Midterm: Scene Analysis (#4)

As a secret western fan and an open Clint Eastwood fan, I decided to do my scene analysis on a scene from The Good, The Band, and The Ugly. This scene is at the very end of the film, when the three main characters have their showdown.

The entire ending of this movie is about this showdown, but this part I am going to talk about is like the preparation scene, and the next section is when the shooting actually takes place.

1. The scene first starts with a wide establishing shot of the characters walking into the flatland where the showdown will take place. The characters walk in and help set up the rule of thirds in where they walk into the shot. The lighting is most likely all sunlight, as the sky is clear and bright.

2. Then they turn the same shot around to suddenly see all of the characters’ faces, while showing the rest of the flatland where the showdown will take place. Clint Eastwood’s character is also placed in the shot using rule of thirds, and his eyes are in the “sweet spot.”

3. Then it goes to a cutaway of Clint Eastwood’s hand placing the stone into the ground. The camera zooms in at this shot to show the significance of what has been written at the bottom of the stone. The also put the stone right in the middle of the frame, maybe to give even more emphasis on how important this showdown is.

4. Then there is a MCU on “The Bad” guy, again the frame puts him right in the middle to show his discomfort and anxiousness.

5. The same type of framing is done for “The Ugly” character as well.

6. Then the scene cuts to a wide shot of all three men on the flatland, making the audience even more nervous as the scene stalls the actually shootout from happening yet.

7. They cut to Clint Eastwood as he begins to back up into where he will perform the shootout. The camera doesn’t move, but he backs away from the camera, turning the MS into more of a Medium long shot.

8. “The Bad” guy is framed in a MS, but the camera tracks him as he steps up closer, doing, in fact, the opposite of what “The Good” guy is doing to prepare for this showdown. The tracking shot ends by showing “The Ugly” character, who has not moved from his original spot, showing how that character is a little in between the other two characters in personality.

9. Clint Eastwood is now at a “cowboy” shot looking towards “The Ugly” character.

“The Ugly” character is shown at a CU, with his eyeline towards “The Bad” guy.

Then the next CU is of “the Bad” guy, looking back at “the Ugly” guy.

10. Then it goes back to the CU of “the Ugly” guy, before cutting back to the two person MS of “the Bad” and “the Ugly” character. They’re obviously trying to stare each other down to intimidate the other.

11. Then the scene cuts to a two-person wide shot, with Clint Eastwood’s character more in the background. This shot is establishing the distrust between “the Ugly” and “the Bad” guys. Then every character finally starts making their way into their real positions before the shootout.

12. For an even greater dramatic effect, the scene cuts to an Extremely Long Shot to showcase how big the space is that these men are about to battle in. Looks like they made this a crane shot, actually. This shot is held for longer than necessary to create even more uneasiness.

13. Another wide dramatic effect shot, but shot from another angle so as the include pieces of the graveyard, a symbol of where the secret treasure is held, but also foreshadows death. After this shot, the preparation is over and the shooting will happen when you least expect.