xx 1
xxxx
Dr. Annalee Edmondson
ENGL 1102 – T4
26 February 20xx
Breaking Down Breaking Bad
Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad has been called one of the greatest TV series of all
time for a variety of reasons, ranging from the unpredictability of the plot to the constant
drama and suspense the viewer experiences. A less recognized but nonetheless extremely
important part of the show’s success is the cinematic techniques used to create
subjectivity. The story of a high school chemistry teacher with cancer turning into a meth
kingpin, Breaking Bad needed subjectivity in order for viewers to relate to the many
unusual situations the characters face throughout the series. Through the use of different
points of view, a “handheld” camera style with varying angles, and lighting, Breaking
Bad constructs a sense of subjectivity allowing the viewers not only to understand but
also to experience the perspective of Walter White during his growth into Heisenberg.
The varying points of view used throughout the filming of Breaking Bad are
arguably the most important tool used in the creation of subjectivity in the series. Starting
in Season 1, when Walter White is running the crumpled up money he has been paid with
through the dryer, an unusual camera angle is shown to the viewers. It is placed in the
back of the dryer, allowing the shot to contain not only the absurd amount of drug money
that Walter is earning, but the look of near disbelief on his face as he reaches in to grab it.
This juxtaposes an ordinary, clean cut, high school chemistry teacher with hundreds,
maybe thousands of dollars of drug money sitting in front of him, a concept so absurd
xx 2
that it makes the scene comical. This establishes an important baseline for Walter as a
character that will give him room to grow into a hardened criminal throughout the series.
At this point Walt doesn’t belong in the drug trade, and techniques like this highlight his
inexperience and softness until his dark alter ego Heisenberg is born. Another example of
camera point of view occurs almost every time that meth is cooked in the RV; the actual
cooking process is seen mostly through Walt’s eyes. This first person point of view
shows how much care Walt has for his craft. The viewer can almost feel the precision of
his measurements and the skill in his cooking, which would be much harder to experience
if the camera were just shooting the cook from a distance.
Another technique used in Breaking Bad is the handheld style of cinematography
utilized at times to show characters’ emotions. As Nick Schager points out in his essay
“Stylized Realism: The Cinematography of Breaking Bad,” “greater visual shakiness
emerges whenever a character is wracked by stress, fear, or some sudden shock to their
system” (Schager). This is evident when Tuco snorts Walt’s ultra pure meth and the
camera begins to lose stability. Conversely, when Walt’s confidence is blossoming as a
result of getting away with murder, an abnormal sense of stability is present in the shots,
known in the film industry as Steadicam (Bunting). This shows Walt’s newfound
confidence in his role as a drug dealer, and this stability will often be present as he grows
into his Heisenberg persona. The stability or jitteriness of the camera is often
accompanied by camera angles meant to amplify the emotions being portrayed.
Confidence and stability are often accompanied by angles looking up at Walt, while
shock and discomfort is generally portrayed from Walt’s point of view or one that is
looking down on him. One of the most iconic scenes in the show occurs when Walt is
xx 3
having an argument with Skylar, his wife, who is worried that his business is putting him
and the family in danger. During the argument, the camera is at eye level with them both
on the bed, shaking fairly noticeably, until Walt takes control of the situation. He stands
up, and with the camera pointing up at him it suddenly goes still. Instead of fearing the
danger of men knocking on his door, waiting to kill him, he confidently asserts, “I am the
one who knocks!” The steadiness of the camera in this scene magnifies the mood already
being displayed through Walt’s actions, and turns a simple phrase into a bone-chilling
assertion of dominance.
The lighting used to create subjectivity in Breaking Bad is almost iconic, given
that a simple all-black silhouette of a man in a pork-pie hat is enough for anyone who has
seen the show to associate with Heisenberg. Walt’s alter ego is almost always shrouded
in shadow, from his cook sessions in the underground superlab to most encounters he has
distributing his product. By the final season, entire episodes go without shots of Walter in
full light, showing that he has transformed almost entirely into the dark, ruthless
Heisenberg. Some of the only times Walt is shown in full light are when he is holding his
infant daughter, and even then there is often shadow on one side of his face. This twofaced effect emphasizes Walt’s double life, showing he is a loving father as well as a
murdering criminal. Breaking Bad cinematographer Michael Slovis mentions the focus
that was placed on lighting in an interview with Dave Bunting in August 2013. Slovis
recalls that during the construction of the set for the superlab, such emphasis was placed
on lighting that three different systems, “I would have a lighting scheme for cooking, a
scheme for maintenance, a scheme for post-cooking…” (Bunting) Each different lighting
xx 4
setup produced different effects regarding the mood of the scene and of Walt himself,
contributing to the ability of the viewer to feel what he felt.
The techniques employed by Vince Gilligan in order to subjectify Walter White’s
transformation into a crystal methamphetamine kingpin are basic cinematic effects,
however his combined use of them magnifies the effect each has on the viewers. Gilligan
was successful in his efforts to create subjectivity in Breaking Bad, and his use of point
of view, camera stability and angles, and lighting allow viewers to fully experience
Walt’s growth.
xx 5
Works Cited
Bunting, Dave. "Gliding Over All: An Interview with "Breaking Bad"
Cinematographer Michael Slovis." RogerEbert.com. N.p., 7 Aug. 2013. Web.
26 Feb. 2014. <http://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/gliding-overall-the-cinematography-of-breaking-bad-season-2>.
Gilligan, Vince, prod. "Breaking Bad." Breaking Bad. AMC. 2008. Television.
Schager, Nick. "Stylized Realism: The Cinematography of Breaking Bad, Season 1."
RogerEbert.com. N.p., 14 Aug. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/cinematography-ofbreaking-bad-season-1>.