Film Breakdowns - Snatch (2000)

Film Breakdowns - Snatch (2000)
 
To become the best, we have to learn from the best.

Snatch is the amazingly funny and surreal story of American and Russian mobsters, English mobsters, robbers, fight fixers and a Jewish jeweller trying to get their hands on a priceless stolen diamond while two men find a Pikey boxer to fight for them in a coming fight.

Let's begin breaking down some of my favourite frames from the film which encapsulate what I think are some of the pivotal points of importance in the story.

 Let's begin!

The first time that we see our main character (or one of them) we see him behind this giant moon like head. Who is it? Someone more dangerous than them for sure. Why don't we see them? Well it could be like in Pulp Fiction, he's too important. Or it could be that we'll see him later and not know it.

A real tribute to film noir in my opinion even though it isn't one, Snatch does a fantastic thing of modernising the conversation through a mirror shot seen in pretty much every film noir. It's very subtle and I didn't even see it the first time I saw the film. A lovely touch none the less.

I absolutely love this shot it's so eye appealing. I like the use of the wide angle lens because it distorts the face of the man who has had it world turned upside down and distorted by Boris and secondly, it shows the end of the gun being stretched and elongated. It looks so cinematic, it's a gorgeous shot.

Mickey is the fighter on the left and he was supposed to throw the fight so that Brick Top (second from right) and his clients can get a pay out from the bookies. He instead knocked the man flat out and now his world is being turned around. It looks like a typical parents talking to the naughty child scenario. He has angered the villain and sooner or later, he will pay.

Who is this walking up to the shop? Why do we not see him? Have we seen him before? Probably knowing this film as everyone gets their introductions quite early. We don't see who this is because 1) this shot is dramatic 2) we have seen him before and him in particular being here means a coming s**t storm and 3) it makes us ask questions.

Mickey has paid the price for not throwing the fight and Brick Top has torched his caravan with him mother inside. I like the use of silhouettes here as it's almost like they're saying he is now devoid of a heart, his mother dying has left him hollow and full of darkness. The flames are not only his inner rage, but they represent his arrogance and his destructive nature.

Who is it at the door of the car? A silhouette of this kind usually means a gun is going to be put into your face (Which it will be). It also gives the impression of the personification of death walking up to the door, the reaper himself as he glides over the soon to depart dead men. It doesn't matter that we don't see who it is because we know what's about to happen.

Here we see that Brick Top has lost his hold of power at this point and is most likely in a very dark place in himself. He is not the kind of person to behave nicely towards others but here we get a sense of darkness, hate, anger and total blackness. His lack of knowledge of what's really happening is also pretty new to him. 

Snatch is one of those films where the plot might not be the center of attention but the characters sure are. It has such fantastically funny and great characters that say and do such bizarre and funny things that it makes us want to watch them again and again. It has one of the most famous or well known speeches in the film which I think pretty much every film lover knows, and that is the pig speech by Brick Top. I will leave it underneath and finish with if you haven't seen this film, do it NOW!