SUNSHINE CLEANING analysis

[Cailin L]

This week I watched Christine Jeffrey’s Sunshine Cleaning, a rather mainstream film starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. While the film was touching and well crafted, it was not as easy for me to pinpoint a central scene. However, I have chosen the scene with Emily Blunt’s character Nora climbing under the train tracks.

The scene opens with what seems to be a handheld long shot as Nora goes over to Silver Vista Apartments to call on her new friend. The slight shakiness (and handheld quality) of the shot reflects the audience’s uncertainty on their relationship. This feeling continues with a medium close up of Nora speaking into the intercom. Throughout their interaction, there are undertones of a lesbian relationship. While Nora has had heterosexual relationships throughout the film, her personality is not one that would bar her from experimentation.

After two quick shots of Oscar (Nora’s nephew) at home with a flashlight, which acts as a nice transition between Nora at the apartment building and near the train tracks, there is a medium long shot of Nora and her friend walking through a field. The composition in this scene is nice, as both women are in complete darkness, with the field lit up around them. Their shadows are reflected perfectly perpendicular from their bodies. While the lighting here seems natural, it most certainly took quite a bit of time to perfect. As a director’s choice, having the two women in darkness further emphasizes the mystery surrounding their relationship. It also suggests a sort of “forbidden” or “dark” quality underlying their relationship – as the audience knows, Nora is keeping a secret from her friend (her reasons for establishing a friendship with her).

There is a long shot as their figure become small in comparison to the looming train tracks overhead. The composition here seems almost like a photograph – wooden tracks against a starry midnight sky. They continue to approach the tracks. Another transition is provided by flashing to Oscar walking out to the van. Here, there is a sense that both Oscar and Nora are walking towards a climax. The parallelism between the two settings in the scene should be noted.
Back at the train tracks, Nora is talking about her mother – a relatively avoided subject throughout the movie. The shots switch between close ups of Nora and her friend to medium shots. Again, there is the handheld, personal feel to the cinematography. Nora is baring her soul. Her friend feels blatantly awkward, which is revealed in the way she steps in and out of the medium close up, her hands in her pockets. In the medium shot, which is shot from the side, the increased distance between the two characters also indicates an awkwardness. This continues for about a minute and a half.

The grey jacket, sans make-up, boring hair that the friend has emphasizes her awkward, uncertain nature. This is in contrast with Nora’s bright red jacket, styled hair and crazy make-up is indicative of her wild, exploratative nature.

Throughout this scene, Nora’s face is in half a shadow, revealing the fact that we can never be sure or judgmental about her as a character. She goes to a very personal place in this scene.
Oscar is in the van ruminating on “what happens when we die” into the radio. The next shots alternate between Nora climbing up onto the tracks (leaving her scared friend on the ground) and Oscar muttering into the radio in the van.

[megin peake]

I thought Cailin's analysis was very well done, she seemed to touch upon all points and definitely studied the scene. She touched upon very specific points such as what the shadows on the face indicated, how the cuts were used and associated key points. Overall this was a relatively thorough analysis displaying her knowledge towards film by using the different types of shots, recognizing small details that help the audience piece the story together.
Only thing I thought that was a bit overdone was in the explanation, she would say medium shot of _____ then a close up of ______ then a long shot of _____. I'm not sure if this is what IB is looking for or not but in my opinion I just found it a bit overdone, however it is important that she includes those shots I'm just not 100% if all of them are necessary.