Cinematography 

• Extreme long shot of Jin and Leo fighting with the contrast of the snow on the ground and the autumn coloured trees.
• Mid shots of the fighting 
• Close up of the swords intertwining 
•  Mid shot of a drop of blood on the snow from Leo’s dagger 
• Close up showing that Leo didn’t throw the dagger he wanted to kill her. Mei smiles, she keeps them both alive. 
• Close up of Leo’s face when Mei is dying in Jin’s arms 
• Close up of Leo dropping the dagger 
• Extreme long shot of Leo walking away 
• Extreme long shot of Jin holding Mei 
• Camera tracks round as they elbow each other 
• Sequence of crash zooms 
• Close up of Mei crying 
• Series of mid shots and close ups of the three individually and then an extreme close up 
• Close up of eyes – reaction – crash zooms 
• Extreme long shot – almost triangle like – Jin throws his sword and moves closer to Leo, trying to help. 
• Circling camera
• Close up/mid shot of Leo’s angry face then close up  of the blood he has drawn from Jin 
• Camera tracks around them when they have stabbed each other in the back 

Mise en Scene 

• Snowing (happened on set). The blood from Mei with the snow was foreshadowed at the beginning. 
•  contrast of the snow on the ground and the autumn coloured trees. 
• Army with their swords getting ready to attack the HOFD is the only thing we see of that attack. It’s about the romance story really. Plus, we probably know who will win anyway. The raid was set up as the point of the movie at the beginning, this is now cast aside. 
• Blood flying across the scene 
• Blood on the snow from the men (foreshadowed) 
• Drop of blood on the snow 
• Daggers hits the blood in the air – slow mo 
• Blood pours from Mei 
• Different from the bamboo fight scene. No wire work. Less special effects but still some. Bloodier and more brutal. 
• White is a funeral colour for the Chinease 
• Dagger sticking up might by symbolic of death – bad luck to leave chopsticks sticking up because they look like incense which get burned at funerals??
• Notches on the sword – isn’t a ballet like scene that’s pretty it’s a fight to the death 
• Repeated cutting each other’s shoulder and blood 
• Jin cuts off Leo’s hat that represents his status 
• In previous scenes they have used nature as a weapon, the snow is like nature fighting back against the injustice of the situation??

Sound 

• Loud foley sword sounds but only when they clash 
• Diegetic screaming 
• High pitched singing – holding long notes and snowy landscape over the fight scene
• Orchestral music when Mei gets up – we’ve heard it before – music about the love triangle/ tragic song of the film 
• ‘You shouldn’t have come back’ repeated from earlier 
• No music when Mei has hit the tree and before? Jin is running to Mei and holding her
• He cries holding her
• Jin sings Mei the song from the beginning to Mei while holding her as she dies 
• ‘ I came back, for you, my love’ – romance genre 
• Instrument playing over those ready to attack the HOFD is the same as the ones from the opening – history and politics – then it changes to the romance story 
• Magical sound of the blade – sound of Leo’s (fake – tricks us) and Mei’s 

Performance 

• They fight despite being injured. Originally they were set up to be on the same side. 

• Mei starts to get up 
• Mei hits the tree – romance not politics – not picking a side or an accident. It was going to hit the dagger as shown by the blood. Leo’s final deceit. 
• Leo walks away (stumbling)
• Different from the bamboo fight scene. No wire work. Less special effects but still some. 
• Both Leo and Jin stab each other at the same time while facing back to back. They then remove the swords at the same time. They are equals. Betrayed each other. 
• Leo removes his dagger 
• Leo and Jin both being equally damaged in the same way etc 
• Leo and Jin are different. Jin shows a softer side, he runs over to Mei and cries. Leo just leaves – he’s bitter, his undercover work has left the relationship with Mei stale, he’s hurt. Maybe it’s saying something about it not being what’s happened to you, but how you deal with it?
• Close up showing that Leo didn’t throw the dagger he wanted to kill her. Mei smiles, she keeps them both alive. Leo deceives. Mei is selfless. 
• Leo can’t look 
• Left and right movement throughout the film. Leo turns right and leaves. Jin breaks this and goes to Mei.
• Fighting feels less choreographed than earlier in the movie. Bloodier. Gritty. Harsh. Contrasts. 
• Close up/mid shot of Leo’s angry face then close up  of the blood he has drawn from Jin 

Editing 

• Slow motion of them punching/kicking sometimes??
• Slow motion of the dagger 
• Special effects of throwing the dagger and it hitting the blood in the air 
• Editing compacts the different areas (bamboo forest and open space by tree of forest)
• Fade from snow covered to snow storm 
• Fade to black 
• Break of continuity for effect – edit the same fight moment twice – crash into each other- emphasis 
• Slow motion of edited blood when they slash one another 
• Treats both men equally 
• Conversation between Mei and Jin 

Meanings and Response 

• Aesthetics 

Representation 

• Women as strong and with their own feelings and motivations 

Context 

• Political context