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Proof (1991)

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clip Betrayal in the park education content clip 2

Original classification rating: M. This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

Andy (Russell Crowe) meets Celia (Geneviève Picot) at Martin’s house. She has not known of his existence in Martin’s life until just before this scene. She tells him that Martin is in the park, walking his dog. When he arrives in the park, Andy witnesses a bizarre scene. Celia sits on a bench, secretly luring Bill the dog to her side, where she holds his collar while Martin calls. When Martin takes a series of photographs, Andy rushes to hide behind a tree.

Curator’s notes

by Paul Byrnes

This scene in the park is a kind of homage to Alfred Hitchcock and it’s superbly done. There is no dialogue and point of view is rigorously controlled. Tension builds as Andy walks into the park, observing people picnicking. The bicyclist adds to the surprise, and the angle of the camera keeps Russell Crowe’s head isolated, so we can’t see what’s behind him – at least until the dog walks to Celia. The real masterstroke is when we see Andy in the viewfinder of the camera, and he realises he’s going to be photographed. Why does he automatically jump for the tree? He has done nothing wrong, but he realises he would have to lie to Martin about the photo, or implicate Celia. The question of why he doesn’t want to do this is intriguing. He has only just met her and he has seen that she’s capable of cruel deception of Martin – the man she believes she loves. Still, his first instinct is to lie, by jumping for cover. It’s possibly because he already knows he wants to sleep with her. That’s certainly her interpretation later in the film, when she tells Andy he lied for her ‘in case’.

Teacher’s notes

provided by The Le@rning FederationEducation Services Australia

This clip shows how skillful editing and camera work and sparse layered dialogue portray the three protagonists, Andy (Russell Crowe), Celia (Geneviève Picot) and Martin (Hugo Weaving), and reveal their complex relationships. Andy meets Celia, Martin’s housekeeper, when he goes to visit Martin, a blind man who hopes to ‘know’ the world through his photographs, which Andy describes for him. When Andy goes to the park to find Martin, who is taking photographs, he witnesses Celia’s manipulative power as she lures Martin’s dog away from him.

Educational value points

  • The unusual triangular relationship between the protagonists is effectively portrayed in a few intensely observed moments. Celia’s mischievous sarcastic exchange with Andy about Martin, followed by her devious manipulation in the park, betrays her possessiveness of Martin. Martin’s isolation is shown as he moves around the park taking photographs to capture a world he cannot see. Andy, confused by Celia’s behaviour, runs to avoid being photographed by Martin.
  • The dialogue between Celia and Andy reveals the threat she feels when Andy appears unexpectedly. The nature of Celia and Martin’s relationship, which seems to be dependent, possessive and fractious, is evident in Celia’s curt sardonic replies to Andy’s good-natured questions. Her defensive body language reinforces the impression that she is resentful of Martin’s friendship with and dependence on Andy, which may supplant her role.
  • The amplification of sound effects as Andy walks through the park is designed to anticipate Martin’s imminent appearance. The sounds in this scene, such as the sharp laughter of the picnicking women and the growling of the dog fetching a stick, are amplified beyond normal audible levels, approximating the heightened aural awareness of a blind person. This replicates and demonstrates Martin’s experience for the viewer.
  • In the scene in the park, tension is built by intercutting shots of Andy in close-up with shots of other people enjoying the park, Martin taking photographs and Celia’s mysterious arrival and departure. The focus on Andy’s face in close-ups reveals his confusion and his perplexed response to Celia’s behaviour. Tension is created as he looks from Martin to Celia and back to Martin, before realising he must quickly avoid being photographed by Martin.
  • The use of cutaway shots as Andy walks through the park compresses both time and distance. The editing technique known as ‘cutaways’ is used to integrate secondary activities that occur at the same time as the main action – here, Andy walking to meet Martin. Cutting to the picnicking women and the running dog spares the viewer awkward jumps in place and time while Andy’s arrival at his destination is expedited, avoiding any slowdown in the action.
  • The lingering low shot of Celia’s legs as she lures the dog to her side obscures her motive from the viewer. As the dog approaches Celia, whom the viewer recognises by her familiar clothes, the camera remains fixed on the lower half of her body for a fraction longer than expected, subtly creating doubt in the viewer’s mind. It is only after she grasps the dog by its collar that her face is shown, her mocking look expressing the power she enjoys over Martin.