Big Boss Screencap Analysis
In this wide shot we have two characters being filmed at chest level at a medium range. The setting of this shot is in a warehouse, we can see a winch attached to the wooden beams of the ceiling. The walls are also made of wood, but this area is open on the front, the direction from which we are facing. Man 1 on the left is wearing a button down tucked into his white pants, which are on the fancier side. He is doubled over in pain, as he is in the process of dying. Man 2 on the right is wearing a white button down that is spattered in blood, some his and some his enemies'. His right fist is outstretched and clenched, and his face is furrowed while he bares his teeth. His neck is also bulging with exertion.
This screen cap shows Bruce Lee He having just finished fighting the whole gang of the Big Boss's henchmen who were armed with weapons that Chao-an lethally used against them. It is during this scene that we can see that Chao-an is able to kill. The fight itself was occasionally comical, one henchman got punched comically through a wood wall leaving an unrealistic large outline. It is the first fighting scene in which men died. Bruce lee has just discovered the frozen dead bodies of his family and the prostitute who confided in him. He is extremely mad and willing to murder those in his way to the Big Boss, very obviously the next step on his path of vengeance. The scene is directly followed up by a close up shot of Bruce realizing his power while looking at his fists.
Very good explanation! You described Bruce lee very well according to the template of the first chapter, such as the man's dress and behavior of the man on the left of Bruce lee, Bruce lee's behavior and so on. You also elaborate on the background picture of this screencap. Good! In addition, the book also describes the editing of the lens. For example, in this picture, the lower body of the man is cut off. It would be better if this could be added before the chest level!
ReplyDeleteSecond, you have fully displayed Bruce lee's psychological activities and the background of the film. For example, this screencap shows Bruce lee's superb skills in martial arts, and explained why did Bruce lee kill these people? You also have a good description of Bruce lee's inner activities, such as anger. Overall very good!
Hey Chenyu,
DeleteThanks for the feedback, i will be sure to talk about lens design in my next analysis. I agree with your point about the cutoff of his torso, too.
Hi Isaac,
ReplyDeleteYou followed Sikov's screencap analysis example very well. The way you described the scenery in your analysis allows the reader to vividly imagine the setting of the scene. Also, I found your description of Man 2 to be particularly detailed and well written. One critique I have for your analysis is that you make some assumptions of the scene that are not fully evident in the screencap. For example, how can we be sure that Man 1 is in the process of dying? He is indeed doubled over in pain as shown by his body language, but we cannot tell from the screencap alone that he falls down dead after this scene.
As for your contextualization paragraph, it was interesting how you mentioned Cheng Chao-an's anger and desire for revenge after finding the dead bodies of his friends and the frozen body of the prostitute. By describing Cheng Chao-an's reason for revenge, it makes the contextualization of this scene more tangible and intense. However, I would have to disagree with your statement that this was the first scene in which men died. There were multiple scenes before this one where men died, such as the scene where the two men were killed after talking to the manager about seeing the drugs hidden in the ice, or the scene where Chien and Yu are killed at Hsiao Mi's house. It can be argued, however, that this was the first scene in which Cheng Chao-an killed men while fighting.
Overall I thought your analysis and contextualization of the screencap was very informative and well written.
-Gabby
Hey Gabby,
DeleteI will try to be more precise with the descriptions of actions of characters in my next analysis. That goes for your second comment as well, where i think i again was imprecise with my wording of the context.
Your Sikov style description is really good. You hit details I missed while looking at your chosen image. There are also a few details you missed that Sikov would have likely included. The man on the left is wearing a brown leather belt and his white pants have two distinct drops of blood on them. In regards to the blood on the man on the right, I do not know if Sikov would necessarily state that the blood belongs to both men, as one cannot actually see this. Likewise he would probably mention that the man on the right has dark black hair. Other than that, your description is very thorough.
ReplyDeleteYour contextual analysis is good as well. This scene in particular is the breaking point for Chao-an. After investigating the factory and discovery some corpses and opium in the ice, he knows that his path forward is to avenge the innocent lives. Well done.
Hi Damian,
DeleteThanks for responding, i appreciate the praise of my description. I agree that one cannot tell if the blood is from both men just from this clip. I will try to be a little more specific when talking about the mise en scene for my next analysis.