This is an intellectual sequence, during which Luke Wilson’s character Richie cuts his overgrown hair and beard. Needle In The Hay MontageĪdditionally, the other montage to discuss in The Royal Tenenbaums is the Needle In The Hay montage. The montage is so careful in what it includes that short moments convey all we need to know. Yet, the rhythm of the visuals perfectly encapsulate his character and how Margot feels about him. For example, Margot’s husband, Raleigh, only has twenty-five seconds of screen time. Whilst the narration is literal, the visuals add another layer, often acting laterally to build a wide picture of the character at hand in a very short amount of time. In this and other ways, the visual imagery complements the narration. We see still images of books published by the characters, for example, when they are introduced as writers. The montage is so entertaining and dynamic in part because of the variety in the visuals. Their separation will become a key part of the rest of the film. But Margot and his relationship is clearly unfulfilling for the both of them. Raleigh St Clair is shown to be loving and intelligent.Margot is established as unhappy and secretive.But it’s clear he still feels insecure and is still in frequent conversation with Margot. Eli Cash is established as a successful writer.Richie’s tennis career is shown to have failed, his isolation clearly a symptom of his love for Margot.The montage establishes Royal as broke and isolated from his family.The above rhythmic montage in The Royal Tenebaums is a perfect example of stylistically and quickly re-introducing the main characters 22 years on from when we last briefly saw them. It establishes the protagonist‘s, wants, needs and his emotional baggage rapidly. It compresses an entire love story into a short space of time. Carl and Ellie were unable to have kids and Russell eventually becomes a son to Carl. It pre-empts Carl’s relationship with Russell.The jar of coins and the purchasing of the tickets, just before Ellie’s collapse, suggests this. It establishes Carl’s want in the film – to get to Paradise Falls.This justifies Carl’s grumpiness for the rest of the film as it is clear that he has lost his soulmate. It establishes the love that Carl and Ellie have for each other.The sequence is able to serve a number of different purposes: We begin the sequence witnessing their wedding and end it seeing Carl standing alone at Ellie’s funeral. Carl harnesses them – at first they nearly fly off without him – but then he has one by his side at Ellie’s funeral. The balloons as a motif throughout this sequence.The repetition of the couple climbing up the hill creates an emotional impact once Ellie collapses.The film uses a number of repeated images to show the progression of time:
This overtonal montage is so effective that it functions almost as its own short film. Within the space of four minutes, a montage shows Carl & Ellie’s married life, from their wedding to Ellie’s death. The “Married Life” montage from the beginning of Up is a montage example that lives long in the memory of many audiences.
Though, as we will see below, the lines between them are not always clear and they are often used in combination. These methods of montage are still in use today. The shots are linked through a similar intellectual meaning.
Shots are linked based on aural or visual similarities. The highlighting of emotional themes or meanings in the shots themselves.