“The world is full of complainers.
But the fact is, nothing comeswith a guarantee. I don’t care if you are the Pope of Rome, President ofthe United State, or Man of the Year, something can go wrong,” according toVesser, the detective in Blood Simple (1984) which shows what can happenwhen a plan goes awry. Marty, a small bar owner in Texas, suspects hiswife, Abby’s infidelity with one of his bartenders, Ray, and hires Vesserto kill them. The cinematography illustrates how circumstances drive humanbeings, rather than their free will.
By using mixture of lighting, cameraangels, and sound, the Coen brother portraits how does Abby’s affair leadto complicated and bloody murders. This is particularly evident in thescene where Marty offers to pay $10,000 to kill Abby and Ray. Meeting Vesser on top of the hill, Marty plans to propose themurdering plan. Throughout this scene, the bright sunlight functions ashard, side lighting. In shot 1, by using these lighting, Marty has beenportrait as unattractive and drawn.
The medium close up shot and sidelight shows his split personality and complicated emotions: he wants tokill Abby, whom he still in love with , because jealous predominates hismind. During this shot, some kids near by is playing delightful musicwhich contracts Marty’s weighty emotions. In shot 2, everything is adiverge of Marty’s unpleasant mood: the spacious location, Marty’s brightyellow suit and the lively background music. All of these make him moreirritated. In addition, having both Marty and Vesser on the same framefurther distinguishes Marty from this superficially lively environment. Underneath the surface, Marty who is planning a murder is scared as welldeep inside of him; he is also in a less powerful position even through heimitated the appointment.
This is proved by both using the long shotfilms Marty, back facing viewers, walks toward Vesser and putting Vesser insharp focus. The setting switches from open environment to inside the car at shot 3imply something that is more secretive will happen. The telephoto lens putboth Marty and Vesser in the same visual frame, and side lighting presentshalf of Marty in the shadow. This further indicate Marty is in acontradictory situation that he does not want to seek help from thisdetective or commit any crime deep down, but the humiliation and jealousdrives him insane. Vesser triggers Marty’s termination for crime in orderto get himself some business, wearing the saturated color suit mocks hisimmorality. Finally at shot 4, Marty who is very vulnerable deeply,proposed his plan.
The sound of the kids’ car is heard screeching away,leaving silence to match the intensity of their discussion. Eye level shotcombines hard side lighting conveys that Marty is hurt and scared himself. In addition, he has not eye contact with Marty and speaks in a moronicexpress seems like he is telling someone’s story. This indicates thatMarty try to convince himself that he is not the cause of the upcomingtragedy. Finally, by using rack focus at shot 5, Marty is in sharp focus in thebackground and Vesser is in soft focus in the foreground.
This expresses ashift in these two men’s position. Marty feels from unsecured and guiltyat the beginning to determinant for the murder to happen, while Vesser hasbecame quiet, passive and even nervous which further proved from his sweat. The decadence of these two people merges out of surface; however they areleading each other to this end. If not Vesser’s scorn, Marty might changehis mind, and Vesser won’t agree to kill two human being without themonetary offer.
By presents the depravity of Vesser and Marty throughout the scent,the Coed brothers in Blood Simple implies the violence is taking actions. Marty and Vesser’s inability to control their action with morality finallylead to their death. |Shot |Shot Description|Analysis of Mise-En-Scene,|||| ||#1|Marty saw Vesser|Hard light and close up shot on Marty’s|||(audience haven’t)|face, then eye level shot and saw Vesser. |||| ||#2|Marty walking toward |Long shot used and both of them are in one |||Vesser who leans again|frame. Hard light on Marty|||a car while talking to|Dolly is used. Vesser is in saturated|||a girl|color (bright yellow suit) Marty in ||||desaturated color (lack energy)||#3|After they get into|Both of them in the same frame.
Hard,|||the car. Vesser scorns|side, light, Marty in the shadow. Close up|||about Marty’s broken |shot|||finger and cheating|Contracting the amount the talk between|||wife. Marty looks|Marty and Vesser. Burry background, for|||very serious and|example the trees and mountains.
|||moody, but Vesser is |They have intimate distance|||enthusiasm and can| |||not stop talking| |||| |||| ||#4|Marty starts talking |Vesser and Marty on different frame. Hard,|||to offer Vesser the|side light, close-up. Half of the face in |||job. He not looking |the dark.
|||directly at Vesser’s | |||eye, but out to window| |||of Vesser’s side. | |||| ||#5| Marty left the car|Medium close up shot, hard light|||and came back. Half |Both of them in the frame. Marty in |||of his body is inside |focused, but Vesser in the front is blurry.
|||and half out. Tell| |||Vesser, his|Very quiet only Marty is talking.|||determination of the | |||murder.| |
