The Mexican Standoff. The good the bad and the ugly

The scene I am breaking down is the very last shootout between Angel Eyes, Blondie, and Tuko. This scene is considered to be one of the best showdowns and the best Mexican standoff of all time. If you start the scene from when Blondie (Clint Eastwood) puts down the rock to when he picks it back up the standoff lasts for over 5 minutes and the stare down last for more than half of that time. To begin the breakdown the key aspect of the scene is how the set was designed. It starts with the backdrop of a great plain desert like area, most likely Texas, where the characters are set up in a grave yard. These affects are meant to give off the classic western feel and the feeling of death is in the air. This gives off the feeling that one or more of the characters will meet their demise. The music in the scene emphasizes this even more with the classic rattler sounds, picking of guitar strings, and the, for the lack of a better description, dark Mariachi band music. These sound affects intensifies the scene giving the audience a better feel for the life and death in the scene. The last main affect that helps showoff the Mexican standoff even more is the use of the camera shots. The scene starts off with a wide shot showing two of the characters in background along with the backdrop with the hero (Blondie) as a mid level shot. This sets up the scene of what is going to happen and as the hero sets down the name it zooms in for a close up of the rock showing its importance. As the scene progress the director uses first an eye-level full shot then switches a couple of high angle full shot to show the distance and setting between all three characters. Next is a wide shot with one charter in the background and one at mid level to show the close to equal distance between the actors and the set up of the standoff. Next comes the close to 3 minutes of close up shots. Panning between the characters faces and their guns again intensifies the experience. As the close ups progress the scene shows them looking at each other and eventually two of the characters give a clue to what the showdown will come too. As the showdown is about to start the close up moves to Angel Eyes hand moving to his gun thus showing who will make the first move. To complete the standoff the scene is backed out to a high level full shot to show the winners of the match.