The Rollo Tomasi scene in LA Confidential emphasizes the personas of the characters through light and color. This is the only domestic scene in the movie which takes place in Dudley’s kitchen, giving the viewer a sense of comfort and encouraging them to let their guard down. Due to the inauspicious lighting, the viewer should notice there is something more going on than the scene portrays on the surface level. The stylized natural lighting emphasizes the dark and the light, especially the white versus the black. Dull browns and off-whites fill the kitchen, the only true white we see is Jack’s shirt, emphasizing his innocence about his death. This adds to the ominous atmosphere that takes place late at night in the heart of Dudley’s home. As the camera focuses in on Dudley, half his face is seen in light while the other half is dark. The light represents the apparent good you see in Dudley being in the LAPD, but the dark represents his true color and his evil side. This same lighting occurs on Jack’s face, but for him it represents knowledge of the unknown. This specific lighting functions as delineation of both Dudley and Jack. Another visual element that adds to the place of power is Dudley standing while Jack is sitting. This makes him seem more powerful than Jack although their costumes would direct the viewer otherwise. Dudley is dressed in his robe and Jack looks sophisticated in his suit; adding to the element of surprise when Dudley inconspicuously shoots Jack. The mechanical special effect occurs when we see blood on Jack’s shirt after he is shot. Each visual aspect shown in the scene adds depth to the characters and to the plot of the film.
Group:
Lily Parrish, Rachel Victor, Ariel Sobel, Caribay Frankie
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