Torres - Frantic

In the movie Frantic Harrison Ford plays Dr. Richard Walker, a rather successful American doctor who has been thrown into a very noir nightmare. The movie is a psychological thriller that contains several noir elements, including moral ambiguity, fear, anxiety, paranoia, violence, sexual tension, and the feelings of entrapment, helplessness, and isolation. The use of a femme fatal figure, Michelle, supplies the moral ambiguity and sexual tension. Although Dr. Walker loves his wife and is desperate to find her, he is forced to keep the company of a young woman who cares more about having fun and getting her money than anything else. Because she refuses to leave his side, Michelle provides a source of psychological entrapment by forcing Dr. Walker to deal with her antics and the sexual tension her presence creates, which doesn't exactly make finding his wife any easier. A sense of betrayal (especially by authority figures) provides the film with paranoia, fear and anxiety. Dr. Walker feels let down by the police force's lack of seriousness about his situation, and even the American embassy is unable to sufficiently help him. He is let down by everyone and forced to do the investigating himself. This feeling of having no one to turn to for help certainly contributes to the feeling of psychological entrapment. Also, being in Paris and unable to speak or understand French puts Dr. Walker at a serious disadvantage, as well as supplies the film with anxiety and a sense of isolation and helplessness. Being unable to understand people on the street or ask them questions is enough to make anyone feel isolated and trapped.

This scene exemplifies the entrapment felt be Dr. Walker. For the most part, the lighting is low key, except for a harsh highlight at the top of the frame. This shows the dismal situation that he is in; knowing that his wife has been kidnapped, that the police won't take him seriously or help him, not knowing how to contact the kidnappers after the first failed attempt at an exchange, etc. The framing is tight, as Dr. Walker's own body works as a barricade, taking up about 1/3 of the frame. He is both trapped in the frame and in the mirror, with only a very small possible escape route to the right. This greatly emphasizes the psychological aspect of the entrapment as he is literally confronting himself in this situation. This scene also shows that Dr. Walker is not entirely blameless in this situation. Just as he is blocking himself from escaping in this scene, he has also hindered himself in his situation by not learning French before going to a French speaking country (or at least carrying a pocket dictionary) and by ignoring his wife while he was taking a shower. The camera proxemics are personal, revealing just his face and upper torso. This reiterates the confrontation he is having with himself as well as shows the viewer his seriousness and emotions by making the focus his face. The camera proxemics also help to box him into the frame, further emphasizing his entrapment.