Comments by
Soham Joshi
Just like in the last clip, the camera angles and drum emphasize the urgency and mood of the situation. I think the significance of the trip is that it is the end of the dream. Everything seems to be working out for Peyton up till this point; he narrowly escapes all the previous situations such as by dodging bullets or running away at the perfect time. But the trip is a very abrupt and sudden end to everything that had preceeded it, as Peyton comes to a sudden realization that everything he has been dreaming is just that, nothing more than a dream.
I agree with all of you, once again the camera angles, along with the drums, are used effectively to give off the urgency of the situation as Peyton is running away. They make Peyton seem to be running faster than he actually is.
I agree with Rachel, the director did a great job of using the background music to depict Peyton’s feelings and thoughts that would otherwise be very difficult to convey with out using dialouge. In many other parts of the film, we miss out on the depth of Peyton’s thoughts and feelings because there is no narrator to describe them.
The camera angles were incredible in depicting the situation. I especially liked the end where the camera whirled in circles to give Peyton’s point of view of beng swallowed in teh whirlpool.
I don’t really understand the voice at the begginning of the clip. The slowness and deepness of it doesn’t really seem to fit. I understand it is supposed to be what Peyton is hearing, but the effect of it doesn’t seem to come through.
This clip does a great job of depicting what the author describes in the written version. We really get a sense of what is going on in Peyton’s mind throug the camera angles and music, which seem to slow everything down and take in everything that is surrounding Peyton.
At the begginning of the clip, we can really see Peyton’s expression of worry and fear and even a little pain. I don’t think these expressions can be matched in the written version because actually seeing his face gives away so much.
I think the clip does an excellent job of depicting his thoughts about his wife and showing the worry and fear on his face that he now feels. The ticking of the watch is emphasized in the clip as well, but I don’t think we can understand the true significance of it in the video as we can in the written version.
Its interesting how much detailed is placed on th preparation for the hanging. We see the soldier take quite a bit of time preparing the noose and getting Peyton completely ready for the hanging. I think this is to emphasize that what is going to happen to him is settling in on his mind and he is beginning to become scared.
I thought it was interesting how the scene slowly came into view. It was from the perspective as if the viewer was at the site, trying to stay hidden in the trees and not be caught, but still see what was going on.
In the last couple paragraphs that consist of Peyton’s dialouge with himself, it seems that Peyton is seriously doubting his ability to escape. This is a contrast to the beginning of Part 3, where it seemed he felt he was almost destined to escape and survive. Now, he has become sort of a pessimist, saying things like “the officer will not make that… error a second time” or “I cannot dodge them all!” and “that is a good gun”.
As hard as it is to believe, when I re-read the paragraph I think they actually may be spears or arrows, because the bits of metal were “singularly flattened” and moved “slowly downward”. Bullets would not be flattened or move slowly, and like you said, could not be snatched out either.
In the previous paragraph, Peyton slowly took everything in and was appreciating everything that surrounded him, but as this slow realization continued, he noticed the soldiers and the captain and the sergeants and everything else around him and a contrasting sense of urgency came over him and everything began to speed up again.
It’s amazing that Peyton is able to take all of this in and notice it in such detail as if he has all the time in the world. This paragraph seems to slow everything down, when infact everything is moving so quickly.
I agree with Zhenya, it seems like his body is moving of its own accord and he doesn’t realize what it is doing until he actually sees it. He’s even amazed at how quickly and efficiently his hands are moving and allowing him to escape.
Craig, i don’t think the first sentence states that he’s dead. It says that he was “as one already dead” because he lost conciousness and was about to drown, so for all intensive purposes you could call him dead, however he eventually “awakened”.
I think the Union is hagning him because he sneaks onto their “side” and attempts to burn the bridge, so they take him as a prisoner.
I definitely missed the significance of the driftwood the first time I read it. I thought he was implying that the driftwood could be taken for supplies, but this makes much more sense.
I think this dialouge is actually very important because Peyton is kind of making himself vulnerable to the spy soldier. He is revealing his intention to go to the bridge, allowing the soldier to set him up.
I’d agree this paragraph is definite “foreshadwoing” (i put it in quote since it comes later in the story). It is also an example of how Part 2 of the story is clarifying and explaining the events that led to Part 1. We now have a good guess of why Peyton was caught and being hanged.
This paragraph illustrates Peyton’s and his wife’s loyalty and dedication to the South through their actions. Mrs. Farquhar is “too happy to serve” who she thinks to be a Confederate soldier and Peyton “inquired eagerly for news from the front”, which shows their interest to be of whatever service they can.
Part 2 opens with what you woud expect to be the begining of a traditional story. Instead, we see the “begining” of the story placed right in the middle, which is what makes this story so unique because the significance of everything you read in the first part becomes more clear as you read on, making this story work backwards in a way.
The last two sentences about the two soldiers at the ends of the bridge shows the approach that the soldiers are taking to the hanging. They merely view it as another hanging, another casualty of war that is necessary and that they are simply doing there job of guarding the bridge. The purpose of their job does not matter, only that it is being done matters.
I think the thought of a escape is a sudden realization at this point. At the end of the last paragraph was when it really sunk in that he was about to die, and not until then did he realize how much he was losing and leaving behind. Prior to the last paragraph, he was unnerved and not afraid at all, deciding that he would die with pride and dignity. But after thinking about his life and his family, he realized how grim his situation is, leading him to search for hope through an escape plan.
I also really like the symbolism of the ticking watch. As the intervals betwen the ticks seemed to be growing, it was almost as if death were playing with him and prolonging his dread of what was about to happen. He knew every tick brought him closer to death, which is what made them “hurt his ear like the trust of a knife”.
Also, I agree with Craig, I don’t think he was looking for a way to escape at this point. I think the detailed description of the scenery was made to paint a picture of the grimness of the situation. The scenery that is being described is littered with things like “the muzzle of a brass cannon” and “a single company of infantry in line”. I think he is realizing how trapped he really is because he is essentially surrounded by these weapons and Yankees.
I thought the line “Death is a dignitary …..of deference” was very interesting and ironic in this situaiton. It shows that the soldiers are not committing this atrocity out of choice, but rather, they feel, out of necessity and they view it as just another military act and therefore must respect it in that sense.
I think it is to bring things back to reality, like you said in your last sentence. Its to bring it back to the perspective at the begining, because the last paragraph was focusing on the man’s own thoughts and his own perspective, where as here it is from more of a general perspective, as if from a bystander, and I think the narrator wanted to emphasize this distinction