November 22, 2020
Agent Carter
The clip of Marvel's Agent Carter opened with synchronous sound as the marvel introduction transitioned into the first scene of the film. The voices of Agent Carter and Captain America are heard before they are physically shown, providing a smooth transition into the action-packed scene. This use of leitmotiff with sound or sound bridge brings viewers into the scene, before they see it. The superhero, Captain America, is seen in a shaking close shot, signifying that he is in a plane, as the film cuts between him and a close-up of Agent Carter in a command center. As Captain's plane is seen plummeting downwards, a close-up with a locket of Agent Carter is seen on the dashboard of the plane. This detail signifies the close relationship the couple had, and their regard for one another, which has a clear significance in the storyline. Elements of misc-en-scene like Agent Carter's clothing, cars in the streets, and the machinery in her workplace point to the era in which the movie takes place, the 1940s.
After the opening shots, when Carter loses connection to Captain America, a landscape and establishing shot of misty New York City and the Brooklyn Bridge appears, allowing viewers to develop a sense of place. A sound bridge is once again used as the siren from the agent command center is heard, before the shot cuts to a close up on the red flashing light. Slight pan shots hereafter allow viewers to narrow their sense of place from New York, to the Agent's Office. The use of establishing and pan shots in the introductory scenes, allow viewers to understand where the movie takes place, along with the time in which it occurs. These details all provide viewers with a better understanding of the main plot and events.
As the alarm sounds, the movie cuts to a close up shot of a telephone, as a hand quickly reaches down to answer it. A diegetic sound is used allowing viewers to hear what the man with the black brimmed glasses hears through the call. The monotone voice gives updates on "the enemy" as extremely dangerous. Another close up shot focuses in on a paper which reads "ZODIAC" in bright red stamped letters. The movie begun with the chaos in Agent Carter's phone call, followed by blaring alarms in the office a year later, so every scene thus far has been urgent and panicked. These close up shots and phone call allow viewers some understanding on what is causing the alarms and panic, establishing an antagonist or enemy.
The head agent calls for 3 male agents to handle the alert and the pan shots of the office point out that Carter is the only woman in the entire agency. The camera cuts to a close up shot of her blank and unsurprised expression and cuts back to a wide shot of her surrounded by male agents. The different shoots, especially the pan and wide shots reflect the isolation that Carter faces in the workplace. The discrimination is made clear as a close-up shot of the head agent's hand on her shoulder is shown. Through the use of diegetic sound, the audience can clearly hear the shift in his tone as he speaks to Agent Carter. From a stern and leading voice, he talks to her in sugar coated assurances like, "Sweetie." The inclusion diegetic sound which allows the audience to hear the conversation, and the wide shots which show Carter isolated in the office reflect the treatment she receives in the workplace.
At the end of the workday, the transition in time is clear through the misc-en-scene in the office. The lighting transitioned into a darker, low key and the city lights are seen glowing through the office windows. As Agent Carter remains seated, working at her desk the other agents in the office were packing up or already gone. A few shots later, the head agent and a group of other men are seen in a group and turned to face Carter, saying they're going out for drinks as it appears she's receiving an invitation. Instead, the head agent gives her more work to do, and the overwhelming male presence in the agency is reflected through the staging of the male agents in a row around the head agent, standing intimidatingly. The staging of the agents around Carter and the low key lighting in the scene created an serious and dramatic feeling over the clips in the office at night. The misc-en-scene used in the office at night reflects the serious discrimination Carter faces in the workplace, from all of her coworkers.
As Carter walks through the agent command center alone, diegetic sounds like sirens and a clock chime point out the silence in the office, where Carter remains working alone. The alarm blares shortly after Carter's footsteps are heard echoing through the office, and non diegetic sound is layered over these diegetic sounds to make the scene more dramatic and mysterious. After Carter answers the phone call stating the coordinates of Zodiac, the scene cuts to a dimly lit New York street. As she approaches the lit building amongst the surrounding empty and dark ones, the camera shows her walking from every side. This builds anticipation as she walks, because viewers are aware the case was recommended to be handled by 3 to 5 agents. Two men come out to take care of Carter once she is seen, and the sound heard hereafter in the fight scene is a combination of many different types. As Carter fights the men, Polysynchronous dubbing and nondiegetic sound is used to make the fight scene seem really intense, with noises of her briefcase hitting the men and grunts of pain. Simultaneously, another man sits in his office unaware of the tumult outside, and the sound heard when he is shown is the diegetic sound within his office of loud music from his radio. As the man inside notices his other two men disappeared, he exits the office, crunching on broken class which is also heard through the use of diegetic sound, while the anticipating background music plays over the scene as well. With a quick cut to an over the shoulder shot of the man outside, a gun is immediately seen raised to his head, and the click heard, signifying that it is loaded. Every aspect of the misc-en-scene, background sound, camera angles, and artistic choices in the scene built the suspense up to this moment in the movie. Stopping the clip here leaves viewers on edge, and yearning to see more of what Agent Carter finds, as this is her first time out in the field since the war, as highlighted in her conversation with the head agent.
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