0:29:50 – 0:32:29
The scene opens up with Bannister sending a crew member to go get Michael so that they can bully him into staying all while feeling trapped on this voyage. The tension starts with Michael’s lines, “Is this what you folks do for amusement in the evenings? Sit around, toast marshmallows, and call each other names?” There is more than a hint of judgment from Michael and anticipation from the others to see how he will conduct himself. When Michael responds with, “I’d be glad to join the game.” he is met with condensation and underestimation from Bannister, “… that isn’t fair. You’re bound to lose the contest.”(0:30:15). Bannister is smiling and laughing, all while looking at Michael directly allowing the audience to see most of his face and only highlighting a little sweat on his forehead. Then begins the shark story and it is Michael’s turn to be in control. This speech is meant to get George and Bannister to back off the pressure they are putting on Michael to entertain and babysit Elsa. He launches into this story after there have been verbal blows to George and Elsa from Bannister, showing the pecking order of the group. He sets it up by describing things as a normal day but quickly dives into the gruesome details while unknowingly foreshadowing his future with this group, “I saw the ocean so darkened with blood it was black and the sun fainting away over the lip of the sky.”(0:30:55). All his actions are steady and his tone is soft, this is not fueled with aggression. He keeps his gaze toward Bannister, Bannister is swaying in his chair, calm and unsuspecting of the verbal intimidation that is about to occur. Elsa is laying facing Michael with legs crossed showing that she’s against her husband but does not fully trust Michael, she knows she has no power in this conversation. As Michael describes the sharks appearing he begins to look past Bannister instead of at him(0:31:09). “It was me who had the first strike.” this is an important statement for Michael as it is him stating that this is his moment of control. With Michael’s statement, “In their frenzy, they are at themselves.” As the camera moves to George, we see that he looks like he is seething with anger, and realize that he has been ready to kill from the get-go(0:31:18). In this same shot George looks over at Michael to try and gauge his understanding of the situation. Bannister grows more and more sickly as the story continues. It is at this line, he closes his eyes in discomfort at the implications of this story. Just after this, we see how sweaty he is from the heat, alcohol, and stress(0:31:46). We can see the level of effect that his deception of Michael about this situation is having on Bannister. During all of this, Elsa does her best to maintain a stoic face but with hints of sadness at the realization that Micheal is unknowingly setting himself up for a downfall of some sort. She remains like a portrait for the duration of this scene, holding emotion only in her eyes. As for Micheal, he keeps looking at Bannister who starts to cover his face out of uncertainty about what is to come, his eyes remain steady and unforgiving. For Michael, this is about giving a lesson in underestimation from others. He remains almost like a teacher giving a lecture throughout this entire sequence, almost like he knows what’s going to happen later. He wants George and Bannister to know that they have not gotten to him.
