The Place Beyond the Pines Analysis

The Place Beyond the Pines Analysis 

An establishing shot of a fairground opens the clip so to inform the audience of the location and also to help create an atmosphere. Although the high-key lighting would suggest a sense of light-heartedness, and the mise-en-scene of the bright, colourful fairground rides would evoke the feeling of optimism, these features actually work to contrast against the severity of the next cut. The diegetic cries of childish laughter begin to disperse as the non-diegetic sound of a voice-over begins to help transition into the next scene.  

Once inside the room, close-ups and shot-reverse-shots are used to show the two characters conversing. Our first impressions of the man aren't high as the use of depth-of-field highlights his multiple rugged tattoos and focuses on the cigarette being smoked. By having him smoke it there in front of his current employer, I feel it implies that not only does he disregard authority, but additionally, suggests he disregards his health. The handheld camera shakes which further indicates his dependency on cigarettes is causing him to become unstable and weak.  

The indifference to his well-being is echoed through the method of mise-en-scene next when he's shown riding on a motorcycle, travelling to his destination in no protective gear. The combination of tracking, a long-shot and a high angle make him appear smaller. These techniques may have been chosen to show how by becoming an unemployed male, he's lost part of his masculinity, but also to set him up for the next scene. His loss of dominance makes him vulnerable and more easily overcome by the other adults.  

He arrives at the house and the door is answered by a woman; a woman who I assume is the love interest due to her attractive appearance and his greeting of 'You look like a princess.' The over-the-shoulder and mid-shot combination allows me to see the woman from the waist up and lets me focus on her performance without the distraction of our main character. I am able to notice her off-guard expression, and can infer from the diegetic sound of a baby crying and the unstable handheld camera that the atmosphere is chaotic. This rushed feel evokes sympathy from me as I'm able to see how his previous partner and child are living their lives without him.  

Their conversation is suddenly interrupted when a larger man opens the door with a now silent child. The man is viewed from a higher position; a low angle that creates the illusion that he’s more powerful. His refined suit further enforces his power as it suggests money, and the ability to quiet the child implies he is capable of swaying. This enhances his air of authority. The fact that he says ‘This is my house’ shows he’s the dominant male that makes the money to provide for his family. The main character is shown at a high angle to make he appear less superior in comparison.  

The shot-reverse-shot is significant in the sense that it’s not a two-shot which would be considered appropriate due to them being with close proximity of each other. The fact that the camera switches back and forth may show that they don’t live in the same 'world' as each other and emphasises how opposite they are to one another by not putting them in the same frame. During this part of the clip we are able to clearly see the difference between the men; for example, our main character is a typical archetype of a delinquent with his inside-out-clothing, tattoos, and cigarettes so fits in well with the crime genre of this film. Although, despite myself getting this impression, the all-white outfit contradicts this as white has connotations of innocence and purity. As this man is an ex-criminal, he certainly isn't any of those things. However, it could be intended to hint that’s what he did was is in the past and he's subconsciously trying to better himself, or that he was never a fully bad person.  

The family then get in the car on the way to church. The central male is shown in a longshot and at a low angle, not to seem so impressive, but to accentuate the long stretch of distance between him and his child and love interest. The camerawork makes he appear higher up and not on the same ground as his loved ones. While this is playing, another non-diegetic voice-over of a priest in the following scene can be heard to highlight how he's not holy due to him being elsewhere while this is occurring.   

An establishing shot and long shot combination of the inside of the church opens the next scene, it's high-key lighting and bright white interior reflecting the angelic atmosphere. This setting and mise-en-scene also outline our main characters differences as everyone is on-time and dresses accordingly whereas he's late and in scruffy clothing. The long-shot emphasises how close he is in relation to his child- not close physically or emotionally.  

A close-up shot of the child being baptised is shown after he's silently sat at the back to show the child is significant to him, and also to show that the following emotions are all caused due to the fact that his biological son is being baptized by another man. The backlighting in the scene draws attention to the tears as it shines through them, causing them to sparkle and make me feel his heart-broken emotion. The close-up paired with depth-of-field emphasise his pain. Tilting camerawork chases his face to show his feelings can't be escaped, and the sunlight bathing half of his face could symbolise, like the contrast between tattoos and unkept clothing, that he's not a bad person at heart.  

The diegetic sound of the priest and guests chanting begins to sound distorted, which shows how his over-powering emotions are taking over. After, non-diegetic sounds of guitar strings being strummed aggressively represent the angry feelings swirling inside him as the noise sounds painful. This signifies the end of the scene.