We watched the last 10 minutes of the movie and made some considerations about some of the choices made by the director (lighting, character placement, setting (use of background, water, etc.). Discussions with classmates took place and notes were taken when we heard information that extended upon our own thoughts or shed new light on the features being discussed.
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| Scene 1 |
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| Scene 2 |
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| Scene 3 |
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| Scene 4 |
Homework:
Answer one of the following questions in 300 words or more pertaining to the images on this blog above. (Please forgive the rudimentary method of me taking a screenshot with my phone. Apparently iTunes does not allow for screen shots of purchased movies.)
Choose one scene and based on your in-class notes, post your answer in the comments below. You do not need to bring a hard copy of your response to class.
1. How might the director's use of light lend to creating a mood?
2. How did the director portray Lennie as a tragic figure through his use of lighting, how he positioned the actors in the scene or his creation of the setting?
3. How did the director portray George as a tragic figure through his use of lighting, how he positioned the actors in the scene or his creation of the setting?
4. What features of the scene draw the reader into the intense intimacy of the moment shared between George and Lennie?
In Scene 1, the director portrays Lennie as a tragic figure though his use of the position of the characters. Lennie is clinging onto George’s waist half way in the water, as George is merely holding onto Lennie refusing to look into his eyes. The position of Lennie in the water could be symbolizing something more than just a description that was in the passage. Water is often correlated with drowning and vulnerability. This could relate to how Lennie is suffocating, of course not literally, and is extremely vulnerable to George. Therefore, he is grasping onto his waist. The character Lennie is physically much larger than George. Ironically, Lennie is the one grasping onto George, whose figure is much smaller. Also, considering how George refuses to look at Lennie’s eyes, this could be foreshadowing the tragic event that follows for Lennie. Instead of looking at Lennie reassuringly, George is looking off into the distance and may be thinking about the future and for what is going to happen with his friend Lennie. Another way the position of the characters could portray Lennie as a tragic figure is through how this scene is shot. The camera shot of the position of the characters is one third of the frame on the two characters, and the rest of the two thirds of the frame on the background and of the environment they are in. This creates an isolated feel in the scene and makes the audience unintentionally focus on the two characters. Moreover, due to the lighting the director chose, the focus then goes unintentionally to Lennie because he is, once again, such a large man hanging onto George who is much smaller, half way in the water. The audience can then infer from the implied focus on Lennie that something tragic is bound to happen to him in the near future.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great comment, Irissa! I like how you mentioned the position the symbolization of Lennie and George in the water. I agree with your points, but I also believe that the position also represents a son-father relationship. Overall, great job!
DeleteThis is a very good comment, and I agree with your points on George and Lennie's positions, and what they represent. I especially am interested in the fact that you mentioned the way the scene was shot, with how much of the screen was actor. However, there is another interpretation of water that I think you could have put in.
DeleteWater weighs things, especially cloth, down, so the fact that Lennie is immersed in water could represent how much of a weight there is on Lennie's mind from his murder, represented by his being weighed down by water.
Great analysis Iris c:
DeleteThe idea that George refuses to make eye contact with Lennie and the idea of Lennie's desperation and need to be comforted is interesting. You make very strong points of camera angles and character positioning. However, you didn't focus so much on some other aspects of the environment; for example, the water ripples to reference how something tranquil will soon be disturbed, and also foreshadows Lennie's death.
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ReplyDeleteI'll be using Scene 3.
ReplyDelete1. How might the director's use of light lend to creating a mood?
The director’s use of light lend to creating a mood in this scene through the shadows that each character creates. George also seems like a dark silhouette, covered by the shadows. His back is covered by light, but his front side is completely dark. Lennie’s back is light as well, while he lays on the ground, dead. The trees aso put down their shadows, and paint the scene with a powerful shadow in the river. The light on the characters makes it so that you can see that light is centered on George and Lennie. Both George and Lennie are dark on their front side, showing their plight and predicament that they have been exposed to.
2. How did the director portray Lennie as a tragic figure through his use of lighting, how he positioned the actors in the scene or his creation of the setting?
The director uses Lennie’s position and lighting to show that Lennie is a tragic figure in this scene. Lennie, in this scene, is kneeling on the ground, dead. He looks like he’s almost shivering in fear, despite dying straight after George shot him in the end. His front side of his body is completely covered in darkness, covered in the shadows. His backside is surrounded by light as well. The tragic-ness of Lennie can be shown by the fact that by the end, he clutches George. He never knew what he did wrong, and only depended on George to protect him by the end. Sadly, not even George could protect him from Curley’s wrath and vengeance, sending him to the afterlife.
3. How did the director portray George as a tragic figure through his use of lighting, how he positioned the actors in the scene or his creation of the setting?
George’s position and lighting in this scene is what establishes him as a tragic character. He is kneeling down, observing with apparent mourning of how Lennie died. George’s backside is light, while his face and body is covered in darkness. His arm is resting on Lennie’s dead body. His decision has caused him obvious pain and grief, and he’s clutching on the only thing next to him – Lennie’s body. The lighting makes it so that George’s body represents one that has done something that is unspeakable. However, light is still on his back, showing that what George has done is not a sin, but rather an act of mercy for his best friend. That is what makes this scene tragic, the fact that George hasn’t really done anything wrong.
4. What features of the scene draw the reader into the intense intimacy of the moment shared between George and Lennie?
There may not be a specific intense intamicy of the moment that is shared for scene 3, considering that Lennie is dead. However, the moment is definitely there. First off, the trees and river are very tranquil, as if nothing had ever happened. The world moves on, despite the amount of drama and suffering that surrounds these two characters, all because of a misunderstanding. However, George and Lennie continue to stay next to each other. George grips unto Lennie, obviously broken by the death of his partner. The part that intensifies this intimacy is that George and Lennie are surrounded by peacefulness. George and Lennie are unaffected by their environment, but they are affected by the situation that they have faced. George is left on his own to fight off this world.
In scene one, the director portrays Lennie as a tragic figure through his use of lighting, position on the actors, and the creation of the setting. The first scene represents a lot of emotions as both George and Lennie are hugging each other passionately. Firstly, the lighting is influenced on Lennie more than it is influenced on George. This shows that Lennie is slowly reaching his death, and will soon join Aunt Clara in heaven. In addition, both men are submerged into the water, as water tends to bring the image of cleansing your soul. However if you closely examine the scene, we can observe that Lennie is mostly covered in water while the water only surfaces George’s knees. Visualizing this scene, we can tell that the director is trying to show us that George is forgiving Lennie because Lennie is mostly covered in water. Also if we observe the water, it is illuminated only in the presence of George and Lennie. Through this I think the director is trying to put a spotlight over George and Lennie by making the water illuminate. Also, as Lennie is clinging on to George, we can see the resemblance of a mother to son figure. Of course George being the mother and Lennie being the son, as Lennie is crouching and grabbing George passionately. Lastly, the background also plays a significant role in the overall scene. The background only has a limited amount of light that is shown because of the tragic incident that will happen soon. Overall the background brings up a gloomy and dark setting as George looks with anxiousness. In addition, I think the faces also define the person’s personality. If we see Lennie, he is closing his eyes and finds comfort in the presence of George. However on the other hand, George is looking into the forest because of Curley’s mob. Through this we can come to conclusion that both men care deeply about each other even though they make mistakes.
ReplyDeleteDear Craig Kim,
DeleteI agree with all your points, especially with your point of Lennie's positioning. I like how you visualised Lennie's clinging on to George positioning as a mother to son figure. Not only that I love how you went the extra step to tell us that George resembled the mother and Lennie resembled the child. Unlike other people, the fact that you analysed the background gave me a clear understanding that you fully understood Scene 1. I also agree that the limited amount of light in the background foreshadows the unfortunate event that is about to happen. However, I disagree with your point that George is looking to the forest because of Curley's mob. I like to believe that George is looking to the distant future of his friendship with Lennie. But overall I agree with all your points.
Good Job Craig!
WOW CRAIG! You really spent a lot of time explaining each detail of all your observations, nicely done! I agree with all the points you have made, especially how the clinging of Lennie onto George could represent a mother-son relationship. I also think that instead of water symbolizing the cleansing of the soul, I think it could be representing the drowning and vulnerability that Lennie has to George as well. Water is usually correlated with drowning so I think the director could have been implying that as well.
DeleteCraig, I think you did a great job with this explanation. I agree with most of your points, especially the positioning of the characters and the spotlight that was presented upon them. This was a very emotional and important scene, so they had to be put in the spotlight to show this importance. The two are really like family, but I don't completely agree with your statement that George is maternal. Instead, I think he is sort of like a big brother to Lennie. He takes care of Lennie but also playfully swears at him from time to time, while Lennie tags along. This creates the image of two brothers for me, rather than a mother and a son. I agree with your statement about the light and how it represents Lennie's rise to heaven. The commonly thought characteristic of heaven is that it is a bright and clear place, so it is as if Lennie's mind is clear which is also shown through his expression. However, George's expression is dark, like you said, because of what is about to happen. I disagree about the water and how it is about forgiveness. I think that it was more about baptism. Baptism represents rebirth, and if Lennie was going up to heaven, the concept of baptism would be related here. I agree with most of your points, and I think you did an excellent job with this.
DeleteIn scene one the author portrays Lennie as a tragic figure through the use of the position of the characters. The first scene shows a picture of a relationship of what a parent would be doing with his or her child. In this case, Lennie who is the child is grasping on to his parent which is George. As for the lighting, the light is shining more heavily on Lennie than it is on George. The light could symbolize a heavenly mood because the following event Lennie is shot by George and joins his Aunt Clara in heaven. On the other hand, the lack of lighting on George is maybe a foreshadow of what he has to do next which is kill Lennie. The lack of light on George gives the watcher an a dark perspective on George. Unlike Lennie, one can easily see the differences in shadow between each character. When it comes to the positioning of the snapshot of that part of the movie, they are both in water, however Lennie is deeper down inside. Although water not only has a negative but also a positive connotation with it representing purification along with cleansing, in this photo, the author shows that the water is drowning Lennie. This picture also portrays a tragic characteristic in Lennie because of the fact how both of them are unable to even look at each other. For example, George is completely starring off into the woods just unable to turn his head and same for Lennie. George is portrayed as a tragic character through the use of the positioning of how is he is standing. Even though he is looking into the woods at the upcoming Curly’s mob, he is still holding on to Lennie in a very protective manner. Although both men have been somewhat a burden to each other, based on the way that they are unable to let go of each other, they still deeply care and they are thankful to have each other.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your comment. I like your observation of the different lighting and the shadows that the light casts. I also like your how you noticed that George is starring off into the distance.
DeleteI agree with your comment to an extent that George is depicted as darker. This absence of light depicts the dark situation George is in. The fact that Lennie is waist deep in water also represents that his immaturity. He is like a child in deep water, while Lennie is the adult in knee deep water. This scene represents the fact that Lennie is basically a child, while George is his father-figure. - Brian Oh
DeleteOk, so I answered all four questions for my last comment, so I'll go a bit more in-depth on one of the questions.
ReplyDeleteFor Scene 3:
4. What features of the scene draw the reader into the intense intimacy of the moment shared between George and Lennie?
There may not be a specific intense intamicy of the moment that is shared for scene 3, considering that Lennie is dead. However, the moment is definitely there. First off, the trees and river are very tranquil, as if nothing had ever happened. The world moves on, despite the amount of drama and suffering that surrounds these two characters, all because of a misunderstanding. However, George and Lennie continue to stay next to each other. George grips unto Lennie, obviously broken by the death of his partner. The part that intensifies this intimacy is that George and Lennie are surrounded by peacefulness. George and Lennie are unaffected by their environment, but they are affected by the situation that they have faced. George is left on his own to fight off this world. In the actual movie, George clutches onto Lennie for quite a while. The length is to emphasize the fact that George and Lennie were basically brothers. They did everything together, and experienced everything together. And when Lennie dies, the world shows no pity. The world moves on. The scope of the characters themselves are microscopic, to show that death is a part of life. The world won’t wait for you, for your feelings. George’s world is probably collapsing all around him, and the world just stays the same, with a bit of lighting put onto the characters. It’s like a spotlight for the world. The worst part is that only George is there to feel this intense intimacy. He can also see his own reflection in his mirror, and he’s probably torn by guilt, and thinking whether or not he made the wrong decision. Finally, the scene is very tranquil. Nothing is moving; it just feels like your average forest, unaffected by man. This is what makes the scene so intimate – nothing is interrupting George (not Lennie, he’s dead) from clutching Lennie, from mourning his loss.
I really like how you talk about how the surrounds are kind of rejecting the actualy seriousness of the situation. For example, I really like your insight about the tranquil river and how they are surrounded by peace.
Delete2. How did the director portray Lennie as a tragic figure through his use of lighting, how he positioned the actors in the scene or his creation of the setting?
ReplyDeleteIn the first scene, the use of light clearly casts a contrast between life and death, or more specifically, the knowledge of the foreshadowed death. As Lennie is crouching down in the water, the sunlight is shining on his back, whereas George is facing the light yet has his head turned to the right. Neither of the men are directly in contact with the light, yet one case is involuntary and the other voluntary. If the light symbolizes the knowledge of death, Lennie is clearly oblivious to it because he is turned away. On the other hand, George obviously is aware of the death that is bound to take place, simply because he will be the one to impose it. Not wanting to believe or accept this fact, he turns his head away - hoping to avoid it as much as possible. Furthermore, the sunlight brings out the ripples in the water that Lennie and George are standing in. Although the river is not flowing, the ripples signify movement, and ultimately a sense of life.
The positioning of the characters also portray Lennie as a tragic figure because we, as viewers, are able to see something quite unusual so as even ironic. Lennie's large stature and strength is what he is most renowned for. He is physically superior in comparison to the other workers at the ranch, and even George, his "caretaker." The twist in the scene, however, is that Lennie is crouching down by George, prominently decreasing his size by a half or so. He is desperately clinging on to George with his eyes squeezed shut - reminding us of a terrified child in need of comfort. This particular scene gives the viewers an insight of Lennie's true, child-like state of mind despite his physical enormity. Ultimately, this brings out a sense of sympathy for Lennie, a harmless "child" frightened by the confusion and turmoil he has placed himself in.
Hi Hanna ! I really like your observations ! I agree with you that the use of light could mean the foreshadowing of Lennie's death and the knowledge of it. Also, to enhance the emotion, I agree that the director used the characters' direction of vision as well as position in order to convey the way the characters are feeling. Not only that, but I like the way you said that Lennie may seem big and strong, but has kneeled down to diminish his size in order to depict the inner, harmless "child" personality he possesses. One thing you could have added to this analysis is the fact that Lennie's kneeling may not only be to be an ironic sense with his inner and outer strength and size, but also perhaps a call for repent to George, as he got into trouble once more.
DeleteIn scene 1, the director portrays Lennie as a tragic figure through his use of lighting, and position of the actors. To begin with, the use lighting is crucial in this scene. As one can examine, Lennie is drowned in light while George is mainly covered by shadows. The interpretation of the light could be that Lennie is slowly approaching to reaching to heaven like in other features; the one who is walking up to heaven is most of the time covered in light. It could also reflect the happiness of Lennie finding George, which is tragic in some ways knowing what is going to proceed. Moving on to the position of the actors, Lennie is holding on to George half way in he water. However, George is barely holding Lennie unable to look into his eyes. Water is often correlated with vulnerability. This refers to Lennie who, due to his lack of intelligence, cannot analyze the situation and is vulnerable. Of course, this seems ironic since Lennie is illustrated as a big strong man. However in this scene, he is the one grasping on to George, crying. On the other hand, George is seen as the resilient guy. Nevertheless, he refuses to look Lennie in the eyes. This suggests a tragic event that might follow where something happens to Lennie. George knows that Lennie is clueless which makes it even harder for George to reassure his friend. The frame of the shot might also be something to consider. It is quite zoomed in on the two characters even if the decor is still present. The lighting focuses on the both men, which draws the attention of the viewer on them. In final consideration, the director made careful decision to imply a tragic mood to foreshadow the events to follow. He wisely used lighting, position and shot to give a clear idea of what the viewer should expect.
ReplyDeleteJoachim, I really like your observations. I especially liked the part where you said that Lennie is slowly approaching to heaven (symbolism), just through the use of lighting. You also pointed out that Lennie's emotion's may be filled with happiness, which I also think is a good observation. I like how you talk about the fact that Lennie and George take a personality change. George becomes much stronger. I would like to talk about one thing you missed. Water could also be representative of a baptism, a sort of purification of Lennie. It's almost to cleanse him of his murder of Curley's wife.
DeleteHow did the director portray Lennie as a tragic figure through his use of lighting, how he positioned the actors in the scene or his creation of the setting?
ReplyDeleteIn scene one, the director portrays, Lennie is portrayed as a tragic figure through the positioning of the actors and the use of his lighting. The scene is deliberately set up so that Lennie is kneeing in front of George in happiness that he found him. However the lighting that covers George's face and shines brightly on Lennie depicts a picture of a sinner and a savior. The irony that this scene is taken place in a small pond reminds me as of baptism. In this scene, I would like to believe George is baptizing Lennie of his scenes by telling him everything will be all alright. Not only that, Lennie’s deep hugging position symbolizes and depicts the truth and faith between Lennie and George, it depicts that their relationship is not shallow and superficial but true and meaningful. Looking deeper into the water, Lennie and George are the only things that are reflected upon. This represents that the lighting is spotlighted to only George and Lennie meaning that the director wanted all the attention to go to them. The fact that George is avoiding Lennie’s eye contact and not facing him directly foreshadows the tragic event that is about to happen. Not only that the gloomy, dark background is another foreshadow to the sad events that are about to occur. The leaves and the branches at the back are not lit at all giving up a very gloomy mood. In conclusion, visualization in lighting and position can foreshadow future events and what characters are thinking deep inside. This is something I will look towards in movies from now on.
Dear Michael Kang,
DeleteI really enjoyed how you observed the scene very carefully and related it to the mood or emotion of the story. Also, I love how you used not only the setting but took the extra step to explain each position, setting, and lighting of this scene. Lastly, I like it how you said that you will observe each scene when watching other movies.
Great Job, Michael
Scene 4
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, George and Lennie are walking away after a day of hard work; most likely, this is a flashback from the first day of work in the novel, since George is shown thinking back on this scene after he becomes alone. The path ahead of the two men in this scene is illuminated in patterns of sunlight and shadow; the path is a representation of the journey of hopes and dreams, with the alternating light patterns indicating the struggles and successes that comes with a journey. The fact that we do not know how far the path extends is a representation of how no one ever knows how a journey will end, whether its for the better or the worse. This path also reflects the companionship between Lennie and George, and how they hoped to stick together throughout the course of the novel and movie. The idea that they both are walking down the path, side by side, into the distance plays upon the recurrent theme of "riding off into the sunset", and how the duo are definitely showing their unity and power. The fact that Lennie has his hand on George's back is an addition sign of companionship, and shows an immediate link between the two. It also reflects Lennie's loyalty to George, and how he "clings" onto George constantly for guidance and help. However, the two men look at different directions. George looks straight on, as if he is willing to embrace the dream and share it with Lennie. He looks immediately to the future, calculating and planning everything. However, Lennie looks off to the distance, instead of straight ahead. This reflects how he was distracted in the course of the novel, and focused only on the small things that do not contribute to the future.
I really like what you said with the lighted path and having it connect with the future. I would also like to point out that their backs are in the shadows, as if to say that they have gone through hard times and are leaving them behind. And with the way he clings to George, having this relate to Candy and his dog, him reaching for his shirt as a kind of binding leash between the two of them as he looks around instead of where his feet are being placed on the ground. Obviously George being his master and Lennie becoming more and more of a burden, like Candy and his dog, we see this state of dependency being to great and knowing that what was done, was for the best.
DeleteScene 3
ReplyDeleteIn the third scene, the director uses lighting in various ways that represent many things at once. One of the most intriguing choices that the director of the movie made was to have the far back ground, or the furthest possible back, of the picture and the very front of it, the trees creating a border for the picture are both the darkest places on the screen. I believe this is supposed to show George and Lennie’s past and future, where they came from dark, humble beginning’s and finished with the dream nonexistent in their heads, one of them dead, and no where to go to. However, the middle is given a contrasting bright light from small clearings in the thick forest above them. I believe this was to show the journey that they embarked on, and trudged through together. Having George also looking over Lennie shows George’s protective, fatherly side whilst holding Lennie even after death, making sure to keep taking care of him, even when he’s no longer alive anymore. The darkness that overcomes Lennie in this scene is also representative of his death, making him bleed with the background more fluidly than he has in the previous scenes. Making his distinct blue colored clothing melt with his surroundings, like George’s, representing that Lennie has finally found his place in society. Further explaining this, I believe that George and Lennie’s surroundings were meant to represent society in which George blends in perfectly, having his clothing brown and dark blue mix nicely with his background, however, in every other scene, Lennie is obviously sticking out, independent of his background. However, in the only scene where he is shown dead, Lennie appears to be one with his surroundings, like George, meaning that he found his play amongst others, but only while dead.
Dear Juan,
DeleteI liked your description of the 3rd scene and the way you expressed your feelings from watching that part of the movie. You have deeply went to the description and thought of each object and Character. I liked how you made George look fatherly to Lennie. You also described the look of each character telling us the way of his feelings and thoughts. And how you described the surrounding that makes the scene that tells the future even though its hidden. And even if Lennie he will still be always with George.
Dear Juan,
DeleteI really like your thought about what the light represents. I never thought that the lighting showed their past and present, and their journey together. I also like your comment on contrast and the color of the background.Lennie is highlighted by the light in the scene, foreshadowing Lennie's death.
Juan, I agree with all your points, especially with how the lighting seemed to show different scenes from different points in times of the two’s friendship. I also had a similar point and talked about what these specific lighting choices might symbolize. I think you did a really great job analysing all the different aspects of the lighting and the colours that can be seen in the scene. I especially liked how you described the colour of the clothes that the two characters was wearing, because it was something that I had never noticed before. If there was one thing I could add to your comment, I would say that maybe the fact that the space that the two are in is very brightly illuminated, maybe symbolizing how happy the two of them are together, but having darkness in their past and future.
DeleteThroughout the movie, the director portrays Lennie as a tragic figure. One example is on the first scene above. The director shows this position of the two characters hugging one another to show that Lennie is still like a child. Lennie is depicted as a scared and confused child, who just caused trouble. George, who plays a fatherly role on Lennie, comforts Lennie. Lennie is on his knee, and much shorter, which is metaphorically represents Lennie’s maturity. This is compared to George who is standing up. Like a scared child running to his parents, Lennie runs to George for comfort. All this takes place in the river because of the water. Water represents purification, and cleansing which matches Lennie’s innocent and naïve characteristics. In the scene, Lennie is covered with water, which one might say that Lennie is trying to clean himself. The setting is also used to portray Lennie as a tragic figure. The dark, gloomy scenery of the river and the trees really contrast to center of the scene, which is Lennie and George hugging in the river. Lastly, the director uses the lighting very effectively to put a spotlight on the two characters. He makes Lennie and George the main focal point of the scene. With the dark background, the center really stands out. The light not only serves as the spotlight to emphasize the two characters, but it also foreshadows Lennie’s death, which only highlights the pity that the audience would give to Lennie. Also, Close observations of the lighting a show that the light source is on Lennie’s side, which completely engulfs Lennie, but casts a shadow on George. This implies that George is dark, depressed and sad for what he is about to do, which is just another add on to the foreshadowing of Lennie’s death. The light represents Lennie’s entrance into heaven and for the audience; the tension builds making the story even more exciting.
ReplyDeleteSteven, I really like your observations. I really like how you analyzed the position of Lennie- how he is childlike in the way that he is seemingly shorter (he is kneeling down) and hugging George. I also like the fact that you recognized that Lennie goes to George for comfort and that they share a family-like relationship, Lennie as a naive child and George being the reassuring, fatherly figure. Also, I agree with you about the lighting that shadows upon George and the background insinuate the foreshadowing of Lennie's death. One thing I think you should include in your analysis is the eye positions/ direction of their vision of Lennie and George.
DeleteSteven, I like how you portray Geroge as a fatherlike figure to Lennie. I also agree with that insight since in the picture, it looks pretty clear that George is trying to comfort him. I also really like how you talk about how the lighting foreshadows what the characters are probably going to do. When I saw this picture, I also thought to myself that dark lighting on Geroge had to do with something he was probably going to do in the next few minutes of the flick.
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ReplyDelete[Scene #1]
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, we see Lennie to be half submerged in the river. He is also clinging to George in a sense that he is trying to prevent himself from falling into the river, which symbolises the still, dangerous beauty of their dream. Like in the beginning of the book where George tells Lennie the river is most likely dangerous because it is still, but Lennie goes on and drinks it anyway and George reluctantly follows. This infers George to have been wary of the success of their dream, but had followed along because he knew it gave Lennie something to hang onto. Thus, when Lennie even feels his dream slip through his hands, George prevents him from falling. It also infers that George, despite all the chaos around him, must stay upright and tall to support Lennie. The little light that is present is shining upon the most part of Lennie while everything behind George is dark. The director perhaps portrayed George to be blocking Lennie from entering this darkness since his position can be interpreted as him to be stopping Lennie from moving past him, especially so since they are on the left side of the screen (we read from left--> right). By this, we see that Lennie is being prevented from pursuing his dream but cannot help wanting it even more. With George's clenched fists on Lennie's clothes, we see him to be tense and wary, implying him to be mentally preparing himself for the things he must do. While Lennie, due to his vulnerability and little judgement, must always have George as a guide, George has no one to follow but his own intuition. Lennie had provided him with some comfort at the most and knowing he'd have to cut off that one support would've been heavy. Yet he continues on because he values his friendship in such ways. He is willing to do it so he may stop Lennie from going down the wrong path or living a miserable life. It signifies his sacrifice for this friendship.
(Question #3)
DeleteDear Hyunna,
DeleteIt was very observant of you to interpret this image as Lennie slipping and George holding him up, instead of Lennie crouching in the water! I feel that this accentuates the childlike image of Lennie and the somewhat motherly image of George. It is also great that you have recognized the small details such as George’s clenched fists that perhaps show the emotional state and the foreshadowing of the imminent death of Lennie.
-HyeJoon
Great reflection Hyunna! I definitely agree with you on the symbolism of the river. Similar to your idea of dangerous beauty of dream, I thought the river represented death and Lennie was clinging on to George in order to survive. I never knew George has told him in the beginning of the story that the river is dangerous, great observation! Also, I agree with you on how Lennie clinches on George for guidance and judgment.
DeleteIn this scene, we see Lennie to be half submerged in the river. He is also clinging to George in a sense that he is trying to prevent himself from falling into the river, which symbolises the still, dangerous beauty of their dream. Like in the beginning of the book where George tells Lennie the river is most likely dangerous because it is still, but Lennie goes on and drinks it anyway and George reluctantly follows. This infers George to have been wary of the success of their dream, but had followed along because he knew it gave Lennie something to hang onto. Thus, when Lennie even feels his dream slip through his hands, George prevents him from falling. It also infers that George, despite all the chaos around him, must stay upright and tall to support Lennie. The little light that is present is shining upon the most part of Lennie while everything behind George is dark. The director perhaps portrayed George to be blocking Lennie from entering this darkness since his position can be interpreted as him to be stopping Lennie from moving past him, especially so since they are on the left side of the screen (since we read from left--> right). It also puts more emphasis on this by the fact that the river flows in that direction and though Lennie is attempting to follow the flow of his hopes and dreams, George stands in his way because in his idea of friendship, he must stop Lennie from getting what he wants even if Lennie desires it so much. By this, we see that Lennie is being prevented from pursuing his dream but cannot help wanting it even more. With George's clenched fists on Lennie's clothes, we see him to be tense and wary, implying him to be mentally preparing himself for the things he must do. Such as the turn of events happening later in the story when George must put an end to things. While Lennie, due to his vulnerability and little judgement, must always have George as a guide, George has no one to follow but his own intuition. It's up to him to decide what road the two must take and he has the duty of stopping Lennie from going down the wrong path no matter how bright it seems. Lennie had provided him with some comfort at the most and knowing he'd have to cut off that one support would've been heavy. Yet he continues on because he values his friendship in such ways. He is willing to do it so he may stop Lennie from going down the wrong path or living a miserable life. It signifies his sacrifice for this friendship. Ultimately, the director portrayed George's idea of friendship by displaying his selfless sacrifice by getting rid of his friend's dream damaging himself in result.
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ReplyDeleteIn scene one, the director portrays Lennie as a tragic figure with his positioning and his lighting. The picture shows a scene where Lennie is kneeing in front of George as a sign of joy when he found George. Looking at the scene, the light covers George's face and directly shines it on Lennie. The way how Lennie is kneeling and tugging George's legs, reminds me of what a child would do to their parents if they're scared or happy. It is ironic George is tiny, yet much stronger, compared to Lennie. Because of this, Lennie's intense hugging position represents the closeness, truth worthiness, and faith between the two characters: Lennie and George. It describes a true relationship of how Lennie looks up to George like a son-father relationship where Lennie hugs George for comfort and protection of what he has done wrong. Another key is the water where Lennie and George are reflected from the water. The reason why the two characters were reflected across the water was because the author wanted the viewers to focus on George and Lennie. The part when George asks Lennie to tell the dream while looking across the water and how George cannot look at Lennie straight in the eye, foreshadows the next part that is about to happen. The background also tells and gives us clue about the scene that happens next. For example, the dry leaves and trees (fall), and the dark shadows with the light pointing towards George.
Oh wow Sarah, I had such similar points it's actually a bit creepy, considering we didn't even meet during the class period to discuss our points! It's interesting how you mentioned the points about the friendship because I didn't even think of that kind of symbolism when thinking about this scene. I think the water was used for showing the vulnerability and the drowning, emotionally, of the character Lennie. He's clinging onto George, like you said yourself, resembling a child and their parent. Great comment!!
DeleteI totally agree with your idea of the irony of George being stronger than Lennie. The relationship of George and Lennie really is like a father and son. I also would like to add that it is like the prodigal son, where the son returns to his father asking for forgiveness. Lennie, having disobeyed George, asks George for forgiveness. I also agree that the director wanted to focus on the relationship of Lennie and George as the focus of the scene. The mucky, dark background creeps on to the audience, and foreshadows the next scene. George seems to know what is going to happen, and looking into the future, while Lennie is into the moment and does not give notice.
DeleteI really agree with your statement on how Lennie's positioning makes him look like a child. It really emphasizes Lennie's vulnerability. This scene also shows George's mature figure, and his dominant position over Lennie, for he is standing over Lennie. This also represents Lennie's love for George- Brian Oh
DeleteIn scene 1, the director manages to portray Lennie as a tragic figure mainly through the usage of his position in the setting. Lennie is currently clinging to George’s waist like a frightened child, which portrays his innocence and his fear, as well as his emotional dependence on George. The water also serves a purpose as well, because Lennie is immersed in it while the water only comes up to George’s knees. Water weighs things down, and the way Lennie is drenched is showing how much of a burden his accidental murder of Curley’s wife is on his mind. The lighting does not affect Lenny all that much, however it does affect the overall mood of the setting. Currently, Lenny and George are in the light, showing that for the time being everything is calm and all right. However, the encroaching shadows create a sense of foreboding, especially in regards to future events. The lighting also aids the director’s goal in portraying George as a tragic figure. Despite the burden on Lennie’s mind, the fact that the light is shining on him suggests that he is innocent. George, on the other hand, is in the shadows, showing both his depression and the grim nature of what he is going to do. The fact that George is looking away from Lennie also aids in the directors portrayal, as it implies that George is aware that he will have to kill Lennie, and will not look at Lennie in the eye. Lennie is unaware of this, so he is able to face George directly. Their positions also serve to demonstrate the intimacy of this moment as Lennie is currently embracing George. In addition to the obvious, Lennie’s eyes are closed which demonstrate a sense of peace and security that he finds while in close proximity to George. George, despite what he knows he has to do, is still looking out for Curley’s mob, showing that he will always care for Lennie despite his mistakes.
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ReplyDeleteThis scene, with the intentional positioning of the director, somewhat resembles the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist. Jesus held John the Baptist in his arms like George is currently caressing Lennie in his arms as he collapsed in front of him. George instills a feeling of security and warmth. The setting of this particular scene also serves to create a haven-like atmosphere, in which Lennie stayed and waited for George. The open area in the woods surrounded by a peaceful river and trees set up an ideal ambience for such a dramatic scene. The rocks present on the riverbanks symbolize the possibility of rest and comfort in the area as well. However, there is a subtle, yet “ironically distinguished irony” present in the frame, as the dark lighting forebodes danger or, more specifically, death. Perhaps, this may also reflect George’s rather realistic, yet grim approach of solving the problem. Instead of repeating their exhaustive lifestyle with having to flee once more, reminiscent of the incident at Weed, George decides to end his hardships at the root of the problems – killing Lennie painlessly was his best solution. Moreover, irony is further fueled in this scene as the audience realizes Lennie seeks for protection from a man who cannot even bear to look at him in his eyes, not to mention the fact that he will eventually be the unexpected murderer. The flowing river in the scene may represent purity, referring to baptism, or life (or more so even the absence of life). The river might be "sucking the life" from Lennie, as usually bodies of water are characterized by the bountiful nature of underwater life and its constant action. Lastly, the director may have intentionally decided to select the season as fall in order to convey certain emotions through the picturesque image created by the falling brown leaves, dying yet in such a beautiful manner.
ReplyDeleteRyan, I really like your insight on the allusions that OMAM has in context to other things. I agree with your thoughts on the season. They were surrounded with leaves that were falling elegantly. This made it seem that the are was filled with peace, but it was really that Lennie and George were surrounded by death. The environment also supported the gravity of this scene, especially in contrast to George's emotions at the time. I couldn't really understand why specifically George had to kill Lennie. Why not let Lennie run off to the imaginary cave that was mentioned in the beginning if he couldn't be bothered to repeat the phase of running away? But your reply proposes a dark but realistic idea that probably occurred in George's consciousness. I also have to agree with the irony presented here. Lennie is being enchanted by the same tale that George is telling for the umpteenth time whereas George can hardly think clearly as he contemplates what he is about to do. Great comment.
DeleteRyan, I enjoy your link between Lennie and George, and Jesus and John the Baptist. This gave the scene a heavenly feel, and it also gave me a new look on to how Lennie died. Adding onto what you said, I think that the trees at the sides represent a closing to the story, and a sign of peace.
DeleteDaniel claims that the director of the film used lights to portray the thoughts of the two protagonists. He further asserts that George was in the dark due to “inner turmoil” and his “guilt.” This, I agree with. However, I can safely say that I disagree with his second claim. He commented that the light was cast on Lennie due to his “ignorance” of the seemingly unexpected plot. To me, George seems to be more worldly, with brown, earthy colors. This could mean that he has been "stained" with the many sins of life. He knows the wrongs of this world, he knows how to handle a gun, and, most of all, he would murder a friend.
DeleteRyan, I like the connections you made between Lenny and George and John and Jesus, as well as the new take on what the water could represent, i.e. draining life rather than just weighing him down. However, I am confused by the meaning behind 'bountiful nature of underwater life and its constant action' and how it relates to draining Lenny.
Delete4th scene.
ReplyDeleteEven though the 4th scene is at the end, it is more likely to be in the middle of the film . The director has shown this as a reminder for us through what have George and Lennie been through in their relationship and life. Steinbeck took the story full circle; it ends where it began and it leaves no stone unturned. The lights are patterned in black and or shaded and in sun that represent the path of George and Lennie through what difficulties and lucky fortunes they have been through, although we do not see the last shade that might be the answer and represents the path that will end in tragic and both of them will suffer. Lennie is looking in a different direction then George meaning even though they are together they will eventually split apart and they will have different paths in life and Lennie will eventually go away from George. Also distracted by his fantasy and dream of tending rabbits and holding Georges back as if he was a little child that is walking with his big brother to not get lost or be alone which means George has got to walk him through every day life. Lennie can't survive without George. I think that by his death, Lennie got closer to the dream than anyone else in the novel. George is partly responsible for the death of Curley's wife. Killing Lennie is a small last gift from George because Curly would have given Lennie a terrible death. George on the other side, is walking straight to the path of always working on the field as he represented by pulling of his gloves and looking forward. The setting looks like the path, never ending path of very rare friendship between two people. True friendship never ends.
Elizabeth, Great analysis! I do understand what you mean by their paths being different, which i agree with. I on the other hand feel that the light is more of their dreams. Lennie is looking off towards it, still following George while George is not illuminated. Lennie has found his dream, while George still cannot look into the sun. It is interesting you saying that Lennie cannot survive without George, for maybe George killed Lennie to save him from what would happen without him, and the murder just being his scapegoat to do so. Your final two sentences are undoubtably your most impactful, and this scene definitly backs it up.
DeleteGreat comment, Elizabeth. One could clearly see where you got most of your ideas from, the idea that the ending is really just part of the cycle that the director envisioned would complete the story. I also like the way that you saw that the path was a mix of dark and lighter sections throughout and that these individual sections represented parts of the movie where there were good or bad emotions, or dark and happy moments. The only thing that I noticed I did not agree with directly was the ending strip that was of a brighter shade. While you said that the final shade, being a dark one, was not visible because they would have not known that George was eventually gonna kill Lennie, however I believe that the light strip of land was supposed to represent George's life after Lennie's death. I thought it would put a more positive spin on things if George became a successful person after Lennie's death.
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ReplyDeleteThe director was able to use all the opportunities he could in order to best convey the message of the plot to the audience. The director portrays many different emotions and messages through his use of light, positioning of character, and the use of setting. Firstly, he uses light very effectively to create mood. In the first scene, it is evident that there is much light on Lennie, whereas there is only a scant amount of George. His use of light here conveys the fact that Lennie is the brighter, more naïve character, full of hope after finding George, whereas George has dark shadows upon him, portraying the worries he possesses as well has foreshadowing his darkness later in the movie. Not only that, but the light in the right corner of the screen may signify the hope that is still available, but so little and far into the distance that it would be hard to reach, which is true in George and Lennie’s case. With the use of light, the director creates a sinister mood yet still conveys the prevalence of a tiny amount of hope.
Lennie is portrayed as a tragic figure in many different ways. First, he is seen in this scene kneeling down next to George, clutching him with all his might; this shows the desperation and hopefulness he has upon seeing George. He trusts George completely, which can be seen by how close he is holding him. The position of kneeling portrays vulnerability and the act of repent toward George since he got into trouble once more. Furthermore, Lennie’s eyes are closed, which shows the helplessness since he knows he did something bad.
George is also portrayed as a tragic figure in this scene. First, this is obvious because of his later duty of killing his best friend. In this scene, he is seen standing and holding Lennie close, which portrays George as the protective and reassuring figure. He is looking away from Lennie and into the distance, which insinuates that he is very worried and anxious, also probably because he has to kill Lennie. The fact that both characters are half bathed in water shows that there is some sort of cleansing or renewal happening to them. Perhaps for George, it would be a new beginning without Lennie, and for Lennie, going into heaven and living a new life.
The reader is can easily visualize the intense intimacy shared between the two friends in this scene. This can be seen because they are hugging each other for a long time, which shows their deep friendship they have been cherishing for many years. Lennie and George’s relief of seeing each other also shows the intense intimacy shared by the two friends. Also, hugging in the water instead of taking the time to step out signifies the desperation of seeing each other as well the great intensity of their friendship.
Mrs Lee, I realized you had to answer one of the questions in 300 words, so I redid it !
DeleteScene 1, Question 4
The reader is can easily visualize the intense intimacy shared between the two friends in this scene. The director was able to use lighting, position of characters, and setting to best convey the message of the plot to the audience. This can be seen by the light in the right corner of the screen may signify the hope that is still available, but so little and far into the distance that it would be hard to reach, which is true in George and Lennie’s case. Also, the director’s use of light here conveys the fact that Lennie is the brighter, more naïve character, full of hope after finding George, whereas George has dark shadows upon him, portraying the worries he possesses as well has foreshadowing his darkness later in the movie. Not only that, but they are hugging each other for a long time, which shows the deep friendship they have been cherishing for many years. Lennie and George’s relief of seeing each other also shows the intense intimacy shared by the two friends. Lennie is seen in this scene kneeling down next to George, clutching him with all his might; this shows the desperation and hopefulness he has upon seeing George. He trusts George completely, which can be seen by how close he is holding him. The position of kneeling portrays vulnerability and the act of repent toward George since he got into trouble once more. Furthermore, Lennie’s eyes are closed, which shows the helplessness since he knows he did something bad and is sorry for George. Also, George is portrayed as the reassuring and protective figure as he is holding onto Lennie, although he is very worried and anxious of the events to come (insinuated by the direction of his vision). Lastly, hugging in the water instead of taking the time to step out signifies the desperation of seeing each other as well the great intensity of their friendship.
Hi Kate!
DeleteYour interpretation of how the light in the far distance represented the fleeting hope of the rabbit dream was really interesting! I also fully agree with your idea of how Lennie is engulfed by the light, indicating Lennie's naive character, whereas George is in the shadows, further juxtaposing the personalities of the two friends. I believe this contrast makes the pair more close since they've become somewhat of a merge of the two sides, light and dark.
Kate, you're analysis is amazing!
DeleteYou make very interesting comments about the lighting and how it reflects the character's personalities and purposes by discussing how the light reflects Lennie's naïvety and George's fearful state. The in-depth comments of the two characters' actions by hugging is also very insightful. However, yo don't mention some facts about the environment, like how the water ripples to indicate the disturbed peace that will come with Lennie's death and how the water seems to weigh him down.
Scene 2
ReplyDeleteThe director used the light to lend in creating a mood by lighting up Lennie's face while having his shadow cover George's face. The shadow that covers the whole of George's face gives the scene a very heavy mood and it depicts the intense thoughts that are going through his mind. Whereas Lennie's face is fully lit up and perhaps represents the clarity in Lennie's mind in which he has no worries.
The director portrayed Lennie as a tragic figure by shining the light brightly on his face right after he was in a scene that seemed to replicate a baptism. Some people say that they see a light when they die and perhaps the bright light Lennie was seeing was symbolic of his imminent death. He also chose to have Lennie kneel on the ground, which is usually done when people feel safe with where they're sitting and are in no rush to get up, to show how naive Lennie is and how he does not realize the trouble he's in. On the other hand, the director portrays George as a tragic figure by covering his face in shadow. Shadows usually symbolize turmoil and confusion which was what was going on in George's head as he had to make the decision between losing his best friend and living without a burden constantly following him everywhere. Also he is crouching which is done when people are temporarily getting down and want to get up quickly. It can perhaps imply that he does not like the situation he's in and wants to get out of it quickly.
The feature of the scene that draw the reader into the intense intimacy of the moment shared between George and Lennie is the dream that they both shared. While George is struggling to tell the dream with a more important decision solving itself out in his head, Lennie is blinded by the dream and not able to process any other thoughts in his head. It shows the contrast between their two characters and the traits that they have that differ from each others.
I agree that the director had purposely used the lighting to emphasize Lennie, I also really like the idea of Lennie staring out into heaven or the light. But I also think that the director had purposely choose the setting, like the rocks and the fallen leaves to give off the end of autumn feeling. Perhaps it would be good to mention that as well.
DeleteIn the second scene, the director used darkness and light in order to reflect the thoughts of the two characters. George was going through an inner turmoil because of what he was about to do and the guilt that was tagged along with it. He had known Lennie for so long and to murder him was the last thing that he wanted to do. Because of this, he is mostly covered in the shade. On the other hand, Lennie is still ignorant of what is about to happen. The light shines on his face as he becomes more entranced about the tale that George is telling him about their potential future. He doesn't realize that he is about to die, which is why the light on Lennie could also show his actual future. After he dies, Lennie's ascent to heaven may be what the director was trying to highlight with the contrast in the light. Since the thoughts of the characters' conflict, the mood is separated as well. When analyzing just Lennie, it seems like the atmosphere is filled with relief as he has been forgiven after committing a crime. However, when viewing the situation as a whole with George included, the mood seems to be filled with guilt and sorrow. George doesn't want to murder his best friend, but he doesn't have a choice. The positioning of the characters is also different. George is in a rather uncomfortable position of squatting, which shows his mindset at the time. He doesn't want to do what he is about to do, and he isn't enjoying the situation. However, Lennie is sitting down with his legs crossed, which is much more comfortable. He is at peace while thinking about rabbits and the land he would share with George, so the director showed this with the way he sat down. One feature that highlights the intensity of the moment is color. Specifically, the color of their clothing. To me, George seems to be a bit more cruddy, with brown, earthy colors. This could mean that he has been "stained" with the many sins of life. He knows the wrongs of this world, he knows how to handle a gun, and, most of all, he knows how to murder. On the other hand, Lennie seems to be more clean with a light shade of blue. This seems to point out his overall innocence and purity despite his monstrous size.
ReplyDeleteIn Scene 2 is where George is telling Lennie about their future together. With this Lennie is looking out towards the forest area. Lennie’s front is all shaded because no light is coming towards him in the front. Also with the front of him all dark shows that he would not be able to move onwards to the dream that George and Lennie had together. Lennie is kneeling down and has his hands together. What I thought of is that with his hands together like that it seems like when people pass away and they are lying down, the people would have their hands together in the coffin. With Lennie’s hands together like that it makes it seem like he is ready, ready to leave and ready to part away from George. George is crouching down behind Lennie which does not seem like George. He is always up in the front leading Lennie to where would be best. Having George behind Lennie shows that he is still not ready for him to depart from his life. Back in the setting the trees are all lighted up from the sunlight and some of the shadows which represents the past having their ups and downs. From the women with the red dress incident to where they found a place that they would love to be at which the farm that they work at the time. The rock next to Lennie and George seems like it’s a tombstone for Lennie. Showing that this would be his final resting point being with George. With the ground full of dead leaves shows that the scene will be very gloomy with Lennie having to part ways with George. Most of the background is brown and very dull looking which make it look like a very glomy place.
ReplyDeleteDaniel interpreted how the director drew the attention of the reader to the intimacy of the moment shared by George and Lennie. He focuses on three different features: lighting, position and setting. He explains the representation of Lennie's position, in his opinion, which is someone ready to die as it relates to dead people in a coffin. However, George is not ready to lose Lennie. He demonstrates the previous statement by pointing out the fact that George is behind Lennie. The lack of light on Lennie implies that Lennie will net be able to move onwards to the dream. Concerning the setting, the writer elucidates the use of the rock and the dead leaves. The rock represents a tombstone, which is foreshadowing as well as the dead leaves.
DeleteAfter reading his comment, I would like to add something concerning the lighting. As Daniel said, Lennie is mostly in the dark, except for the top of his head. This reminds me of a halo. This is foreshadowing since halos belong to angels, which could suggest that Lennie is going to heaven.
Daniel, you interpreted the 2nd scene as a very gloomy scene where George does not want to leave Lennie, and all things somehow point to Lennie's death. I like how you thought the rock was a makeshift tombstone and how George stood behind Lennie, an uncommon appearance, because he was not ready to part from Lennie yet. However, one thought I would question is if Lennie's intentions of kneeling can be similar to the intentions of people at a wedding. People at weddings do it out of respect while Lennie is simply submitting to George's command. Also, I question if you accidentally wrote "Lennie" instead of "George" in the sentence "Lennie’s front is all shaded because no light is coming towards him in the front."
DeleteDear Daniel,
DeleteI really liked your interpretation on scene 2, and how you linked the simple scene of the present, with a foreshadowing of the past. The lighting that you pointed out also definitely points out the different moods that foreshadow death, isolation, and friendship.I also really liked how you related the rock with the tombstone. Although I have heard many different representation of the rock, this is the first time I have heard it relating with something physical. If there was one thing I want to point out to you in this scene, it's the different ways that Lennie and George stand. George is only crouching, while Lennie is kneeling. If one crouches, one can assume that he will get up soon, and on the other hand if one kneels, then you can assume that he won't be getting up as easy. This comparison in positions sort of foreshadows the fact that George will be the only one getting up, while Lennie will stay down forever.
Scene 2:
ReplyDeleteWhat features of the scene draw the reader into the intense intimacy of the moment shared between George and Lennie?
The general ambience of the scene is moderately bright. A stream of sunlight casts on Lennie’s forhead, and George is in the dark shadows behind Lennie. Although George and Lennie are in an intimate contact with each other, the audience is able to note the separation of Lennie and George. The background of the forest is in chadows. In the midst of darkness, there is small hope for George and Lennie. The lighting creates a hopeful mood, and a mood of sadness with separation. Lennie is gazing far away, clueless of the fate that will become of him. He is smiling happily, as that is how he will leave the earth. The director wanted to show that Lennie was still dreaming, and still expecting. George may have been embracing Lennie as his last goodbye, and comforting him with his hands on Lennie’s shoulders. Lennie does not know what is going to happen, but the audience knows and can guess what is going on in George’s head. The audience cannot see what is going on behind Lennie’s back. Compared to the book, where this scene of the story is shown from George’s perspective. The director has taken a different stance on it, showing the beautiful nature of the last embrace of George and Lennie, before George must kill him. This is different from the book, where the readers cannot see Lennie’s face, or the expression he has or what is going on in his mind. The audience is moved, and stabbed with some pain, at the scene of Lennie gazing happily and George knowing the truth and Lennie's destiny. Lennie is still dreaming of the day when he can get the ranch with rabbits. Goerge knows that it will not happen, and that Lennie will not see it done. George gazes at Lennie, in a fierce expression with all of his meanings of apologizing, sorry and everything, sorry that he is going to kill him, sorry that he had not treated Lennie the best. With all of this intense emotion George has in his heart, Lennie is completely clueless. The audience is able to feel the love of friendship between the two, and the pains of the separation of friendship that is bound to happen.
Dear Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteAmazing comment! I really like how you compared the movie to the book and mentioned the audience's response. I do agree with how the audience knew the next scene after comforting Lennie about the dream while facing the waters. However, I believe that George told Lennie to talk about the dream because of the next scene, George could not face looking at his pain and emotions.
Overall, great job Jeanne!
Scene Two: How might the director's use of light lend to creating a mood?
ReplyDeleteThe use of lighting helps to convey a spiritual and meaningful foreshadow to events that would happen. The fact that the lighting is only shining on Lennie perhaps refers that he is going to heaven while the light is not shining on George, revealing what he is about to do. It also represents their hopes and dreams, showing that Lennie still believes that they will get a small piece of land for them to live on. Conveyed by the light, we can see that George does not believe in the dream anymore, and has given up hope. The light also gives off what the characters normally feel. George is usually a surly and frustrated fellow, which is represented by the dark shade of light on him. Lennie, however is usually very bright and always looks at life in a kind and caring way. The background also is very bright, making a very heavenly feel. The bright leaves and light from above foreshadow that Lennie is going to heaven and would finally live in peace. The light also represents rebirth. That Lennie will be in a better place.
Hi Sean!
DeleteI really like how you talked about the light forshadowing Lennie's death and him ending up going to heaven. I also thought that myself about how the bright lights on Lennie would portray that as well. The light also does give a very heavly mood with the cast of light literally shining off Lennie's head while he stares out into the skies.
I'll be focusing onScene 4.
ReplyDeleteThe intimacy of George and Lennie can be seen through the way they interact with each other. Lennie has his hand on the back of George's shirt, as a child would hold his/her parent for guidance. The scene shows how much Lennie depends on George. The scene is a recall of George, reminiscing the good times he had Lennie. Although George may have seemed indifferent about Lennie, he cared for him deeply, and always appreciated his presence. The path ahead of them created by the haystacks represents the path of their dreams. The mixture of lights and shadows represents the ups and downs of their lives. The journey that they have taken together has made them gotten closer and more intimate with each other. Not only had Lennie grown to rely on George, but George also relied on Lennie. The hand that Lennie put on George could have been interpreted as Lennie following George, but it also could have symbolized Lennie pushing George forward, guiding him unconsciously. SInce the person who looks at the road cannot fully see the road, we do not know how long the road extends. Even though Lennie died, which may seem like the end of the journey, the reader does not know how much longer the road extends to. The idea of walking down a path also shows intimacy. When you walk with somebody, closely, you are creating the image of a "happy ending walking towards the sunset". The idea that the two are willing to journey with each other, and have journeyed together thus far creates the sense of friendship and reliance of each other. Also, the two of them are looking at different directions. George looks forward, as if he is focused on achieving the dream. Lennie, on the other hand, looks off towards the distance, as he is distracted from achieving the dream (in this case, his death), or rather he is looking out for George.
Nathan, I think this comment explains your thorough understanding of scene four! I agree on many parts of your comments. The expression of the two characters relationship as child and parent is very thoughtful and I entirely agree with it. Also, an alternative idea of “Lennie pushing George” is interesting and creative. However, on the scene where they walk together sunset, I rather thought it was a ending that both George and Lennie hoped for, not that it actually happened. But your last comment of their different view is something I couldn’t catch while watching the scene and I believe it is an incredible idea. Overall, good job Nathan!
DeleteNice analysis of the scene, Nathan! I like the way that you interpreted Lennie’s hand on George’s back. I would have easily understood this interaction as an act that simply emphasizes Lennie’s child-like and dependent persona, but your analysis has pointed out a different insight on the complex relationship of George and Lennie. It made me think about Lennie’s role in his friendship with George, and how George could have been relying on Lennie for guidance and support as well. Something that I would like to add to your analysis is the significance of the location in which Lennie’s hand is placed. The lower back is an extremely sensitive and vulnerable spot in one’s body, for it is near the base of a complex system of nerves running up the spinal cord. The fact that Lennie has his hand there emphasizes the intimate relationship between the two, but also reveals that companionship may create a weakness in the other. As the lyrics of the song “I Am a Rock” by Simon and Garfunkel states, the friendship between the two seems to have placed George in an extremely vulnerable situation.
DeleteI had the same thoughts as you and agree completely. However, when I saw that Lennie had his hand on George, I interpreted the scene as Lennie was important in the friendship. Throughout the book, Lennie and George’s friendship seems one way: George always telling Lennie what he can and what he cannot do. The path made by the barley was continuing even if Lennie wasn’t part of it. Your analysis is very thorough and covers everything that I can think of. Good job!
Delete4. What features of the scene draw the reader into the intense intimacy of the moment shared between George and Lennie?
ReplyDeleteScene three, the scene where Lennie dies, ironically expresses the deep connection between George and Lennie. To start off, the lighting in the scene shows the fellowship of the two men, following everywhere the other goes. The shadow of Lennie and George, amalgamating with each other, both reaches into the river. The river somewhat symbolizes death; and this scene conveys the fact that George’s hope and dream died with the physical death of Lennie. Although George can start off a new life without Lennie, his intimate friendship with Lennie was so strong that his ego died with the absence of Lennie. The symbolization of the lighting can also be expressed in an alternative way. After, Lennie’s death, the lighting spotlights the two characters amidst of the nature. Also, the trees on the edges of the scene, frames the tragic moment of Lennie and George. These factors expresses how painful it was for George to kill the only friend he had. It also proves that George’s purpose of killing Lennie, is to send him to a better place: where he can pet the rabbits he wanted to so much. Lastly, George’s position after Lennie’s death shows his deep affection for Lennie. Lennie is in a baby-like position after his death, and George kneels down and touches his side. This picture portraits a relationship of a parent and a child. This scene expresses the relationship between Lennie and George as a child and his father, and correlates George’s loss of Lennie as father’s loss of his child. The expression of father and a child also demonstrates what love they held for each other. Also, George’s view is focused away from Lennie, rather toward the river. This indicates that George cannot handle and see his love one’s death.
Nice reply Daniel! You picked up on a lot of things I missed. I never knew you were such a deep person! I see that you've focused on scene three, and how the background and the lighting creates an intimate mood between the two of them. If there was one thing for me to add to your observations on the background, I would point out the dirt path behind George and Lennie. In my opinion, the path represents the journey that the two have taken so far. The path ends right at the water, where Lennie died, representing the end of the journey. Although it may not seem like much, I thought it was interesting since a journey can not only symbolize the intimacy of one's friendship, but perseverance and trust, since they went through the harsh journey together.
DeleteHey Daniel,
DeleteI really liked your analysis on this scene in the sense that it was quite original and not commonplace. Your comments overall had a somewhat sentimental aspect, especially when you portrayed Lennie and George's relationship as that of a father and son's. One thing that you could elaborate on is how the setting and lighting led to the conclusion that "George’s purpose of killing Lennie, is to send him to a better place: where he can pet the rabbits he wanted to so much."
Besides that, great job!! :)
Looking at the bonds of friendship and trust that Lennie and George share with each other is greatly seen in scene 2. While George is coming to the reality of what he has to do, Lennie follows and trusts George by doing what he is told and looks off into the distance, leaving George behind him at his exposed back. Right before this, Lennie had reminded George that he had never forgotten a word that George had said to him. Now, in this scene, with the end coming near for Lennie, it is apparent of the amount of trust that Lennie has in George. As George tells him to picture their dream home way off in the distance, Lennie does just that- like a dog he sits completely on the ground as if oblivious to the dangers (the other men on the ranch coming for him and unaware of what George is going to do) around him. George on the other had remains in a crouch, ready to spring up at any moment. George leans his head on his friends shoulder several time during this scene, had his hand on his shoulder showing the comfort level that they both share. For Lennie, this is so natural to him, he mouths the words and goes along with the story as he had every time in the past. Bringing the readers attention to that although George is doing what is best for Lennie because there was no way out of the terrible (although accidental) thing that he had done, is abusing their friendship. He had promised to himself that he could not prank or fool around with Lennie the way he could with other people because of when he had almost drowned when George told him to jump in the first place. George now, instead of being straight with him is in fact taking advantage of Lennies trust and is doing what he thinks is right. George, being such a good friend though, allows Lennie to die in the happy light of his dream of tending the rabbits.
ReplyDeleteHi Maddie!
DeleteI haven't thought of the scene like you have in your interpretation, it's interesting to see a different point of view! You've justified that George takes advantage of the trust Lennie has in George in order to carry out the task at hand. Because of this, George had abused their friendship, but for the better good. I agree with your idea of how Lennie's trust is shown when he willingly shows his back towards George. If we take a battlefield for an example, showing your back to a supposed enemy is immediate death because it is a side where you cannot see yourself and are utterly vulnerable. I agree that with Lennie willingly turning the other way for George greatly highlights the trust within their friendship.
Hi Maddie! Thanks for your thoughtful analysis of the image of Scene two. I found it particularly interesting that you took note of how Lennie’s back is facing George. Lennie has accumulated enough trust in George that he willingly puts himself in a vulnerable position. This shows the extent of their friendship. Also, it is great that you described Lennie’s position as looking like he has settled there as content as a dog. You pointed out that George on the other hand, is in a position that looks like he is ready to move on. The symbolic meaning of the position is made clear and obvious through this observation. Interestingly, when you wrote that George “allows Lennie to die… in his dream”, it reminded me of the serenity of dying in your sleep, a natural death. This may show that George’s decision to shoot Lennie in the head was the most “natural” kind of death Lennie could receive in the circumstances that he has created.
DeleteLighting is one of the most important features that make a great movie. The types of light and the angles you position it in can make an okay movie into a great movie. From watching the movie, it is obvious that the director of Of Mice and Men, Gary Sinise, took a lot of thought in the lighting of the entire movie. This example is completely cliché and would make a horrible movie but in horror films, lighting is usually from beneath pointing upwards at the actor or actress’s face. This creates another important feature in lighting: shadows. Shadows can be referred to as many things. In Peter Pan Peter’s shadow creates a lot of mischief and it can symbolize the many mischievous things a toddler could do. Lighting and shadows together create the entire mood of a scene. In the scene where the viewer sees an entire view of the place of Lennie’s death, the lighting is flooding in from the top right-hand corner. It shines on to George on top of Lennie’s corpse. The light is a sign of remorse and the space around them is all dark. The light symbolizes Lennie’s importance in the relationship between the two. It may seem that George always is bossing Lennie around, but George needed Lennie to keep moving forward. Lennie was the light in George’s life to not be afraid and keep working hard to strive towards their goals. George is shown as a tragic figure showing that his life is going to be dark without Lennie. As he leaves the place of Lennie’s death, his life was going to be dark. However, Geroge is still placed aove Lennie showing that George knew that death was better than what Lennie might face if he was to be captured by Curley. The branches on the sides created a frame around the entire scene. The frame showed the most important moment in the film. George and Lennie are far away from the camera and the entire mood can be felt by being able to see them from afar. The sound was silent, the lighting was on top, and the actor positioning all led to portraying the mood.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I forgot to mention that I'm talking about scene 3.
DeleteI will be focusing on the third scene, and will be discussing the fourth question. One of the main features of the scene that draws the reader into the intense intimacy of the moment shared between George and Lennie is the setting. The two are in the middle of a clearing surrounded by a river, trees, and undergrowth, which give the scene an overall very tranquil feeling and a sense of peace. However, the truth of the matter is that George has just shot his best friend, Lennie, and has killed him. The intimacy is highlighted in the fact that George has not simply left Lennie behind after shooting him, but is crouching over him as if George were still protecting him. This shows that George still feels attached to Lennie, and does not feel completely apathetic towards him. Although it seemed at the time of the actual shooting that he did not care much for Lennie, the way he continues to hover over Lennie shows that he has been broken by what he has done. In addition, the lighting itself points to the mood of the plot itself. Both the far background and the foreground are very dark, but the centre, where George and Lennie are, are very bright. This points to the intimacy between the two, and can symbolize how the two’s past was very dark, pointing to the background. The middle ground, however, where the two are together currently and were together, was a bright spot in both of their lives. Because they had each other to depend on, it shed a bright light on their otherwise dark lives. But after this instant in time and their lives are no longer intertwined and they are not able to be intimate any longer, George’s life goes back into a dark period.
ReplyDeleteHi Yoonjie, i understand your ideas and do think they are very spot on, and find it very interesting how you highlighted that George had just shot his friend and yet the intimacy is being discussed. I feel it is kind of a juxtaposition, yet a reflection at the same time. While it could be the grotesque act of murder compared to the beautiful sunlit forest, it could also be reflected as peace finally coming to Lennie and the sunny forest reflects this. I think when they have been the only thing each other have for such a long time, apathy will never be achievable, along with candy and his dog. As long as memories linger, sympathy will be present towards Lennie. I think your analysis of the lighting is a very interesting idea, although i feel that the background is lit while the foreground is dark, symbolizing how George did not think that Lennie was such an important part of his life and was a burden, but in reality after Lennie's death a light in George's life is no longer there. Your analysis of the lighting is a very plausible idea as well.
DeleteI agree with you completely about the setting on how it portrays the mood to the viewers. I also stated in my response that the surroundings play an important role in the setting. The setting influenced the entire frame by making your eyes focus on the whole picture rather than close-up shots of just their faces. I would also like to commend the director on his choice of lighting The light focused on the two men create an atmosphere that nothing else really mattered. As they were together, they kept each other's life bright. Very well done, Yoonjie.
DeleteHi Yoonjie,
DeleteI agree with your interpretation of how Lennie was a source of light and joy in George's life. I also applaud your view of how the light shining upon the pair symbolizes the bright point of their lives and how the darkness in the background indicates the past and future dark points of Lennie and George. I do feel, however, that George is not subject to returning to a dark period with the loss of Lennie. George doesn't seem to view Lennie's death as a bad thing. Because of his death, Lennie is able to 'achieve' his rabbit dream whereas it'd be close to impossible if he had lived on to achieve it. I believe George would have a more happier life knowing that his friend is happy and that he can live without the burden of pleasing his friend.
What features of the scene draw the reader into the intense intimacy of the moment between George and Lennie?
ReplyDeleteAll of the scenes that are presented in this final few minutes could be analyzed for the deep intimacy emphasized, but I most strongly feel that the director presented this most aptly in the first scene. Firstly, the lighting of this scene is very dramatic. Looking at the water, you can see an oval shaped lighted area with George and Lennie in the middle, only lighting them best. The light shines on only half of their faces in each, with Lennie facing towards the audience emphasizes the deep emotion of happiness and long-awaited content. George is facing away from the audience which hides his expression, and though it is revealed he was not smiling also, but the lack of actually showing lets the viewer fall deeper into the scene than before. The positioning of the actors also emphasizes the intense intimacy shown in this scene. Lennie’s positioning is much lower than George’s, similar to that of a toddler hugging a parent. Finally, the most emphasis is supplied by the setting. Firstly, the foliage behind George supplies the two with a single microcosm to showcase the relationship. The water allows for the refraction of the light that is shining on them, allowing to present the circle of focus. The water is rippling too, which can only be seen in the lighted area supplying texture and showcasing the movement and life in the light but nowhere else. This dramatically lit circle supplies the most emphasis to this scene. It creates the foreground and background by showcasing these two characters’ embrace while actually stripping the background of the beauty it was described of in order to draw your attention to nothing but the embrace. This light also shines onto the characters in a way that allows the viewer to see all of the shadows, such as George’s tight grip on Lennie’s shoulder and Lennie’s tight grip of George’s forearm. This scene has the sole purpose of deleting everything in the scene other than the two in the water.
I agree that this scene is very powerful! The way that the directer made it very intentional to make both Lennie and George in center light to make their embrace very intense- even without seeing the rest of the movie, you would get that same feeling. Also with the way the lighting is and the was Lennie is clinging to George from below the waist, it could be seen like that of religious movies; where the man asking for forgiveness is on his knee begging, clinging to the clothes of religious figure. This is relevant to this movie in how Lennie looks to George as that kind of leading light and figure in his life, you could say he worships George in a way and wouldn't want anything to happen to him.
DeleteIn the process of creating a single movie scene, the director has hundreds of choices to make in order to intensify the scene’s impact on the audience. In scene 2, the director uses several tools in order to emphasize the emotions of the characters and to create a certain mood. For instance, the director’s use of light in this particular scene plays a huge role in setting up the mood. The lighting being shone on the clearing behind the two characters seems to give off a warm glow. This luminous radiance of the background seems to symbolize the blissful past they had with each other. However, the radiance of the sunlight does not reach George. Instead, his face and body is covered by the shadow of Lennie. This contrast in the scene’s lighting emphasizes the pain and inner conflict George is feeling at the moment. Because of this, he cannot enjoy this last moment of kinship with Lennie. On the other hand, a brilliant beam of sunlight is shining on Lennie. This represents Lennie’s innocence and contentedness at being with George.
ReplyDeleteGeorge and Lennie’s friendship is further revealed by the positioning of the two in the foreground of the scene. George is sitting behind Lennie, occasionally patting Lennie’s shoulder and speaking to Lennie with a soft voice. At first glace, it seems to be a serene and intimate moment of friendship. However, a closer analysis of their body positioning reveals the tautness of George’s situation. The director positioned George to be in a crouching position, while assigning Lennie to a kneeling position. These two body positions contrast greatly. The crouching position is one that allows one to move and retaliate more quickly. On the other hand, the kneeling position is more permanent and reveals Lennie’s submission and trust in George. Another characteristic that reveals the tension hidden in this last scene of friendship is George’s voice. His shaking voice serves as a glitch in his desperate attempt to appear assuring and firm in front of his painful and difficult decision of killing Lennie.
Another trait that gives an insight to the characters in this scene is George and Lennie’s different levels of vision. George is solemnly looking downward at Lennie’s lower back, revealing his realistic and grave state. Meanwhile, Lennie is looking up at the sky and visualizing George’s enchanting vision of their future. The difference in their levels of vision emphasizes the contrast between George’s graveness at what is to come and Lenny’s unsuspecting innocence.
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DeleteHi Joanna,
DeleteI really liked your analysis on the use of the lighting. I think the director did a fantastic job in epitomizing the "dark side" of George and Lennie's friendship. I totally agree with your comments about the positioning - we are able to feel George's desire to get away from the situation. As you mentioned, Lennie's submission and trust that is portrayed further enhances the sympathy we, as viewers, have toward Lennie. Good job :)
Hi JoAnna! I really liked your whole analysis of the lighting in the movie, and all of your ideas were really clear. I also talked about how the lighting symbolized bliss and happiness in my comment, so I completely agree with you on that point. I also really liked how you pointed out the specific particular beam of sunlight that shines on Lennie, and how that could symbolize his naïvety and his ignorance. As you said, at first glance the two seem to be in a very intimate position, but upon closer inspection it is evident that their positions are very different and can symbolize different things for each of them. Instead of the situation where George could be merely telling Lennie fantasies, the director chose specifically to have George crouching, while Lennie is kneeling, which, like you said, shows a lot of different things. Lastly, I really liked your last point about the different eye levels of the two figures, and what they could symbolize. I agree completely with all of your analysis of the director's choices. If there was one thing I would add to, I would point out the fact that Lennie is sitting very obediently, so it also seems like George is corrupting a young child. Good job, JoAnna!
DeleteSCENE number 2
ReplyDeleteHow did the director portray Lennie as a tragic figure through his use of lighting, how he positioned the actors in the scene or his creation of the setting?
Despite the positive emotions we often associate with the presence of light, I feel that in this scene, the light is used to convey a sense of tragedy. By casting light on Lennie’s forehead, the audience is reminded of the image of Christ, and through this Lennie is depicted as a martyr of his unlikely dream. It is ironic because despite the fact that he has sinned in murdering his puppy and Curly’s wife, he is assigned this sacred, untainted property. George on the other hand, is in the shadow, connoting a kind of darkness, a burden that he is carrying. Yet, he keeps this shadow, this burden to himself, away from Lennie. This also pertains to the somewhat motherly quality of George. The lighting in the background also depicts the unfortunate situation of Lennie. The trees and rich greenery in the background symbolize the fantasy that Lennie had been living in. The shadowed background, therefore symbolize a deceased dream, their crushed fantasy. Relating this to the positioning of the characters, the position of Lennie, facing his back towards the shadowed greenery, the deceased dream, shows that he is oblivious to the impossibility of his dream. Another part of the directors positioning of Lennie that makes Lennie fallible and worthy of sympathy is that he is looking beyond the lens of the camera, as if the dream is actually unraveling before his eyes. His vision of the fantasy implies his blindness for the reality that he is living in. Lennie is also kneeling down, unlike George who is crouching down, thus establishing that he has settled in the fantasy that he is looking at. Immersed in an artificial dream, he reminds the audience of a child. However this youthful, naïve quality and image of him is shattered by the position of his hands. His hands are placed one behind another, reminding the audience of a coffin, and thus showing how close he is to both a physical death and the death of his dream.
Thats pretty nice information Hye Joon! I also agree with many of your ideas. Where Lennie is facing towards the shadowy forestry background that shows that the dream is pretty much impossible for him. His hands placed one behind another that makes it seem like he is in a coffin is also something that i agree with.
DeleteThe image portrayed in scene 1 is the moment when George and Lennie reunite after Lennie’s murder and escape of Curley’s wife. In this scene Lennie is terrified of his deeds and George is comforting and reassuring him that everything will be fine. What is presented is an intensely intimate and poignant moment in the movie. The most dramatic and prominent feature in this scene is the river, or more specifically the water. The water hides most of Lennie’s body creating the illusion of Lennie being much smaller and weaker than George despite their obvious physical differences. What results is the image of George and Lennie in an embrace, and it appears like a father holding a scared child. Contributing to this imagery is George looking around to make sure they’re safe, and Lennie appearing much smaller and weaker than George. This interaction creates an incredibly intimate moment that is relatable to any person who has a parent or kid. Another aspect the water brings to this powerful scene is the strong symbolism it has. The interaction between George and Lennie also resembles in some aspects a baptism. In a baptism you are being reborn and absolved of all past sins. Lennie is being forgiven by George and you could see that later actions of George as “freeing” Lennie from his sins. Also in a baptism the use of water represents the believer’s trust in Jesus Christ. When you are being baptized, the act of being immersed completely underwater is a very vulnerable position where you need complete trust in the person baptizing you. In the scene Lennie is a vulnerable position that resembles this baptizing where he is putting his complete trust in George. This entire sequence and symbolism is incredibly intimate by accentuating Lennie’s vulnerability and naivety through the imagery of a child and father and of a baptizing.
ReplyDeleteBrian, you have brought up many good points. I agree that the director intended to put George as a fatherly figure, and Lennie as a smaller child. Although George is smaller than Lennie, the picture shows Lennie crouched under George to appear smaller. I agree that Lennie seems like a small weak child, which is opposite of his strong build. However, I would also like to point out that George is not looking down at Lennie, or consoling him. He is hugging Lennie tightly, yet he is looking away because he knows what he has to do to Lennie's life.
DeleteScene 3 is the scene directly following the part when George shoots Lennie. This scene has a very large scope compared to the other scenes. The light is coming from the top and the characters are facing away from the light. The light comes from the top, causing George's front side to be in shadows. The fact that George turns away from the light infers that George is sad, and does not want the light on him. Lennie is also facing away from the light, however he is dead. The trees make it so that the light is mainly focused on George and Lennie. They are surrounded by shadows as if they are under a spotlight. Lennie is shown as a tragic figure in this scene, for his position resembles that of a baby. Lennie had just been shot and in this scene he is laying on the ground in the fetal position. This represents Lennie's child like personality and mind. Lennie is also in almost complete darkness, showing that his life has left him. Lennie was always happy and innocent, but in the end he tragically died for his own good. George is depicted as a tragic character in this scene by his positioning and the context of the scene. George is kneeling in front of Lennie, mourning Lennie's death. He is extreme sadness, for his whole front side is covered in darkness. He is holding Lennie as if he misses Lennie. His decision to shoot Lennie has caused him extreme pain, exactly how Candy felt when his dog was shot.
ReplyDeleteIf we look closely at the picture in scene 1 we can see various things that helped feel certain emotions during the movie. These emotions being a feeling of loss in something so precious due to a small unlucky mistake that triggers a series of events. The general lighting of scene 1 is quite dark, making the viewer feel a more gloomy atmosphere. All except for the 2 characters Lennie and George, as if emphasizing their convergence and celebrating it. However the faces of both characters are trying to avoid the light as if they are sinister vampires, Lennie trying to hide his face into George and George turning away. The positions of the 2 actors express the tragedy the characters in the movie are feeling. Lennie for example, a big man, is on knees at least half-way into water grabbing tightly onto George, reminding us of a helpless child, an adult who acts like a helpless child. George in this scene is also knee deep into the water while standing and desperately grabbing hold of Lennie like a mother. Both characters are quite deep into the water, not caring whether they are wet, as if stating it all doesn’t matter if we can’t even hold on to each other. If you closely inspect the water you can notice that the only place that is lit is the body of water where George and Lennie are. Like the eye of a tornado, the silence of the night this gives the viewer a slight tingly chilly feeling like that of the moment right before a huge storm. We can additionally notice from the way the 2 are holding each other that it is a very intense, intimate moment.
ReplyDelete