Analysing Scenes from Quentin Tarantinos' "Jackie Brown"

"Jackie Brown" was produced and directed by Quentin Tarantino and was released in 1997. It is rated a 15. It is based on the book "Rum Punch" written by Elmore Leonard.

Above is the opening scene. From 0:36 - 1:50 there is a panning shot. This panning shot manages to introduce us to the character of Jackie Brown. This shot connotes that she is a very calm and collected women and that she also has some authority symbolised by the lanyard around her neck and the badge on her uniform. Stereotypically in films it could be argued that women are portrayed to be traditional and innocent characters, (however this idea is being challenged more and more with such characters as Lisabeth Salander in David Fincher's "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"), Tarantino has thrown this portrayal of women to one side however as he presents us with a woman who looks strong, calm, independent and successful. It is interesting to note that the colours going past Jackie could imply that she has a rather 'colourful' past. We find this out to be true in the film later on when it is revealed that she has previously been convicted for drug smuggling.


From 2:07 we see Jackie walking down a hallway with her arm swinging casually by her side. You may notice that everybody else in the mise-en-scene is walking in the other direction and this is used to make her stand out from the crowd. Tarantino may have included this to try to make Jackie look very proud of what she does for a living but also perhaps to present Jackie as having a rebellious streak or a stubborn attitude which doesn't go with the crowd.


Costume is very important in this opening scene. An aspect of Jackie's costume which makes her different from everybody else is that she is wearing bright blue making her stand out from the crowd and seem different, whilst everyone else blends into the background. The colour blue may connote calm but her uniform may be associated with military, meaning that the first impression Tarantino is trying to give of Jackie is calm, collected and orderly but might have a slightly darker, violent and systematic side to her.
This is contradicted by the non-diegetic and up-beat soundtrack being played in the background leaving the audience room to create their own assumptions. The soundtrack in question here is the song titled "Across 110th Street" written and produced by Bobby Womack released in 1973.
 The lyrics heard from 0:36 are:
"I was the third brother of five.
Doing whatever I had to do to survive.
I'm not saying what I did was alright.
Trying to break out of the ghetto was a day to day fight."


The lyrics above help to paint a mental picture of the struggle which Jackie may have had to live through to get to the position she now finds herself in. The third line suggests that whatever she had to do, she may not be proud of.
We then have an extreme close up of her face. These shots are simply trying to establish the character of Jackie with the audience.


At 2:33 we cut from the close up of her face to a tracking shot. You may notice that she is over-taking people whilst walking down this corridor and this could imply that she is in a hurry and that she is getting ahead of people. Perhaps it could connote that she is one step ahead of everyone and a very ambitious and driven woman.


At 2:40 she breaks into a fast paced walk/ light jog. It could be argued that this represents her throughout the film: she starts off in control and not caught up in any of Ordell Robbie's (played by Samuel L. Jackson) plans. Yet throughout the film she gets increasingly out of control and into more trouble than she had first anticipated.


Whilst she is jogging lightly we see an aeroplane taxiing. It could be argued that this aeroplane is shaped like a bullet and that Tarantino is trying to use a subtle form of subliminal messaging and hinting at the events which are due later on in the film. To add to the subliminal messaging; the light outside seems to be bright yet have a slight dimness to it like that of a cloudy day. It is impossible to say whether it is cloudy or not but this is Tarantino using the weather to foreshadow coming events: pathetic fallacy.


Arriving at the desk at 3:40 she appears very calm and despite her rushing she can perform well under pressure.

Here is the next scene due to be analysed. This is the murder scene of Beaumont Livingstone (played by Chris Tucker). This analysis is starting from 3:33 through the video clip posted above.

At 3:34 there is a low angle, point of view shot of the two characters in this scene: Beaumont Livingstone (to the right of the frame) and Ordell Robbie (to the left of the frame). The reason a point of view shot is used is to try to make the audience feel more included in the whole plan. The low angle shot gives power and authority as the two figures fill the frame and the audience is looking up at them.
If you look closely you will see that the shot is also a slight tilt shot connoting nightmare and mystery. This shot is slightly tilted to the right making Ordell Robbie just that little bit higher in the frame than Beaumont Livingstone implying that Ordell is still the man in charge and with the power.


 At 3:35 there is a medium close up shot of a car boot. This is a classic thriller convention being a confined space and no way out. At 3:37 there is another point of view shot from the point of view of Beaumont Livingstone being presented with a shotgun. This is used to try to make the audience feel more included but also to hit the audience with the reality of what is expected of Beaumont.
From roughly 3:44 onwards you notice the difference in body language between Beaumont and Ordell. Ordell appears very calm, collected and in control whereas Beaumont seems to be increasingly uncomfortable with the whole situation. This could be used to demonstrate the ongoing reluctance of Beaumont to carry out this task, given his recent release from jail and his need to stay out of trouble yet Ordell manages to persuade him. This just goes to show the reality that in the criminal underworld there is no turning back and that you will always be labelled as a criminal.


Costume at this point is very important. Ordell is wearing all black and Beaumont is wearing a light coloured casual shirt. The costume here is used to imply that Beaumont is more innocent and less prepared than Ordell. It could be argued that Ordell's costume represents military with the traditional black beret. This is shown in his organised and systematic plan.


At 5:18 it cuts to a shot of Beaumont in the boot of the car. We never see the pair solidly agree to this but this allows the audience to see a bit more of Beaumont's personality: that he is easily persuaded. The bargaining tool which Ordell uses to persuade Beaumont is the promise of a free meal. It could be argued that by the fact Beaumont was persuaded with something as simple as a free meal means that he is living on a rather basic level. Almost in a primitive state when a need as simple as food is not being met.
At 5:29 it cuts to an extreme close up of a hand turning on a radio. The music which comes on is rather eerie. This is used to foreshadow coming events and also helps to build suspension. Ordell puts on a pair of gloves hinting at something which is about to happen; it helps to build suspense with the audience. The whole time he is putting on the gloves he looks detached. This could suggest that he has perhaps lost touch with reality and is not quite as sane as he appears.
The sense of normality conveyed by the radio and his calm exterior suggests that he is not anxious nor troubled by the act of violence that he is about to commit. This demonstrates the distance of Ordell from the social norms of society.
At 5:54 we see an extreme close up of his hand opening the glove compartment to reveal a gun. This is a classic thriller feature. Tarantino utilises a close up shot of the bare hand turning on the radio and then later the gloved hand getting out a gun. It could be argued that this shows a transition in the mind states of Ordell and how he has lost all compassion for Beaumont. Also notice at 5:54 the gold chain around his wrist. This is a symbol of power and wealth, however because we are familiar with Ordell's character we know that it is more likely to be fake wealth. This could relate to "Bill" in the opening scene of Tarantino's Kill Bill 1. The scene referenced is pictured below.

At 6:17 there is a close up of the front of the car. The headlights are not "flooding" the mise-en-scene with light and are quite dim making the car look rather demonic. This is adding to the violent theme. From 6:15-7:43 note that the 180 degree rule is not broken.

When we actually witness the murder of Beaumont Livingstone it is a long shot. This is used to connote Ordell's lack of morals and his distance from reality. What lengths he would happily go to, to kill someone instead of killing them right there on their doorstep. Around 7:16 the atmosphere is very anti-climatic. This is only used to display how nonchalant Ordell is about taking another human beings life.

The scene above stars Bridget Fonda and Robert de Niro.
The scene starts off at 0:02 with a low angle close up of the front of a classic looking Volkswagen Camper van. This type of van is famous for being the transport of the 1960's, the era of peace and love. So one would imagine that this van has a peaceful history behind it. This view is later opposed when Louis is shot dead inside the van at point blank range, spraying red blood over the inside of the white van. This could be related to the scene in David Michod's "Animal Kingdom" where Barry 'Baz' Brown is murdered in his car splattering blood over the windows.
This van could also be compared to the white van used in the opening scene of Terry Winsor's "Essex Boys" which in itself is a thriller convention being an enigmatic factor of many thriller film. Tarantino is putting a clever twist on a classic tradition of the thriller genre by using this white camper van.
The time in the bottom left corner of the frame is also another thriller convention and is common in thriller films before a crime. The reason for this is because in a police report, the time of a crime is very important. An example of another thriller film where a clock is used in before a crime is in Peter Jackson's "Heavenly Creatures" released in 1994 at the certification of 18.


It could be argued that the way in which the two characters of Louis and Melanie get out of the car portray them as individuals. The shot used is a head and shoulders shot of Louis with Melanie getting out of the car in the background. Melanie gets out of the car with ease and in a sensible and contained manner. Louis on the other hand has to force his way out in a rather aggressive manner. This is used to present to the audience the character of Louis (and his very agitated state) also to foreshadow coming events of how he treats Melanie etc. To round off the violent image of the car, Louis slams the door at 0:08.


You may notice a common trend in the filming of these two characters and this is that Louis is always in the foreground/front of the shot and Melanie is always further back in the shot. It could be argued that this represents male dominance in American culture etc. An extra note is that the 180 degree rule is not broken between 0:04-0:39.


At 0:43 we see Jackie Brown (played by Pam Grier) looking very smart in a new suit. This shows the contrast between the three characters but also the vast difference between the two women; Jackie having black skin and looking very smart and Melanie having white skin and being rather scantily clad. This highlights the difference in the portrayal of the two female characters here in that Melanie enjoys flaunting her assets to get what she wants and she uses it frequently as a bargaining tool mainly with men. Jackie on the other hand seems to appear to be a very respected and independent woman who would never lower herself to Melanie's standard or image. Melanie is a very bound to the physical nature of her femininity whereas Jackie is more cerebral.


Louis is in the front of the frame until 0:51 when it switches and Melanie is in the foreground. This represents the start of an ongoing battle of wills between these two characters as demonstrated by the argument over who has the right to carry the money bag (2:10). Arguments between characters only happen between these two, the reason being of their equal status. For example there are no arguments between Ordell and Louis because it is obvious that Ordell has more authority. However in this case Melanie and Louis have the same status in Ordell's mind thus neither of them have more authority than the other. Ultimately Louis wins this battle of power because at 3:34 he shoots Melanie...twice

In comparing the shootings of Melanie and Beaumont we can observe a number of important differences.
Firstly it is significant that Beaumonts murder is pre-planned and well executed. Whereas Melanie's death is following a period of potentially playful provocation where Louis eventually snaps and shoots her. It is spontaneous in response to Melanie's banter.
A fairly obvious observation is that Beaumont's killing is at night and in an isolated area. Melanies' however was in broad daylight in a public place, a car park which is another thriller convention. The reason why Melanie was shot in daylight was to make the killing more of a surprise to the audience for they would not have seen it coming.
In the film Louis remains remote, a rather ambiguous character and we do not get to see his real personality. The impact of Louis snapping makes Melanies' death all the more shocking to the audience.

Our Thriller Shooting Locations

Below are our locations where we are going to shoot our thriller. It is mainly based inside a house so a lot of them are corridors etc. Alongside the picture is a brief description of why these are being used.

Rule of thirds: 2 thirds staircase and 1 third hallway.
Low angle shot, connotes power and authority.
Hallway acts as a vanishing point.

An ominous looking dark doorway can connote to nightmare, mystery, and the journey that one of the characters will have to take.

Wet cobblestone pathways connote to mystery and nightmare. Such thriller conventions as this are frequent in the mise-en-scene in films like Carol Reed's 'The Third Man' released in 1949.





A high angle shot implies power and authority. In this shot you get this effect and also it could be argued that this is a point of view shot out of something like a bedroom window. The wet cobbled streets connote corruption and the dark slippery acts which occur only at night.

The room at the end of the corridor acts as a vanishing point. The fact that the room at the end is dark and the rest is light connotes that at the end there is danger and risk but also the unknown. The mirror on the wall to the left together with the lighting could imply the characters personality. This being that they are usually considered a bright and cheery person but underneath there is corruption and evil.

The shot of a messy bedroom powerfully reflects a persons lifestyle. This bedroom could imply that the person is hectic and unorganised. It could also relate to being rash with decisions which in the underworld of criminality could get you into a very tight situation.

A high angle shot down a flight of stairs represents intimidation and looking down on people. At the top of the stairs the lighting seems rather dark and gets lighter towards the bottom. This could represent danger going down into safety.

Here is a demonstration of chiaroscuro lighting. This lights up the whole mise-en-scene from one light source. There are also the wet streets similar to those in "The Third Man" representing nightmare and confusion. To the left of the frame there is the ominous white van with no markings on it. White vans can look very sinister because they can contain anything but also white is the colour of purity but in thriller films they are not used for good purposes. An example of this is in the opening scene of Terry Winsor's "Essex Boys" released in 2000.

Witness Opening Scene Additional Points

The reason why Peter Weir filmed the murder in the location that he did (which was a grimy public toilet) was to portray the contrast between the real world and Sam’s' world. It is used to portray the massive difference in community. Another reason why it was shot in a public toilet was to try and shock the audience because the fact that the murder takes place in a rather unappealing location shows that Sam is from a whole other up-bringing and thus it is more of a shock for Sam. This aspect tries to get the audience to connect with Sam. Before the murder actually takes place the location could portray forthcoming events that there is something filthy and disgusting about to take place just like the location.

When Sam walks towards the toilet, the toilet door acts as a vanishing point but also represents Sam’s' journey from his safe and loving community to the corrupt underworld of the 'big city'. Sam's mother also sends Sam to the toilet by himself. The reason she does this is because she has never experienced such criminality and so is not aware of the dangers which could be lurking around any corner in this vicious real world.

The location (being a toilet cubicle which Sam hides in) holds up a generic thriller convention of being a confined/claustrophobic space. This connotes that there is nowhere to escape and that he is trapped. In the toilet there is the use of ambient lighting meaning that the scene looks more believable with just the normal toilet lights on instead of being tampered with by studio lighting.

The location also manages to reflect the morality of the killers in that they too are filthy scum of the 'big city'. One of the killers is very casual about the murder which has just taken place that he stops to wash his hands afterwards but doesn’t look in any particular hurry at all. This sets the expectation and judgement of the killers which the audience will automatically make. The killers have no emotional attachment at all and don’t look bothered by the corpse lying on the floor whilst they wash their hands.

The close up shots of Sam (an example is below) watching the murder portrays the shock on the small child’s face. Because he has never witnessed such evil before it comes as a huge shock to him. Weir still manages to uphold the faint biblical connotation around Sam by having a close up shot and making Sam’s' hat (which portrays a halo around his head) more distinct. After the killers have left Sam has taken his hat off yet is standing on top of a toilet with his arms outstretched for balance (this connotes to Jesus Christ being crucified, yet another biblical reference).