I chose this shot of the female
precog, Agatha, in her cabin at the end of the movie. Here, in this scene,
Agatha looks very light and serene, which is quite a change from her usually
frantic disposition. Agatha is shown in a yellowish soft light from the setting
sun in this frame. The fact that she’s bathed in light while the rest of the
frame remains in shadow draws the viewer to her. This frame is interesting
because all 3 precogs are shown, but Agatha is separate and highlighted, as she
seems to be for the length of the film. The 2 boy precogs are in the
background, very dimly lit. All 3 of them are reading books, which unites them
in this shot. The 2 male precogs are still important, just not as important as
Agatha, which is represented in this frame with the placement of the 3 precogs.
The director made sure that all 3 precogs weren’t separated in this shot. I
think this shows that they started out together at the beginning of the movie,
and they’re still together at the end of the movie, sharing the same habitat.
The lighting in this shot is significant because it shows the relationships
between the 3 precogs. The 2 male precogs are lit, yet still in shadows, while
Agatha is very well lit, showing her importance. The left top corner and the right
bottom corner are both lit, creating a kind of symmetrical effect. It shows
that all precogs are powerful and special humans, but Agatha’s lightning puts
her on a different level than the other 2.
This shot is a combination of a
panning shot and a long shot, because the camera moves throughout the little
house while scanning each subject shortly until it moves out of the house and
zooms out on the land leaving the house a little, scenic cabin in the distance.
I believe that this shot was used to show the continuous movement of life. It
shows this by constantly moving, slowly, showing each of the subjects as they
carry on their lives. Life doesn’t stop for anything – I think that’s the idea that’s
being represented in this shot. This shot also concludes the film quite well as
it brings it to an end in a gradual and subtle way that leaves the viewer with
a good feeling about the resolution of the film. Something that stands out to
me was the talisman or charm that Agatha is holding onto while reading her
book. Again, this differentiates Agatha from the other two precogs, who are
only holding books. Another thing I’d like to point out about this frame is the
costume choices. All 3 of the precogs have swapped out their high tech, almost
supernatural suits for normal, comfy looking clothes. I think this lends itself
to the resolution of the precogs and their new life as “normal” people.
