The Sunken Place
October 4, 2021
- Film Studies
On 27 February 2017, popular comedian Jordan Peele was awarded the 2017 Academy Award for the Best Original Screenplay for his directorial debut, the horror/thriller film Get Out1. Following the tradition of previously unspoken social satire implicit in films such as The Stepford Wives (2004)2 and Rosemary’s Baby (1969)3, Peele creates a complex genre film that, according to critics, ‘seamlessly weaves its trenchant social critiques into a brilliantly effective and entertaining horror/comedy thrill ride’4 doing for race what its predecessors did for women’s issues and gender politics.5 While it is relatively easier to create a jumpscare horror film, ‘Get Out’ attempts to go above and beyond, combining gory body horror with the subtle but very valid fears of a black person living in a white, liberal ‘color-blind’, ‘post-racial’ post-Obama America6,7 that rejects racial biases on the surface but is far too comfortable dismissing black rights to suit their wants, creating a terrifying yet masterful narrative of racial experiences. However, to truly understand how the film manages to create this narrative, we need to delve deeper into the tiny details of the mise-en-scene that Peele and his crew meticulously put together8, that created a multi-dimensional weave of metaphors and reality that warps together the past and the present; a world-fabric best represented by the protagonist Chris’s first experience of ‘The Sunken Place’.
1 Time and Space of the Sunken Place
The ‘sunken place’ scene takes place a third of the runtime into the film starting at 30:50 as Chris, our protagonist, in the present time, sneaks back into the Armitage estate: his white girlfriend’s family house, in the middle of the night. The estate is oddly reminiscent of a plantation from pre-civil war America with its colonial construction and black staff, contrasting itself from the family itself, who on the surface seem to be academics with a liberal-leaning outlook and ‘would have voted for Obama a third time if possible’. Nevertheless, as the scene progresses, time and space lose their linearity as we split into parallel timelines or rather narrative flows and are shown analeptic shots into Chris’ memories of the past, a tiny room with a bed and a TV in an unnamed city where he sat waiting for his mother to come back. Then as he sinks, the two flows merge, but the narrative yet again splits into two different perspectives— Chris’ mind that sinks deeper into the sunken place and the ‘reality’ that contains his paralyzed physical body; a parallel to psychoanalytic and literary split between the identities of Chris’ self and how the world perceives him as the other. It is only when he wakes up with a jolt on the bed in his girlfriend’s room on the first floor of the house at 36:47, his mind and body merge again, albeit temporarily, that we are pulled back into the present time and reality, ending the scene.
2 A Scene Summary
The scene begins with Chris sneaking back into the Armitage house after going out to smoke and having a strange encounter with Walter and Georgina, the two black staff at the estate. As he tries to sneak past his girlfriends’ mother, Missy Armitage’s office, he is caught by her, who apparently was waiting for him to pass by. She asks him to sit with her. Mrs. Armitage had previously claimed that she could use hypnotherapy to cure his addiction. There is an odd dynamic between the two as they talk and make jokes about hypnotism, reminiscent of a psychiatrist and a ‘patient’ rather than a softer familial relationship as the conversation is non-consensually guided by Missy through hypnotism towards discussing Chris’ past, particularly his primary source of trauma, his mother’s death.
As Chris ‘finds’ the memory of the day that he lost his mother, we are presented with a dark, cold blurred-out analeptic scene of the young Chris sitting alone in front of the TV as it rains outside. The sounds of rain from the past merge with the present. His hands shadow the anxious scratching, and tears stream down his bloodshot eyes, his face brimming with guilt and regret of not having done anything to save his mother. All through this, we hear the continuous sound of the stirring of a ceramic teacup; the focus for the hypnosis. As he finds himself paralyzed in the past, his fear constraining him to inaction, he feels the same loss of control in the present. With a slight, almost evil sadistic smile, Missy tells him to ‘sink into the floor.’
Chris finds himself falling, slipping down into a dark, cold space, almost separating himself from his body and his consciousness falls inwards as what his eyes see becomes but an image on a television screen, the only source of light from the top, barely lighting him and the bubbles around him. Missy then says the iconic lines, ‘Now you are in the Sunken Place.’ Missy’s voice becomes distorted, almost as if he is drowning underwater, and his voice, his screams, are muffled and lost to the darkness.
As he settles at the bottom of this dark space, he appears to become a powerless passenger in his own body, which remains fixed, paralyzed in reality. As Missy closes his eyes, the only source of light in the sunken place fades as Chris’s self is locked in the darkness that is the sunken place, and he wakes up suddenly with a jolt on his bed next to Rose, his girlfriend. While most of this scene is in the form of a dialogue set in Mrs. Armitages’ psychiatric office but through the scene, as Chris’s hypnotized consciousness parallels itself to the memories and then splits from his body, the scene becomes more than just dialogue and embraces the terrifying, dramatic action as Chris’s mind sinks slowly deeper and deeper into the sunken place, fades into the darkness and wakes up from this nightmare embedded in reality.
3 Shot-by-shot analysis
|
Shot No.
|
Description
|
Technical Details
|
Duration
|
|
1
|
Chris sneaks back into the house after the alarming encounter with the odd black staff of the Armitage Estate and locks the door.
|
Jump cut to a mid-shot at eye level with no camera movement. Dark with faint cold blue light barely illuminating the surrounding and parts of Chris’s face. No music. Only the sound of the door creaking and locking and crickets chirping.
|
30:50-30:58 (8 sec)
|
|
2
|
Chris walks past the open door of Mrs. Armitages’ office in the darkness, as her voice is heard and the light turns on in the room, revealing her sitting on her chair relaxedly, almost as if she was waiting for him to pass. Says: Do you realize how dangerous smoking is? in a soft questioning tone.
|
Jump cuts and transitions to an over-the-shoulder shot. Chris is out of focus. The camera moves with Chris and stops with him at the door. Warm yellow-tinted lamps (on-screen) contrasted the cold moonlight from behind and left to the camera, presumably moonlight from a window/door. The sound of crickets continues.
|
30:59-31:01
(3 sec)
|
|
3
|
Chris is taken by surprise and looks at Missy's face, and slightly relaxes.
|
Match cut to midshot with door frame on the side but focused on Chris. The camera has low-angle and swaying movements following Chris, suggesting Missy's point of view, but it is not over-the-shoulder nor in the same position as where she is seated, giving it more of an objective perspective. Soft blue lighting from the right lights part of Chris’s face and body, amplifying his expressions.
|
31:01-31:03
(1 sec)
|
|
4
|
Missy smiles at Chris, and then her face becomes more neutral, looking half-concerned.
|
Match cut to Chris’ over-the-shoulder point of view.
|
31:03-31:05
(2 sec)
|
|
5
|
Chris smiles back and lets out a breath of relief. Smiling, he says: Yeah
|
Match cut back to low-angle midshot of Chris.
|
31:05-31:09
(4 sec)
|
|
6
|
Missy signals him to sit with her hand and says: Come in and sit with me, in a polite requesting tone.
|
Match cut back to Chris’s point of view.
|
31:09-31:10
(1 sec)
|
|
7
|
Chris is slightly hesitant and looks at her, then around paused for a moment, then nods his head and walks in towards the left.
|
Match cut back to low-angle midshot of Chris. Plane of focus shifts with him as he comes closer to the camera. Transitions from the colder lighting to the warmer lighting of the room. The sounds of the crickets get weaker.
|
31:10-31:15
(5 sec)
|
|
8
|
Missy looks at Chris as he walks and then looks down to the front and calmly says: Thank you. Chris walks across the screen from left to right.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Missy sitting. Her face is on focus, and the depth of field is shallow, blurring her background. Chris is large and out of focus as he walks in between the camera and missy. There is soft bluish-white lighting to her back from above, suggesting a skylight creating a mild contrast between the two temperatures. Chris’s footsteps can be heard on the wooden floorboards.
|
31:15-31:16
(1 sec)
|
|
9
|
Chris cautiously sits down on the sofa, looking around and then at Missy, and then relaxes his shoulders and sits back. The chair he sits on seems lower-lying and more comfortable. Alternating white and dark brown contrasting curtains cover the windows to his back, and a single lamp can be seen.
|
Over-the-shoulder shot at eye level from behind Missy’s chair, which can be seen on the left of the frame. The camera moves with Chris as he sits down. The background is slightly blurred and not very dense with objects.
Again blue lighting comes in from above, almost like a spotlight on Chris. The sofa creaks as he sits down.
|
31:16-31:21
(5 sec)
|
|
10
|
Missy sits cross-legged on a tall chair and seemingly inconsequentially picks up her blue and white ceramic teacup and asks in a mildly concerned tone: So you’re comfortable enough, right? There are many things in the background, including multiple lamps, cabinets, a portrait, and a bookshelf.
|
Match cut to wide Over-the-shoulder shot at eye level from Chris’s point of view. His figure is mostly dark, except for the soft blue light.
The teacup clinks as it is picked up and contrasts against the soft indoor voices and the weak chirping of crickets. Shot transitions before dialogue ends, creating continuity through sound.
|
31:21-31:24
(3 sec)
|
|
11
|
Chris nods and says It’s perfect, thanks
|
Match cuts back to Missy’s point of view. The camera moves a little to give more space to Chris.
|
31:24-31:26
(2 sec)
|
|
12
|
Missy smiles and says: Sure. She then picks up a teaspoon and puts it into the teacup looking down, the spoon barely scraping the bottom of the cup, and she looks up at Chris.
|
Match cut to Chris’s point of view. The spoon gently scrapes the bottom of the cup, seeming pretty much coincidental.
|
31:26-31:32
(6 sec)
|
|
13
|
Chris looks around the room somewhat awkwardly in the silence as a curious look emerges momentarily on his forehead.
|
Instead of alternating focus between Chris and Missy, this time, there is a match cut to a closeup shot of Chris with him covering the entire width of the shot. The contrast of the blue lighting from the back and above and the yellow foreground lighting is enhanced by the shallow depth of field, focusing attention on Chris’s expressions.
|
31:32-31:35
(3 sec)
|
|
14
|
Missy, smiling, with an inquisitive but recognizing tone, asks him: Do you wanna know how it works?
|
Match cut to a closer Over-the-shoulder shot of Missy, focusing us strongly on Chris’s point of view. Chris is barely visible as a blur, while the shallow depth of field draws all attention to missy. The blue light from above creates only a more diffuse contrast to the overpowering warm light from the surrounding lamps. Crickets continue to chirp outside.
|
31:35-31:38
(3 sec)
|
|
15
|
Chris smiles, turns his head, and squints his eyes, and sniggers. Missy can be heard chuckling as Chris says with a grin: What, do you dangle a pocket watch in front of people’s faces, is that it?
|
Match cut back to the closeup shot of Chris. The camera slightly adjusts to keep him on the center of the screen.
|
31:38-31:47
(9 sec)
|
|
16
|
Missy smiles, looking down, picks up the spoon in her teacup, and starts slowly mixing the tea in a small smooth motion, the spoon scraping the sides and bottom. She looks up, smiling, and says with a chuckle: You watch a lot of TV.
|
Match cut to the closeup Over-the-shoulder shot of Missy. The camera moves up and down, following the direction where Missy is looking at revealing the teacup in her hand. The soft sound of the clink and scrape of the spoon and teacup is heard occasionally.
|
31:47-31:51
(4 sec)
|
|
17
|
Chris nods and says: When i was a kid
|
Match cut back to Chris’s closeup. The weak sounds from the scrapes on the teacup continue.
|
31:51-31:53
(2 sec)
|
|
18
|
In a serious, sarcastic tone, she smilingly jokes: Now, you are feeling very sleepy. All the while, she continues to stir her tea.
|
Match cut to the wider Over-the-shoulder shot of Missy.
|
31:53-31:56
(3 sec)
|
|
19
|
Chris chuckles, biting the side of his lips, seemingly either to hold his laughter or even to attempt to hide his anxiety regarding his childhood. Missy (offscreen) says: We do use focal points sometimes to...
|
Match cut back to Chris’s closeup.
|
31:56-32:00
(4 sec)
|
|
20
|
Missy looking off to the side and stopping her stirring and looking at Chris: ...guide someone to a state of heightened suggestibility. She continued to stir the tea.
|
Match cut to the closeup Over-the-shoulder shot of Missy.
|
32:00-32:04
(4 sec)
|
|
21
|
With an expression of surprise mixed with interest, Chris repeats: heightened suggestibility.
|
Match cut to Chris’s closeup again.
|
32:04-32:06
(2 sec)
|
|
22
|
Chris continues to nod as Missy affirms it saying: that's right with a slight head nod.
|
Match cut back to the wide Over-the-shoulder shot of Missy. Chris’s body can be seen to the left dark and blurred, but his head movements can be seen. Sounds of the ceramic teacup stop for a moment and then can be heard again cutting through the cricket songs.
|
32:06-32:09
(3 sec)
|
|
23
|
A smile remains on Chris’s face, slowly fading but clear.
|
Match cut to Over-the-shoulder shot of Chris from missy’s point of view. Her hand is blurred but visible, stirring the teacup. The sharp sound of the teacup continues invading the space but not overpowering the low pitch sounds of the conversation.
|
32:09-32:12
(3 sec)
|
|
24
|
Missy looks up while stirring the tea and asks: Do you smoke in front of my daughter? Chris’s eyes widened.
|
Match cut back to the wide Over-the-shoulder shot of Missy. Chris can be seen expressing surprise at the conversation, but he is out of focus. The sounds of the teacups become softer and stop momentarily, but a slight sound still comes from it.
|
32:12-32:15
(3 sec)
|
|
25
|
Chris looks to the sides and dismisses it with an offhand promise saying: I’ll quit, I promise.
|
Match cut to Over-the-shoulder shot of Chris from Missy’s point of view.
|
32:15-32:19
(4 sec)
|
|
26
|
Missy nods her head from side to side, a smile fading from her face saying: That's my kid, That's my kid, you understand.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Missy from slightly to the left. Not an Over-the-shoulder shot. The focus is directed towards Missy’s expressions.
|
32:19-32:21
(2 sec)
|
|
27
|
Chris is unable to find and looks around, trying to find an answer. He was about to say something but stopped himself.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Chris again.
|
32:21-32:25
(4 sec)
|
|
28
|
Missy nods slightly with her eyes shut as if she figured something. She then asks: What about your mother?
|
Match cut back to the closeup of Missy
|
32:25-32:29
(4 sec)
|
|
29
|
Chris is taken by surprise, and as his reaction fades from his face, he looks back at Missy and says: What about her? Clearly uncomfortable with the topic, he suddenly has a feeling that the conversation is heading in a different direction; he asks: Wait, are we? With a mildly confused look on his face.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Chris again. The sound of the teacup continues.
|
32:29-32:36
(7 sec)
|
|
30
|
With an almost flat look on her face that turns into a faint smile, Missy asks: Where were you when she died?
|
Match cut to a closeup of Missy as the camera slowly centers and moves a little closer to her face. With the background of the teacup sounds, the first background music in this scene is heard: coupled rising notes falling slowly on a harp/some other string instrument creating a sense of intrigue and matching the aesthetic of the almost antique house they are in.
|
32:36-32:39
(3 sec)
|
|
31
|
Uncomfortable with the topic and trying to gauge what Missy was trying to do, he nods his head sideways and says in a neutral tone: I don’t wanna think about that.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Chris again.
Notes of the harp continue to rise and fall in the background, adding to the mystery of his past that he is trying hard to avoid.
|
32:39-32:47
(8 sec)
|
|
32
|
Missy gives a slight smile but says nothing.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Missy as the camera comes slightly closer
|
32:47-32:49
(2 sec)
|
|
33
|
Missy continues to stir the teacup making the same repetitive scraping sound and the ting of the metal hitting ceramic.
|
Match Cut into a closeup insert of the teacup being stirred in Missy’s hand, giving us a clearer sense of the source, the focus of the hypnotic sounds. The sound of the teacup appears a little louder, now taking over the soundscape a little more.
|
32:49-32:51
(2 sec)
|
|
34
|
Not hearing a reply from Missy, almost as if he had no choice, Chris speaks, his head tilted to the side, looking at Missy from the corner of his eyes as blood and tears rush to his eyes, turning it slightly more wet and bloodshot: Home. Watching TV.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Chris again. The sound of the teacups continues with the background music rising and falling at a very slow pace raising the tension. We can also hear the smack of Chris’s dry mouth as he tries to speak, strengthening the sense of anxiety.
|
32:51-32:59
(8 sec)
|
|
35
|
Missy asks Chris in a curious tone: Do you hear the TV? What do you hear?
|
Match cut to an extreme closeup of just Missy’s face from a slightly leftward angle. The focus goes to her facial gestures and the tilt of her head.
|
32:59-33:01
(2 sec)
|
|
36
|
Chris answers: Rain
|
Match cut to a closeup of Chris again.
|
33:01-33:02
(1 sec)
|
|
37
|
In a tone of realization, Missy replies: Rain! It was raining. Closing her eyes, she nods with a hmm. She asks Chris: Do you hear the rain?
|
Match cut back to the extreme closeup of just Missy’s face. As she speaks of rain, a faint rumbling and pattering can be heard alongside the teacup and the music.
|
33:02-33:09
(7 sec)
|
|
38
|
Almost confused with what is happening, Chris, who started hearing rain, makes a sound flush with feeling: umhmmm.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Chris again. The sound of the rain slowly grows.
|
33:09-33:15
(6 sec)
|
|
39
|
Missy tells him almost like she has authority over him: find it and tell me when you find it.
|
Match cut back to the extreme closeup of just Missy’s face. The sound of the rain continues to grow louder.
|
33:15-33:22
(7 sec)
|
|
40
|
Chris looks towards Missy. He seems as if he is struggling as he moves his head, licks his teeth, and looking away, trying to avoid facing it, but slowly gets overcome with his memories.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Chris again, the blue spotlighting enhancing the contrast of his facial expressions. The rain sound gets loud enough to get to the edge of the foreground and the background and almost seems to be real.
|
33:22-33:29
(7 sec)
|
|
41
|
A young kid sits on a bed with his back to us, looking at a TV with a black and white film playing in the dark as it rains outside.
|
Analeptic match cut to a wide-angle shot with a strong radial depth of field effect of young Chris sitting with the camera fixed to his back. The white light tv lighting him up from the front, the faint yellow light of a table lamp to the side, and the blue light from the window, creating a partial silhouette with an overall cold tone. The lighting around his body creates a white border between him and the surroundings, similar to the spotlighting in the office. Another sequence of higher pitch melody on the piano overlays over the rain, and the current harp music adds volume to the scene’s emotions.
|
33:29-33:32
(3 sec)
|
|
42
|
Chris is distressed remembering past events, but Missy keeps pushing him: Come here, Chris! Look at me. Chris laughs, likely as a coping mechanism, and admits: Found it.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Chris again.
|
33:32-33:40
(8 sec)
|
|
43
|
Missy asks him in a soft tone: Where was your mom?
|
Match cut to the closeup Over-the-shoulder shot of Missy.
|
33:40-33:42
(2 sec)
|
|
44
|
Missy continues to stir the teacup.
|
Match cut to the insert of the teacup again. Rain, background score, and the clink of the teacup continue to be heard.
|
33:42-33:44
(2 sec)
|
|
45
|
He nods his head sideways, his breath getting a little faster and louder. He says: She uh… She was coming home… she wasn't home. Missy interjects: from work. They both share an affirmative grunt. Missy asks: And, what did you do? His face goes flat as he replies: Nothing.
|
Match cuts to a closeup of Chris again, but this time, the camera starts moving closer towards Chris’s face-centered and focusing us on the changes in his expressions. The sounds of the rain get weaker and subside, focusing us back on his words.
|
33:44-34:12
(28 sec)
|
|
46
|
Missy, in a clear faux surprise tone, repeats: Nothing
|
Match cut to the closeup of Missy that slowly moves forwards towards her.
As she says nothing, a layer of low, slowly progressing strings join the background music adding force to her statement that draws Chris deeper.
|
34:12-34:16
(4 sec)
|
|
47
|
Chris’ face remains flat with a tinge of anger, possibly at himself, but his eyes seem to be getting moister as he says: I just sat there. Missy asks: You didn’t call anyone. He replies in the same tone: No.
|
Match cut to the closeup that progresses to a much tighter closeup of Chris’ face throughout the shot as the camera moves forward.
|
34:16-34:21
(5 sec)
|
|
48
|
Missy asks him: Why not?
|
Match cut to the closeup of Missy that slowly moves forwards towards her. It is not getting closer than before, but the movement in every shot gives a feeling we are continuously getting closer and closer to Missy.
|
34:21-34:22
(1 sec)
|
|
49
|
Chris replies with a laugh that is brimming with sorrow, grief, and regret as a drop of tear falls from the side of his eyes: I don’t know, I just thought if I did, it’d be real. His brows furrowed, and his face filled half with loss and the rest anger.
|
Match cuts to the tight closeup of Chris as it comes closer and closer to his face showing clearly the depth of emotions of his face as he tears up.
|
34:22-34:34
(12 sec)
|
|
50
|
Missy continues with the stirring.
|
Match Cut to the closeup of the teacup with Missy’s hands regularly moving the spoon against the cup, almost making it clear mixing it is not the intent, but making the sound is.
|
34:34-34:36
(2 sec)
|
|
51
|
Chris is tearing up.
|
Match cut to a closeup of Chris’ face showing us his tears and bloodshot eyes.
|
34:36-34:38
(2 sec)
|
|
52
|
Young Chris, in the dark room with the TV, anxiously scratches the edge of the bed. The post is covered with scratches.
|
Match cut to a closeup in Chris’s memories with very shallow depth of field focused on his hands scratching the post at the edge of the bed. The cold bluish-white lighting of the TV returns and lights it from the left, making clear the marks his anxiety had left on his bed. The sound of scratching on wood (almost mimicking the rain, which is no longer audible) can be heard with the
|
34:38-34:40
(2 sec)
|
|
53
|
Chris in Missy’s Office scratches the arms of the sofa he sits on, overcome with anxiety.
|
Graphic Match cut to a closeup on Chris’s hands in the present scratching the sofa. The yellow lighting contrasts with the parallel experiences in his memories. The sound of scratching is different on leather, but still, the similarities connect the two cuts.
|
34:40-34:41
(1 sec)
|
|
54
|
Drops of tears stream down Chris’s face as he struggles to keep himself from crying out loud. Missy says: You’re so scared. Chris grunts with emotional pain.
|
Match cuts to the tight closeup of Chris that transitions to an extreme closeup as the camera moves ahead.
|
34:41-34:45
(4 sec)
|
|
55
|
Missy continues to stir the cup at a regular pace. She says: You think it was your fault.
|
Match cut to an extreme closeup of the teacup in Missy's hand.
|
34:45-34:46
(1 sec)
|
|
56
|
Chris continues to cry silently.
|
Match cuts to the extreme closeup of Chris' face as tears stream down his face.
The placement and reflection of the lighting contrast his wet tears and eyes from his dark skin and bloodshot eyes, especially at this close angle.
|
34:46-34:51
(5 sec)
|
|
57
|
Missy asks Chris: How do you feel now?
|
Match cut to an extreme closeup of Missy. The camera is focused on Missy's face with a shallow depth of field, blurring out even the back of the chair. Strings have slowly risen to a high, driving the tension and emotional impact of the scene.
|
34:51-34:54
(3 sec)
|
|
58
|
With his eyes bloodshot and tears forming multiple trails down his face, Chris has a sudden realization and exclaims: I can’t move!
|
Match cuts to the extreme closeup of Chris.
|
34:54-34:57
(3 sec)
|
|
59
|
With a sadistic nonchalance, Missy repeats: You can’t move. Chris, now wholly overcome with sorrow and confusion, cries out: Why can’t I move? Missy answers him with a shrug: You’re paralyzed.
|
Match cut to the extreme closeup of Missy.
|
34:57-35:04
(8 sec)
|
|
60
|
Missy continues: Just like that day when you did nothing! You did nothing. Confusion on Chris’ face is replaced with guilt as his face falls.
|
Match cuts to the extreme closeup of Chris.
|
35:04-35:10
(6 sec)
|
|
61
|
Chris continues to scratch the sofa
|
Match cut back to the closeup on Chris’s hands. Scratching sounds are much louder now, suggesting the rise in anxiety.
|
35:10-35:11
(1 sec)
|
|
62
|
With a sadistic smirk appearing on her face, Missy says: Now, sink into the floor. Chris shouts: Wait! Wait! Wait! Missy repeats: Sink.
|
Match cut to the extreme closeup of Missy. The rising strings pause, leaving only a single shrill tone bringing the tension to its peak. As Chris shouts and Missy says ‘sink’, her voice distorts into a low descending bubbling growl as if the camera is being submerged into water over the next four shots.
|
35:11-35:18
(7 sec)
|
|
63
|
Chris’s eyes widen
|
Rapid match cut to a closeup of Chris’ teary face from the front.
|
35:18-35:19
(1 sec)
|
|
64
|
Chris’s fingers stretch out
|
Rapid match cut back to the closeup on Chris’s hands now stretching outwards, contrasting with the previous shot of him scratching the sofa.
|
35:19-35:20
(1 sec)
|
|
65
|
Young Chris falls back into the bed
|
Rapid match cut to the wide-angle shot of the young kid in the room with his back to the camera with the kid now falling backward as the camera moves downwards with him as the camera sinks behind what is likely the bed, the screen goes dark with only a mild white light from the TV at the top center which also fades
|
35:20-35:25
(1 sec)
|
|
66
|
Chris freefalls downward slowly in the dark, almost underwater space where the only light source is a television-like screen showing Missy symbolizing what Chris’s body sees.
|
Match cut to a slow-motion wide shot of Chris and the downward-facing television screen with a low angle falling downwards in a completely dark space with tiny bubbles around him. As Chris falls, the camera moves downwards with him until the screen goes out of the frame. The screen is yellow-tinted and is the only source of lighting in the shot, but the light that filters in and lights up the silhouette of Chris’ figure is bluish-white, creating a sense of powerlessness, cold, and the dark. The single note from earlier continues retaining the tension, and the gurgling growl gets muffled to the soft growl of being underwater. A loud chord from the strings invades the soundscape, further adding dramatic tension.
|
35:25-35:32
(7 sec)
|
|
67
|
Chris continues to fall downwards past the camera, his eyes wide and filled with fear.
|
Match cuts to a slow-motion mid-shot of Chris from the left following him as he passes by the camera, the angle transitioning from a low angle to a high angle throughout the shot. Only the part of Chris is facing upwards can be seen in the cold light while the rest is faded into the darkness. Chris’ muffled scream can be heard. The string chords ascend, raising tension while the single note continues it.
|
35:32-35:40
(8 sec)
|
|
68
|
Chris is the only thing in the darkness other than the tiny bubbles that rise upwards; both are lit up by the little light from the screen above.
|
Cut (not clear if jump/match cut; raised hands change sides) to a slow-motion extreme wide shot of Chris falling downwards at eye level showing the immense empty darkness that surrounds him patterned only by the occasional tiny bubbles emphasizing the bleakness. Strings continue to rise.
|
35:40-35:46
(6 sec)
|
|
69
|
Chris screams, but no voice can be heard.
|
Match cut to a slow-motion closeup of Chris from the side, showing him screaming and flailing. The lighting is now fainter than when he started falling. A soft, muffled scream overpowered the gurgle of water can be heard behind the strings.
|
35:46-35:50
(4 sec)
|
|
70
|
The screen moves further and further away as Chris falls deeper into the darkness.
|
Match cuts to a slow-motion wide shot of the screen from Chris’ point of view as he falls as the screen moves further and further away, emphasizing the sinking feeling.
|
35:50-35:53
(3 sec)
|
|
71
|
As he falls, he slowly starts to turn upright.
|
Match Cut to the slow-motion extreme wide shot of Chris at eye level. The lighting is fainter now than in the previous shot. The rising string chords saturate, merging with the single note, and both stop.
|
35:53-35:59
(6 sec)
|
|
72
|
Chris reaches and stands upright at the bottom of the darkness
|
Match cut to a wide shot of Chris from the back with a slightly low angle as his body floats upright at the bottom faintly lit blue. All background music stops. Only low gurgling bubbles can be heard.
|
35:59-36:04
(5 sec)
|
|
73
|
Chris looks up
|
Match cut to a wide shot of Chris from above looking up at the screen. His face lit up by the faint light of the screen that reaches the bottom.
|
36:04-36:06
(2 sec)
|
|
74
|
Missy can be seen putting down the teacup through the tiny screen at the top.
|
Match cut to a wide shot of the screen from Chris’ point of view where missy can be seen in a midshot from Chris’s direct point of view positioned where Chris’ body is seated.
|
36:06-36:12
(6 sec)
|
|
75
|
Chris’s physical body is paralyzed in a stiff condition, eyes, and mouth wide open as tears stream down his face.
|
Match cut back to a tight closeup of Chris’ teary wide-eyed face in the physical world from the front. The blue spotlight from the top is not visible, but there is a gradient from warm to cold in the background with the yellow light from the lamp on one side and the blue light from the window from the other.
|
36:12-36:14
(2 sec)
|
|
76
|
Missy looks into Chris’s eyes and gets off her seat, and approaches his body.
|
Match cut to a midshot of Missy in the same position as the TV screen. It gives a direct feeling of seeing through Chris’ eyes. Soft harp and piano music resume in the background.
|
36:14-36:20
(6 sec)
|
|
77
|
Tears continue to drip through the eyes of Chris's physical body as it struggles to blink.
|
Match cut back to the tight closeup of Chris’ teary wide-eyed face.
|
36:20-36:24
(4 sec)
|
|
78
|
Chris sees her approaching through the screen above the darkness, half smiling.
|
Match cut back to the wide shot of the screen from Chris’ point of view in the darkness where missy can be seen
|
36:24-36:28
(4 sec)
|
|
79
|
Chris stares up at the screen.
|
Match cut to a midshot of Chris in the darkness from above while he is trying to say something but no voices can be heard, just the sounds of the water. Only a faint blue light illuminates him.
|
36:28-36:32
(4 sec)
|
|
80
|
Missy looks at him and says: Now you're in the Sunken Place.
|
Match cut back to the wide shot of the screen from Chris’ point of view in the darkness. Missy’s voice seems to be spread out and coming from everywhere as if the sound is coming from outside the surface.
|
36:32-36:36
(4 sec)
|
|
81
|
Chris screams and struggles, trying to swim up, but his voice is completely muffled.
|
Match cut to the midshot of Chris in the darkness from above. His screams are entirely muffled adding to the horror.
|
36:36-36:39
(3 sec)
|
|
82
|
Chris sees Missy smile sadistically as he raises and stretches his arms upwards, reaching out of the sunken place.
|
Match cut to an Over-the-shoulder shot from Chris’ point of view from a low angle looking up towards the screen in the darkness. Chris is out of focus and only parts of him directly illuminated are visible in a blue tone, and the rest fades into the darkness. His muffled scream continues.
|
36:39-36:42
(3 sec)
|
|
83
|
Missy reaches out and closes the eyes of Chris’s body
|
Match cut to an extreme closeup side-view of Chris’ face as Missy's hand enters the frame from the left. Rising demonic cultlike vibrato vocals grow in volume, creating a sense of impending doom.
|
36:42-36:44
(2 sec)
|
|
84
|
The sunken place plunges into complete darkness as Chris struggles and screams.
|
Match cut to the midshot of Chris in the darkness from above. The lights from above slowly fade from one side, making it clear that his eyes were the screen. The vocals rise to a crescendo and merge with his screams.
|
36:44-36:47
(3 sec)
|
|
85
|
Chris wakes up on his bed with a jolt, hyperventilating, and looks around.
|
Jump cut to a midshot of Chris on the best that rapidly becomes a closeup as the camera rushes forward, matching the sounds.
The lighting is oddly similar to the sunken place, the same dull blue lighting, but the background, while out of focus, is not as featureless, signifying a return to reality. The vocals merge and smoothly but rapidly transition to a loud gasp as Chris wakes up.
|
36:47-36:55
(8 sec)
|
4 Use of camera position, lighting, sounds, and set design to drive the narrative
The dramatic tension of this scene goes beyond Peele’s talented scriptwriting or Daniel Kaluuya’s (Chris) masterful acting. The emotional impact of this scene is driven by a complex mix of different narrative, stylistic and cinematic choices that come together to create a complete picture. The first thing to notice is a choice regarding the perspective of the narrative. While we have over-the-shoulder shots from both Missy and Chris’s point of view and multiple closeups, it is essential to note that unlike Chris we never have a shot that sees directly through missy’s eyes, and even further all the things and sounds that we see and hear on-screen are from Chris’ perspective as is apparent from the sound of the rain, the shots of the bedroom in the memory and the sunken place, all existing only in Chris’s mind. In combining points of view but sticking to a single character’s subjective perspective, we get a bird’s eye view while simultaneously also the feeling of being in Chris’ shoes, drawing us deeper into his emotions without being detached from the larger narrative flow.
The next thing that stands out is a general cinematic choice regarding lighting. At its core, ‘Get Out’ is a story driven by contrasts—light and dark, black and white, the colonizer and the colonized; and Peele and his crew never miss an opportunity to make that clear. Oftentimes in film, the temperature of the lighting is used to portray the emotional valence of the scene, and ‘Get Out’ follows in this tradition as is apparent in the cold lighting that strengthens the bleakness of the sunken place and the warm, cozy, and calming lighting of the office. However, it goes beyond this simplistic use. It utilizes cold & warm lights and also shadows in the same shot to add contrast and dramatic focus towards the character markedly in its use of lighting that enhances Chris’ facial expression through a mixture of silhouetting with one temperature and diffuse lighting with another; for example, note the blue spot lighting in the warm diffuse lighting of the room above Chris and Missy’s seats. Further use of contrast is also apparent in the construction of the plot and even the set itself. For example, the curtains behind where Chris (a black smoking addict) sits are alternating dark brown and white and mostly empty while Missy’s (a white psychiatrist) background is densely filled with books and decor almost as if it is a metaphor of the materialistic and social conditions of a racist America in the past and the present; the rich scientific, intellectual whites vs. the poor blacks that need their help to get over their addictions, i.e. their nature, no matter their consent or lack thereof.
Another interesting thing to note is the continuity editing of the shots; while almost all of the cuts are matched over time and joined through dialogue that continues smoothly between shots, a few cuts are particularly notable in the narrative. These include the match cuts to scenes in the past that exist in Chris’s memories thus creating a parallel analeptic timeline within Chris’ mind that plays alongside and intersects with the present physical reality. Cross-cutting between these shots using graphic match cuts such as the shots of Chris’ hands creates a sense of simultaneity showing us directly what Chris is remembering and re-experiencing as he is being hypnotized. Finally, the merger of the two timelines is also developed through rapid cuts between the present and the memory as Chris starts to ‘sink’. Similarly, the matched cuts between the highly salient reality and the barren ‘Sunken Place’ add contrast to the feeling of dissociation and powerlessness that characterizes this scene.
The directorial choices regarding the duration and speed of shots and associated camera movement also have a significant impact on the dramatic power of this scene. Most shots in this scene are relatively short-lasting, only a couple of seconds, which matches the pace of the conversation between Chris and Missy, but as we progress further into the hypnosis, some shots are much longer than the others and have multiple lines of dialogue. These rare, longer scenes contrast from the rest and give it time for the details of the scene, particularly the reactions and expressions of the characters, to sink in. Also, most of these more extended scenes are initially more focused on Chris as we try to decipher what he is feeling, and then later, these longer shots also focus us on Missy drawing us to her slightly sadistic nature as Chris falls into “The Sunken Place”.This technique is cleverly combined with camera movement that continually centers to and moves towards the focal point of interest, drawing us closer and emotionally deeper into the scene. Further, slow-motion shots of Chris sinking into the Sunken Place not only stretch the suspense of the fall and enhance the drama but furthers our subjective perspective by letting us experience with him the adrenaline-rush and the moment that time feels like it’s slowing down as he faces what his mind assumes to be a near-death experience9.
Lastly, sound design is one of the essential factors contributing to how the story is told in this scene. There are five main layers in the soundscape: the dialogue, the rain, the music (harp, piano, and strings), the teacup, and the final vocals. As described in the shot-by-shot analysis, these sounds are layered in different ways; rising, falling, stopping, and merging across the scene. But meticulous consideration has been taken to ensure they do not interfere by segregating these layers using pitch and pacing: the rain, low and continuous; the dialogue occupying the mid-tones; the teacup the high-tones, and so on. The rain also serves as a narrative device that adds to the subjective experience we have of Chris’ perspective. But, in my opinion, the teacup is the most interesting auditory plot device in this scene. In the beginning, the sound seems inconsequential and coincidental, hidden in the background, the source only occasionally appearing on screen. However, as the scene progresses, we get dialogue (‘focal points’) and graphic hints (the insert of the teacup) towards a sinister motive behind a deliberate sound, making it more apparent that the teacup is is more than it meets the ears until its role becomes clear to us. At the same time, the score adds to the pacing and rising tension by creating a complicated yet suspenseful continuity that seamlessly connects the shots in this scene and the final use of the vibrato vocals reminiscent of an occult ritual at the end of the scene adds to the sinister horror of these last shots foreshadowing the rest of the film.
5 The Big Picture
It can quite easily be remarked—as many, including the director, have before10–13—that this particular scene about “The Sunken Place” is not only one of the most psychologically horrifying scenes in the movie but also the most important scene in the entire film. In the context of the plot, this scene builds on both the characters and introduces two major plot devices, namely the teacup and the sunken place. Missy’s non-consensual hypnosis, her forced reliving of Chris’ traumatic past, and her trapping Chris in the Sunken Place strongly establish her power and privilege over Chris adding an eerie sense of villainy to her characterization foreshadowing what is to come10. Her consolidating of Chris’ guilt with the words “You did nothing!” not only adds to our understanding of her character but at the same time develops and solidifies the guilt Chris feels regarding his mother that helps us understand the sunken place and his choices later in the film.
Through very clever editing, the teacup is established, without the shadow of a doubt, as the ‘focus’ for his hypnosis that is used to push Chris into the Sunken Place. While a teacup is broadly considered a sign of civility in the colonial and post-colonial world14, tea plantations have long been viewed as a symbol of white oppression of colored communities, the teacup a tool used to exploit the marginalized. Here, as the plot develops, even this teacup becomes an instrument to control Chris; the instrument used to colonize the Black body, a grim reminder of how, notwithstanding the “post-racial lie” on the surface, things still have not changed since the Jim Crow days, it has only become invisible15. Chris breaking the cup later in the film becomes symbolic of him reclaiming his agency from his white colonizers.
Similarly, the sunken place is introduced to us in this scene as a dark empty space hidden inside the mind where one has no control over their body—a state of inward dissociation and as the film tells us later “a limited consciousness... [where one’s] existence will be as a passenger” where the black people like Chris and Andre are trapped against their wishes while rich white folks occupy their body. Like with the teacup, the sunken place has a deeper meaning. From a psychoanalytic approach, the Sunken Place is the manifestation of Chris’ own darkness, i.e. his unconscious id16, or as Jung would put it—his shadow17. Falling into the Sunken Place becomes equivalent to the shadow assimilating the conscious ‘self’, becoming the seat of his regret and guilt about his mother; where his ‘self’ is trapped stuck in an endless cycle of self-blame from which he cannot pull himself out. His body becomes an empty vessel symbolic of the other that is defined only by how the world perceives him, in this case, a fashionably dark-skinned body with talented eyes, ripe for the taking.
But in a more sociological reading of the same scene, the Sunken Place is the world we live in and how it treats its minorities. In Peele’s own words, “the Sunken Place is this metaphor for the system that is suppressing the freedom of black people, of many outsiders, many minorities… no matter how hard he screams at the screen he can’t get agency across. He’s not represented.”18 This scene through its portrayal of the horror of being a black man unwilling trapped in the darkness by a seemingly liberal white family, serves to call out the system that lacks representation and silences minorities while claiming the death of racism. It is a pointed critique of ‘woke’ liberal politics in America that shouts “Black Lives Matter” on the streets while it systemically excludes and penalizes black existence everywhere else through “assimilation, incarceration, slavery, and silencing”19. In this sense, this scene captures the crux of the story that Peele wishes to tell.
Thinking about the scene and understanding the meaning of it just transforms the experience. I will end my analysis with a quote from Jordan Peele: “We can discuss race all day long. But if you see a movie that successfully puts yourself in the shoes of somebody different than yourself, you see the world differently. So I think the power of story is greater than the power of conversation in a way.”20 That is the power of cinema.
References
1. Peele, J., Kaluuya, D., Williams, A. & Whitford, B. Get Out. (Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, QC Entertainment, 2017).
2. Oz, F., Kidman, N., Midler, B. & Broderick, M. The Stepford Wives. (Paramount Pictures, Dreamworks Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, 2004).
3. Polanski, R., Farrow, M., Cassavetes, J. & Gordon, R. Rosemary’s Baby. (William Castle Productions, 1969).
4. Get Out. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/get_out.
5. The Domestic Horror of Rosemary’s Baby and Stepford Wives. The Mary Sue https://www.themarysue.com/domesticated-horror-of-ira-levin/ (2018).
6. Keegan, R. Jordan Peele on the “post-racial lie” that inspired Get Out. Vanity Fair Blogs https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/10/jordan-peele-get-out-screening (2017).
7. Wingfield, A. H. If You Don’t See Race, How Can You See Racial Inequality? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/color-blindness-is-counterproductive/405037/ (2015).
8. ‘Get Out’: Jordan Peele Reveals the One Easter Egg He Didn’t Think You’d Spot (Exclusive). https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/get-jordan-peele-reveals-one-easter-egg-didnt-think-youd-spot-exclusive-210058324.html.
9. Abumrad, J. & Krulwich, R. Why A Brush With Death Triggers The Slow-Mo Effect. NPR (2010).
10. Myers, S. Great Scene: “Get Out”. Medium https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/great-scene-get-out-51c999f6ba94 (2021).
11. Sims, D. What Made That Hypnosis Scene in ‘Get Out’ So Terrifying. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/12/get-out-hypnosis-scene-sunken-place/547409/ (2017).
12. This Guy Edits. Get Out - The Simplicity of Storytelling (Hypnosis Scene Analysis). (2019).
13. Variety. Jordan Peele Knew ‘Get Out’s’ Sunken Place Scene Would Be ‘Iconic,’ Says Daniel Kaluuya. (2017).
14. Mahoney, M. Hospitality, Civility, and Sociability: Taking Tea in Colonial Barbados. Diss. Theses Masters Proj. (2007) doi:https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-t4xk-zs81.
15. Freedom, Oppression, and Black Consciousness in “get Out”. Aesthetics for Birds https://aestheticsforbirds.com/2018/04/05/freedom-oppression-and-black-consciousness-in-get-out/ (2018).
16. Freud, S. & Freud, S. The unconscious. (Penguin Books, 2005).
17. Jung, C. G., Hull, R. F. C. & Jung, C. G. The archetypes and the collective unconscious. (Princeton University Press, 1980).
18. Sharf, Z. & Sharf, Z. ‘Get Out’: Jordan Peele Reveals the Real Meaning Behind the Sunken Place. IndieWire https://www.indiewire.com/2017/11/get-out-jordan-peele-explains-sunken-place-meaning-1201902567/ (2017).
19. Rayner, A. Trapped in the Sunken Place: how Get Out’s purgatory engulfed pop culture. The Guardian (2018).
20. Giroux, J. ‘Get Out’ Writer-Director Jordan Peele Interview. SlashFilm.com https://www.slashfilm.com/549439/get-out-jordan-peele-interview/ (2017).
Rishika (She/her) identifies as a pan-romantic trans woman and is an active researcher in the field of neuroscience and a student at IISER Pune. She is an aspiring queer/trans activist and an intersectional feminist. Find out more about her on Twitter @NeuroRishika.
