Movie: Logan (2017)
Scene: “I was thinking of shooting myself with it.”
NOTE: This essay doesn’t feature any spoilers but I highly recommend going into the movie not knowing anything besides the title and general plot synopsis.
Another Note… Logan only smiles 3 times in the whole 2 Hour and 17 Minute long movie and Laura only speaks until the Hour and 40 Minute mark.
Lighting: The lighting in this scene is dim yet meaningful. There’s only 3 lights that all have flames. Logan is front and center with the light mostly on him while Laura is half shined and half dark. The other is just in the background and not noticeable. This shows that the more tragic character is Logan while Laura is still young and doesn’t know who or what makes her, her. She’s conflicted (hence only half of her being shown).
Set Up: The set up to the scene is Logan awakening from sleep and noticing a bunch of younger mutants staring at him... Looking at an original mutant. Logan’s main priority, at first, was to bring Laura to North Dakota to a place she called “Eden”. Of course, in Logan’s, old age… He finds it bullshit. After discovering Eden was real the whole time he faints and is taking care of by the young. After being treated he awakens to them looking at him… His new priority is to let her sleep.
Scene: Logan awakens from a nightmare and sees Laura staring at him. The scene is just Logan and Laura talking quietly as the other mutants are outside having a bonfire before they leave the following morning to runaway to safety. Basically, Logan and Laura are separated to talk privately and talk about death, nightmares, and what they both have in common. They kill, they fear of what they are, and they have the same blood. Logan’s half asleep when talking.
Score: There’s a brief opening score then after score. There’s no background music while they’re talking. The song from the score is most likely either Goodnight Moon or Don’t Be What They Made You (both composed by Marco Beltrami and from the album Logan Deluxe (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) ).
Acting: Logan is played by Hugh Jackman and Laura is played by newcomer Dafne Keen. Logan is the central character and is the main focus of the story while Laura is what drives him to do what he has to do. Laura is fully awake while Logan is still half asleep when talking. They talk quietly so the others don’t hear them.
Cinematography: The cinematographer is John Mathieson and there’s almost zero camera movement. Both characters have close up to medium shots focused on them. It cuts in between what and where they’re talking. Logan’s in bed while Laura’s sitting on her bed across the room then gets up to show Logan what could’ve ended his depression… A bullet.
Writing: The movies screenplay was written by James Mangold, Scott Frank, and Michael Green and based on a story that director James Mangold would come up with (the movie would be end up being nominated at the Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay). It’s unclear who focused on what but most likely James wrote this scene. The movie has action and blood but also has character. Which James knows how to do. The dialogue between the two is said in about two to three sentences by each of them while Logan has his climactic speech about shooting himself and why he should’ve done it a long time ago.
Directing: As said previously, James Mangold served as a co-writer and director of the movie. He had directed the previous Wolverine movie “The Wolverine” which took place in Japan and also focused on Logan’s struggles of nightmares and death. The director stays far back away from the moment and lets the actors do what they need to do for the scene to work. There’s no action or quirky director tone… It’s a gritty discussion between an old man and a young girl.
Themes: The themes, as stated early, are death, nightmares, and what they have in common. The main one, not mentioned, is age. Logan’s lived for years (from the 1800’s to the 2040’s). While Laura’s only been in the world for 10 to 12 years. Logan’s seen a lot while Laura’s just experiencing all the events of one journey from New Mexico to North Dakota. Death plays apart in what Logan talks about (can’t live without the killing), Logan and Laura share the same nightmares of killing, and they both talk about what makes them the same (what they’re made of).
Social Commentary on Average Superhero Movies: Superhero Movies get Old. In a modern day where suphero movies are announced years before they may be done with it (planning for the next 20 years) Logan’s story spanned for 17 years with 9 movies, 2 video games, and one character. Hugh Jackman had gotten married and have children over the course of those years. For that long of time it had its highs and lows but Logan will stand the test of time and show what superhero movies can be and how they should end. Logan isn’t a 40 year old athletic dude with a sweet costume… He’s 100 year old man who wears a tank top and jeans. Logan has claws that come from his body but is also a real man. He does crazy stuff but he’s still the same old character that’s tough and rough but emotional. Steven Spielberg has said that the superhero genre will suffer the fading death over the next few years like the Western (hence they chose that genre to be the main focus of this story). They’re great for some time but slowly end up being the same and nothing more. An example of a Western used as inspiration for the movie were Unforgiven and Shane. All 3 are about old men having to defend the new. Logan has the best conclusion to a character in the history of cinema. A noble ending to a noble character whose time has come… To go. Superhero Fatigue is slowly coming to fruition and this is in large part for Logan and its themes and social commentary on how we look at mindless entertainment.
Genre: The director explains through interviews that Logan is mostly a Western movie. I’d say it’s a Western Action Drama. It contains the Western and Dramatic feel of old timers learning to deal with a brew threat and the brutal action with gore and blood.
Trailers: This isn’t a big deal but the 3 main trailers focus on songs about people going away or remembering the old. The Teaser Trailer song was Hurt performed by Johnny Cash, The Official Trailer had the song Way Down We Go by Kaleo, and the Super Bowl TV-Spot features a cover of the National Anthem… That’s all I’m going to say.
The film is in the top 250 best movies of all time on IMDb and has won 23 Awards and has had another 66 Nominations. And one Oscar Nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Directed by James Mangold
Based on the Marvel Comics Characters
Story by James Mangold
Screenplay by James Mangold, Scott Frank, and Michael Green
Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, and Richard E. Grant.
