Introduction
When one watches a film, they have the ability to quickly understand it through its plot, its characters, and its setting. But a film is not just defined by those three aspects; rather, it is everything that a film has to offer – from the props to the position of the camera in a specific shot – that creates a message for the audience to interpret. That is where the concept of mise-en-scène comes to play, as it acts as a magnifying glass being used on a certain segment or scene from a film, a television scene, or a music video. With mise-en-scène, we are observing how media is visually constructed; and we do that by utilizing the four “Ps” of the 4P Framework: Point of View (POV), Position, Posture, and Props (Considine & Haley, 1999). By understanding mise-en-scène, we are able to achieve complete understanding of a film and the messages it left behind for us to discover. Mise-en-scène can be applied to the film, No Country for Old Men (2007). Set in 1980, No Country for Old Men follows a ruthless hitman as he hunts down a man possessing a briefcase full of drug money (IMDb, 2007). The film was directed by the Coen brothers – Ethan and Joen – who have collaborated in the past to deliver critically-acclaimed films, such as Fargo (1996) and The Big Lebowski (1998). Before 2007, the brothers usually relied on a formula meant for developing dark comedy thrillers; then, they turned a new direction and brought forth No Country for Old Men, which has been described as a film from the brothers that, for once, "doesn't rely on snark as a backup source of energy" (Schwarzbaum, 2007). Using mise-en-scène, we can take an extensive look into one character-defining scene and discover that the Coen brothers were able to use all four Ps in a four-minute scene to show the audience how their main antagonist – Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) – can look so calm and collected, yet pose himself as an intimidating individual.
POsition
As we are first introduced to the "Gas Station Proprietor," we see him conducting business behind the counter in his shop, taking notes right before Anton Chigurh walks up to pay for the gasoline (0:06). Not only does the proprietor start the scene from behind the counter, but he remains there for the entire scene; the same can mostly be said about Chigurh, as he is positioned at the front of the counter up until the final moments of the scene. It is important to highlight how the two characters are separated by the counter. It acts as a divider between two opposing forces. But for the proprietor, his back comes very close to the wall of the shop, while Chigurh has plenty of room to move around freely. Therefore, the proprietor is left vulnerable, as he is left sandwiched between the back wall and the counter; he is essentially trapped in his post not knowing he is about to confront a dangerous individual. As the scene moves along, the proprietor's ability to escape from the conversation is limited, as he is cornered by the remorseless Chigurh and is left with no choice but to hope he makes it out of this situation in one piece.
Point of View
This scene relies heavily on the use of alternating shots of Chigurh and the proprietor, and for good reason. Through the use of over-the-shoulder shots (as seen above at 0:26, for example), the audience is given the opportunity to experience two different points of view (POVs). These POVs are different in how they are shot. When it is shot through Chigurh's POV, as the camera peers through his shoulder as he faces the proprietor, it seems to be typically shot in a slight high angle. The high-angle shot contributes to the proprietor's aforementioned vulnerability. Through Chigurh's POV, the audience gets to witness what it is like to be control of the situation and see how the victim Alternatively, the proprietor's POV, which involves being filmed behind his shoulder as he looks towards Chigurh, exemplifies the idea of being overwhelmed. Whereas Chigurh's POV is shot in a high-angle, the proprietor's POV is usually shot in a low angle. Through this, Chigurh is perceived as a powerful being and is reinforced as the man who pulls the strings in the situation he finds himself in.
Posture
At 3:35, the proprietor – as he shakes his head and appears dazed as to what is transpiring before him – attempts to make sense of the impromptu coin toss by asking what is being put up for it, to which Chigurh responds by saying “everything.” Upon hearing that response, the proprietor’s face stops in place. This is a very important moment in the scene as it shows the audience that the proprietor is seemingly beginning to understand the significance of the situation he is currently in and that his life could be in danger. The proprietor – with a look on his face that suggests he is starting to get concerned about Chigurh's antics – then asks why “everything” is being put up.
At 3:42, Chigurh once again demanded that the proprietor make his call for the coin toss. As he did so, he stared directly at his peer and remained firm in giving out his order. While the proprietor seemed to be looking out of sorts, Chigurh did not skip a beat in what he had to say.
At 3:46, the proprietor finally gives in and decides to call heads; as he does, we see how his posture has changed even more since his last shot. With his head now upright, he briefly looks down – potentially at the counter with the covered up quarter – and then raises his eyes back up to face Chigurh and to look right at him as he makes his call. When the proprietor looked down, it seemed as if the realization was setting in that he was in a life-or-death scenario. As he looks back up to make eye contact, it seems he is doing so in an act of courage; by finally making his call, he accepts the consequences that follow whether he wins or loses. The transition in the proprietor's posture in this scene is largely built on his understanding of the man he was conversing with; he went from looking puzzled, to looking disturbed, and then to looking valiant. It lets the audience know that the proprietor became more wary of the danger he faced as the scene progressed. Meanwhile, Chigurh was on a mission; and though it did take him time to convince the proprietor to participate in his game, he demonstrated that he was willing to be very patient in order to subdue his victims.
Props
The most important prop from this scene undoubtedly had to be Chigurh's quarter. Chigurh tosses the quarter into the air (2:57) and then has the proprietor guess as to whether it landed on heads or tails. Initially, the quarter acts as a judge since it is essentially deciding the proprietor's fate; to add more, Chigurh emphasizes that the quarter was dated back to 1958 to add significance to the coin, saying how it went on a journey of more than two decades before ending up in the proprietor's gas station (3:27). It demonstrates how a single quarter – which had been used for small purchases – can suddenly become incredibly valuable. It extends further into representing Chigurh's nature, who feels that everything happens for a reason and that he cannot do anything about it except let the events play out as intended. This is reinforced when Chigurh insists that the proprietor hold on to the quarter separately after correctly guessing it to have landed on heads (4:00). Chigurh feels that quarter in particular is meant to be treasured, as if he believes that the quarter itself decided that the proprietor is meant to live on.
Conclusion
The "Coin Toss" scene from No Country for Old Men is a widely popular clip. That popularity is a result of the Coen brothers' ability to present Anton Chigurh as a terrifying figure in a scene filled with tension, yet no violence whatsoever. If an individual were to stumble upon the clip for the first time without first watching No Country for Old Men in its entirety, they would still not fall short of understanding Javier Bardem's portrayal of one of the most unrelenting killers in motion picture history; because the "Coin Toss" scene can work by itself as a short film, as it was able to take the four Ps of the 4P Framework – Point of View (POV), Position, Posture, and Props – and combine them all to put together a scene that leaves the audience relieved beyond belief that the proprietor was able to escape from such a villainous human being.
References
- Coen, E., & Coen, J. (Directors). (2007, November 21). No Country for Old Men. IMDb. Paramount Vantage, Miramax, Scott Rudin Productions. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477348/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_10_prd
- Considine, D., & Haley, G. (1999). Visual messages: Integrating imagery into instruction (2nd ed.). Englewood, Colorado: Teacher Ideas Press.
- Schwarzbaum, L. (2007). Coens of Silence: Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly, 964, 48–49.
Media in this analysis has been compiled for educational purposes.