EXAM QUESTION: No Country For Old Men/Captain Fantastic

FILM STUDIES EXAM QUESTION

How far do your chosen films demonstrate the importance of visual and soundtrack cues in influencing spectator response? Refer in detail to at least one sequence from each film? (40 marks)

In ‘No Country For Old Men’ the Coen brothers mostly rely on visual storytelling through the cinematography of the film to influence the spectator's response as there are scarce soundtracks throughout the film. This allows the audience to be more active and interpretative as there isn’t any music to manipulate them into feeling a particular way. The opening scenes of ‘No Country For Old Men’ and ‘Captain Fantastic’ are vaguely similar in terms of cinematography. In ‘Captain Fantastic’, we are initially presented with long shots of the natural world for a long duration. This was probably done on purpose by the director to allow the audience to appreciate the beauty of the forest and nature as a whole. There are diegetic sounds and no artificial lighting, the colors are beautifully saturated and vibrant which emphasizes the beauty of nature and the wilderness. Moreover, this could also highlight how the family is socially disconnected and isolated from society. Similarly, in the opening sequence of ‘No Country Of Old Men,’ we are presented with a slideshow of desert horizons and landscapes with no sign of civilization. Moreover, both of these films’ opening scenes add a sense of curiosity amongst the audience as they aren’t completely sure about where they are and unaware of what will be taking place. However, in ‘No Country For Old Men’, we are immediately shown the conventions of a Western Film, despite no characters yet appearing on the screen. There are long shots of hills and a close-up shot of a barbed-wire fence. This further implies that although it is a remote location, there are indications of civilization. However, in Captain Fantastic, our first indication of life upon the land is our initial alignment with a deer. This could suggest how although both landscapes depict the sense of desertion, one is more naturalistic than the other.  

Examples of visual cues in ‘Captain Fantastic’ would be in the recurring scenes Ben dreams of his deceased wife. In these scenes, there is calm, naturalistic music along with dream-like lighting in order to create a joyous and nostalgic atmosphere that could project how the mother was when she was alive. The harsh reality is soon revealed when Ben wakes up, and the viewer is as active as Ben as they were both awoken into reality. 

In terms of mise-en-scene, in Captain Fantastic, the costumes worn could suggest that they are out of touch with the modern world, which is evident in the funeral scene as their brightly colored clothes contrast with the other mourners who wear black and white, defying traditions. Furthermore, it could also be interpreted that hair is symbolic, as Ben shaves his beard and Bo shaves his head to make a change in lifestyle and transition of identity. These visual cues encourage the spectator to be active as they notice the juxtaposition between the family and mainstream society. 

However, in No Country For Old Men, almost all characters wear costumes that designate their location, profession, and establish them as traditional Western Characters. The color scheme consists of beiges, golds, and browns, which fit the Western world. However, an exception is Chigurh, who wears dark blue clothing, which implies to the spectator that he’s a character who lacks the sense of place and time or a character who simply doesn’t belong in that environment making him stand out. 

 ‘No Country For Old Men’ is essentially a film about survival that focuses on themes of morals, morality, and luck. Overall, it’s a story about how people deal with death. Moreover, Llewelyn moss is one of the significant characters in the film, however, his death wasn’t significant at all. He was killed off-screen with no indication of who may have killed him. Therefore, Moss symbolizes how death comes for us all no matter what. Comparatively, in ‘Captain Fantastic’, the mother also died off-screen. However, the distinction between these two characters is that the mother committed suicide instead of being intentionally killed. Further, it could be interpreted that Moss may have got ‘karma’ or metaphorically killed himself when he refused to help a wounded survivor. Nonetheless, he was still disturbed by the thought of a wounded survivor begging for water, so when he returned with the intention to help, he made a moral choice, motivated by compassion and obligations of pre-established values. Moreover, the audience is encouraged to feel some sort of sympathy for his death.

 Both films do not encourage the audience to necessarily sympathize with the protagonist as the directors subvert the typical expectations of a ‘hero’. For example in Captain Fantastic, During the confrontation with Ben and his father-in-law, we are initially aligned with Ben and we begin to feel sympathy and affection for him as Rellian has left him. However, We begin to see Ben's world through an alternate perspective so his idealism begins to become questionable to the audience. The cinematography in this scene displays the clear power imbalance between Jack and Ben. Ben looks smaller, inferior, and less impressionable through his clothing style, putting his argument to a disadvantage. His responses are persistently defensive and he is unable to justify his actions. He proceeds to try and look for an escape, consistently looking behind him, suggesting that he's aware that he may be in the wrong and can't win the argument. On the other hand, Jack is portrayed as dominant in comparison to Ben, clearly emphasized through his clothing, giving him an upper hand. Moreover, it can be argued that both of their ideologies can be balanced as they're both the hero and villain of the film. Further, this allows the audience to hold their own opinions and perspective of the film, creating active spectatorship. Whereas in No Country For Old Men, it could be argued that death itself is the ‘hero’. A fearless force who defeats anyone; And the message for the viewer is that everyone will have to face this hero eventually. No matter how you lived, risked and regardless of whether you're ready to face it, death ultimately wins the gunfight every single time.