Sympathy for the Devil Modes of Identification with the Criminal in

Masterarbeit

zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Master of Arts (MA)

an der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz

vorgelegt von Julia STREMPFL

am Institut für Amerikanistik Begutachter Univ.-Prof. Dr. M.A. Brandt Stefan

Graz, 2015

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

1. Introduction: An Audience on the Side of Evil 1

Chapter 2

2. Stylistic Features Set the Tone: Breaking Bad by Genre 5 2.1. Fiction Felt as Real: Breaking Bad as Fictional Television Series 6 2.2. Realistic Tragedies: Breaking Bad as Drama Series 7 2.3. Emotional Involvement: Breaking Bad as Melodrama 8 2.4. Between Good and Evil: Breaking Bad in Neo-Noir Style 10 2.5. Victim or Criminal Genius?: Breaking Bad as Crime Series 10

Chapter 3

3. Walter White and His World: Film Techniques that Contribute to Audience Identification 12 3.1. Characterization Through Words 13 3.2. Mise-en-Scène Carries Symbolism and Meaning 14 3.2.1. Imitating Life in Albuquerque 16 3.2.2. In the Right Light: Lighting and its Relation to Theme 17 3.3. Music as Emotional Trigger 21 3.4. Camera Work Establishes a Connection with the Audience 25 3.4.1. Intimate Shots for Intimate Moments: Close-Ups for Identification 28 3.4.2. The World through Walter White’s Eyes 30 3.5. Editing Assembles the Story 32 3.5.1. Communicating Subjectivity 37 3.5.2. Recalling the Beginnings 39 3.6. Identification through Point of View Narration 41

Chapter 4

4. Cold-blooded yet Kind-hearted: The Creation of an Appealing Criminal 46 4.1. The Criminal as First Person Narrator 46 4.2. “Do you know who I am ?”: Trading on Recognition and the Effects of Physical Appearance 48 4.3. Walter White vs Heisenberg 56 4.4. Fascination with the Dangerous: The Criminal as Typical American Antihero 59

Chapter 5

5. Identification by Means of Emotional Realism and References to Reality 62 5.1. Emotional Identification through Film Techniques 63 5.2. Parallels to the Social Environment Create Emotional Realism 63 5.3. Evidence of Identification in Memes of Breaking Bad 66 Chapter 6

6. From Beginning to End: Close Analysis of the Initial and Final Representations of the Protagonist 70

Chapter 7

7. Conclusion: Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining - Walter White as a Distraction from Heisenberg 78

8. Bibliography 82

9. Webliography 85

10. Filmography 88

11. Appendix 90 11.1. Key to Transcription 90 11.2. Transcripts from Breaking Bad 90 11.3. Transcripts of the Interviews 93 11.3.1. Interviewee Jeremiah Bitsui 93 11.3.2. Interviewee Rodney Rush 95

Chapter 1 1. Introduction: An Audience on the Side of Evil

“I am not in danger, Skyler. I am the danger. A guy opens his door and gets , and you think that of me? No! ... I am the one who knocks.” -Walter White (Breaking Bad, Season 4, Episode 6: “”)

Walter White has blood on his hands. In the TV series Breaking Bad, the fictional character is one of the most wanted criminals in the southwestern United States. Not only does he deal one of the most dangerous drugs on the market - crystal - he also cooks it himself. What is more, Walter acts violently, hurts those around him, and kills without hesitation. Despite all that, he draws the audience’s sympathy. It can even be said that he gets people’s admiration.

Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, admits that he finds it sociologically interesting that the audience still shows affection for Walter White after all that he does (cf. Plunkett 2013). This affection is probably Breaking Bad’s most striking feature. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat (cf. 2013) also notes that critics who expressed an antipathy against Walter White faced rough comments from opponents on online platforms. This exemplifies the deep connection that the audience feels for the character. The television series is discussed in countless blogs and forums, and “Team Walt” has emerged as a legion of fans who attribute heroic features to the character.

What is more, when Walter White dies in the final episode of Breaking Bad, an obituary was published in the Albuquerque Journal in order to pay him tribute. On top of that, a funeral was held at Memorial Park in Albuquerque, , in honor of Walter White (cf. Luscombe 2013). Mourners came from all the world to attend the funeral. For many it was a “way of paying respects to someone you feel like you know really well” (Lohmann 2013). Even years after Breaking Bad’s final episode aired on television, people cannot quite forget the character, and still come to Albuquerque to go on the Breaking Bad tours in order to follow in Walter White’s footsteps.

It is a sociological phenomenon that a fictional series like Breaking Bad was able to achieve such a huge impact on real life, especially with respect to Walter White. It is a phenomenon that leads one to ask: who is Walter White and what makes Breaking Bad’s protagonist so special that he creates such great fascination in the spectators of the series?

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At first glance, Walter Hartwell White is an everyday man in his fifties who leads an ordinary life in America. He works as a high-school chemistry teacher and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, together with his wife Skyler and his teenage son, Walter Junior. However, it soon becomes clear that Walter White does not have an ideal life. His son suffers from cerebral palsy, a physical disability, and his wife is expecting their second child, which has forced him to take a second job at a carwash to provide for his family.

In the first episode of Breaking Bad, Walter is working at the car wash when he suddenly falls unconscious and is taken to the hospital, where he is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. This diagnosis leads to major changes in his life. Out of despair, and in order to ensure financial security for his family upon his death, he decides to enter the drug business. Together with a former student of his, , he starts cooking the illegal drug crystal methamphetamine in order to turn a quick profit. With his decision to go into the drug business, not only does Walter’s life change dramatically, but who he is as a person does too. He breaks bad. The series follows the protagonist throughout this transformation, from its beginning to the moment of his death (cf. AMC Television).

Throughout the five seasons, Walter White commits terrible crimes, becomes obviously dangerous and makes countless immoral decisions. This leaves the open question of why the audience sides with him after all. This thesis will attempt to answer to this question and will discuss the reasons behind it. In order to accomplish this, it will investigate how the feeling of sympathy is created by the filmmakers. It is the aim of this thesis to show that despite the character’s illegal and brutal actions, the audience identifies with Walter White and even raises him to the status of the hero of Breaking Bad.

For this purpose, I will do a close film analysis of the television series. At this point it must be mentioned that although Breaking Bad is a television series, throughout this thesis I will use the general term “film” to refer to the theory behind it. First of all, I will determine the genre of Breaking Bad in order to deepen the understanding of the series. Next, I will focus on the aesthetics and examine the strategies that the filmmakers employ to communicate information. This involves the overall composition of the series and its effect on the audience. This chapter will include the script, mise-en-scène, the employment of sound, music, light and color, as well as camera work, editing techniques, and the mode of narration.

Furthermore, I will scrutinize the impact of the chosen techniques of representation on the audience, and investigate how they affect the film aesthetically. Simultaneously, the meaning of

2 symbols and the way they imply meaning will also be discussed in this thesis. I will explain in detail those devices that are most relevant for analyzing the creation of sympathy for the protagonist. The devices and techniques that the filmmakers have at their disposal will be examined with examples taken from Breaking Bad, in order to illustrate the theory and reinforce my arguments.

Subsequently, the subject of the analysis, Walter White, will be introduced. At first, his position as narrator of the series will be scrutinized. Secondly, the initial image that is represented in Season 1 will be examined closely and personal traits will be identified; and the motives that drive his future actions will be pointed out. Secondly, the changes that the character experiences over time will be looked at. In relation to the great antiheroes of American literature and history, Mr. White can be seen as a typical American antihero who shows a great degree of character development throughout the series. Comparisons to other likable television villains in contemporary American culture will be discussed as well, in order to explore what causes the audience to root for criminal’s like Walter White.

The next chapter will concentrate on creating audience identification by employing emotional realism and making references to reality. Chapter 5 focuses on a film’s functional approach rather than on the aesthetics and provides information on Breaking Bad’s sociocultural and historical context. For a proper understanding of the series, it is crucial to know the historical, social, and cultural environment that the protagonist lives in, especially with regard to American healthcare and lower middle class society. This will not only provide background knowledge for the close analysis of Breaking Bad but will demonstrate the importance of drawing on real life experience in achieving emotional participation on the side of the audience.

Thereafter, based on film theory, individual scenes from Breaking Bad will be analyzed more closely in order to find the answer to my research question: how did the filmmakers create sympathy for a criminal like Walter White? I chose scenes that are especially interesting with reference to this character and that offer a lot of insight into his personality, but also scenes that have either been filmed in a remarkable way or contain a significant moment from the series. Due to limited space, I can only concentrate on a few examples, but these are selected from different seasons to show the character’s development. By analyzing single excerpts, I can analyze them level by level and focus on their most striking features. On the one hand, I am going to apply the methods of film analysis to these chosen excerpts and explore the meaning behind them. On the other hand, I am going to concentrate on how the character’s background is portrayed in Breaking Bad and to what extent it influences the audience’s perception of the criminal. 3

In addition to my theoretical analysis, I also conducted qualitative interviews with people who were involved in the making of Breaking Bad and asked them about their experience working on the series. I will use these interviews as sources and quote the interviewees throughout my thesis to support my argument. These interviews will thus offer a deeper insight into the personality of the fictional character. My aim is to show that the composition of Breaking Bad shapes the audience’s perception of Walter White in a way that makes them feel sympathy towards him.

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Chapter 2 2. Stylistic Features Set the Tone: Breaking Bad by Genre

To fully understand the series that I am going to analyze in this thesis, Breaking Bad’s genre, or category, must be determined. This is essential because people organize their thoughts into categories in order to make sense of the world. Based on their cultural background and the previous knowledge that they have gained, they build up certain expectations. These expectations in turn influence how people see things and what they make of them. Hence, when they watch a certain television production, they already have an idea in mind of how it should be and what to expect from it: “recognition is extremely important. We see a , a romance or a cop show, and we know what it is and how it can be categorized; and the networks categorize shows this way,” claim Kaminsky and Mahan (1985: 33).

Therefore, the genre not only influences the spectators; it also influences the creators of a television production. For instance, the screenplay has to be built on the common knowledge and the expectations that people have of it. When filming the individual scenes, the creators of a television production also have to ask themselves how they are going to present the story. In the introduction to his book on television genres, Mittell (cf. 2004) states that the different genres have their own, typical cinematic style that helps convey the adequate atmosphere that corresponds the event happening. Camerawork and lighting, for instance, play an important role here (cf. Kaminsky and Mahan 1985:19). Kaminsky and Mahan (cf. 1985: 33) argue that in television, knowing the genre is essential because the filmmakers rely on the audience recognizing certain character types and the conventions of the format and the formula. The scripts are written with the assumption that the audience is familiar with the cultural context in which the information is given.

Genres are not static, however; because the features attributed to them change over time (cf. Buckland 2006: 103). Films pose current social, psychological, or cultural questions that are employed in an unconventional, unique, and complex manner (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 31f). Therefore, the mere classification of films according to their characteristics cannot be the only purpose of film genre. Buckland (cf. 2006: 103f) explains that there is also a functional approach to it. By addressing social, cultural, and historical concerns, genre films question the way societies deal with certain issues and exhibit people’s fears. He describes this as holding up a mirror to society and lecturing them by criticizing their actions (cf. Buckland 2006: 104).

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Breaking Bad holds up a mirror to American society by showing the darker side of life in the US. For example, the series criticizes the ease of access to guns and drugs, as well as the high willingness to resort to violence. Furthermore, it engages with the problem of Mexican drug cartels along the borderlands, and the increasing popularity of crystal methamphetamine. A recurring theme in Breaking Bad is the power game between good and evil. The Drug Enforcement Agents are constantly looking for the trails of the drug kingpins in their efforts trying to catch them. All this may suggest that the TV series belongs in the genre of police or crime film, yet by taking a closer look at the story, it becomes evident that in fact, the power game and the seeking of justice are just two of many storylines.

Nowadays, many films like Breaking Bad do not fit into only one category because they are shaped rather by authentic human experiences than by a formula. Moreover, film directors like to blur the borders of generic categories in order to add a personal note. They give their films features that are nonstandard, atypical, and unexpected for the genre. This allows them to surprise and shock the audience and thus achieve an emotional response (cf. Buckland 2006: 103). In his book, Mittell (cf. 2004: Introduction) explains that there is no clear- rule of generic categorizations anymore. In many cases, more than one genre can be identified and often, the boundaries are blurred.

Generic hybridity is also the case in Breaking Bad. If one considers the main events, like the cooking and selling of drugs, or the many murder cases, it becomes immediately evident that the series is about crime. However, if we look deeper into the story, we discover that this is rather a subplot. To a much greater extent, Breaking Bad is about the internal and personal transformation of a protagonist who explores a dark side within himself. It is about a man in search of his own identity, and about finding fulfillment in life. It is also about moral values, and poses controversial questions to society, such as what is acknowledged as right and wrong and how far is one allowed to go to achieve his or her own interests. Themes like these can be found in drama and melodrama, and categorize Breaking Bad under these headings as well.

Now, before being able to analyze this specific television series, the following questions must be addressed: what is meant by “drama”, “melodrama” and “crime”? What do these terms imply and what do people associate with them? (cf. Kaminsky and Mahan 1985: 20). Also, what do people expect from a fictional television series?

2.1. Fiction Felt as Real: Breaking Bad as Fictional Television Series

Breaking Bad is a contemporary fictional television series, comprised of five seasons and sixty-two episodes. It was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and depicts the life of the 6 protagonist Walter Hartwell White. When people hear the word fiction, they assume that the story they are being told is entirely invented. This means that neither the presented events nor the characters are real. Fictional films are stories that are told and performed by actors in front of a camera for the purpose of entertainment (cf. Lopez 1993: 111). This is only partly true for Breaking Bad: in fact, a man in Alabama, called Walter White, was jailed by the DEA for dealing crystal methamphetamine (cf. Withnall 2013). Moreover, around the time that Breaking Bad premiered, notice of crystal methamphetamine incidents doubled nationwide and, especially in small towns, drug usage skyrocketed (cf. Vice). Beyond that, Breaking Bad also captures contemporary doubts Americans have concerning their health care system and social class problems, which will be explained in more depth in Chapter 5.

Although the series calls attention to major concerns of today’s society, it is still regarded as a fictional construct because its main topic and the overall storyline is entirely invented. Apart from his name and his occupation as a drug dealer, the protagonist is fictional, as are his family and the villains in the story. His cancer diagnosis and all of the other obstacles that are put in his way throughout the series have been invented for the mere purpose of entertainment. Still, by watching Breaking Bad, the audience perceives the people and the events on screen as being real. Why does the audience share the thrill with the fictional characters if they are aware that they are nothing but a creative invention?

That Breaking Bad has had such a great effect on its spectators is, among other reasons, because of its genre(s) and its style. The way the story was written and how it has been executed carries the audience away because what they see on screen feels real to them. As shown in the paragraphs above, Walter White’s world has a lot in common with reality, especially with reality in America. Thus, the audience feels like they know this world by heart, which enables them to empathize with the character. Moreover, they perceive Walter White as true and authentic because the problems he has to fight, like his cancer and the financial insecurity that results from the diagnosis, seem real. These are problems that could happen to anyone (cf. Guffey & Koontz 2014: 1). Jacobson (cf. 1995: 34) says that for some spectators, following the characters until the end of their journey is a means of escape or diversion. For others, it is interesting to watch because the fictional stories represent realistic human relationships and behaviour.

2.2. Realistic Tragedies: Breaking Bad as Drama Series

Breaking Bad offers a realistic portrayal of the characters as well as of the situation they find themselves in, which is one main feature of television drama. The serious representation of the characters’ lives makes it easy for the spectators to put themselves in the characters’

7 places and to identify with their stories. “A dramatic film shows us human beings at their best, their worst, and everything in between,” argues Dirks (AMC Film site). It shows a conflict that is portrayed through the characters themselves, the plot and the dialogues. Drama films do not tell of stereotypical situations in everyday life, but rather deal with highly dramatic content that is approached in a serious manner (cf. Lopez 1993: 82).

Dramatic themes often include current issues, societal ills, and problems, concerns or injustices, such as racial prejudice, religious intolerance […], drug addiction, poverty, political unrest, the corruption of power, alcoholism, class divisions, sexual inequality, mental illness, corrupt societal institutions, violence toward women or other explosive issues of the times (Dirks).

Breaking Bad does all that. It is built around a protagonist who is an everyday family man in his fifties living an ordinary life in an American town. Suddenly, he experiences a stroke of fate and his whole life changes dramatically. From that moment onwards he tries desperately to find a solution for his new life situation, and he is continuously confronted with serious decisions about not only his own future, but also that of his family. On the one hand, his decisions are often morally dubious and endanger many innocent people. On the other, they help him to achieve success. This arouses a range of emotions in the audience reaching from anger to deadly fear.

According to Lopez (1993: 83) a dramatic film is “a fiction film that presents emotional involvement and conflict on the part of the protagonists and which usually follows the traditional dramatic structural pattern of exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution of the conflict.” The structure of Breaking Bad also resembles the structure of a drama film. Although, Breaking Bad has a serial composition that tells the story over many episodes that are further divided into different seasons, a three-act dramatic structure can still be identified. Kasdan and Tavernetti (cf. 2008: 27ff) claim that act one introduces the protagonist and fosters identification with him. It also shows the conflict or obstacles that the hero has to fight. Act two builds up suspense. It makes the spectators wonder what will come next and whether the hero will overcome the obstacles and prevail. Act three finally resolves the conflict. In this part, the narrative is brought to the climax, which is the point of greatest tension and suspense that suddenly ends with the resolution.

All of this makes Breaking Bad a drama series; however, by taking a closer look, it can also be argued that Breaking Bad possesses features of the subgenre “melodrama”. The next section will look at aspects of Breaking Bad that qualify it as a melodrama, which can be described as a heightened version of drama (cf. Dirks).

2.3. Emotional Involvement: Breaking Bad as Melodrama

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A melodrama tells emotional stories of people who suffer from a crisis or a sentimental tragedy, like an illness, for example. The genre became popular in the 18th century and developed from plays that used music to achieve emotional audience response. In the 19th century it also expanded to fiction narrative, radio serials, film, and television (cf. Lopez 1993: 178). Lopez (1993: 178) says that melodramas arouse “one’s emotions in the most direct way possible.” It commonly shows a heroic but suffering protagonist who is caught in a difficult familial or social situation. In melodrama, the protagonist is often subject to threats and repression from his surrounding but develops strength and courage to face his problems and to fight them (cf. Dirks).

This is also hold true for the protagonist in Breaking Bad. Although, most melodramas concentrate on a woman in a male dominated society, sometimes, as in Breaking Bad, they present a male protagonist as a victim who is unable to fulfill society’s expectations of what it means to be a “real man”. Typically for this genre, the story of Breaking Bad is depicted from the perspective of the victim whose situation is dominated by failure and moral conflicts (cf. Buckland 2006:106). Buckland (cf. 2006: 106) argues that in a way melodrama has replaced religion because it concentrates on moral themes and on the conflict between good and evil. Like in Mr. White’s life, secrets determine the story.

Unlike in Breaking Bad, however, in traditional melodrama, there is a clear distinction between the good and the bad, heroes and villains. Also typical is the victory of the good by the end of the story. These rules have not always been strictly followed, though, and thus, new forms of the melodrama have developed. For example, domestic melodramas that deal with emotional situations within the family or murder melodramas. These two types of melodrama include the film noir style that deals with murderers driven by hatred, jealousy, evil, revenge, or the desire to protect others. Another distinction can be made between the melodrama of action and the melodrama of passion, which is the one that relies more on the emotional effect and personal relationships. It is similar to the traditional genre where focus was placed on the visual expression of emotions by good acting (cf. Lopez: 1993: 178f).

It has already been explained that Breaking Bad cannot only be assigned one specific genre, because here too, the filmmakers have blurred the lines. Then again, each genre is comprised of a wide spectrum of characteristics and is often divided into numerous subgenres (cf. Lopez 1993: 65). Basically, it can be said that Breaking Bad classifies as a drama, melodrama and crime series. This conclusion has been made based on its numerous characteristics which are attributed to these three genres, but also features that are typical of the film noir category could have been identified with Breaking Bad.

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2.4. Between Good and Evil: Breaking Bad in Neo-Noir Style

Critics find it hard to decide whether film noir can be seen as a genre in its own right because in many cases, films that belong to a different category are found to possess features of the film noir. Lopez (cf. 1993: 118) claims that, therefore, numerous critics describe it rather as a movement, a style of filmmaking, or even a mixture of genre and style. Whichever it may be, there are certain features that clearly characterize these kind of films. Most popular in the 1940s and 1950s, they referred to stories about the underworld. In other words, they portrayed people who live in poor conditions and are alienated from society. People’s lives are depicted in a twilight world and violence is one of the main issues.

Stylistic attributes of the film noir are distorted images with dense shadow effects and chiaroscuro lighting. Chiaroscuro lighting describes images with striking contrasts from bright to dark. The storyline is mostly chronological, but at times may be interrupted by flashbacks to create confusion in the audience. In order to create suspense, sudden plot twists are common. Furthermore, another attribute is the portrayal of interrelated and ambivalent characters in realistic urban settings. The hero is commonly portrayed as an alienated, desperate character who lives in isolation at the border of good and evil. Consequently, the plot frequently deals with crime and crime investigations (cf. Buckland 2006: 117f).

The classic noir period is said to have ended in 1958, but filmmakers have continued to approach the dark sensibility of that movement and played with the same techniques to disorient their audiences. The so- called “neo-noir” period also yielded films that show an interplay of light and shadow, oblique angle shots, unusual, off-centered composition of shots, and exceptional lighting. Like their predecessors, neo-noir films deal with crime, moral ambivalence and alienation. They challenge traditional values by depicting bad guys as heroes and the other way round. According to Hirsch and Dimendberg, unlike the classics, neo-noir films – like Breaking Bad - do not commonly take place in the city anymore, but rather play “in vast open space” in order to create a feeling of being lost, states Abrams (cf. 2007) in his essay on the transition to neo-noir. Moreover, the new movement concentrates more on social issues and on ambivalent figures that are in search of their own identity (cf. Abrams 2007).

Especially the latter applies to the protagonist in Breaking Bad. Walter White sways between two identities and the two worlds he inhabits. Throughout the series he is drawn more and more to the underworld, which leads to an increase of violence and illegal activities in the series.

2.5. Victim or Criminal Genius?: Breaking Bad as Crime Series

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The violent and illegal events in Breaking Bad as well as the actions of the protagonist make the TV series a series of crime. Lopez (cf. 1993: 65) explains that crime films are one of the major subjects in today’s film industry. This is due to the past changes in society. As countries have become more and more urbanized, and the population in the newly established cities has grown, crime has grown as well. Thus, it has become a major problem in society, and it was only a matter of time until people started writing about it.

As the term suggests, crime films follow criminals or victims of crime through their lives. The main themes include immorality, violence, murder, and other illegal activities like robberies, for example (cf. Dirks). They often deal with different types of crime. Among others, Breaking Bad deals with the world of drugs. Drug movies have a long history and are still popular in today’s film industry. In these films, drugs are seen as “the evil source of human enslavement” (Lopez 1993: 66). According to Lopez (1993: 83) “to fully qualify as a drug film, the film has to have drug consumption, addiction, or drug trafficking as its major concern.” In Breaking Bad, all of these aspects are covered, even if not with reference to the protagonist.

Another type of crime movies that applies to Breaking Bad is the master criminal film. Typical for this genre is the glorification of “the rise and fall of a particular criminal […] in power struggles or conflict with law and order figures, an underling or competitive colleague, or a rival gang” (cf. Dirks). These films are built around the life of arch-villains or master criminals who are fascinated by the force of evil and strive for power and domination. It is known as the most evil and the most famous type of this genre, claims Lopez (cf. 1993: 67). More than once throughout Breaking Bad, Walter White is described as an evil mastermind, which makes him the stereotypical protagonist of master criminal films. A typical characteristic is the portrayal of the criminal as a self-destructive yet powerful person who strives for success and recognition. Although, for the most part, the criminal is depicted in a negative way, sometimes they are put in a more positive light and appear as victims of their own circumstances. This is mostly due to the story being told from their point of view (cf. Dirks).

From what has been explained in this chapter, it seems only natural that Walter White tells the story of Breaking Bad from his point of view. Nevertheless, storytelling in film is a complex subject matter. In film, the story can be narrated through several perspectives and by several means of representation. It is much more than just the words written in the script that tells the spectators a story. In the following chapter, the overall composition of film will be described, and will offer insight into storytelling devices with reference to the subject of the analysis. 11

Chapter 3 3. Walter White and His World: Film Techniques that Contribute to Audience Identification

Filmmaking is much more than handing the script to the actors and putting the actors in front of a camera. Filmmaking is a creative process - some even call it a form of art - that requires a number of different professional skills. The composition is one of the most essential parts in the filmmaking process. Composition is the arrangement of elements within the picture frame to imitate real life. Good film production presents the spectator not only a thrilling story, but also an illusion of reality with all it entails (cf. Ryan & Lenos 2012: 37). First of all, one has to find actors that are able to play the roles convincingly. Secondly, a suitable location to shoot the movie has to be found. Thirdly, visual elements like props and appropriate costumes have to be provided. Yet, this is not all it takes. Most of the work is done behind the scenes. Only the combination of what happens in front of and behind the camera gives a film its value, not just content-wise, but also emotionally.

In his paper on film aesthetics, Hugh Gray defines ‘film’ as follows:

A film is something created for the screen with the aid (above and beyond the basic cinematic equipment) of devices; some being proper to film (i.e., editing, camera angles, specific effects, etc.), others pressed into service from other arts, primarily theater, painting, and music (i.e., acting, dramatic structure, visual composition, emotional highlighting) for the purpose of recording a story geared to the maximum entertainment of the maximum number (qtd. In Stewart 1966: 69f).

Thus, to make a film aesthetically appealing, the film crew has to work from all sides, in front of the camera and behind the scenes, to make their production not only intellectually inviting for the audience, but also emotionally thrilling (cf. Brown 2012: 14). They have to take into consideration all technical options that are available to them and ask which ones serve their purpose best. Their choices automatically affect the meaning of the story, as well as the audience’s perception of it (cf. Buckland 2006: 9).

The next pages provide an overview of how to compose a film, and explain methods and techniques that are commonly used to create a convincing film illusion. Furthermore, an explanation of the series’ script and about the work that is done during and post-production will be given. This includes the mise-en-scène, music and sound, cinematography, color and lighting, and editing, as well as the mode of narration- all of them directed towards achieving the desirable audience response. Since the study of film is quite complex and broad, my

12 analysis will focus on elements that are most important for analyzing modes of identification with the criminal in Breaking Bad.

The first step to successful film production is an innovative idea; then the screenwriter takes this idea and develops the story into a screenplay. The screenwriter establishes the storyline and outlines the overall structure. They set the tone for the individual scenes and construct remarkable characters. Furthermore, they introduce an interesting plot with unexpected twists and shock moments for the spectators. Basically, the screenwriter tells a story through images, but also includes expressive speeches, referred to as dialogue. (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 17).

Manthey (cf. 2004: 69ff) says that the screenwriter’s imagination is the engine that drives the filmmakers. The screenwriter does not tell the directors and camera people how to transform his work in terms of lighting, camera angle, or directing, but offers a framework and guidelines, similar to stage directions. When the screenplay is written, the actors are given a script that includes their speeches and actions. The actors’ performance will be based on that script, which is meant to stir their imagination in order to enable them to render the story in visual terms.

Usually, the script centers on a main character, the protagonist, who pursues a certain goal; then minor roles and actions are added to promote this goal. The script contains two kinds of dialogue that move the story forward: active dialogue and descriptive dialogue. Descriptive dialogue is mainly informative and reduced to the bare necessities. For example, in the exposition of a film, the spectators learn about the protagonist’s life through descriptive dialogue. More important to the filmmakers is the active dialogue because it creates suspense and provokes action. This in turn, calls for an immediate audience response, and, thus, gives life to the story and makes it interesting to watch.

3.1. Characterization through Words

A considerable part of the script is formed by the character’s speeches. ‘Speech’ refers to all spoken words in a film. This can be dialogue between two or more characters, or monologues of single characters. Jaeckle (cf. 2013: 3ff) says that analyzing speeches is often neglected in film studies, which he sees as a missed opportunity. In his opinion, a sentence is not merely a combination of words for the purpose of rendering information or advancing the plot. With the choice of words, the language, and the dialect, as well as with aural elements like pitch, volume, and pace, actors can achieve a much greater effect.

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Inevitably, speeches move the narrative along, but they also play an essential part in characterizing the figures on screen. The words that the characters utter reveal a lot about their personalities. Ryan and Lenos (cf. 2012: 112) claim that the character’s words are just as important as their physical actions because words are also a form of action. They do harm, appeal to the emotions, attract attention, and give characters power. Words make the characters either reliable or unreliable for the viewer, show the characters’ good and bad sides and establish their personal traits.

The following excerpt taken from the TV series Breaking Bad, is a conversation between the protagonist and his partner in crime, Jesse Pinkman. Walter’s comments paint him as a man with high moral values who may have made questionable decisions that he obviously regrets. Jesse reinforces this picture of him by saying that whatever he did, he did for good reasons. His reaction describes the protagonist as a caring and decent man.

Walter: I have it coming… I deserve this. Jesse: You snap out of it!... First off, everything you did, you did for your family!… Right? Walter: All I ever managed to do... was worry and disappoint them... and lie…Oh god.. All the lies.. I can't even- I can't even keep them straight in my head anymore. (Breaking Bad, Season 2, Episode 9: “Four Days Out”) “Regret”

People’s personalities and inner selves can be analyzed not only by what they say and how they say it, but also by how other people respond to them. For this reason, it makes sense not to make all dialogue visible on screen. In conversational situations, for instance, sometimes it is more effective to focus the camera on the listener. The listener’s gestures and body language as well as their verbal responses show their attitude towards the speaker. This way, they reveal a lot about the speaker’s personality (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 118). As important as speeches are, Manthey (cf. 2004: 72) emphasizes that more attention is paid to moving the story forward with images rather than with words. This is due to the force of expression that images have when composed in the right way. To clarify this, on the following pages it will be described how images come together on stage, and what needs to be taken care of before the actual filming can start.

3.2. Mise-en-Scène Carries Symbolism and Meaning

Mise-en-scène literally means “putting on stage” and refers to everything that is needed to set up a scene (cf. Buckland 2006: 9). “This includes sets and locations, props and objects,

14 costuming, color design, actors and acting, blocking and choreography, and lighting” (Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 69). The person who is in charge of the overall look of a film is the production designer. They establish an entire concept in which all visual components of a film production harmonize perfectly with one another and thus, form a virtual world. Basically, it can be said that the production designer is responsible for the overall visual look of a film. They design the sets, draw sketches, and decide on the color scheme. Basically, everything that happens in the background of the action is based on their concepts. This includes buildings, streets and traffic jam, vehicles, and all kinds of decorative elements (cf. Manthey 2004: 203).

The production designer then designates a gaffer, who is responsible for the lighting, a costume designer, and an art director. The art director deals with the composition of the set design, which is called art direction (cf. Ryan & Lenos 2012: 96). They decorate the scenery, provide props, objects and costumes, and also take care of finding an appropriate set or location (cf. Buckland 2006: 10). Katz (1991: 103) attributes great importance to what he refers to as “pictorial design”:

Pictorial considerations include set design, costumes, props, makeup and any element that is layered on top of a location and must be built, manufactured or otherwise obtained. Pictorial design is the film’s environment. It has a great deal in common with theatrical and architectural design and is usually the specific responsibility of the art director. This highly specialized craft is quite different from the sequential art skills of the writer, continuity artist, director, cinematographer and editor.

Pictorial design greatly affects the overall style and look of a film. To complete the world on screen details, such as props, need to be taken care of. Props are any objects from a chair that the actor is sitting on, to a book, to a cellphone, to even something as small as a matchstick. Props support the authenticity of the film, help create a realistic picture, and often add symbolic meaning. Also the choice of the right costumes requires careful consideration, because the characters’ costumes should suit their personalities and fit the mood of the scene. The costume designer has to operate according to the motto “the clothes make the man”. Their clothes and accessories contribute to their characterization. Furthermore, they not only portray the character’s personal style, but also their social status and culture. Therefore, the costume designer has to consider the character’s social background as well as the historical time period that the film is set in. (cf. Manthey 2004: 187).

However, there is more to the overall perception of films. To create a world and characters within that world that feel real to the audience, the production designer supervises the costume designer and the art director or set designer, as well as the people in charge of 15 lighting and color. Especially in Breaking Bad, both the choice of location and the construction of the environment to be filmed fulfill an important function.

3.2.1. Imitating Life in Albuquerque

There is no film without sets and locations. They offer the scenery that give a film its visual look and need to be considered carefully. To a great extent, the authenticity of a film depends on the production designer and his crew. First of all, the backdrop should be as realistic and authentic as possible. Secondly, it should add feeling to a scene. When designing a set production, the production designer, has to answer the “where” and “how” questions with the thematic end in mind (cf. Ryan & Lenos 2012: 69). How and where a scene is recorded will be influenced by the mood and atmosphere that the art director attempts to create. For example, the responsible person might try to include metaphors, show references to history, or use nature in order to give additional meaning to the scene (cf. Katz 1991: 102).

One differentiates between the set, which is the artificially constructed physical world presented in a film; and the location, which is actual places in the world that are chosen to be used as film backdrop. Sometimes, shooting on location is necessary to convey a realistic image. For example, when filming well-known places like monuments, it is more authentic to shoot on location. It is also easier and more affordable (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 69ff). The following image from Breaking Bad offers an example of on location shooting in the desert outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It also demonstrates the importance of locations in film.

Long bird’s-eye view shot on Walter and Jesse as they are walking through the New Mexican desert; the vast open space generating the feeling of being lost and hence, reflecting their situation in life. 16

(Breaking Bad, Season 2, Episode 3: “”) “In the Middle of Nowhere”

Shots like the one above can be found throughout the entire series, starting with the very first episode. The location is the decisive factor and occupies a symbolic place. Walter finds himself lost in the desert, either with Jesse or all by himself. The desert is a dry landscape without much vegetation, which makes it unlikely for any living creature to survive out there. This is a very strong image and essential for the story because it reflects Walter´s situation. Ever since his cancer diagnosis, he has felt lost and without hope. He has been told that he is not going to survive the cancer and will die within the foreseeable future. The desert further symbolizes his death and represents the effect that the cancer has on his body. This proves that art direction offers various visual and semantic effects. Yet it is only effective at conveying meaning in combination with the right usage of lighting, color and sound. (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 69).

3.2.2. In the Right Light: Lighting and its Relation to Theme Lighting and color management are powerful tools to the filmmakers because they reach the spectators on an emotional level. Lighting and color set the mood and tone of a scene by creating dramatic, romantic, or horrifying atmospheres. Besides that, lighting design is essential to the meaning of a film because different lighting causes different effects on the audience. On top of that, it serves symbolic purposes. Effective employment of light and color draws attention to little details within the frame, like facial features of a character or the shape of objects (cf. Brown 2012: 8).

To obtain the desired effect, the gaffer, also known as the chief lighting technician, manages and adjusts the light. They play with contrast between darker and lighter segments, which offers a range of options. Yet, they have to assure that the area between the dark and light segments is not too strong and will not disturb the overall visual look. The gaffer is supervised by the cinematographer who ensures that the light falls into the shot correctly. Gaffer and cinematographer have to cooperate well in order to perfect the overall picture because even tiny variations in lighting or wrong light incidence can change the atmosphere of the shot.

When deciding on the best lighting, the gaffer has to take different styles into account to find the one that suits best for the scene. For example, a bright spotlight possesses a sharp and strong character, while a floodlight is characterized as soft and diffuse (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 78ff). The styles of lighting also include natural light, but one must consider that natural light can vary greatly because of weather- and time- related fluctuations. The light under a clear blue sky and a bright sun at noon will look much different from the light of the 17 sun in the afternoon on a cloudy day. Therefore, in many cases it is useful to resort to artificial lighting.

According to Ryan and Lenos (cf. 2012: 100), the most common styles of artificial lighting are shining and back lighting. Shining can be described as a light across the top of the screen. It is associated with “the ability to see into the nature of things and to communicate without the words”. Shining is linked to civility and to the bond that creates human communities. Back lighting, on the other hand, is used in a story of duplicity or betrayal in which motives are concealed and in which behaviour that blurs moral boundaries is common. As the name suggests, a backlight is frequently placed behind the subject to separate it from the background (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 78ff). Thus, it creates a sense of immersion in a world of dubious morality in which one can lose one’s identity or one’s life quickly (cf. Ryan & Lenos 2012: 100).

Kasdan & Tavernetti (cf. 2008: 78ff) claim that the primary way of illuminating the scenery and drawing the attention to the subject of interest is key lighting. Yet, one key light is not like another, for the set up can be different and thus can affect the scene differently. The illumination of a subject can be either hard or soft, harsh or diffuse. It is differentiated between two basic types: Low-key lighting and high-key lighting. Low-key lighting is dominated by dark colors. It is usually used for scenes of high contrast as it offers a diversity of light and dark segments. The opposite of this is high-key lighting, which is predominantly soft and bright. To reinforce this effect, the so-called fill light is of use, as it is softer and less intense. The fill light creates a smoother blending of the darker and brighter segments by reducing the contrast through balancing the shadows.

There is more to lighting than style, however; the direction and the position of the light influence the outcome as well. For instance, hair lights refer to a light that is positioned behind the character and which casts light on the hair in such a way that it creates the impression of a halo. Light from below the character casts shadows on the face that give the person a horrifying look. A strong light coming from the side illuminates only one half of a character’s face and leaves the other half dark. Thus, light indicates life on the edge of good and evil and provokes the question of whether the character might have a double personality or a hidden dark side (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 81).

In the image below, lighting and color are used in a very interesting way. Throughout the series, the protagonist is continuously juxtaposed with villains or other criminals. That his counterparts are worse and far more dangerous than Walter himself is not only demonstrated by the plot, but also by the composition. In the image, a man is seen in the background,

18 shrouded in a dark red light. A light coming from the right side of the image emphasizes his silhouette. It is intensified by a dark shadow on his head and shoulder. Dark and gloomy images with a strong focus on silhouettes are a common attribute of the film noir style.

Shoulder-shot of Walter; casting him in a cold-toned light; standing in contrast to Tod who is coated in a warm, red light; representing the good and evil. (Breaking Bad, Season 5, Episode 13: “To´hajiilee”) “Heaven and Hell”

The overall lighting in the room is rather dark and contrasts with Walter, who is coated in a cold tone. The tone resembles the bright blue element behind him. Interesting about this scene is the color game between the dark, intense, red tones to the left that surround the man in the background, and the bright and cold blue tones that surround Walter. This symbolizes the contrast between good and evil. It visually calls attention to the good in the protagonist, especially as the color blue is often associated with heaven and stands for cleanliness (cf. Morton). The man in the background, on the contrary, symbolizes the personification of evil in this context as he is surrounded by a dominant dark red that reminds one of danger and hellfire.

In an interview, the actor Rodney Rush explains that in Breaking Bad the cinematography was great at portraying feelings without having the actors say anything. The spectators are put in a state of mind solely based on the images. The filmmakers make them feel a certain way emotionally before they even see the characters act. Crucial to the creation of this effect is the chosen type of environment and type of lighting. If the spectators are presented bright and vibrant images, it will make them feel good, but when the images change

19 to dark locations like a basement or the underground, the images become more sinister, and the way the audience feels changes automatically (cf. Rodney Rush 2014).

It has been shown that lighting design sets the tone for a scene. This also holds true for the color design, state Ryan and Lenos (cf. 2012: 17). Color design has the power of creating a dramatic atmosphere, offering insight into a person’s psyche, expressing emotions, creating a semantic effect, or showing thematic ideas. Yet, “color can also be a distraction” (Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 73). For instance, bright and warm colors, on the one hand, like red, yellow or orange are eye-catching and stand out. Alarming colors like these are not recommendable for minor characters or minor events since they distract spectators from the meaning of the shot and disturb the balance.

Dark and cool colors like grey or blue, on the other hand, have the opposite effect. They seem inconspicuous and hence, indicate mystery or distance. They are predominantly used in crime film to reinforce the main theme. Yet, it has to be borne in mind that the same visual device of effect does not always carry the same meaning. For example, dark images are not necessarily a sign for evil or danger, but can also create emotional effects like despair or loneliness. For this reason, the scenes have to be looked at within their specific context in order to analyze them in a meaningful way (cf. Ryan & Lenos 2012: 17).

The following image has been chosen in order to illustrate that the same color can mean very different things in different contexts. In American culture, for instance, the color blue has become a sign for depression. This derives from the common expression to say that someone has the blues or is feeling blue. Blue is the most complex color because it takes on numerous meanings depending on the individual shades and the grade of intensity. It can stand for a range of things reaching from strength and authority to desperation, and this is also true in Breaking Bad (cf. Morton). In some scenes, it evokes empathy while in other scenes, it symbolizes success and power.

The color blue is used cleverly in the image below. The entire picture is dominated by cold tones, which create a calm and rather sad atmosphere. The visuals in this scene aim to reach the audience on an emotional level by establishing an image that depicts loneliness, despair, and hopelessness. They fit Walter’s mood since he is feeling blue, so to speak. On this day, he has learned about his lung cancer and abandons all hope of overcoming his illness. This is reinforced by the matchsticks he lights and then throws in the water. The flame is a symbol for hope that is extinguished, just like his expectations for the future. Furthermore, the slow melody in the scene also has a moderating effect and adjusts to the overall atmosphere.

20

Walter sitting at the pool, striking matches; the blue tones of twilight stand for loneliness and desperation; extinguishing the flame signifies death and the loss of hope. (Breaking Bad, Season 1, Episode 1: “”) “Shedding Hope”

3.3. Music as Emotional Trigger

Just like lighting and color, sound and music can be used to suggest moral states and to evoke reactions in the audience (cf. Ryan & Lenos 2012: 17). Sound refers to all acoustic elements in film productions, including music, sound effects, characters’ speeches, and, in many cases, voice-over narration. First, this section will outline sound in its entire design in order to cover basic conventions. Then, it will only refer to sound in terms of sound effects and music, for speeches and narration are covered separately.

Sound is an essential part of filmmaking and enhances a film’s aesthetic to a great extent. It emphasizes aspects of the story and triggers feelings in the spectators. Sound can be altered or manipulated to determine the overall atmosphere. Furthermore, it increases drama and suspense (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 113f). What is more, sound also influences the credibility and authenticity of the storyworld. For instance, background sound establishes the right atmosphere for the location and describes the characters by revealing their emotions through melodies. In short, sound completes the visual experience (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 128).

To create a convincing illusion, the visual and the acoustic components need to be perfectly synchronized. Although sound is recorded during production, in the most cases the sound quality requires improvement. The same goes for the character’s speeches. Even

21 though the microphone is held close to the action while shooting, even the zoom of the camera, a flying airplane or traffic jam can disturb the sound. For this reason, it has to be re- synchronized in the sound studio post-production (cf. Manthey 2006: 259ff). “The camera picks up the image at precisely the same time as the microphone picks up the sound. Then the two tracks have to be played back at precisely the same speed. The slightest discrepancy will put the picture out of sync” (Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 114).

The people in charge of using sound effectively are called sound designers. It is on them to find the right balance between realism and expressionism that fits the scene. The sound designer can experiment with the techniques that are at their disposal to achieve the aesthetics effects that they wish for. One example is altering the volume in dialogues or background music to draw the spectators’ attention to a specific event. The cessation of sound leading to complete silence can also have interesting effects on the spectators’ perception of the scene (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 115ff).

Sound, whether it is real or created, synchronous or asynchronous, requires considerate and deliberate treatment. Processing sound is a complex task and must not be underestimated. When recording sound on screen, the sound quality is often bad because the microphone cannot capture it well enough. Hence, in most cases, sound needs to be filtered or sometimes even produced entirely separately from the filming process. It is then added to the images post-production. It depends on the filmmaker’s choices whether sound is recorded during production or added post-production, but most sound needs processing to ensure high quality. Digital editing makes it easy to filter sound and alter its pitch. This is done by slowing it or speeding it up to obtain the right balance (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 126ff).

When experimenting with sound techniques, the sound designer differentiates between “sound on” and “sound off”, or “off-screen sound”. The “sound on”, on the one hand, refers to all sound that comes from a source that is visible within the frame, like music coming from a jukebox or the barking of a dog that is seen on screen. “Sound off”, on the other hand, refers to sound that is coming from outside the frame. The spectators can hear the noises but cannot see where they come from. For example, if the inside of a house is seen on screen but the noise of a traffic jam is added to the images. Kasdan & Tavernetti (cf. 2008 115ff) claim that adding sound that comes from outside the frame suggests a world beyond the visually represented scene. The acoustic offers the spectators more impressions and inspires their inspirations, and thus, expands the world on screen.

Buckland (cf. 2006: 22f) differentiates between non-diegetic and diegetic sound. Non- diegetic sound has its source outside the story world. For example, the soundtrack or the voice

22 of an omniscient narrator who is not part of the story is non-diegetic. Diegetic sound refers to all sounds that come from inside the story world. Here one can further distinguish between external and internal diegetic sound. The first is comprised of the screen music and the voices of the characters. The latter refers to subjective sounds that can only be heard by one character, such as an inner-voice expressing thoughts or imagined sounds. Hence, internal diegetic sound is only shared with the spectators.

The previous section has shown that sound is a powerful source that adds layers of meaning to the story. Another aspect of sound that is an important part of film productions is sound effects, which determine how realistically a story is represented. Sound effects can reinforce the illusion of reality by using noises that add realistic quality to the visuals. Sound effects are all acoustic elements that are heard in a film except for spoken words or music. These include the noise of a slamming door, a barking dog, pouring rain, thunder, a gunshot - which is probably the most frequently recurring sound effect in Breaking Bad - clapping hands, or tweeting birds (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 126ff).

Film music refers to all kinds of melodic compositions, including theme songs and background music. It plays an important role in film because it adds an emotional quality and triggers memories of the visual composition (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 113ff). Music has the power to change the mood of the story, and, thus, the spectators’ perception of the story. Aside from speech, it is the primary source of sound and essential in producing meaning.

In the middle of the 19th century, the German composer Richard Wagner realized that poetical images could be heightened by music. He inserted layers of texture into his operas by making use of “Leitmotivs”. These “Leitmotivs” were supposed to give the audience an impulse to act and react emotionally. The music was used to represent, portray, and characterize not only the characters, but also the story and the location. Music sets the mood and the tone for the entire play (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 122ff).

Especially asynchronous background music stresses the mood of the action and provokes spectator response. It can function as a narrator by emphasizing and imitating the action and making psychological associations. Music tells the spectator how the action is supposed to feel by creating a certain atmosphere. Through melodies, the atmosphere may become dangerous or peaceful, romantic or terrifying, melancholic, or funny, or sad. There is a wide range of emotions that can be triggered through melodies. Decisive factors include the pace, the volume, the pitch, and the style. Melodic sounds create harmony whereas staccato sounds create tension. Kasdan and Tavernetti (2008: 121) explain that “a violin added suggests romantic, sweet dreams. A subdued saxophone instead, suggests sadness. But bring

23 in a bass and a slow, measured drumbeat and tension increases. Continue to build on the beat, change the melodic violin to a shrill pitch, and the mood suggests a nightmare or the threat of approaching evil.” The sound pattern determines how the spectators perceive the action because it has the power to shape their interpretation of and response to the story. Therefore, the creation of meaning and the provocation of emotions is the primary task for the sound designer. If the spectators are given a number of shots, it is the music that will help them form an opinion about the story, intensify their emotions, and emphasize certain actions.

Music not only underlines and supports the visual in creating the right atmosphere, but also influences how the characters are received. Therefore, the visual and the acoustic parts inevitably influence each other (cf. Kasdan & Tavernetti 2008: 125f). There are several examples in Breaking Bad of background music working with the action on screen in order to elicit audience response. For example, in situations of high suspense, the volume and pace of the music increase simultaneously with the action. This allows the audience to share the thrill with the characters because it appeals to their emotions.

In addition, music occupies another role in Breaking Bad. The filmmakers use music effectively to tell parts of the story for the characters or to create irony or sarcasm. At the beginning of Season 2, the audience is introduced to a Mexican band, “Los Cuates de Sinaloa”, who tell the story of Heisenberg and his blue crystal methamphetamine in their song, called ““. Before the characters even know it, the song reveals to the audience that the Mexican drug cartel is not pleased about the success of the blue drug and intends to kill Heisenberg (cf. Breaking Bad, Season 2, Episode 7: “Negro Y Azul”).

Another example of this unique use of music is in the very last scene of the series when Walter reminisces about how he has spent the last two years. As he is walking through John’s laboratory, a background song, called “Baby Blue” comes in. The song puts one in a melancholic mood. Because of the song’s lyrics, it seems as if it were sung by Walter, who is finally revealing the truth about his motivation to go into the drug business: “Guess I got what I deserved […] Didn’t know you’d think that I’d forget or I’d regret. The special love I had for you, my baby blue” (Breaking Bad, Season 5, Episode 16: “”).

In many instances, music is used in a highly ironic way. In the Pilot episode, Walter is working at the carwash when he suddenly collapses and falls unconscious. The frame depicts Walter in the front and on the lower end of the image, also capturing the background action of a man serving a costumer. On the lower half of the frame, there is hardly any lighting, which makes Walter appear in darker surroundings than the other people in the frame. The darker tones and colors, especially in combination with Walter lying motionless on the floor, create a

24 gloomy atmosphere. In the background a cheerful song can be heard. The music thus forms a contrast to the action, and creates a more dramatic effect.

The daily action at the car wash continues while Walter’s suffering and need for help remains unnoticed. The music signifies the other people’s moods as they are oblivious to and completely untouched by Walter’s situation. The protagonist, who is lying helplessly on the floor, is treated with scorn. This clearly reflects Walter’s situation in life and achieves a strong effect of sympathy.

Walter lying unconsciously on the floor in a hall unnoticed by the people outside; sunshine outside contrasts with the dark hall, symbolically portrays Walter’s feeling of lifelessness and insignificance. (Breaking Bad, Season 1, Episode 1: “Pilot”) “Dead Inside”

Undoubtedly, Breaking Bad exhausts all possibilities that music and sound offer. Acoustics achieve important aesthetic effects and aid greatly in touching the audience on an emotional level. The sound production as a whole is greatly supported by visuals, without which the film could not exist.

3.4. Camera Work Establishes a Connection with the Audience

Film is predominantly visual, and it goes without saying that cinematography is the most significant factor when it comes to creating aesthetic effects. The director of photography, also known as the cinematographer, is the person responsible for the film’s aesthetic (cf. Ryan & Lenos 2012: 13). The cinematographer has the opportunity to shape the world on screen for they are t