CAPT FAN + NO OLD MEN ESSAY
No Country for Old men does not fit neatly into Stuart Halls theory of spectatorship due to its post modern nature as a neo western that deconstructs genre, rather subverting this theory through eluding a clearly defined preferred reading; however the constructed chaos in the film does still lend itself to a variety of spectator responses through its elusive meaning, with characters full of contradictions and characters that cannot understand these contradictions. Captain Fantastic adheres to this theory far more, with clear oppositional, negotiated and preferred interpretations, especially surrounding the protagonist Ben and his role as a parent; The character of Chigurh in the police station scene lends himself to a preferred reading through his malign portrayal. Cinematography is used to create a sinister tone; a shallow depth of field lightly blurs Chigurh reducing him to a lurking silhouette which stands out against the tan colour palette of the scene. A slow track...