I've been thinking about the Men of Letters bunker and how it's gone from a place that represented a warm, comforting space to a claustrophobic, cold one.
I love the way the cinematic choices reflect the state of Sam and Dean's relationship.
When the bunker was first introduced it was mostly filmed as an open space with lots of warms colours - oranges, browns and yellow. It was a place full of wonder, lots of books, warming light and comforting whisky. It had a feeling of home.
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(8.13)
The bunker hasn't changed, in terms of the set, but the way its been filmed has. There's been a focus on lines and bars and the colour has changed also. The warm colours are not used as much, instead we see more grey and steel blue.
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(9.14)
Sam behind those swords and ghost!Kevin behind those bars are such great shot choices.
Absolutely love these shots. I initially thought they just looked cool, but I think they are definitive attempts to create a locked in (or even locked out) feel. Even as early as 9.04 (Slumber Part), we begin to see some changes. More corridors, stainless steal in the kitchen and that fabulous shot of the shadow lines.
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(9.04 (top left) and 9.14),
The room where Sam and Dean have their first major confrontation is a perfect set choice. The concrete is very noticeable and Dean looks anything but comfortable on that tiny stool attached to the table. The room feels closed in and small (in comparison to that great hall we've seen them eat before). I feel like it's quite oppressive and it's here that the bunker starts to feel less like home and more like a claustrophobic prison.
 (9.13, 9.14, 9.04)
We've also seen more corridors (navigating the twists and turns) and the kitchen is full of cold steel.
Dean's room has changed also. When we were first introduced to his room he was seen taking a pride in setting it up - hanging weapons on the wall. Later, the weapons no longer on the wall. I also love that low angle of Dean on the bed. We see lots of that cold, concrete floor. And Dean seems almost hemmed in by the bed.
(8.14)
(9.14)
As hard as it is to watch the boys at such horrible odds with each other, at least we can appreciate what Jerry Wanek (Production Designer) and the production team are doing to emphasis the strain in the relationship. |
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ash48
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Date: 2014-03-16 01:21 pm (UTC)I saw some meta, probably somewhere on Tumblr because I can't remember where and Tumblr is a formless void, suggesting that the bunker might actually be vital in Sam and Dean eventually being able to work through this stuff, because for the first time in their lives, really, they have some kind of happy medium between complete separation and no distance whatsoever. They've never been able to give a conflict space in this way before, where they can retreat to separate rooms without retreating to separate states. It's an interesting take, I think, though I'm not sure the writers are going there, but it is true that the current situation is actually less claustrophobic in a lot of ways than shared car and shared motel room 24/7.
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Date: 2014-03-16 01:30 pm (UTC)The bunker may not be the reason why they are fighting or even why they might come back together, but I think they have definitely made choices in the way they've chosen to film it to reflect their situation (well, I hope. I'd hate if it was an accident…).
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Date: 2014-03-16 05:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-16 01:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-16 01:35 pm (UTC)The kitchen was a place Dean was doing his own cooking for himself and Sam and making a home out of it and now it's booze and pizza from a box. Mostly booze.
Oh yes. It's interesting how homemade food represents a better state of mind - and better state in their relationship. And when they are drinking in that top cap it's communal. But in the kitchen (or…what even is that room? like an anti-kitchen or something…) Dean drinks by himself. I've always been interested in the way sharing a drink also reflects their relationship.
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Date: 2014-03-16 02:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-16 10:42 pm (UTC)Yes! That. :(
I wish we could also compare any such changes in Sam's room.
It would be interesting. Sam's room wasn't exactly homely before - more a place of work (maybe he's starting to put thing up - surrounding himself with more comforting things or something).
May the writers be able to reach the same level of clarity with the scripts.
here here!
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Date: 2014-03-16 03:11 pm (UTC)But of course, this was an impression based on no particular observation which is why I loves ya for pointing out WHY.
Edited to say, that screen cap of the odd kitchen/diner room is like an anti-Bobby's kitchen. I'd be interested to compare it with that shot from a similar angle of Bobby's place where Dean is going to the fridge and Sam is wandering about.
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Date: 2014-03-16 10:49 pm (UTC)Oh yes, hasn't it? It feels much like they are underground - whereas before it didn't feel like that so much. I think the grill at over the war table is the only nature light they have (I think?).
that screen cap of the odd kitchen/diner room is like an anti-Bobby's kitchen.<?i. Yes, Bobby's kitchen was full of stuff -his whole house was. It always felt like a homely place. The bunker's kitchen feels much more industrial.
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Date: 2014-03-16 03:17 pm (UTC)work that goes into the storytelling goes basically unnoticed...
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Date: 2014-03-16 10:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-16 03:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-16 10:53 pm (UTC)xx
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Date: 2014-03-16 05:39 pm (UTC)I noticed a change, too, particularly in the last ep, where suddenly we where seeing more scenes using those cold, barren corridors. A perfect visual allegory for the coldness and distance in the relationship between Sam & Dean, I thought.
I also love the fact that the bunker is not a finite space (meaning we don't know the full layout and whether we've seen all rooms yet), and they make great use of that, adding to the set as well changing existing sets through lighting and camera position. I would so love somebody from the art and set department to be at a con for q&a, I think they could talk more comprehensively about the dynamics and relationships between characters than the actors, and I'd love to hear all those little touches that I'm sure are there but to small to notice...
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Date: 2014-03-17 10:19 am (UTC)Yes indeed!
I also love the fact that the bunker is not a finite space
It's a great way to work a space I think. They can add rooms as the script needs. I also get the feeling that even the boys don't know every room - which is a little weird as you'd think the first thing they'd do is explore every inch. But it means we get exciting reveals each time they add a new area.
I'll be interested to see if the trend continues in future eps.
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Date: 2014-03-16 06:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-17 10:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-16 07:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-17 11:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-16 09:31 pm (UTC)Beautiful compilation of shots and analysis--thanks for posting this!
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Date: 2014-03-17 12:21 pm (UTC)does that look like the breakroom at the worst job you ever had or what?!
Haha! I'm sure I've had a break in a room like this before.
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Date: 2014-03-16 11:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-17 12:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-17 04:32 am (UTC)Seems much like the Impala in the earlier seasons, the Bunker is reflecting the status of the boys. Nice. I do love sneaky filmmaking. Heh. ;)
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Date: 2014-03-17 12:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-17 10:16 am (UTC)xx
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Date: 2014-03-17 12:49 pm (UTC)xoxo
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Date: 2014-03-17 11:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-17 12:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-17 07:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-18 01:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-18 02:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-18 01:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-18 02:57 am (UTC)now you made me sad...
is so hard seeing Dean not thinking about the bunker as his home anymore...
But I guess, not only the Mark Of Cain is changing him, a house is only a house if your family is there, right? and Sam pretty much said Dean's not his family anymore.
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Date: 2014-03-18 01:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-18 06:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-18 01:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-18 10:28 pm (UTC)This is a perfect way to highlight the change the bunker's taken this season. The colors are colder, the place is claustrophobic and uninviting, and Dean's eating takeout pizza instead of cooking himself. It's more a prison than a home. The boys should make up already, so that we'll get the pretty bunker back. Because obviously that's the only reason why I want them to make up. *nods*
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Date: 2014-03-20 03:33 pm (UTC)They should totally make up already! And have home cooked meals again and share a warming whisky!
I love the way they've used the bunker to highlight the state of their relationship. Especially in Wanek's episode. :)
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Date: 2014-03-20 03:38 am (UTC)But can someone tell me what that thing is over Dean's bed? Did I miss a comment that referenced it? Should I have noticed it on the show? I've tried to magnify the image, and the best guess I can make is... some kind of doll, possibly... Homer Simpson in a Santa suit? But...no. Surely not. I'm hallucinating, right? It's really just a stack of books or records (or porn mags), and I've failed the Supernatural Rorschach test. And anyone who thinks that ANY blurry object looks like Homer Simpson in a Santa suit has got to be seriously disturbed.
Please tell me what it is! Meanwhile, I'll be packing for a stay at that crazy house that Sam stayed at. (*tries not to look at picture again*)
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Date: 2014-03-20 03:36 pm (UTC)It looks like a bag of...something (who knows what?!) above Dean's head. Actually, I think it's the same bag (or whatever it is) that's under the gun in the first cap. Looks like it's just been moved over in the second cap.
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Date: 2014-03-20 03:20 pm (UTC)SPN does a lot of shots of people framed behind bars, I've noticed.
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Date: 2014-03-20 03:38 pm (UTC)SPN does a lot of shots of people framed behind bars, I've noticed.
Very much. Ones that I particularly loved were in S6 when they shot Sam behind bars - while his soul was in Hell.
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Date: 2014-03-24 12:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-26 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-26 10:56 pm (UTC)