Scene Analysis: End of Watch

In this scene analysis of End of Watch, Brian and Mike have just run into an ambush with gangsters shooting at them and they have determined the only way for them to get out is to fight their way out. The first screenshot shows them both leaving the apartment the temporarily hid in to buy some time. The scene is dark to show uncertainty of what is outside of the door and both of the characters are in the shot Mike in the center and Brian off to the right. The second shot is a close up on Mike as he walks through the door checking to see if the coast is clear for them to continue. The third screenshot the camera jumps to what is behind Brian while he is checking the first side of the hallway a gang member in the center of the frame raising a gun to fire at them. I found it interesting that we do not see the faces of the two main characters when this happens to see their reaction but rather the face of the gang member ready to shoot. The fourth screenshot which in this scene I think is the most important, the camera jumps to first person which happens a lot in this film of Brian's view as we can see his hand and gun in the center of the frame as he shoots the gang member and we can see him start to fall to the floor as blood explodes from him. The fifth screen shot is when the audience finally sees the reaction of the two main characters Mike in an extreme close up in the center looking puzzled and alarmed as if to show he was not expecting someone right outside the door, and Brian over his left shoulder gun still raised. The final screen shot is both characters in the middle of the frame Brian walking in front of Mike and his victim lay lifeless next to him as they walk on determined to make it out alive. This scene only begins to show the panic that these characters are experiencing and the camera shows that jumping quickly from one shot to another and leaves the audience almost in a state of confusion because it can be difficult to understand what is going on, but that all ties into how the characters are felling in that same moment.