Monster’s Ball establishes several parallels between Hank and Leticia through narrative co-occurrence. From their abusive parenting styles to the loss of their respective children, Forster validates this implausible relationship through commonality. The cinematic techniques visually assimilate Hank and Leticia characteristically and circumstantially. Though Hank is more apathetic and cold while Leticia is more emotional and reactionary, their resulting behaviors manifest similarly. Marc Forster frequently uses compositional repetition, in which, very similar sequences occur with one protagonist to then occur again with the other. This highlights the characters at similar phases in life or in similar mental states. Furthermore, rather than using
…show more content…
Just like Terrence Howard takes his last walk to the electric chair, Hank and Leticia take a “last walk” and end major phases in their lives; Hank’s work as a prison guard and Leticia’s role as a mother. Hank’s last walk starts as a far shot and he steadily approaches the camera; however, the diegetic sound is already articulating the context of the conversation/scene to follow (Hank resigning from his job). Similarly, Leticia’s walk down the hospital hallway begins as a far shot and she then approaches the camera. Though the news to follow is not verbally pre-articulated, the scene superimposes the image of her deceased son over her last walk (in a split screen-like fashion). However, why is Hank’s following sequence foreshadowed auditorily and Leticia’s visually? Is Forster comparing Leticia’s expressive emotional pain to Hank’s silent turmoil? We analyze Hank based on what we hear: we hear him vomit yet we never see it. We see Leticia cry, see her scream, see her regret despair manifest. Forster needs to convey similarity in terms of circumstance yet maintain difference in terms of causation and underlying sentiment. Furthermore, in both scenes, visual distance articulates temporality. Far is to old as near is to new. Leticia slowly approaches her dead son;
Just like Terrence Howard takes his last walk to the electric chair, Hank and Leticia take a “last walk” and end major phases in their lives; Hank’s work as a prison guard and Leticia’s role as a mother. Hank’s last walk starts as a far shot and he steadily approaches the camera; however, the diegetic sound is already articulating the context of the conversation/scene to follow (Hank resigning from his job). Similarly, Leticia’s walk down the hospital hallway begins as a far shot and she then approaches the camera. Though the news to follow is not verbally pre-articulated, the scene superimposes the image of her deceased son over her last walk (in a split screen-like fashion). However, why is Hank’s following sequence foreshadowed auditorily and Leticia’s visually? Is Forster comparing Leticia’s expressive emotional pain to Hank’s silent turmoil? We analyze Hank based on what we hear: we hear him vomit yet we never see it. We see Leticia cry, see her scream, see her regret despair manifest. Forster needs to convey similarity in terms of circumstance yet maintain difference in terms of causation and underlying sentiment. Furthermore, in both scenes, visual distance articulates temporality. Far is to old as near is to new. Leticia slowly approaches her dead son;