Coen Brothers Blog

Quite possibly my favorite scene in No Country For Old Men is when Anton chases Llewelyn out of the hotel he's hiding in with his silenced, pistol-grip shotgun and the fight carries out into the street. I find this scene very interesting because there is only diegetic sound throughout the unfolding action which causes a unique feeling for the viewer. The scene takes place at night, so there is almost no noise other than that made by Anton and Llewelyn and the contrast of the quietness of the small town in the dead of night to the terrifyingly quiet gunshots produces an astounding effect. In most movies, when there is a scene in which action is unfolding there is usually some combination of the sound of characters shouting, overly excessive gunfire and music however the Coen brothers chose to leave this out in order to realisticly portray the scene. This is one of the many elements that puts No Country For Old Men in my top ten favorite movies.

Altman Blog

Altman is notoriously known for his unique style of cinematography in that the cameras are constantly moving around which gives the viewers of his films the feeling of voyeurism. In The Long Goodbye, Altman displays this signature cinematic element; particularily in the scene where Phillip goes to see Eileen and discovers, to his dismay, that she has vanished and that her house is being sold. The constantly moving camera shows the change that has overcome the house and depicts the bareness of it. Not only that, but the camera doesn't follow Phillip exactly in order to show the protagonists point-of-view and gives the audience a sort of visual unrestricted narration. This is not at all similar to any of the other directors we have studied and is a significant element in Altman's films, and although Rear Window uses voyuerism to heighten suspense it is not conveyed in the same way.