The setting of this shot creates a very father son relationship. if you just saw this shot you would think that the lighting of the cigarette is meaning less but because the way the rest of the movie is handled this turns out as a real corner stone. throughout this whole movie Walter Neff (left) has been lighting his boss, Keyes (right) cigars but now as the end of the movie draws near the roles are reversed signifying the final transition from business partners to farther son roles. The father son motif shows up throughout the movie and gives double indemnity a real twist. The fact that Neffs final surrender is in the presence of his father figure shows who the main characters of the movie really are. It is a tragedy story between Neff and Keyes. A father son disappointment story.
I liked the idea of Keyes as the father figure in this scene. He is shown as a caring person. One thing you could have mentioned is how Keyes is on top of Walter. Keyes is looking down in at Walter in a disappointment way. The other thing that shows their true relationship is when Keyes says that we are closer than just two colleagues. The other thing that shows that they were close is when Keyes vouches for Walter. This shows the true relationship between them.
ReplyDeleteGreat image choice, Will. I like how you picked up on the father/son motif.
ReplyDeleteHere are some suggestions: say more about the posture of the characters in this image. How does the father/son situation play out in terms of how the characters are portrayed regarding their posture?
Also, be sure to proofread more carefully. There are some simple errors you can correct.