Big Close Up Analysis

By casting half of John Anderton’s face in stark colors, Spielburg successfully created a portrait of his insecurity and vulnerability that gives the audience a brief glimpse of John’s other life.

Spielberg dramatically reveals another part of the hero cop, switching from a cheery Pre Crime advertisement to the depressing drug deal scene.

This Big Close Up is played multiple times during important parts of the conversation between John and the drug dealer, allowing the viewer to make inferences about his character.

The image itself is half of a face in the center third of the frame, with no other objects to emphasize how important his vulnerability is and to create the notion that this part of him should stay in the darkness. Spielberg artistically arranges objects vertically through the center of the frame. The focal point, or the eye, is in the upper part of the frame, allowing the viewer’s gaze to drift downwards. The eye is likely seen first, followed by the eye bag, followed by the cheek features, ending with the mouth and stubble surrounding it.

The eye bag, cheek features, and beard stubble create revulsion within the audience, building upon the notion that the John shouldn’t be illuminated in this state and the audience shouldn’t dwell too much upon his face or what it reveals. The color palette is another aspect that creates revulsion, adding a sickly feeling to the frame. The visible half of the face seems to say to the audience, “do you want to look at him like this?” and “the hero cop really can’t sleep.”

By framing the character’s closeup in gritty detail and stark background, the director creates portraits of him turning to drugs when being a hero cop isn’t enough for the pain of yearning. The director also conveys that these dark mindsets can be analyzed and interpreted, but only in a depressing manner.