Movie Analysis

Analysis of ‘No Country For Old Men’

These are images that I will be analysing from the neo-Western thriller movie ‘No Country For Old Men’ which is a movie made in the year 2007 based on the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name. It is set in the desert landscape of 1980 West Texas and tells the story of an ordinary man who by chance comes across a fortune that is not his, and then an ensuing cat and mouse drama begins for the money. The main themes in this movie are fate, conscience, circumstance, action and adventure.

In this image you see the villain who is shrouded in darkness which gives an element of mystery as to whom this villain is, why he has been arrested and what are his intentions. This gives the audience a hankering for these questions to be answered and makes the audience want to continue watching to find out the answers to these questions. This shot is a mid-shot that doesn’t reveal too much which makes the audience inquisitive.    

This image shows a struggle between a police officer and the main villain in the movie by the name of Anton Chigurh. Previously to this the villain is unknown as you do not see his face which gives him an element of mystery as to who he is or why he was arrested. This image shows the viewer the intensity of the struggle between the two characters which results in the death of the police officer. This shot that is used is a mid-shot which shows just enough to make the viewer feel they are in the intensity of the moment.

 

This image is a close up of the villains hands all bloodied up after the struggle he had previously had with the police officer who he choked with his handcuffs and killed him, then took the keys and unchained himself so that he could escape. It shows that he could be experienced in cleaning up behind himself which could make the audience wonder whether he has been in a situation like this before.