I analyzed the film Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Particularly scene 11 where Brad and Angelina Jolie have just learned that the other person is a spy. In the movie they are typical suburbanites living in vanilla wedding bliss. They are both highly paid lethal assassins who work for rival organizations. When they find out that they are eachother’s next target they learn the true identity of eachother. In this scene, they are having an ordinary dinner except both believe that they know something that the other one doesn’t. They are trying to act like nothing is wrong while plotting the way to kill one another.

Personal-

My personal reaction from this scene is suspense. As the viewer, I know that they are both spies and I know that they both think that the other one doesn’t know…when they really do. (confusing to explain…sorry). During the scene I keep wondering which one is going to make the first move. I keep looking for clues as to which one is going to make the first move towards harming or even killing the other.

Historical-

I never really know what to put for this section and I really hate it….I guess the historical reference could be the “fake” storybook perfection that this couple is living in that is really a lie. At the beginning of the scene, Brad Pitt pulls up the house which is the typical suburban home. It is absolutely beautiful with a white picket fence and every blade of grass in the perfect place. Everything seems to be perfect, but it isn’t. The couple are both spies and using the other as their cover up. They really don’t even know each other. This kind of reminds me of The Robinsons. They seemed perfect on the outside but really were quite dysfunctional. The whole scene of the dinner also has some historical elements that I recognize but can not identify. During the scene, Brad Pitt is hesitant the eat the food because he fears it might be poisoned. We have all seen films where the enemy is befriended only to be defeated. This scene reminds me of such an encounter.

Technical-

The scene starts out in the car with Brad Pitt as he drives up to the house to find his wife whom he has just found out is a spy for a rival assassin company. The camera angle makes you feel like you are a passenger in the backseat of the car. As Brad enters you walk with him as he secures the scene and looks for Angelina. Inside the house the lighting is very warm. The sources of light come from various ceiling lights, the fireplace, and candles throughout the room. The bulk of the scene takes place at the dinner table. The camera shifts between Brad and Angelina in a medium close up. There is a point in the scene when it climaxes and Brad think that his wife has poisoned him. The camera shifts to the mirror where there is a reflection of poisonous household cleaners in the reflection. Then the camera shifts to a close up of Brad chewing his food and then back to Angelina who has an unsuspecting look on her face and then back to Brad who exaggerates the swallowing of his food. He does this to show that he isn’t scared of anything that she may try to throw at him throughout the course of the evening.

Ethical, Cultural, Critical-

The ethical perspective is that this couple is married while plotting to kill one another. The common consenses of our society is that a couple should marry for love and the holes of spending their lives together in happiness. Instead, these two spies married thinking that the other would be a good cover-up. Then when they find out the truth, they are shocked to learn that their whole marriage has been a lie when each of them was equally contributing to it. Then their spouse turns into their next hit. Talk about ’til death do us part!

At the beginning of the scene, Angelina greets Brad at the door with drinks in hand and dinner on the table. Everything is perfect and it appears that she is the epitome of the suburban housewife. This makes the viewer feel that something else is going on here and that nothing can be a perfect as it appears.