Establishing Dominance With Eyelines and Framing

     Silence of the Lambs uses eyelines and framing, to establish dominance in the jail scene. These techniques are commonly used in dramatic film to create a feeling of someone winning a debate or argument. Eyelines are the direction the actor's eyes are looking. When the actor looks directly at the camera it creates a more intimidating emotion. When they look away it create a more submissive feeling. The next technique used is framing. Framing is size and position of objects relative to the edges of the screen. Large things in the center of the screen establishes a dominant emotion. Small things near the edges creates a more fearful image.
     These techniques are highly useful when creating a dramatic scene, because it brings the audience into the film, especially because of how the actor interacts with the camera without breaking the fourth wall. Eyelines and framing were very effective in Silence of the Lambs because it helped build the struggle between Starling and Lecter, which was overall effective because it forces chills into the audience.