The audio used throughout the sequence - being an elegant rendition of “Danny Boy” -is not parallel to the actions taking place on screen, thus heightening the violence and creating a greater sense of spectacle. The contrapuntal soundtrack, which begins as diegetic sound, shifts to non diegetic during the later part of the sequence. This shift occurs at around the same point that Leo gains the upper hand in the sequence, the change of the audio indicating the tables have turned, giving the audience added hope for his survival.
As one of the gangsters allows his accomplice into the house, low key lighting makes the shot very dark, with shadows cast across each of the characters, creating a sinister and mysterious atmosphere: the audience are likely to be fearful of these characters at this point because restricted spectator positioning and closed framing encourage us to read these figures ad skilled covert assassins. In contrast, the lighting of Leos’ room is much brighter. By contrasting light with dark the Coen Brothers draw attention to how different the protagonist and antagonists are, as well as using the connotations of light being good and darkness evil to create a stark binary opposition, allowing the audience to make quick and accurate judgements about the characters in a short space of time.
The mise-en-scene of Leo’s bedroom features colours such as purple and gold which have connotations of royalty, power and overindulgence, along with props such as the large bed and chandelier, which represent Leo’s persona effectively, as Leo is at the top of a gangster hierarchy and these signifiers effectively encode this. Other elements of the mise-en-scene, such as Leo being costumed in pyjamas and lying in bed show that he is at ease, unaware of what is happening. As the audience has an omniscient view point they have to question whether this relaxed, comfortable Leo will realise the danger he faces, creating suspense. This leads to both pleasure and pain for the viewer, as on one hand it is pleasurable to be knowledgeable of all that is happening, and on the other this omniscience causes the audience to fear for his safety. The knowledge that he is a regal character coupled with his relaxed mood draws into question his heroic ‘capability’, making his ability to take care of the gangsters in his home later in the sequence all the more shocking and thrilling.
In terms of cinematography, tracking shots are used for the antagonists’ movements, keeping the audience enthralled within the action, and the speed at which the camera moves creates a sense of urgency, exciting the audience. The shots of the antagonists are fragmented and abstract, and by only revealing their feet and the tips of their guns throughout the tracking shots, it creates a threatening, mysterious mood due to their enigmatic portrayal. The mise-en-scene of the shot features a stark contrast in colour, with the antagonists clothed in black, which has connotations of evil, against a white backdrop of the stairs. This causes the antagonists to stand out, and creates the sense that they are alien to the house, and should not be there, the audience resenting them for this. They appear to be well organised as there is symmetry in their movements; they are dressed alike, bearing the same weapons in the same manner and move at exactly the same pace. This makes them seem like a deadly combination, and allows the Coen’s to indicate that the protagonist is up against lethal opponents. On a more basic level the two shots and wide shots featuring both antagonists leave the audience realising there is little hope of Leo’s survival due to him being outnumbered and outgunned.
In contrast to the constantly moving tracking shots of the antagonists, static shots are used for Leo that, along with his appearance, reflects his false sense of security. Also, each time the action cuts back to Leo the shot type is closer to him; the first being a long shot, the second a medium shot and the third being a medium close up. As the camera moves closer and closer to his face, a greater sense of empathy is established as the audience can see his face more clearly, allowing us to read his facial expressions and understand the change of his state of mind, from confusion to understanding, suggesting he has realised the threat after all.
The build of suspense the Coen brothers generate is also added to by the parallel editing. Cross-cutting is used throughout the entirety of this part of the sequence. By cutting back and forth between the approaching gangsters and the unsuspecting Leo - and so granting the audience omniscience as they can see the actions of both the pursuers and the pursued - tension is again built by making it unclear if the protagonist will realise what is happening, evoking feelings of fear and anticipation for the audience. When Leo recognises the danger he faces the editing used allows the audience to follow his trail of thought; by cutting from a close up of his gun back to Leo, to a shot of the door, we can understand he has become aware of the situation, and again allows us to empathise with him due to a shared understanding of the dangerous situation.
Upon the gangsters entering Leo’s room, the camera zooms in towards them, indicating the situation has become more intense, the audience responding to this with excitement. Their weapons also occupy the centre of the frame with their faces out of shot for the most part, which suggests that who the gunmen are is not of importance, but rather that they are simply out to kill Leo, the enigmatic portrayal of the antagonists creating a fear of the unknown and a total inability or lack of opportunity to identify with them.
From this point, the editing rhythm changes, with shot duration decreasing and straight cuts becoming more frequent compared to the long shot length at the beginning of the sequence which signified calm. This editing rhythm now reflects that of an excited heart beat, by doing this the Coen brothers draw the audience into the intensity of the sequence, exciting the viewer and in a way allowing us to empathise with Leo who would also have an increased heart rate at this point of the sequence.
As Leo lies beneath the bed further empathy is created as the camera drops to the floor so that the audience is on the same level as Leo, along with a point of view shot from beneath the bed which puts us “in his shoes”, creating a further sense of understanding between the audience and the protagonists perilous situation.
The shot types of the antagonists change frequently with medium shots and close ups used, the variation making it an interesting and engaging combination of shots, but it also a serves functional purpose, with close up shots for bullet wounds clearly showing the audience how the action is unfolding. The way Leo kills the antagonist leaves the audience conflicted; while it is pleasing to see the protagonist survive, the cold blooded way in which he kills a man who is already subdued raises questions about his morals. That what is basically an action sequence plays out in such a complicated way adds a greater depth to it, and maintains the interest of the audience.
When Leo jumps out the window, a static, very long shot is used to simultaneously show Leos’ movements and the scale of the devastation with the mise-en-scene of his burning house, flames having connotations of destruction and excitement which creates a great sense of spectacle.
Once outside, low angle shots are used to capture Leo as he looks up at his burning house, creating the sense that he is a grand, powerful character as the audience are looking up to, a notion heightened by the contrast to the images of him hiding beneath his bed. A crane shot is then used as he opens fire on the gangster, the swooping camera creating a similar feeling of excitement due to the power displayed by the protagonist reflected in the controlled, choreographed cinematography.
The duration of the shots on the bullet ridden gangster are significantly long. The relatively slow editing rhythm allows the audience to observe the gory images of the blood spattered, jerking man, which satisfies the audiences’ desire to see the antagonist suffer for his murderous actions, pleasing the viewer. Other elements of this part, such as the antagonists’ gun fire blasting a light fitting and his own feet due to his jerking around contribute to making it a very violent moment of the confrontation.
Leo is again attacked, this time by a car full of gunmen, coming out victorious as their car explodes. His completely calm, unfazed expression, the slow movements of the camera and – when revealed again in a long shot, revealing the protagonists grand appearance from head to toe – the mise-en-scene of an old man wearing pyjamas and firing a gun serve as a good juxtaposition to the carnage going on, thrilling the audience through the strangeness of it all. To signify his importance, Leo also occupies the centre of the frame. Much like the death of the previous gangster, the explosion of the car serves as a fitting end to the sequence, as the audience expects the antagonists to suffer for their actions, and so provides pleasure for the audience, gratifying their expectation of a dramatic and satisfying climax.
I feel the described micro-elements of the “Danny boy” sequence successfully creates a sense of tension and spectacle, with the antagonists actions creating an exciting and fulfilling disequilibrium for the audience to observe, followed by the new equilibrium at the end of the sequence which allows the films narrative to progress in an interesting way.
