SW deconstruction

SW deconstruction

CAMERA
Pans down from blue sky for establishing shot. Big, intimidating stone building in forest. Intriguing, and whats inside? Makes Mexican more ‘notorious’ he is in a huge prison.
Close up shot of gun handed over – to the wrong hands.

High angle shot of camera accompanied by bell. Funereal, deathly, mournful.
Small cowboy in big picture. We feel bad for him – he looks mournful and sad and lonely. Connect with the protagonist. Romantic.
High angle shot of Mexican on rocks – intimidating, he has the power.
Low angle long/two shot of pair, background stretching off. Tension – they are in middle of nowhere on their own, no laws, no boundaries.
Close ups of twitching hands, twitching, scared eyes. Defiant, tense, brave.
High angle shot of cowboy – power balance has changed as he has won.
Camera pan up to blue sky – links to beginning, suggests resolution to the story.

MISE EN SCENE
Cigar. Mexican steals cigar – intimidates the other man, makes Mexican look like the bad character. Stolen back by Cowboy – he’s no intimidated, and also, makes the cowboy victory more heroic as it is a moral victory – the Mexicans bad ways are over.
Fort prison is intimidating, makes the Mexican seem doubly notorious.
Used the picture settings to make sky white and colours mournful in shoot out scene. Makes cowboy seem romantic and mournful.
Begins in the morning when it is light. Ends in the evening with a sunset. Suggests resolution.


EDITING – MAIN POINTS INCLUDE – title, death cut, matching shots.
Title – Font “eastwood”. Indicative of genre, in content and appearance (rough, 60s style).
When shot is fired, sharp cut to cross, tension, excitement – who has died? Audience doesn’t know.
The duel – shots are matched. Used to show contrast between good/bad the antagonist and protagonist.

SOUND – MAIN POINTS INCLUDE – voices/dialogue, stings, music score.

1. Gunshot is suprising and captivating, indicative of action/western genre.
Crickets raise tension with repetitive noise. Scene setter in perhaps Mexico.
Door/lock opening noise – intriguing. Indicative of prison, perhaps danger inside.
Prison guard voice – intimidated (by what?). Mexican style.
Prisoner voice – angry, scary, indicative of antagonist. Gruff, masculine. Intimidating.
Stings scraper– SW feature. Tension building.
Stings bell – SW feature. Funereal, deathly, tension building.

2. Wind – mournful, location setting – in the middle of nowhere.
Cowboys speech/dialogue – calm, cool in the face of danger, eastwood-esque.
Morricone style music piece – repetitive triangle is SW style, builds tension, indicates that the duel is about to begin. Drums are militairy – action. Trumpets are very triumphant, heroic.