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Brothers Sequence Analysis

This sequence of five shots, taken from the movie Brothers, by Susanne Bier, represents the

film in a remarkably profound way. In these five shots and 17 total frames, the editing, mis-en-

scene, and action reveal the style of the film as a whole. In the following paper I will analyze this

sequence of shots and explain why their style represents the theme of unpredictability in

Brothers.

The sequence begins with shot one, which begins at 14 minutes and 35 seconds into the

movie. We see a long shot of a midnight blue frame, 1A, and can hardly make out the black figure

of a helicopter crashing in the center. A soft iris can also be seen around the edge of the frames

throughout the entire sequence, which helps us focus in on the action. The camera pans

downward as the plane falls and we see it crash and explode brightly against the dark background.

The camera pans upward now as a large, black mushroom cloud forms and rises from the

darkness, up past the top of the blue mountains, and into the light pink sky where it dissipates.

Although this shot only spans 30 seconds, the camera moves slowly and it feels as if the movie has

frozen in some poignant moment in time.

The first edit takes place in frame 2A. As the cloud dissipates, the frame dissolves relatively

slowly into an image of Sarah perfectly relaxed in the bathtub. There is a graphic match between

the horizon and the edge of the bathtub. This new shot of Sarah is also still a long shot. The

lighting, however, has changed from natural lighting to soft incandescent light and from blue to

yellow in hue. The shot focuses on Sarah for about 10 seconds.

The second edit to frame 3A is a cut to a close up of Sarahs face. The rhythm speeds up

slightly with a cut versus a slow dissolve. Her eyes are closed until we hear the diegetic sound of

the doorbell in the distance upon which they open slowly. She is still relaxed. This shot only lasts

two seconds. The third edit occurs with a cut to frame 4A in which we see Natalia running to

answer the door. The frame is a long shot again, but the lighting is now high key. The fourth edit

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cuts to Camilla running down the stairs and toward the door. The rhythm of the sequence

increases rapidly in shots three and four, each of which only last a second and contain quick action

and camera movement. The sequences pace reaches a climax here.

The fifth and final edit is a cut to frame 6A with Natalia and Camilla at the door. Natalia

opens it and a man in uniform asks if her mother is home. This is the first dialogue that we hear in

the sequence. Camilla then runs to get her mother and Natalia opens the door to reveal two men

wearing uniforms and somber expressions. The camera does not move for this entire shot and the

climaxing pace is broken. The clues, such as the mens attire and the sudden change in pace, are

subtle, but we soon realize that the men in uniform have come to tell Sarah of Michaels death.

It is important to note that only seconds before this sequence begins, Michael and his

buddies were talking and laughing. Disaster strikes mid-sentence. This unpredictability is

emphasized by the style of this sequence, which adds to the drama. Susanne Bier manipulates the

mis-en-scene, action, and editing in this sequence in order to create a style that makes the shock of

the plot successful. The style of this sequence of shots emphasizes the unpredictable nature of

tragedies, which is a major theme of Brothers.

With this in mind, the sequence now reveals evidence that the film as a whole has a style

that emphasizes unpredictability. The contrasts between shots now have a deeper meaning. The

dim natural light and eerie black smoke, which embody the dark tragedy, dissolve to the warmly

lit image of Sarah in perfect relaxation. Sarah reveals no awareness that Michael has died. The high

key lighting and fast-paced action of the girls running excitedly to the door, is contrasted eerily

with the slow, somber figures of the men in uniform. These changes in rhythm and lighting reveal

how unexpected this tragedy is to Sarah, Natalia, and Camilla. The style of this sequence is

therefore effective in making the audience feel the shock and horror of this unpredictable tragedy.

In this way, the style created within this sequence represents the theme of unpredictability, which

is seen throughout Brothers.

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Brothers Sequence Analysis

Leah Perez

Friday 2-3 pm Discussion Group

leahnicoleperez@gmail.com