1
00:00:00,068 --> 00:00:03,099
Hi, my name is Tony and this is a quick
episode of Every Frame a Painting.

2
00:00:04,099 --> 00:00:06,177
<i>--Dr. Lecter my name is Clarice Starling
May I speak with you?</i>

3
00:00:07,077 --> 00:00:11,098
Today’s topic is winning the scene. In
drama, two characters walk into a room.

4
00:00:11,098 --> 00:00:14,103
Each wants something from the other.
<i>--May I see your credentials?</i>

5
00:00:15,003 --> 00:00:18,081
The question of the scene is:
who gets what they want?

6
00:00:18,081 --> 00:00:19,099
<i>--Closer.</i>

7
00:00:21,005 --> 00:00:23,064
First you’ll notice they both look right
into the lens, examining each other.

8
00:00:24,009 --> 00:00:27,042
Even though Lecters in jail this framing
shows him and Clarice as equals

9
00:00:27,042 --> 00:00:29,078
But, once he lands the first blow:

10
00:00:29,078 --> 00:00:33,084
<i>--That expires in one week.
You’re not real FBI, are you?</i>

11
00:00:33,084 --> 00:00:35,084
We move over-the-shoulder,
with each person

12
00:00:35,084 --> 00:00:37,156
building up a defense.
And who has the power here?

13
00:00:38,056 --> 00:00:40,070
<i>--Sit, please.
</i>He does.

14
00:00:40,007 --> 00:00:43,010
From here on out, we’re always looking
slightly down on her, slightly up on him

15
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,058
<i>--Now then, tell me,
what did Miggs say to you?</i>

16
00:00:47,058 --> 00:00:50,115
While he looks us right in the eye,
she looks off camera.

17
00:00:51,015 --> 00:00:54,744
Right now we're inside her head.
Jonathan Demme will reinforce this

18
00:00:54,879 --> 00:00:57,030
by having the camera look
where Clarice is looking

19
00:00:57,003 --> 00:01:00,030
only to bring us back to Lecter.
<i>--You know Florence?</i>

20
00:01:00,003 --> 00:01:03,078
Remember shes here to get him to look at
a survey. Every time she's too obvious

21
00:01:04,004 --> 00:01:07,034
<i>--I’m only asking you to look at this.
Either you will or you won’t.</i>

22
00:01:07,034 --> 00:01:10,049
We go back to this standoffish angle.
But Hannibal Lecter is curious

23
00:01:10,049 --> 00:01:14,124
about one thing…
<i>--You know why he’s called Buffalo Bill?</i>

24
00:01:15,024 --> 00:01:18,118
So we shift. Now she looks us
in the eye, he looks off.

25
00:01:19,018 --> 00:01:22,022
We’ve moved inside his point of view
because he’s genuinely interested.

26
00:01:22,022 --> 00:01:24,100
And the relationship is starting to thaw
You can actually tell

27
00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:26,051
the exact moment it happens.

28
00:01:26,051 --> 00:01:30,103
<i>--Most serial killers keep some trophy.
--I didn’t.</i>

29
00:01:31,003 --> 00:01:33,092
<i>--No, no you ate yours.</i>

30
00:01:35,003 --> 00:01:36,077
We think Clarice is winning.

31
00:01:37,004 --> 00:01:39,011
She’s gotten him to look at the survey,
and we get a close-up

32
00:01:39,011 --> 00:01:40,109
emphasizing its importance.

33
00:01:41,009 --> 00:01:43,027
But then Lecter decides
to turn the tables.

34
00:01:43,027 --> 00:01:46,063
<i>--You know what you look like to me with
your good bag and your cheap shoes</i>

35
00:01:46,063 --> 00:01:47,150
<i>you look like a rube.</i>

36
00:01:48,063 --> 00:01:50,130
This is the first time the camera
dollies during the entire scene,

37
00:01:51,003 --> 00:01:53,091
and it ends by framing Lecter normally,
while Clarice is short-sided off-balance

38
00:01:54,018 --> 00:01:56,100
Just when she thought she was winning…

39
00:01:58,025 --> 00:01:59,056
she lost.

40
00:01:59,056 --> 00:02:01,144
If you’re paying attention you’ll notice
that Lecter is no longer looking

41
00:02:02,044 --> 00:02:03,053
directly into the lens,
but ever so slightly off.

42
00:02:06,034 --> 00:02:07,042
Because they’re not seeing
eye to eye anymore.

43
00:02:08,014 --> 00:02:10,062
<i>--You fly back to school little Starling</i>

44
00:02:10,062 --> 00:02:13,148
He walks away from the camera, mirrored
in the next shot when she does the same.

45
00:02:14,048 --> 00:02:17,076
After Miggs does his thing,
we get the second camera move

46
00:02:17,076 --> 00:02:18,110
and the very first
two-shot in the entire scene.

47
00:02:20,005 --> 00:02:21,070
Finally, they’re together
in the same frame,

48
00:02:22,015 --> 00:02:23,059
the camera looking up,
and we understand that

49
00:02:23,059 --> 00:02:24,124
this is the beginning of a relationship.

50
00:02:25,024 --> 00:02:29,110
<i>--I don't think Miggs can manage again
so soon, even though he's crazy, GO NOW.</i>

51
00:02:31,001 --> 00:02:33,089
What makes the dynamic interesting is
Hannibal Lecter wins the scene

52
00:02:33,098 --> 00:02:36,173
and then gives up his win for his own
reasons. Clarice gets what she wanted

53
00:02:37,073 --> 00:02:40,164
but it feels like a humiliation. If you
enjoyed this little exercise, I highly

54
00:02:41,064 --> 00:02:43,110
recommend watching other interactions
between these two characters,

55
00:02:44,001 --> 00:02:46,039
each of which has a slightly different
answer to the question of

56
00:02:46,048 --> 00:02:47,085
“Who wins the scene?"

57
00:02:48,085 --> 00:02:50,106
My name is Tony and this was a quick
episode of Every Frame a Painting.