The shots & angles of how to steal a million

My favorite movie of all time is How to Steal a Million, starring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole.

My Scene: How to Steal a Million

The scene begins with a Close up, high angle shot on Nicole Bonnet (Hepburn) that suggests that power is held over her. She does not know beforehand of the arrival of her intruder, which builds suspense from the audience. The dark background calls attention to Bonnet and establishes a connection, relating her point of view to the interests of the audience.

Another Close up, high angle shot is shown when the camera is angled downward at the painting that Dermott (O’Toole) is collecting a sample from. This shot depicts the symbolic meaning that this single painting is the general overview of the entire film, the item of interest that is under analysis for validity.

The last high angle shot in the scene is at the accidental firing of the gun by Bonnet. By her backing away up the stairs, Bonnet’s fear is highlighted by the camera angle.

There is a shift in the middle of the scene from a high, close up angle to a medium, low angle shot when Bonnet is located at the top of the stairwell and looked to. This conveys her rightful claim over the house and defines her position as powerful and advantageous, holding influence over Simon Dermott (O’Toole). This upper hand is held throughout most of the movie.

Upon her arrival at the foot of the stairs, Bonnet is now amidst a low, eye level shot that carries on throughout most of the scene. This shot establishes the relationship between Dermott (O’Toole) and Bonnet (Hepburn) through the action caused by the accidental shooting. The focus is on the interaction between the characters.