After reading Ebert’s article on reading movies, I set out to analyze a selected short scene from The Wire, season 3, episode 8. Here, Stringer starts to build up financial connections through Senator Clay Davis.
When it comes to the artform of cinematography, there are intentions behind both the design of visuals and audio. To carefully analyze each, I watched the video without sound, and then listened to it with my eyes closed.
Looking:
The clip starts with Stringer and Davis walking into a large federal building. Stringer is used to gang-related world of crime. While he’s smarter than most of his colleagues and has some business sense, he really doesn’t belong in this world of political corruption and bribery. This anxiety of not belonging is accentuated by the giant, formidable golden doors that mark the entrance. Inside we see a metal detector, again something that Stringer is probably not used to, as he entrenches himself in a world where weapons are second nature. He seems to keep his head lowered, and he follows Davis’ lead, unsure of what to do himself. When he meets the federal contact, the man wants nothing to do with Stringer. It’s up to Davis to take him aside to convince him. We see Stringer alone, adjusting his tie and glancing around in nervousness. he may be dressed the part, but this is not his world. As we see them leave the scene, even though Stringer towers physically over Davis, the senator is the one with all the power and influence here.
Listening:
We hear the busy streets of Baltimore, suddenly shut out as the two enter the building. The streets are gone now, this is a different sort of town. As they meet the federal contact, he voices his irritability at being stopped by Davis for some nobody. We hear the voices receding as Davis and the contact move away from Stringer to talk, with the last words being heard “You know who that is?”
We never get to hear what Davis says to convince the man. Stringer is just as much in the dark as we are about what happened. Again we see signs that he doesn’t belong, and is not a part of the inner workings of the political realm. We hear Davis explain to Stringer that this man however, is their key to success. Their “goose that lays the golden eggs”, referencing Jack and the Giant Beanstalk. Davis gives his signature laugh, and footsteps are heard as they walk off.
Analysis:
When combined, this scene shows, in just under 2 minutes, how much Stringer is in over his head. He is used to being the man n charge when it comes to the Barksdale organization. He is the man who people consult and turn to. But here, he is completely under Davis’ lead. He is left alone and isolated, both visually and audibly, from the conversation. This world is above his station, and even though he is trying his best to enter this world, he’s still clearly new to it all. This is a recurring theme in fiction, the idea that there are those born into power, and those who try to claim it. In many cases, the latter tend to fail, or stick out like a sore thumb. Stringer just might not be cut out for the inner workings of this world, and this short scene does a wonderful job of showing that.
