Scene Analysis

Becca Scheurich

Mrs. Wecker

Block 1

June 14, 2009

Illumination of Love

In The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks’ book comes to life in a beautifully made movie. No other story of two lovers has ever been so compelling. Noah, the poor country boy, and Allie, the rich city girl. The two go through every obstacle imaginable, including in the end of their lives, when Allie acquires Alzheimer’s Disease. However, Noah refuses to leave her and reads the story of their lives to her everyday in order to help her remember. The director, Nick Cassavetes, uses the lighting and reaction shots in order to reveal how much Allie means to Noah, and how he would never leave her, no matter what.

Throughout the scene where Allie remembers and then forgets Noah again, the lighting remains bright on Allie. In every shot, either a spotlight remains on her face, or backlighting illuminates her. This helps to keep the audience’s eyes focused on her. To add to this, she wears bright red clothes and light tan shoes, and has very light blonde hair. However, in comparison, Noah wears all dark clothes, has darker hair and the light does not usually focus on him. This emphasizes Allie even more and at all times. Through this, Cassavetes reveals how much Noah focuses on Allie, in turn revealing how much she means to him.

Cassavetes also uses the reaction shots of Noah in this same scene to reveal how much Allie means to him. While the couple dances, the camera cuts to a reaction shot of Noah. The audience sees his extremely loving expression, and can immediately realize just how much he loves her. Then, when the nurses rush in after she forgets him again, the camera cuts to yet another reaction shot of him. Tears fill his eyes, and his heart begins to bother him because of the stress the event puts him through when he already has heart problems to begin with. The sheer emotion that the reaction shots of Noah show reveal how much he cares about her. The fact that he still refuses to leave her later in the movie even though it worsens his own health shows how he would never leave her, no matter what could possibly happen to him.

The Notebook uses different techniques to display the degree of love between Noah and Allie. The camera emphasizes how Noah focuses on Allie by putting her in bright clothing in contrast to Noah’s dark clothing, and by putting her in the light for the majority of the scene. It also uses reaction shots of Noah to show just how much he cares for her. Although being with Allie ultimately hurts him, he sticks with her to the end. He refuses to ever leave her, even when his children ask him to come home. The degree of the couple’s love truly goes “’til death do us part”.