What is it about?
This article examines the use of the split-screen in the second season of "Fargo". It argues that the visual device can act as its own form of language, capable of evoking different forms of emotion. The close analysis, examining various uses of the split-screen, argues that the device is vital to the viewer reception of the narrative.
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Photo by Jared Anders on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Split-screen is a misunderstood visual element in TV and film. The article shows how sophisticated the device is and how crucial it can be as a visual aid to the evoking of emotion. Split-screen acts as its own form of 'language' in "Fargo" - capable of transferring emotions from fear, to joy, to humour.
Perspectives
While the visual elements of TV and film are well studied, the use of split-screen has fallen out of favour. I hope that this article highlights how sophisticated the device can be, and also, how well it can be employed in order to evoke emotion.
Ryan Twomey
Macquarie University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Visual Language and Evoking Emotion in the Midwest: The Employment of the Split-Screen in Season Two of Fargo, Middle West Review, January 2019, Project Muse,
DOI: 10.1353/mwr.2019.0009.
You can read the full text:
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