Using the Camera for Interpretation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jomr9SAjcyw I used the the opening scene from the Tarantino film Pulp Fiction to demonstrate some of the points in "Using the Camera for Interpretation." This clip begins with a wide shot of the table showing the two characters having a conversation. Then at :35, a sudden low-angle close-up shot of the waitress startles the viewer, creating a shock factor which reflects less on the nature of the waitress but on the narrative of the film as a whole. Around 1:00, an over-the-shoulder shot contributes to the conversation between the two diners, and it is followed by a shot-reverse shot which emphasizes the dialogue further. This continues back and forth for most of the remainder of the clip, but is interrupted quickly at 3:57 when we see a close-up of the man laying a gun down on the table, demonstrating the importance of this object. We see a close-up of the characters kissing, then the same wide-shot as at the beginning when they get up to hold up the diner. The low-angle of the two shooters at the very end shows that in this scene they have power over the other diners, or at least they think they do. As a whole, the form of this sequence contributes greatly to the film's general narrative. The close-ups of the gun and kiss symbolize two motifs (violence and romance) which last through the film, while the shot-shot reverse shots and over-the-shoulder shots facilitate the idea of conversation, another important element of Pulp Fiction.