Rollo Tomassi

By Caroline Deisley, Corey Martin, Connor Kerrigan,Tang Chang, Christine Barron

In the Rollo Tomassi scene in LA Confidential, there are some great examples of visual design. For example, the entire scene is set inside Dudley's home which exudes a familiar feeling for the audience. It's a relaxed setting as Dudley answers the door in his robe and pajamas which drastically compares to Jack Vincennes fancy attire. Vincennes arrived at Dudley's house on a mission to accuse Dudley of all his wrongdoings so he is on the offensive whereas Dudley who seems as if he was awoken from a slumber is on the defensive. The coloring of the set is extremely beige, a bland, natural color that doesn't suggest anything out of the ordinary. There is just one light source, the keylight which comes from the overhead light in the kitchen. For a majority of the scene, Dudley's face is half-lit with half of his face completely dark. There also is significance in the fact that Jack Vincennes is seated throughout the scene whereas Dudley stands with his already taller figure for the entire scene. Vincennes posture is extremely relaxed as he is sitting rather comfortably in the chair, playing with the coffee creamer right before Dudley whips out a gun and shoots him. The special effects use in the scene specifically the blood that trickles out right after Vincennes is shot is interesting to note because it plays a role in the uttering of the word's "Rollo Tomassi." Had the blood been splattered everywhere, all over Vincennes, it would not make any sense that he would still have the capability to speak. Finally, the use of a prop (the gun) is vital to this scene because of the drama that ensues once it enters the scene; however, it's also interesting to note that this prop is completely hidden throughout the scene contributing to the unexpectedness of the situation.

We all remembered gasping when Dudley shoots Jack Vincennes something that is largely attributed to the use of visual design in the scene to create this sense of normalcy and unexpectedness.