Research: The third man

By the facial expressions in this screenshot, we can see who is the more powerful character and who is in control of the situation. The man on the right of the image is seen as superior due to the way he is holding the other man’s coat and looking directly into his eyes. The man to the left looks to be intimidated, this idea about superiority is also backed up by the way they are standing, the man to the right is leaning forward into the man on the left who leaning away. Lighting is also used in this scene to convey a sense of power. The face of the man to the right is fully shown in bright light for everyone to see, whilst the man to the left has shadows across his face, which further connotes the sense of his inferiority to the man standing above him.

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By the way he is standing; (with arms out wide), we can see the actual size of the tunnel, which creates the feeling that he is trapped and the sense of claustrophobia, this could suggest that he is panicking, which is further backed up by the fact that he is standing dead still. Also, due to the chiaroscuro lighting we see a bright light at the end of the tunnel which is of huge contrast to the dark black tones in the foreground. This lighting conveys a sense of his panic similar to a ‘deer in the headlights.’ The bright light at the end of the tunnel (a symbol for hope) juxtaposes the darkness that surrounds and engulfs him. This paints a picture of just how bad his situation is, due to the direct contrast between light and dark (where he wants to be, and where he is.) This further reflects the reasons for his panic and desperation to escape.

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 The way his hands are stretched out into the outside world, really captures his desperation and hunger to escape. Use of light creates a direct contrast between underground and the outside world. The light shining on his fingertips shows how close he is to escaping, but his body still remains in the dark. Because of the connotations of light and dark, the audience understands his aim which is to escape, because the outside world is light and the below the grate is shadowed in darkness. The light in the street heavily juxtaposes the the tunnel and it’s darkness which, along with the desperation shown through his hands, emphasizes the severity of his situation and just why he is so desperate to escape. The camera angle used gives the audience a first hand experience of the man and his situation. We see the street at a very low angle, looking up to the world, this way the audience can empathise and are more able to see the helplessness and powerlessness that he feels.