How do mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound work to create meaning and generate audience response in a short sequence from The Big Combo?

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How do mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound work to create meaning and generate audience response in a short sequence from The Big Combo?

The Big Combo’s ending is cathartic; Susan finally frees herself from the evil Brown’s gaze and subsequently frees herself from the guilt she has by being with him, while Brown, who is responsible for the deaths of Rita, McClure, Dreyer, Fante and Mingo and lived by the ruthless motto; ‘First is first and second is nobody’, is ironically reduced to a nobody.  As we see Brown pacing up and down inside the aeroplane hanger, a clear signal that he is becoming impatient and losing his cool to signify to the audience the gradual loss of power in the relationship between he and Diamond as knows Diamond will get him, wondering ‘where that stupid pilot is’, Susan cooly lights a cigarette.  This is her turn to be portrayed as having becoming dominant in her relationship with Brown.  The audience sees, by a series a actions by Susan and Brown, that Brown’s power is fading.  Brown knocks the lighter away from her with his left hand and slaps her round the face with his right.  He tries to regain his dominance over Susan by this action but Susan, undeterred in her determination to beat Brown says, ‘I want to be seen’.  Brown ups the ante, ‘don’t try that again’ he says in a threatening manner, and wins Susan’s obedience back through fear for the moment.  

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Moments later a police car pulls up on the scene fast, Diamond driving, his speed and wreckless driving showing the degree of his frustration with Brown and his desperation to catch him.  Brown looks into the thick mass of dark fog, possibly represrenting all that he can see ahead of him metaphorically in his life, nothing but darkness as he knows there is no way out, and retreats, his attempt to escape what he can envisage happening to him after looking into the fog, sliding into a tall corrugated tin wall.  The wall signifying Brown’s feeling of being totally ...

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