into smoke in order to capture the detail of debris that is flying everywhere. This is usually used when illustrating a catastrophic event in time. It heightens the emotion causing the audience to feel uneasy. Seen below are two examples of this. On the left is a shot from ‘Inglourious Basterds’ in the opening scene. On the right is a shot from ‘Shutter Island’ where snow is flying around as ‘Teddy’ walks through a grave yard from a concentration camp during the holocaust (a memory/dream). This technique can also be identified in ‘Richardson’s’ work on ‘Django Unchained’.
The opening scene within ‘Inglourious Basterds’ encompasses conventional elements that reinforce the narrative. The use of camera coverage, lighting, colour, space and timing, contributes to the overall reception of the film, driving the narrative forward. Cinematographer ‘Robert Richardson’ and Director ‘Quentin Tarantino’ work together effectively, crafting a long, extensive scene in order to set the tone, pace and abrupt violence for the entire film. ‘Richardson’s’ cinematography techniques for ‘Inglourious Basterds’, such as his use of high key lighting and neutral colour pallets, can be identified in some of his other work such as ‘Shutter Island’ and ‘Django Unchained’. His mechanical approach compliments the story, the actors and the Director’s work.