Post by beccaelizabeth on Jun 23, 2004 13:37:30 GMT -5
Now, first time inside the library. We get whole seconds of just looking at this set. So, what do we see?
A whole lot of brown and white, with just a hint of purple in the floor.
The scoobies, and Buffy, match the library
Coolness.
We also see a lot of orange, which kinda screws the theory, but I can live with that. Theres a lot of random color books. Everywhere is wooden, which sounds obvious but in my flat I have shelves on every available wall and only one is visibly made of wood. The others are all plastic. Local libraries are often metal shelves. So, wood is a choice. Wood is important, for obvious reasons re vampires. Also warm and homey.
You get horizontal lines from the book shelves, vertical lines from the books and the railings, but things arent lined up like grids. Everything is a bit off center. There are doors opposite the way in, so no being trapped. There are comfy padded chairs as well as hard chairs round a table, and individual reading lights that look all old fashioned.
Theres also a dustbin right in the middle of the room. Well, a paper bin, but the other way is a vampire funny.
The entryway is more more modern, with those big white gate thingys and the counter next to them, so its a bit like you step in from the science world back in time to the book world.
Giles gets Buffy's attention by tapping her on the shoulder. This is polite among deaf people. Presumably it is also polite in the no speaking kind of library.
Giles *always* matches the library. Tweedy book guy, color coded. He is stripes, mostly horizontal, like the shelves.
Also, the first time we see him, he is standing in front of the cage. Not the book shelves, the cage, with the open door. Now that is a fascinating bit of symbolism. Okay, so it is also the only place he can come from and be behind Buffy, but she could have looked at something on the table and him come out of the office. Instead we get Giles and the cage.
Cages in libraries is interesting too. What needs locking up? Secrets, valuables, weapons and werewolves as it turns out. Oh, and possessed people.
So is it that Giles was in the cage, or is it Giles=cage, or both?
I hadnt previously noticed this (in a zillion times of watching) so I'm all intrigued.
The big book of vampyr is brown and gold.
so as far as I can see is Giles' watch, ring, and outfit in general.
There is a computer on the counter, and an American flag behind it. This amuses me. technology and books, england and america, all in one tidy shot.
And in case you think I'm taking the brown thing too far, next scene, lots of not brown colors.
Buffy and Willow sit arms reach apart on the bench. Xander plonks himself in between them. Jesse has his back to camera and nowhere to sit.
"Unless you have a scary home"
which possibility occurs to Jesse.
well he only exists for one episode, the teensy tiny bits we have of his character have to go a very long way.
J in orange, practically opposite of X in blue, but complimentary.
Xander sits down on the same bench as B and W and B backs away.
X has obviously made a good impression.
Buffy pulling the door open- first example of Slayer strength.
Slayer powers open doors, symbol or convenience?
And how *creepy* is it that this high school girl goes snooping after dead guys? I mean on first viewing.
Giles is half shadows half light when he starts with the will he rise again stuff.
Giles body language. Before, prissy and enthusiastic, all puppy with a slipper about having the right book. Now he's on a higher level to Buffy and leaning over the railing to talk to her. Kind of looming.
When he comes down the stairs he leads with his left side and keeps his right on the stair rail. It just occured to me that to a trained fencer thats like leading with the weapon hand and keeping balance. Moving in aggressively.
He stays tilted forward just a bit to talk to her, but while he raises a hand to do the pointy found something finger he moves back at the same time, so he isnt pushing the found something finger in her face.
He piles up the books into her hands and then keeps his hand on top, like pressing the knowledge on her. Then leans in right in her face for the 'under your bed' bit of the speech. Way up in her face now, with the books to back him up between them.
As soon as she gets him to straighten up and back off a bit she dumps the books back on him.
He puts the books down to get his hands free then does that open vertical hand gesture I cant find a word for. Its an explaining hand. It isnt as aggressive as the chop the air hand, it doesnt suppress like the palm down hand, but it doesnt just offer like the palm up offering hand. Its a lecturing hand I guess. With precision fingers not quite pinched together. So general but in a precise way.
When she starts making it about her personal life instead of the book stuff she steps in, small steps but more than one, and Giles straightens up, like backing off but without the feet movement. Not a draw yourself up straighten, a get further away from the short yet aggressive girl straight.
Out in the corridor he grabs her by the upper arm and pushes her across to the opposite wall, out of the way of people. Upper arm is one of those places men grab women to control them, or grown ups grab kids. It isnt a good equals kind of movement. Not that grabbing ever is. He pushes her around. And she lets him, with sulky face. Remember this is the Slayer, who need not be pushed by anyone. She just lets him, teenager passive. Giles, leaning forward, looming again, while she slumps against the wall getting smaller. Fists on hips, grumpy Giles being big. And the hand is getting more palm down, push down hand, trying to assert dominance. Slayer wont cooperate, so try to take control. Pointy finger at the floor to make a point on 'now'. Emphatic Giles. Buffy, having none of it, walks off. So Giles walks right close behind her then blocks her with an arm across in front of her.
down palm hand for 'crucial mystical upheaval', but up palm close to him, cupping hand, ready to receive, what I think of as begging bowl hand, when he has explained its 'days, possibly less'. Like waiting for her turn to give something.
He isnt totally domineering controlling guy, he pulls back and leaves room for her to follow him. But. He is also totally in her personal space as soon as they leave the library, as soon as she has demonstrated that she is the Slayer but she doesnt want to cooperate. He pushes her, physically, and with gesture. It wouldnt take much more of that kind of behaviour for him to be a total jerk. And since this is only the first time we've met Giles, borderline domineering jerk is what we know about him.
A whole lot of brown and white, with just a hint of purple in the floor.
The scoobies, and Buffy, match the library
Coolness.
We also see a lot of orange, which kinda screws the theory, but I can live with that. Theres a lot of random color books. Everywhere is wooden, which sounds obvious but in my flat I have shelves on every available wall and only one is visibly made of wood. The others are all plastic. Local libraries are often metal shelves. So, wood is a choice. Wood is important, for obvious reasons re vampires. Also warm and homey.
You get horizontal lines from the book shelves, vertical lines from the books and the railings, but things arent lined up like grids. Everything is a bit off center. There are doors opposite the way in, so no being trapped. There are comfy padded chairs as well as hard chairs round a table, and individual reading lights that look all old fashioned.
Theres also a dustbin right in the middle of the room. Well, a paper bin, but the other way is a vampire funny.
The entryway is more more modern, with those big white gate thingys and the counter next to them, so its a bit like you step in from the science world back in time to the book world.
Giles gets Buffy's attention by tapping her on the shoulder. This is polite among deaf people. Presumably it is also polite in the no speaking kind of library.
Giles *always* matches the library. Tweedy book guy, color coded. He is stripes, mostly horizontal, like the shelves.
Also, the first time we see him, he is standing in front of the cage. Not the book shelves, the cage, with the open door. Now that is a fascinating bit of symbolism. Okay, so it is also the only place he can come from and be behind Buffy, but she could have looked at something on the table and him come out of the office. Instead we get Giles and the cage.
Cages in libraries is interesting too. What needs locking up? Secrets, valuables, weapons and werewolves as it turns out. Oh, and possessed people.
So is it that Giles was in the cage, or is it Giles=cage, or both?
I hadnt previously noticed this (in a zillion times of watching) so I'm all intrigued.
The big book of vampyr is brown and gold.
so as far as I can see is Giles' watch, ring, and outfit in general.
There is a computer on the counter, and an American flag behind it. This amuses me. technology and books, england and america, all in one tidy shot.
And in case you think I'm taking the brown thing too far, next scene, lots of not brown colors.
Buffy and Willow sit arms reach apart on the bench. Xander plonks himself in between them. Jesse has his back to camera and nowhere to sit.
"Unless you have a scary home"
which possibility occurs to Jesse.
well he only exists for one episode, the teensy tiny bits we have of his character have to go a very long way.
J in orange, practically opposite of X in blue, but complimentary.
Xander sits down on the same bench as B and W and B backs away.
X has obviously made a good impression.
Buffy pulling the door open- first example of Slayer strength.
Slayer powers open doors, symbol or convenience?
And how *creepy* is it that this high school girl goes snooping after dead guys? I mean on first viewing.
Giles is half shadows half light when he starts with the will he rise again stuff.
Giles body language. Before, prissy and enthusiastic, all puppy with a slipper about having the right book. Now he's on a higher level to Buffy and leaning over the railing to talk to her. Kind of looming.
When he comes down the stairs he leads with his left side and keeps his right on the stair rail. It just occured to me that to a trained fencer thats like leading with the weapon hand and keeping balance. Moving in aggressively.
He stays tilted forward just a bit to talk to her, but while he raises a hand to do the pointy found something finger he moves back at the same time, so he isnt pushing the found something finger in her face.
He piles up the books into her hands and then keeps his hand on top, like pressing the knowledge on her. Then leans in right in her face for the 'under your bed' bit of the speech. Way up in her face now, with the books to back him up between them.
As soon as she gets him to straighten up and back off a bit she dumps the books back on him.
He puts the books down to get his hands free then does that open vertical hand gesture I cant find a word for. Its an explaining hand. It isnt as aggressive as the chop the air hand, it doesnt suppress like the palm down hand, but it doesnt just offer like the palm up offering hand. Its a lecturing hand I guess. With precision fingers not quite pinched together. So general but in a precise way.
When she starts making it about her personal life instead of the book stuff she steps in, small steps but more than one, and Giles straightens up, like backing off but without the feet movement. Not a draw yourself up straighten, a get further away from the short yet aggressive girl straight.
Out in the corridor he grabs her by the upper arm and pushes her across to the opposite wall, out of the way of people. Upper arm is one of those places men grab women to control them, or grown ups grab kids. It isnt a good equals kind of movement. Not that grabbing ever is. He pushes her around. And she lets him, with sulky face. Remember this is the Slayer, who need not be pushed by anyone. She just lets him, teenager passive. Giles, leaning forward, looming again, while she slumps against the wall getting smaller. Fists on hips, grumpy Giles being big. And the hand is getting more palm down, push down hand, trying to assert dominance. Slayer wont cooperate, so try to take control. Pointy finger at the floor to make a point on 'now'. Emphatic Giles. Buffy, having none of it, walks off. So Giles walks right close behind her then blocks her with an arm across in front of her.
down palm hand for 'crucial mystical upheaval', but up palm close to him, cupping hand, ready to receive, what I think of as begging bowl hand, when he has explained its 'days, possibly less'. Like waiting for her turn to give something.
He isnt totally domineering controlling guy, he pulls back and leaves room for her to follow him. But. He is also totally in her personal space as soon as they leave the library, as soon as she has demonstrated that she is the Slayer but she doesnt want to cooperate. He pushes her, physically, and with gesture. It wouldnt take much more of that kind of behaviour for him to be a total jerk. And since this is only the first time we've met Giles, borderline domineering jerk is what we know about him.
Thanks, be!