Abandon All Hope - the Director's Cut
In this meta I want to look at the episode through examining the brilliant direction of Philip Sgriccia.
I think its amazing particularly how on a shoestring budget this show can have cinematic levels of visual composition for both the epic moments, and the intimate ones.
Of course its more than just Phil's direction everything here also owes a lot to everyone from the set designers and art department to the wonderful Director of Photography Serge Ladouceur.
I should add that all i know about directing comes from watching TV - i am sure there is so much more to be said about the direction here. I would love Phil to do a DVD commentary.
Crossroads:
Remember when they used to be two simple dirt roads? Things are so much more complicated now. Almost like an infinity symbol. Just a wonderful visual metaphor.
So I suppose Crowley won't get invited onto GMA now?
The genius of this scene is one I can't show in caps. It's when see both Crowley and then Cas disappear. Done simply by keeping the camera moving as the actors hide behind a pillar - its, simple , cheap and to my mind very effective.
The very first ep Phil directed was 1.14 Nightmare and there's a mirror here of that incredible shot that is still one that give me goose bumps.
Home sweet…
We move to scenes of family, of domesticity. There's a real sense of home here. And Cas doing shots with Ellen is awesome - I love his little crooked pinky!
A short scene that says so much about how far the boys have come in their relationship - but also how far they have to go. Simply shot, it oozes brotherly love.
This first scene between Dean and Jo is fun and light, playing a game they both know well, and there's affection and humour, a maybe a sense of that maybe, one day something more.
And then it's all reproduced later in a horrible terrible way, when that almost-kiss becomes a kiss before dying. By directing the action in this later scene to mirror the earlier one, it recalls in the viewer (either consciously or unconsciously, the earlier connection, and says more than a page of dialogue between them would about their relationship.
Wonderful use made again of the Watchmen set. In the rear of the streetscape can be seen at one point a billboard "Anti-God is Anti-American'. The question is raises here as it did in the movie, is what happens when God abandons America? Also Castiel walks under a sign saying "Jesus saves".
And then we have this wonderful shot of Castiel walking amongst the silent watchful reapers. Stunningly creepy image.
The confrontation between Meg and the hunters is straight out of a Western. The standoff between them is full of tension, until the moment when the invisible hounds attack when your heart rate shoots up as the pursuit begins. Sgriccia is great with action sequences - he also directed 'Night Shifter' and 'Jus In Bello'.
And the effects of the hounds are just so evocative. Jensen as Dean, gives us a wonderful flash of fear as Meg reveals their presence. later, the moment before the bomb, when we just see a huff of hellhound breath through Ellen's hair is absolutely inspired. I could almost smell its fetid breath.
Flags and mirrors
The scene between Castiel and Lucifer burns with intensity - and it was all done with lights and reflectors, a few flags and some CGI. Credit to whomever came up with the ring of fire concept too, its visually arresting and while i am a fan of rope or chains for restraint, for me this evokes an almost BDSM concept of psychological restraint.
So much of the scene between these two is done in tight closeups. The lighting is incredible here - glowing, red, and emulating the reflection of the flames, and signifies the passion here. But their eyes are dark with rage.
Same for the interaction with Meg. And I think we are seeing more cracks opening in the angels former lack of emotionality. As Castiel says to Ellen "I think I'm starting to feel something."
By contrast the scene of Jo dying is shot very white and blue, very cool colors, interestingly a very similar palate to how the scene between Nick and "Lucifer" was shot in 'Sympathy for the Devil'. the scenes have a similar emotional feel too - sadness and grief, and a sad resignation.
The writing plays a huge role in this scenes - I love the lack of sentimentality that allows the truth of the love in these relationships to shine through. And this is mirrored in the direction - the matter-of-fact way the boys go about building the bombs. So horrible in how mundane it is, assembling the things that will kill their friends.
Obviously direction plays a huge role in getting these amazing performances out of all the actors and they all bring a real integrity to their performances that broke my fucking heart.
I love the parallel here of the two sets of relationships: father/son in Bobby and Dean and of course mother/daughter in Ellen/Jo.
This is a cap and not a manip, and I wanted to mention again the great direction. Phone calls are difficult to make interesting, but Sgriccia does a brilliant job, aided again by the writing and acting. The call recalls to me that phone call Dean made to John in 'Home' - of course the contrast being John THE BASTARD isn't there for Dean - Bobby is.
Ellen and Jo. Again all elments go to the emotional impact of this heartbreaking scene, and the camera moving in and then keep that tight shot, unwavering, not letting us look away brings it home with a gut-wrenching punch.
Great balls of fire. More explosions please. Except not ones that blow our loved ones to bits. Again, given the small budget this doesn't look 'tinny' it looks like a big arse explosion.
A scene all about what we don't see - we don't see the piles of women and children's bodies slaughtered by Lucifer, or Death. I love the simplicity of Lucifer digging away - the way it's shot is almost as if he is on a stage, and Mark's performance here recalls for me the gravedggers in Hamlet, bantering about death as their dig Ophelia's grave.
I mentioned in an earlier post how I love theat the Show has now established Bobby as the photographer, another chronicler of this tale. And I lvoe the simplicty of this worldess final scene, as Bobby adn the boys recreate a hunters' pyre for Jo and Ellen. I especially love the slightly goofy faces they all have in the picture, rather than it being 'perfect'.
Hope you enjoyed this. I just love the way this show uses all dimensions of film-making to make every scene full of meaning and feeling.
I think its amazing particularly how on a shoestring budget this show can have cinematic levels of visual composition for both the epic moments, and the intimate ones.
Of course its more than just Phil's direction everything here also owes a lot to everyone from the set designers and art department to the wonderful Director of Photography Serge Ladouceur.
I should add that all i know about directing comes from watching TV - i am sure there is so much more to be said about the direction here. I would love Phil to do a DVD commentary.
Crossroads:
Remember when they used to be two simple dirt roads? Things are so much more complicated now. Almost like an infinity symbol. Just a wonderful visual metaphor.
So I suppose Crowley won't get invited onto GMA now?
The genius of this scene is one I can't show in caps. It's when see both Crowley and then Cas disappear. Done simply by keeping the camera moving as the actors hide behind a pillar - its, simple , cheap and to my mind very effective.
The very first ep Phil directed was 1.14 Nightmare and there's a mirror here of that incredible shot that is still one that give me goose bumps.
Home sweet…
We move to scenes of family, of domesticity. There's a real sense of home here. And Cas doing shots with Ellen is awesome - I love his little crooked pinky!
A short scene that says so much about how far the boys have come in their relationship - but also how far they have to go. Simply shot, it oozes brotherly love.
This first scene between Dean and Jo is fun and light, playing a game they both know well, and there's affection and humour, a maybe a sense of that maybe, one day something more.
And then it's all reproduced later in a horrible terrible way, when that almost-kiss becomes a kiss before dying. By directing the action in this later scene to mirror the earlier one, it recalls in the viewer (either consciously or unconsciously, the earlier connection, and says more than a page of dialogue between them would about their relationship.
Wonderful use made again of the Watchmen set. In the rear of the streetscape can be seen at one point a billboard "Anti-God is Anti-American'. The question is raises here as it did in the movie, is what happens when God abandons America? Also Castiel walks under a sign saying "Jesus saves".
And then we have this wonderful shot of Castiel walking amongst the silent watchful reapers. Stunningly creepy image.
The confrontation between Meg and the hunters is straight out of a Western. The standoff between them is full of tension, until the moment when the invisible hounds attack when your heart rate shoots up as the pursuit begins. Sgriccia is great with action sequences - he also directed 'Night Shifter' and 'Jus In Bello'.
And the effects of the hounds are just so evocative. Jensen as Dean, gives us a wonderful flash of fear as Meg reveals their presence. later, the moment before the bomb, when we just see a huff of hellhound breath through Ellen's hair is absolutely inspired. I could almost smell its fetid breath.
Flags and mirrors
The scene between Castiel and Lucifer burns with intensity - and it was all done with lights and reflectors, a few flags and some CGI. Credit to whomever came up with the ring of fire concept too, its visually arresting and while i am a fan of rope or chains for restraint, for me this evokes an almost BDSM concept of psychological restraint.
So much of the scene between these two is done in tight closeups. The lighting is incredible here - glowing, red, and emulating the reflection of the flames, and signifies the passion here. But their eyes are dark with rage.
Same for the interaction with Meg. And I think we are seeing more cracks opening in the angels former lack of emotionality. As Castiel says to Ellen "I think I'm starting to feel something."
By contrast the scene of Jo dying is shot very white and blue, very cool colors, interestingly a very similar palate to how the scene between Nick and "Lucifer" was shot in 'Sympathy for the Devil'. the scenes have a similar emotional feel too - sadness and grief, and a sad resignation.
The writing plays a huge role in this scenes - I love the lack of sentimentality that allows the truth of the love in these relationships to shine through. And this is mirrored in the direction - the matter-of-fact way the boys go about building the bombs. So horrible in how mundane it is, assembling the things that will kill their friends.
Obviously direction plays a huge role in getting these amazing performances out of all the actors and they all bring a real integrity to their performances that broke my fucking heart.
I love the parallel here of the two sets of relationships: father/son in Bobby and Dean and of course mother/daughter in Ellen/Jo.
This is a cap and not a manip, and I wanted to mention again the great direction. Phone calls are difficult to make interesting, but Sgriccia does a brilliant job, aided again by the writing and acting. The call recalls to me that phone call Dean made to John in 'Home' - of course the contrast being John THE BASTARD isn't there for Dean - Bobby is.
Ellen and Jo. Again all elments go to the emotional impact of this heartbreaking scene, and the camera moving in and then keep that tight shot, unwavering, not letting us look away brings it home with a gut-wrenching punch.
Great balls of fire. More explosions please. Except not ones that blow our loved ones to bits. Again, given the small budget this doesn't look 'tinny' it looks like a big arse explosion.
A scene all about what we don't see - we don't see the piles of women and children's bodies slaughtered by Lucifer, or Death. I love the simplicity of Lucifer digging away - the way it's shot is almost as if he is on a stage, and Mark's performance here recalls for me the gravedggers in Hamlet, bantering about death as their dig Ophelia's grave.
I mentioned in an earlier post how I love theat the Show has now established Bobby as the photographer, another chronicler of this tale. And I lvoe the simplicty of this worldess final scene, as Bobby adn the boys recreate a hunters' pyre for Jo and Ellen. I especially love the slightly goofy faces they all have in the picture, rather than it being 'perfect'.
Hope you enjoyed this. I just love the way this show uses all dimensions of film-making to make every scene full of meaning and feeling.