DOWN THE STEPS: An "Untouchable" Russian Montage Sequence that Revolutionized Film (YEAR 2)
In order to fully appreciate Brian De Palma's American crime drama, The Untouchables, every serious student of film must breakdown the very bloody, very pivotal "Union Station" scene shot by shot, noting every shot size, length, lens, and camera movement to explore how POV adds both depth and tension to an already by definition "intense" scene...
Something that deserves our attention and analysis here is "time." We see several "time" motifs here. The setting: train stations are all about keeping time; there is a clock on the wall and a child in a carriage (children as well as the elderly, often represent "time" or lack thereof in films). Furthermore, since time is playing such a huge role in this scene, it's a pretty safe bet that special attention was paid to the pacing of it, too. The editing, in other words, had to be very intentional to pace this scene in such a way as to capture the pressure and tension of Elliot Ness's waiting (pay special attention to the duration of each shot!)
Many times, when you are trying to analyze a movie, it's easy to get distracted and become completely engrossed in a story if you don't have a structure to your study...and, in this case, if you are dealing with a master storyteller director like De Palma. Going shot by shot through a scene, writing down everything from the shot size to the camera movement will help you understand films on a structural level.
In respect to the meaning and purpose of something being edited this way, it was Eisenstein's belief that two images juxtaposed together would create a mental image greater than the individual parts. By extension, this means that eighty shots put together will call for a uniquely strong response within the audience. This is the heart of Eisenstein's use of montage. To him, film is a language that communicates emotion, and having proper editing is the equivalent of having proper grammar!
1. Shot duration
2. Shot size (WS, MS, CU, etc)
3. Camera Angle (low, high, eye-line, Dutch, etc.)
4. Camera movement (pan, dolly, tracking, handheld, crane, fixed)
5. Camera lens (telephoto, wide-angle, anamorphic)
6. Action Description- What key things are happening in your chosen shot?
Looking forward to reading your breakdowns!
Brian De Palma's inclusion of the "Union Station" scene within The Untouchables is pivotal to the story as a whole; however, after breaking down the scene shot by shot, there is one shot that represents the scene and what is to be taken from it. Overall, an important note is that the entire sequence is an example of rhythmic montage as each shot matches the chronological order of action and is intertwined with the score in the background, creating the “methodical impression” of the sequence. This shot can be compared to a piece of a puzzle: without it, the scene would be incomplete.
ReplyDeleteThe specific shot that has been chosen is that in which a mother’s child rolls down the steps in a baby carriage amidst a gunfight. In this shot, Eliot Ness has just become engaged in a gun war inside the train station after helping a woman pull her child up the stairs in a baby carriage. However, when he let go and engaged in the fight, it began rolling down the stairs amidst the action. Ness, at this moment, had to decide to help the woman and her child while attempting to end the Chicago corruption and not get shot. This is an allusion to the "Odessa Steps" scene from Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin. By using this allusion, as well as the angles that were chosen by the director, the audience can fully experience the strain between innocence and oppression as it appears as if the man is shooting at the child. It was shot with a wide-angle lens to capture the action in the foreground, middle ground, and background. In the foreground, the audience can clearly see the baby carriage as it rolls down the steps. In the middle ground, a group of men lying dead in the center of the staircase can be observed. In the background at a distance, a man can be seen holding a gun in the direction of Ness as he looks around in urgency.
This was filmed as a wide shot at a high angle as it sits at the top of the staircase. The shot is representative of Eliot Ness’ point of view as he stands at the top observing the action surrounding him. The shot lasts for only a second cinematically, however, the shot conveys a sense of urgency in that short amount of time. Ness is in an urgent position as he is fighting to stay alive and for the justice of Chicago and the iron fist Al Capone has on it. In addition, the child is in an urgent position as they tumble down the stairs with no certainty from the mother or Ness that they will make it safely or successfully. There is an evident motif surrounding time in the entire station montage, and this is reflected as the child also represents time and the lack of it, furthermore exaggerating the pressure and tension of Elliot Ness's waiting. The way in which the camera is in a fixed position and is not moving allows the audience to secure their focus on the carriage as it rolls down the stairs and feel the urgency and intensity felt by the characters. The emotions are portrayed not only by the action itself and how it was captured but in the way it was situated on screen. Each of these decisions made by Palma is what allows the audience to make sense of the world and the things in it.
Link to document including the chosen shot: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lpvcZYn7_E9vSkWMTK8NqGoC-E9wSK0EW2B_cY6U9U4/edit?usp=sharing
The Untouchables scene at the end of the film is a prime example of directing and cinematography un union together. The scene I have chosen is at the top of the stairs before the fighting starts. Eliot Ness starts at the top of the stairs after helping the mother bring her baby to the top of the stairs. The shot is filmed in a medium shot, from a low angle. The camera is near the stair railing, showing the two men (one of the men is the bookkeeper) in a pan shot. The camera movement pans from the men coming through the door and then going down the stairs, which follows the eye movements from left to right. The cinematographer uses a wide angle shot to make the audience feel as if they are actually watching the shot unfold. The main action component of the scene is Eliot watching the two men enter through the doors into the train station. Additionally, there is also the component of the baby crying which heightens the suspense of the scene. The cutting of the scene and the panning of the scene contributes to the suspense of the scene.
ReplyDeleteThe Untouchables, an infamous Brian de Palma film, utilizes purposeful shots and sequences to add a deeper meaning to the film. Being classified as a crime film, The Untouchables rarely has a calm moment, with constant crimes and bloodshed to further or prevent these crimes. A specific shot from the film that is worth analyzing is from the Union Station sequence where tension rises and violence is constant. This is the most significant sequence in the film as the total nine minutes establish the showdown between the so-called heroes and villains of the film. This sequence alludes to Battleship Potemkin, a 1925 silent drama, that includes a similar staircase sequence found in The Untouchables. Palma was inspired by this Roaring Twenties film, with the ingenuity of the shootout and the tension built with the endangered child, and decided to add some of his techniques to refer to the film.
ReplyDeleteIn this two-second shot, there are many things taking place at once. The main protagonist, Eliot Ness, is seen aiming his gun at something off-screen while also chasing after a baby carriage. There is also a man in a sailor suit to the bottom left of the sequence, dodging Eliot’s bullets. In addition, the bottom of the shot shows people ducking from the shots, as several bodies are stacked on one another. Ness finds himself in a complicated situation, as he attempts to protect the child while fighting off Capone's men.
Concerning the type of camera techniques used in the sequence, a wide shot is used to capture everything taking place in the shot, and tell the story in a short sequence, displaying the subject and the environment around them. The chosen camera angle of Palma was narrowly lower than an eye-level shot and nearing a low angle. The cameraman is standing on stairs, so there is a slight angle to the shot, yet not a dutch. With the low angle, most of the side subjects are cut off from the shot, where most of the focus is on Ness, exposing his vulnerability to the dangers around him. Throughout this two-second sequence, the shot remains fixed and does not follow any of the subjects as they go off-screen. Since none of the subjects are being followed, the suspense builds as some of the action is shown on-screen, but most are off-screen or obscured. The final camera technique to take into consideration is the camera lens. Based on the quick sequence, it can be inferred that the camera uses a wide lens to once again capture the wide shot and include all aspects of the sequence to help the viewer understand what is taking place. The camera can be placed close to the subjects to create tension and a realistic viewpoint, yet zoom out where the action on the side is shown. All of Palma’s camera techniques are intentional as they enhance the mood of the film and invoke an emotional response in their audience
Link to chosen shot: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C0CV5BZr97rPJDYSFK6P7nWuBYj1OlGaXPKFEy09i3g/edit?usp=sharing
DeleteThe Union Station sequence in the film The Untouchables, directed by Brian De Palma, plays out a pivotal point in the movie, where Eliot Ness and George Stone arrive at the Union Station as they get closer to gathering the evidence needed to put a crime boss in prison. The shot I’ve chosen focuses on George Stone, who separates from Eliot Ness once they arrive down the stairs, at the point where the gun fight is in its heat with Ness shooting out and Stone assisting from above. The shot I’ve chosen only lasts for about 3 seconds, but it brings George’s presence back into the scene as the slow motion montage is taking place. The shot was filmed as a medium shot at a low angle, showcasing the power George Stone holds now in the heat of the gun battle. This shot is fixed as he is known for his sharp gun skills over the unsuspecting victim, so there is no hesitation or inaccuracy from his shot above, as it zooms into him with a zoom lens, framed by the pillars. This shot seems to have an allusion to a similar shot in The Battleship Potemkin, where a line of soldiers are shooting at civilians on the stairs are as Stone is to Capone’s men, although the shot didn’t make use of the zoom lens as it wasn’t popular for usage in film until after the film was released. All in all, the shot showcased in the document below helps set the presence of George Stone again in the heat of the montage and gun fight and represents his characteristics and role in The Untouchables.
ReplyDeleteLink with the image of the shot used: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dPI3ZpsLiX0SfpfWFWXIUfkyl2GPgPpK9Kmb8yjGv7w/edit?usp=sharing
For my scene I chose the very first part of the Union Station scene, when they’re entering the station. This shot lasts 7 seconds, and serves largely as exposition for the scene. This shot is a wide shot, serving to show the location and how the characters have gotten there. The camera is roughly in line with the eyes of the subjects, keeping this mutual feeling and making the scene feel more alive. The camera is completely still, it does not move. I believe that the lens used here was a wide angle. There is a large amount of detail in every part of the scene, and a large depth of field. The camera is far away from the subjects and is being used to capture the area around them as opposed to them themselves. Not really much is happening in this shot beyond two characters moving into the Union Station, but I really liked this one. I liked this one in particular because of its neat composition. There’s very clear lines, in the forms of the lights and the pillars. The overall light level of the scene is low, so the lights really jump out at the viewer. The second brightest things in the shot are the windows. By way of this decision, the viewer will first look at the line of lights which leads them to the subjects and where they are moving or where they have come from. The lit windows, then, are used to show where the subjects are heading and attract focus to the station.
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1goP8WkvQyx46C6aWXexlerU980QUqLM8LEdj3UlTHuk/edit?usp=sharing
Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables makes fine use of montage as well as intentional camera movement to build suspense and discomfort for the viewer which comes to a head in the Union Station scene. The shot I decided to focus on was only 4 seconds long but perfectly captures the buildup of tension in the scene. The shot is a close up telephoto which was captured from eye level, capturing Ness’ head. The framing is close to focusing the viewer’s attention on Ness as he is watching the scene unfold and begins to pick up on the tense air of the train station. The camera movement appears to be shaky as it follows Ness and slightly zooms in to capture the growing concern in Ness’ face. The shakiness of the camera creates discomfort for the viewer and contributes to the increase in tension that leads up to the shoot off. The scene makes use of montage as the individual shots are short and shaky which further contributes to the increase in tension
ReplyDelete