End of Watch

End of Watch was chalked full of interesting shots and camera angles. These included very high angles, very low angles, close ups, distance shots, and just about anything in between. This is due to the fact it was filmed in a documentary style, employing handheld camera, dashboard camera, and even clip-on cameras attached to the uniforms of the two main characters, Officer Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Officer Mike Zavala (Michael Pena). The scene I have chosen to analyze comes towards the end of the film. It is the beginning of what will turn out to be the final call of duty for the duo of Taylor and Zavala. They are on a normal late night patrol when a van, driven by the Mexican drug cartel that has been pursuing the officers throughout the film, cuts across traffic and leads the officers to a seemingly abandoned building. The officers race in the building after the occupants of the van, only to discover it is an ambush. The scene involves a variety of different camera angles, most of which had been used previously in the film. The combination of camera angles makes the scene even more dramatic.

In this first frame, the view point is the dashboard camera of the patrol car. It shows the van just as it is about to run the red light and begin the car chase. The date and time stamp at the top of the screen add realism to the effect of the shot. This is just one of many unique and intriguing camera styles employed throughout the film that add to the authenticity of the documentary style.

This shot was a little confusing from a stylistic perspective. It is not clear where the camera is. It seems entirely possible the view point is the camera clipped to Zavara’s uniform, which would mean he is not necessarily keeping his eyes on the road. In order for this shot to work, he would need to be angled toward Taylor, which would take away from his ability to see the road ahead. If the shot is filmed from a different camera, the source of that camera is not clear, and the documentary style of the film loses credibility.

This frame is interesting because it is shot from Taylor’s point of view using the camera clipped to his uniform. He has just left the patrol car and is running after the driver of the van. He chases him up the stairs and into the building. Since the camera is attached to his uniform, the viewer sees things from about shoulder height, which makes for a neat effect when he is leaning in as he is running.

At this point in the scene, Taylor and Zavara are on their way down the hallway toward this main room. This particular frame is from the perspective of the Mexican drug cartel members who are waiting for the officers to come around the corner. From previous scenes in the film, it is known that the cartel is using a handheld camera to record from their POV. Why a dangerous drug cartel would be filming their incriminating exploits is beyond me, but that is just part of the film. One thing that does not add up however in this scene is the fact whoever is filming is holding a gun in the other hand. This might make one wonder why the image is not shaky. With one hand, the camera can only remain so steady, the frame should be blurry or shaky, but instead it is crystal clear, as if the camera is on a stand.

This frame is a mystery to me. It is not obvious who is filming this shot. It is not the drug cartel because they are still in the larger room, shooting at the officers. It is also not the officers’ uniform cameras or Taylor’s handheld camera. What does that leave? Is it possible the authenticity of the documentary style is in question here? It would seem like it.

In this final frame of the sequence, the camera perspective switches to a handheld camera carried by a member of the cartel. They are chasing after the officers and the camera is being held low to the ground. Also, this shot is sideways, lending authenticity to the handheld camera perspective. The lighting is good in this scene, it shows the shadow of the person and it is possible to almost make out the shadow of the camera in their hand. This particular frame is reminiscent of something you might expect to find in a Hitchcock film or a film noir.