Mien En Scene

For my analysis of a specific movie scene I have chosen the film Goodfellas.
At the beginning of the film there is a very iconic scene centered on the three main characters. Henry, Tommy and Jimmy. Henry is driving the car with Jimmy in the front seat and Tommy at the back. The shot stays at the same angle and covers all three characters in the car. They hear a thumping sound and they start having a conversation about what it is. When they exit the car to check on it they all gather at the back and stare at the trunk. Again they are all in shot. The scene continues and they hear moaning coming from within. Jimmy motions to open the car boot and inside they see a man half dead jerking and groaning in his own blood. Tommy, who had pulled out a big knife, stabs him, and that is followed by Jimmy shooting him. The camera then pans to Henry who closes the boot and looks up past the camera. This ends with a freeze frame and a voice over by Henry.

What makes this scene historic can be broke down in to several different segments.

Camera positioning and movement of the camera have been used to great effect. The director framed all the important pieces into a single shot, this being all three lead characters as well as the boot of the car where the thumping is occurring. Doing this gives us all three different responses to the situation and also how each character converse with facial expressions and gestures, thus letting us monitor their reactions. Using slight panning movements we get to capture the most important features of the scene to fulfill the greater purpose. Keeping the back of the car in frame enables us to register what they are focusing on. Leaving this out of the shot would confuse the audience as to what is happening so it is important to keep it in.

This aside what I find more intriguing is the lighting used in this scene.
Because it is set outside on a dark night in a secluded area there are not many lights, so the director looked at different ways he could shoot the scene.
Considering the only light sources the director chose to use the cars natural lighting to set up the scene. But giving the violent nature of the scene he took advantage of the cars red stop lights to light up the cast members. Having the rest of the backdrops black to enhance the night time theme really gave the shot a dark, horror like quality, which really gave the scene its membarable moment.

I think this is really effective because it enables us to consider every source available.
It withholds the artistic integrity of the director and provides an outstanding unique look.
Any film maker can make good use of these techniques to influence their work and help them sustain their creative ingenuity.