A Mighty Heart-Wrenching Scene

By Elizabeth Guzzo

[1] In the heart-wrenching scene in which Mariane discovers Danny has died, Winterbottom makes very specific choices in order to evoke emotions out of the audience. We, the viewers, are like the friends on the outside of the door, and we intrude on Mariane’s grief. Mariane is a very private person throughout the film, and the few times she is close to a breakdown, she always walks away from company. This time is no different. When she first hears the news, she stands for a moment in shock and denial. As it sinks in, however, she rushes indoors to the privacy of her bedroom. Winterbottom films from behind, and he keeps pace with Mariane. This gives the feeling that she is trying to escape us, but we are stalking her and invading her privacy. We are then alone in the bedroom with her in darkness. The darkness represents her pain and struggle, and she feels as if she is in a black hole. There is no escaping the truth, there is no hope for Danny to come home, and she must now deal with a life without her husband. In the darkness, her wedding ring shines the brightest. The director always has the ring hand showing to reinforce her devotion and love for Danny, and he films from the side so it is the only hand displayed. It forces the viewers to feel even more emotional for her loss. Mariane’s screams also make us seem like intruders; no one should witness a person in such pain. While no one enters the room, the director flashes back to characters on the outside to portray how Mariane cannot have privacy in her grieving. They do not leave the house, but they simply lurk outside and wait for her to exit her bedroom.

[2] In this scene, along with most of the film, Winterbottom dresses Mariane in white clothes. White represents rebirth, and in this case it is Mariane’s new life as a widow. Mariane is also a practicing Buddhist, and widows wear white to funerals, and they even sometimes wear their wedding gowns. Mariane’s outfit is therefore also her mourning clothes. In the dark scene, the white room, sheets, and dress, along with the shiny ring, stick out the most to us, the viewer. While we are still intruding on Mariane’s grief, it gives her a little bit of protection. It is difficult to see her face in the dim lighting, and at times she is able to cover herself by facing away from the camera with her arms around her head. After releasing some of her emotions, Mariane finally feels ready to meet back with everyone in the common room. When she is back in public, Mariane attempts to appear calm, collected, and in control. It is as if the person that entered the bedroom is one character, and the one who left is someone completely different. We are no longer intruders; this is the person Mariane wants to display to the world.

[3] In the final moments of this scene, Mariane learns about the brutal way in which Danny was murdered. Hearing that her husband was not only beheaded but that the men in the room watched the video is completely unbearable. It is unfair to Mariane that she has to discover this information with over five other people in the room. She cannot escape to the outside of the house, on account of walking through the men and the paparazzi that lurk around the building, so she is once again forced into her bedroom. When she leaves, we remain on the outside with the rest of the team, and a cell phone then begins to blare. This reinforces just how much we, along with the men, are intruding on Mariane. It is indecent that Mariane, who prides herself on remaining strong in the public eye, has so many people suffocating her space and witnessing her so vulnerable. The cell phone is an extra slap in the face. We feel ashamed; it is like a phone ringing during a funeral. Winterbottom consciously chose to direct the scene in way that makes us feel like the team in the room. We have no right to be there, but yet we are forced to be with Mariane throughout her hardest moment. It is a tear-jerking experience meant to force viewers to fully comprehend the horrific death of Danny Pearl. Throughout the scene, viewers keeps the fact that this actually happened in the back of their heads, making the scene even more difficult to watch.