What is happening in this scene?

General Aung Sang is in his meeting room with his cabinet members discussing how they will bring democracy into the country. The building has been infiltrated although with military rebels. The rebels then break into the room and shoot General Aung Sung and his cabinet members. Also, another symbol is that they are about to toast to democracy with small cups of tea, but right before they drink it the militants come in. This causes them all to panic and they obviously don’t finish their toast. This could symbolize how close they were to having democracy in their country by nearly drinking the tea, however, it is ended when the militants kill them all so not drinking the tea could symbolize that the democracy would not be apart of the country.

What do you see? (visual techniques)

Close up shots of General Aung Sung and the rebels when they are first shown in the scene. The close up that shows the first rebel makes you suspect something unnerving is about to go because he looks like a real dodgy person as he is quite sweaty (which could show that he is nervous himself) and his hair is scruffy under his hat, also he is smoking a cigarette very smugly which could all be signs that he is shifty.

 

When the General Aung San is about to get shot there is a zooming in close-up on his face with sad pan flute music that lasts for about 6 or 7 seconds. This could show the last bit of peace that the country would have as the General being killed means that there is no more democracy, but a dictatorship. There is then a range of mid shots to full shots which show the scene. At the end where all of the people are dead in the boardroom, there is an overhead shot which shows the layout of the room and the dead bodies which are on the ground. This shows the reality of what has happened.

What do you hear? (verbal techniques)

When you see the camera show the close-up shot of the rebel militants you hear non-diegetic sounds of an un-nerving shaker sound that causes tension. This sound then goes on while they are walking up the stairs to the room and cuts off as soon as they enter the room. Just before General Aung San gets shot there is a close up on his face that slowly zooms in and you can hear a sad pan-flute sound that portrays that everything is about to end.

Consider how any of the details you have listed reflect Luc Besson’s auteur style. List the connections.

 

Join the conversation! 2 Comments

  1. Rory, your answers to these questions have started to structure your response. Read through this writing and adjust them so that they are complete sentences. Have you decided which aspects of Luc Besson’s style you are going to write about for this scene? After you do relate to the director’s style, complete your responses (using these questions if it helps) for the second scene- this will be your first draft assessment.

    Reply
  2. Rory, have you completed an analysis of a second scene? Please see me.

    Reply

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