“Alicia Huberman steals a key from Sebastian in Notorious by Alfred Hitchcock.”
1 Hour and 1 Minute
In order to thoroughly analyze the scene chosen, I will organize this essay very neatly and in two main parts. First, I will begin the assignment by breaking down the scene shot by shot. I will use what knowledge of film-making I have in order to describe each shot, which will incorporate my evaluation of each shot. I will then conclude this essay by evaluating the relevance of the scene to the film as a whole.
In the beginning of the scene we see Alicia walking towards the camera in a medium shot as she removes her earrings. The camera cuts to a doorway where we notice a shadow exiting, as if someone were leaving the room, then cuts quickly back to Alicia. In the next shot, we are focused back on the doorway where we see a desk, and chair, on the left of the frame and the same doorway from before. The door slightly opened outwards from the camera. The next shot immediately begins with either a handheld camera movement or a tracking shot (I am unable to decipher distinctively because the camera appears to be somewhat shaky). Regardless, the camera is moving in towards the desk while the shadow of Sebastian appears to leave the frame on the door panel for a second time, as if he had just exited the room. As the camera moves closer, it takes focus on a set of keys laid on the desk. They remain in focus for a moment as the audience gets a feel for their significance. The camera angle almost seems like a POV shot, yet Alicia remains a good distance from the desk but the audience can easily see that these are her eyes are focusing in on the keys so abruptly. Hitchcock succeeds in sucking his audience in with this shot because it makes us wonder what exactly is going to happen.
The next shot is from the desk and focuses on Alicia. At first, it is a wide shot, maybe a medium wide shot, but she begins to walk towards the camera, where the keys are located,...