Casino Royale Camera Shot Analysis

In today's lesson my group watched the beginning of Casino Royale- torture scene (click to watch up to 1 minute) and listed the main camera shots of the start of the scene and evaluated them. We were also told the very useful website Daily Motion.

The first main shot we noticed was a high angle medium close-up (at 0.02) which showed Bond on the floor, this made him look vulnerable as we see him in the eyes of Le Chiffre looking over him.

The next significant shot was at 0.08, this shot is a big close up of Bonds face which exaggerates his emotions (him looking scared and not at ease).

After that there is a reverse shot showing the door being closed and locked at 0.12 (which is what Bond is looking at worriedly) and then a close up back to James Bond at 0.17.

The forth main camera shot we spotted was a low angle shot of Le Chiffre (at 0.19), this shot shows that he has more power over Bond in the scene and makes him appear to have a higher status.

There is next a close up of the prop Le Chiffre is holding (at 0.23) a piece of rope to beat Bond, this shot exaggerates it and shows its significance in the scene.

The camera then goes on to a medium shot to show the setting and Le Chiffre walking around Bond, we see that James Bond is very helpless in this moment in the scene (this shot is at 0.33).

At 0.44 we see a medium close up of Bond and Le Chiffre talking to him over his shoulder, because of the lighting in this shot Bond is bright where as Le Chiffre is coming from the shadows and so has a shadow cast upon the sides of his face, extending the idea of Le Chiffre being the 'baddy'.

The last main shot was another close-up of the rope being swung by Le Chiffre (at 0.58) before hitting Bond, this builds up tension until he actually hit him.

Through out the scene the camera shots are slow, building the tension until Bond is tortured or we think he will tell Le Chiffre the information. The camera shots also follow the rules of third and most shots are not central.