The Obvious and the Code

This article walks us through a scene in The Big Sleep, and it is interesting to see how much really went into this scene, although a viewer would assume that the scene is unified and put together. In reality, there are many shots that went in to creating this scene (it seems like three shots, but in reality it is twelve). This gesture made me think of our class discussion about realism, and how the scenes from Birdman and Children of Men are examples of long shots that force the audience to be engaged and observe all of the details in the film, although in reality they aren't long shots at all, but the filmmakers are able to use tricks to make it appear so. Although it's not digital, a much earlier example is seen in this sequence in The Big Sleep. It also includes an important "simple mirror effect linked to the avowal of love", something else to note about this scene when both Vivian and Marlowe say "I guess I am in love with you". The scene uses repetition throughout, which makes the viewer realize which elements are really important. It's cool to see that these techniques are definitely still popular in today's film world.