Stoker Sequence Analysis

Out of the 6 minute clip from 'Stoker' which we were given, I decided I'd analyse around 2 minutes of it.

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The sequence begins with a zooming in, medium close-up of a girl, India Stoker, sitting at the bottom of a staircase, with diegetic noise of people talking, footsteps and a spoon tapping a cup as well as non-diegetic noise of music mixed in which I believe is to imply how overwhelmed the girl is by the party, before the voice of Charlie Stoker interrupts and the background noise changes from only the party to the sound of birds and crickets with quiet indistinguishable voices from the party, to show she's been distracted by the noise. When Charlie speaks, the angle on India changes to a high angle, which shows her full body reaction of surprise but also by her head looking up it presents where the noise is coming from, as she stands the camera moves further up to keep the audience looking down at her.  

It cuts to a medium close-up of Charlie, though the camera is at a low angle highlighting his power over her, then a shot-reverse shot between the two of the characters as they interact. Once Charlie has finished speaking, it cuts to India for her reply and she is stood in the bottom right hand corner of the screen taking up little space demonstrating how she's below Charlie and almost out of the way. 

After Charlie speaks again with the same framing as the previous shot, it cuts to a long shot of India standing and as she moves up the stairs the camera pans forward and tilts upwards, music cuts in after she’s taken a few steps evoking a mysterious feeling that is oddly hopeful, then cuts to a close-up of her face once she is near Charlie, like she's challenging him. Upon reaching the same step he is on, he is in the left of the frame out of focus and she pauses a thoughtful look on her face before taking another step up, which is when the camera cuts to a view of the character’s face to face at eye level, thus evening the playing field making both characters equal showing their confrontation. They talk for a few seconds India on the left and Charlie on the right with nothing but the same coloured wall behind them, leaving the audience to focus on the two characters and their interaction.  

There’s a cut to a close-up of Charlie’s face after India speaks and it moves with him as he moves and then cuts again to a medium close-up of Charlie as he takes a few steps down the stairs before he stops with India is in the background out of focus while he speaks, when he turns his head to her for a reply she becomes in focus and he becomes out of focus, then when she finishes speaking they switch focus again and he speaks facing away from her and facing the camera enough to see both actor's reactions. Charlie leaves focus when he walks down the stairs though through the actor's performance it feels like Charlie holds the power, however since India stays, she comes into focus and the camera pans left with her as she moves looking at Charlie.