Analysis of V/A elements in an episode of Breaking Bad
Introduction: “and the Bag's in the River”
The third episode of season one in Breaking Bad is the best episodes in the series because of the deft application of various cinematic elements like those of the cinematic visual and audio notions used in it. The prime focus of this episode is over the interaction between Walter White and the drug lord who is held captive in the basement of Jesse’s house. The major part of the episode comprises of their interaction in the basement and concludes with Walter chocking the drug lord to death who also stabs him using a broken plate. This essay aims at exploring the deployment of various visual and audio elements in the third episode of Breaking Bad and also attempts an understanding of their relative contribution to the cinematic excellence embedded in the scenes of the episode.
Visual elements: (Distance, angle framing, focus)
The main scene of the episode is that of struggle and is mostly framed using close shots where Walter and drug lord are seen occupying major portions of the frame and with the basement visible in the background. The camera is kept horizontal and parallel to the ground to give equal focal importance to both characters. As Walter interacts with him while sitting on the floor, the camera slightly revolves around the room and then converges over them to explain the emotional connection between their topics. Also, the sudden close-up shots of Walter are used to explain the transition in his thoughts where he develops a compassion for the Drug Lord. The scene ends with the camera standing vertically behind the drug lord when Walter chokes him to death and he himself gradually falls on the ground after being stabbed.
Visual elements: (Décor, lighting, scene setup)
The episode has major proceedings in the basement where Walter and drug lord interact over their personal issues and develop a bond. Walter is freely moving in and out with the drug lord affixed to a pole in the centre of the basement by using a tyre-lock around his neck. The décor used is for showing the dark and tools stuffed backdrop of a basement with no significant furniture. Besides Walter, the drug lord is generally held in the centre of basement and is held closely fixed to the pole. The basement’s décor is a major contributor to the screenplay as it illustrates the notion of grey reality of the life where either of the predator or the prey needs to be eliminated for survival.
As for the visual elements in the scene, the dull lighting of the basement adds to the effectiveness of scenes in showing the interaction between merciless crime and that of a natural life for a middle-class man. The light shaded colors in the clothing and the dark backdrops in the scene are brilliantly used to explain the mental state of the two people. The shot is taken in a way so that both characters are found to be in their natural forms during the struggle when Walter wins only because of his alertness and the drug lord being badly fixed to the pole.
There is no major use of background music in the episode but use of sudden sounds like those of plate cracking, clatter of metal lock with the pole during the final struggle, and vocal sounds of pain and struggle are brilliantly used to cast a synchronized audio-visual montage. There is another crucial emphasis of sound to explain the intensity of struggle and to engage audience in the vital necessity of the plot to explain why Walter needed to kill the drug lord.
Conclusion
Apart from the brilliant performance of the actors, the technical aspects of film-making utilized in this episode make it very catchy for viewer’s attention, specifically when the Walter and Drug lord engage in the final struggle. As a concluding statement over the visual and audio elements used in this episode, I found the use of camera angle, framing styles, sounds, and lighting to be very effective in making the entire experience to be very engaging for the viewers.
