Firstly, the scene opens with two characters sitting at a table in a cafe in a public discussing an important issue. The camera shot used is a medium close up to make us as the audience their clothing, pose and some expressions in the initial viewing of them. There is a constant switch between over the shoulder shot and shot reverse shot to relate to when the character talks during the conversation. This is effective as it allows us to feel a part of the conversation rather than just observing it. Throughout this scene, it is all quite natural therefore the sound is diegetic due to the conversation.
Both characters are wearing stereotypical middle class average American people, its shows that they are not superior or have too much power in society. They both have ‘normal’ lives possibly with a few problems. As the scene is quiet, it allows itself to build suspense which it does by quick cuts going back and forth between the two characters. This leads up to a very interesting scene and it changes from normality to mystery and questions.
In this scene, the main focus is on the special effect of various places exploding and shattering pieces around the setting. Before this happens, you see a close up of the girl and her distressed emotions about her surroundings. We then understand as an audience why this is due to the close up of the rattling coffee mug. This builds up to a long shots of the setting a multiple areas being exploded. In my opinion by slowly introducing a few shots which could be classified of enigma codes, it makes the audience ask this question, ‘What’s going to happen next?’ This is successful for the director as it was their initial thought to create this in an audience’s mind.
The effects specifically, represent a high quality and high budgeted film that can afford to use such effects. In my opinion these are really effective because they blend in the scenario and make the audience experience reality rather than ‘fake’ viewing. It’s trying to encourage real life viewing. The sound is also diegetic as the explosions occur which helps towards the reality of it. There are a few pans around the scene to get different angles of the area. Throughout the explosions, tension builds up towards the characters especially the woman as she is distressed. This is enhanced through the gradually increasing loudness of non diegetic sound of long mysterious notes. Before the scene ends, she questions the man as something hard hits her head. There is a straight cut back to reality and the close up of the woman’s eyes opening.
In the reality, the room is quite dull, with light coming through the windows which seems quire natural rather than enforced lighting. It also creates shadows of the characters, this could emphasise the fact the setting is empty with no one around to disturb the men who are examining the woman, and we gather this due to her hospital patient clothing. During the long shot of the setting, there is a slow pan just to get a bigger image round the three characters to make us aware about the surroundings of reality.
Lastly, we go back to the woman dreaming, but assumedly we as the audience thought that she died in her previous one as she got hit. This is important as the audience to understand the key narrative of the film which is that it’s all about examining and controlling your dreams. As we go back to the dream, it is instantly in a point of view shot looking down and searching the area in the woman’s perspective. This could represent nervousness and distress as she wonders what is happening. Throughout the scene there is diegetic sound used.
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