[0:18]The Untouchables remains one of my favorite films of the late 1980s and is a swiftly directed crime drama set during the prohibition era and the attempts made by Elliot Ness to stop gangster Al Capone. It's an exciting tale filled with compelling characters, spectacular camerawork, brilliantly staged action sequences, but most importantly, great direction by the one and only Brian De Palma. This video is going to focus on the sequence where Ness apprehends Capone's bookkeeper, as he has secrets vital to taking the man down. In this scene, Ness, played brilliantly by Kevin Coster, and fellow agent Stone, played by Andy Garcia, have just lost their most important partner, Sean Connery. This sequence is separated into three parts, or three acts, basically, much like most of De Palma's work during action sequences. Number one, the setup. This is where the characters are in position and are ready to engage in the mission. They have all their tech setup. They have everything they need set up. Number two, the buildup of tension. This is where something may get in the way or character interferes with the mission, resulting in him or her being in subsequent danger. This could also be a confined sequence where the protagonist is given specific information that is either detrimental to himself or herself, or the closest people around him or her. And number three, the emotional or physical payoff. This is basically where all hell breaks loose and can include injuries being sustained, strange occurrences, or even death. It can be done in the very physical manner involving gunshots or fist fights.
[1:51]You're empty. So are you. Or it could be as simple as two people settling a score, or just talking about how to resolve an emotional conflict. Which one is it? It's the one that says bad motherfucker. Part one of this scene or the setup is Elliot overseeing everyone coming in and out of the station. He briefly looks to his partner who stands guard in another part of the station. With this custom grid design I've just set up, you can see that the baby is either positioned or moved into the middle of the frame. This enters part two of the sequence, or the buildup of tension. I personally like the fact that baby music is playing in the background. Because it gives the sequence a more down-to-earth feeling, but also has a feeling that something huge is about to go down. We might also get this specific feeling because we're very engaged with these characters, because they're very likable. Something De Palma is able to create in such a short amount of time. We want them to succeed, and since this is also based on real events, there's added weight to the situation in regards to realism. You can tell De Palma is definitely tributing the works of the great Alfred Hitchcock by keeping the audience in suspense with them not knowing who is coming or when they will arrive. As Elliot decides to help the woman and her baby, he begins to notice more and more of Capone's men show up as they start to give him an elongated stare. The tension builds even further with the increasing score by a Neo Moricon. I'll take it for you, sir. Thank you very much for your help. Thank you, sir. To me, this is a perfect three-act sequence and part three, or of course, the payoff, initiates once Elliot recognizes a man from the altercation he had with Capone earlier in the film and decides to take brutal action. Is something wrong?
[3:42]I love the fact that Elliot initiates the fight and not the antagonist. Part of him needs the bookkeeper in order to testify against Capone for tax fraud. However, the other part of him wants revenge against those who murdered his two other comrades. The payoff to this is not simply just guns firing and a big shootout. An essential part of the sequence is the baby, as well as the carriage, falling down the stairs. It still gives me goosebumps to this very day, and it's amazing how well this scene holds up nearly 30 years after the film's release. The slow motion with the added benefit of beautiful sound effects give this sequence a physical and emotional weight. The editing as well as the pacing of this sequence is now brutally enhanced with the cuts coming fast, but not too fast, because we can still see everything that's going on. I also love the sound effect of the guns in this sequence. Notice the sound of Elliot's gun differs from the sound of the antagonist's guns. The framing of the baby as well as the carriage is almost always perfectly centered into the frame. And it's a reason why De Palma really understands camera angles and doesn't have us scrambling to find where everything is. The shots are clean and the catalyst of the sequence is always positioned in the exact same spot. Now, there's one fantastic shot that I'm going to freeze frame, involving Stone pointing his gun with the baby. The framing of this shot is perfect. In the left side of the frame, you see the gun, the middle stone, and the baby on the right. Stone finally shoots the sucker in the mouth, which looks so awesome, and his brain matter is literally splattered across the wall.
[5:26]Notice in this shot, every section of the frame is used, just like the one where Stone hits hold and baby. The dead thug is on the left side of the frame, the brain matter in the middle, followed by the bookkeeper who is scared out of his mind on the right side. I also love the fact that Elliot's gun throughout this part always remains in center frame. This really doesn't add anything to the suspense, but it's a great filmmaking choice because the thug also remains in center frame until he is shot. This also doesn't allow any kind of disorientation for the viewer. We want to see the action without having to really move our eyes anywhere. A prime example would be 2015's massive actioner Mad Max Fury Road. Every major action sequence has its primary focus or primary characters in center frame. We never have to scramble our eyes, we never have to look around what's going on. Everything is always center frame. In terms of a three-act sequence, The Untouchables, at least in my opinion, is one of the best ever created. It technically has everything: suspense, a great background score that elevates as the scene progresses, protagonist we side with, revenge-layered, and above all, action-packed in a rather not so action-packed film. The Untouchables not only remains in my top three De Palma films of all time, but I think it's one of the best films of the late 80s, which by the way, was a pretty bad-ass time for films. We had films like Aliens, Commando, Predator, Die Hard, Back to the Future Part 2, to name a few examples. Thank you guys so much for watching this scene analysis. I had tons of fun making it. If you guys would like to request me to do any more scene analysis, please send me a comment down in the comment section below. Thank you guys so much for watching as always, and stay tuned.
