Assignment #7

For this assignment I choose a scene from the movie Natural Born Killers.

Natural Born Killers - Mickey & Mallory Knox

     This scene is the point in the movie where we as an audience realize that there is no going back. This scene is showing that by the binding of two evils. The movie follows an unusual timeline and there are many flashbacks and jumping around and at times can be hard to follow if you are not paying attention. But in this scene the theme I feel is said right out to you. They say time to grow up, the past is behind us. This is more didactic, they are telling you what they are trying to convey. However the rest of the scene is more active because of the way the storyline is set up. You are wondering what the road to hell is going to be, you are wanting to actively pay attention to what is going on because of the confusion that the movie puts you through.

     The theme of no going back and the as Mickey puts it, “The Road to Hell.” is shown in this scene through the use of line, shape, space, and movement. The scene uses space to show this. They choose to shoot it on a bridge over a huge valley. For one this reinforces the part when Mickey ask Mallory to marry him. He says this is our church. It makes it more believable because of the grandness that they are in, mountains, river, etc. The space also puts into perspective how two small beings compared to nature can cause so much havoc. It is the binding of an unstoppable evil. It is also kind of ironic how they are murderers and think that God is on their side. It goes along with their delusions throughout the movie. 

     The scene also uses line and movement to convey this theme of the road being over and a new evil being born. The camera angles are all very askew. They use the road behind each Mallory and Mickey to go along with the theme of this is the end. They also mix movement of the camera into the feelings throughout the scene. When Mickey cuts Mallory’s hand the camera jerks around like it is flinching, mimicking her movements. This is showing tension and release. Movement of the camera is also used in the scene with the panning of them at the lookout point from top to bottom. This is in a way foreshadowing the downward spiral they will have to dive into head first.