Camera for Interpretation - Karina Banda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpMxpzfSRUA

I choose to analyze the scene from the film Pulp Fiction where they have to give Mia the adrenaline shot because she overdosed. As the scene starts, the camera is at a frontal medium close up shot which enables us to see the facial emotion contrast from the frantic jesus looking drug dealer and his calm girlfriend. Once he gets into the living room, the camera for the majority of the time stays at a low angle wide shot next to Mia's head near the floor. By having the camera in this position, we can see how everyone is reacting and get everyone to fit in the shot because since it is at a low-angle, it catches John Travolta and the dealer kneeling but can also capture the standing girlfriend and her farther away sitting friend. This is a very smart decision because it really displays the craziness of this scene. It highlights the franticness and worry from the two males in the foreground but also the very out of place calmness from the drugged up girls and their very calm motions. This shot is also cut with close ups of their actions such as opening her shirt or filling up the syringe to add action to the scene and brings attention to the timeline of what's going on by highlighting such events with a close up shot.

 The low angle wide shot turns into an almost eye level medium close up shot on John Travolta when they argue over who should do it. This adds to the drama of their bickering because the camera puts us closer to their arguing and less focus on Mia on the ground since she has disappeared from view. All the shots of Mia's face is done over her head but still below her chin in a low angle position rather than completely above of her face as to show that this is from the perspective of the guys and adds dimension to the shot. Once John Travolta is about to inject her, all the shots turn into either close up or extreme close ups adding to the tension of what's about to happen but also highlighting the different emotions on everyone. Since these close up shots are extremely different than all the other shots of the scene, you get immediately focused in as well. Once she's awake, the scene ends with them again by the floor in a low angle wide shot letting you see all of them react to her at once.