The Dichotomy of Walter White and Gus Fring - A Breaking Bad Video Analysis

why because your boss is gonna need me 6353 Juan Tabo apartment 6 at its core Breaking Bad is a catharsis that is as a viewer we want to keep watching episode after episode until the next big look but what separates Breaking Bad from other television shows it's like a bounce every moment is somehow bigger than what we come to desire these intense cringe inducing scenes effectively transforming us into what Ian Jensen of the University of California called connoisseurs of the horrific Vince Gilligan creator and head writer of the series mesmerizes us lives of these characters so effectively in fact that we come to want the brutality associated with becoming a mess slinging kingpin and just like waltz our typical values disappear we blindly follow the persona of Heisenberg into the dangers that coincide with his new line of work perhaps no character in the series illustrates that danger better than Gus fring he's a model of professionalism and intelligence something Walt so desperately strives to be if I could just talk to Gus I know I can make him understand please if I could talk to Gus I can I can convince him ok just let me please please and his tea season run is one of the show's lead antagonist Gus and the way he does business frustrate wolf not because of the way it negatively affects him but because within he wants to be him we see this perfectly in the season 3 finale full measure one of the five episodes crafted by Gilligan from the director's chair the episode begins in a flashback opening on the first time Walt and Schuyler see the house they've lived in for 18 years when episodes earlier Walt sits at a table in Gus's extravagant home here a young and ambitious wall talks about how the couple need to dream bigger we need to set our sights high is all higher than here matches intro camera movement - the same one later in the episode this time as the camera spins around his now estranged wife sets the table for one of their few nightly family dinners his son does homework at the bar happy his dad's home at all while Walt's its able to spend a small amount of time with his newborn daughter meanwhile Gus can't seem to get his kids to appreciate the food he prepares in his lavish kitchen but I never got to make it kids won't eat it but in your highness originally starting with the purpose of providing for his family Walt's occupation has effectively worked to break his family apart something our young laboratory unlikely never let cross his mind theme then some establishing shots in the episode prior Walt goes against the grain by disobeying Gus's wishes killing two of his dealers to save Jesse from danger now back in present time he sits in his car waiting to deal with the fallout his paranoia showing us through an extended use of shots 15 across the minute 23 seconds Gilligan draws us out helping extend Walter fear to the audience during the long walk over the out-of-focus car lights it like watch flies on the horizon when we finally make it to the car Gilligan holds back on showing us his face another 44 seconds to go by before we cut the mediumship Gus tells Walt explain yourself the arrangement of the characters in the wide shot places Walt in a claustrophobic position unless he's the sole subject of the shot he's out of focus or insufficiently acknowledged within the frame Gilligan has visually stacked the odds against Walt which ultimately make what happens next so important outnumbered three-to-one and in the middle of nowhere Walt is a sitting duck yet hat in hand our Heisenberg isn't ready to give up just yet he convinces Gus to let him live and continue cooking as usual or so it seems after the agree change of cooking partner Gail bedecker once again joins the super lap crews under constant supervision our Orwell inspired cinematography continues when exactly did that start Gus and his men have Walt in a position of weakness Gilligan continues to illustrate that despite this Walt's ego is satisfied after keeping his previous partner from harm and working with a new partner who wants nothing more to please him in every way however you like things to be done is exactly how we're gonna do them period but Gus knows what he's doing while Gale faithfully serves under a master canvas ultimately he holds all the cards devising a plan to eliminate the unnecessary difficulty of working with Walt Gus begins to spin a web of lies here's where the critical difference between Walt and Gus is that while guests it's and gales homely apartment he has complete awareness of the evil corporate intentions behind his deception he acknowledges his position in the scheme of this operation and owns it something Walt just can't seem to do going so far as to develop a whole persona to cope with the idea deep down Walt can admit that cooking has more to do with himself than his family his desire to live up to his own expectations push him further and further into the madness while Gus has built an empire that seemingly bends to his will Walt and his subservient former students scraped by to stay alive and out of trouble the brilliance of gillikins writing shines here as their conflict lies and their dependency on one another without Gus and his reach Walt's product does not move but without Walt and his quality of product nothing will sell they need each other and at least in this point the story neither can continue solely Gus you do this all you have left is an eight million dollar hole in the ground suspicious of Gus's tricks Walt has Saul arranged a meeting with Jesse in a Q&A on AMC comm vince gilligan sites film noir is a big influence in the development of Breaking Bad within this genre bright flashy colors often alert the viewer to dangerous situations which it's fitting that as wal convinces Jesse that Gale needs to die the arcade machines behind them paint the background with a consistent blinking glow the conversation ends with an agreement well will kill gale but he needs Jesse's help to find the address jesse agrees and later that night they attempt to put the plan into motion only to be stopped by Gus's men seemingly always one step ahead we got a problem some kind of chemical leaking in your lab as they try to March them to an obvious death Walter needs a plan luckily for him moments like these where pressure begin to mount the walls close in or where he shines when earlier in the episode we see Mike take down four cartel members single-handedly Walt has to helplessly call for a contemptible junkie to do his bidding our shots move in Gilligan wants us to feel the same pressures Walt it's not until he offers his partner up that we feel relief the camera pulls back Walt has room to breathe Mike presses for an exact address then Walt goes for his phone we're back on wall with tight framing because he's too comfortable we paint a Jesse still in the arcade but this time the only color of light we see is a foreshadowing read while gustas forward thinking have set welled up for failure Walt's quick-wittedness throws a wrench in his operation you'll have about a 20-minute lead they've got me into laundry and they're going to kill me Jesse rushes to get the Galle before Victor and now I've Gilligan illustrates that pressure is now on tests man Mike and Victor our friend closely while we have a little breathing room around Walt the tables have turned and possibly one of the hardest to swallow season finales of all time Gilligan effectively paved the way for one of the best rivalries to ever graced television with season four Walton gusts have similar motivations but go about obtaining their goals very differently what wishes he could express the qualities they share like Gus does and as we see in season five he begins to 68% good morning may I have your ticket please for the first time Gus is challenged and seriously shaken Walt wants what he's got both Galen Tomas represent corrupted innocence two episodes in row Gilligan hits his audience with these big moments two very difficult deaths first a child caught in the wrong crowd followed by an unsuspecting and indefensible man while Gus wasn't directly responsible for the former Walt was definitely responsible for the latter willing to go extreme extents to keep himself and Jesse alive that's why I believe we want Walt to win Gus is willing to run a clean operation given the right tools or Walter however just needs to be on top from wheelchair bombs to corleone level eight jobs Walt brings about the relief Gilligan conditions us to want we root for Walt but we cheer for Heisenberg

Channel: Gil Brummett

Views: 5,173,859

Keywords: Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan, NKU, CIN202, Walter White, Gus Fring, Video Essay, Analysis, Meth, Death, Brutality, Ian Jensen, Gil Brummett, Jesse Pinkman, Saul Goodman, Mike Ehrmantraut, AMC, Directing, Writing, Lighting, Cinema, TV, Series, Dichotomy, Full Measure, Half Measure, Face Off, Cooking, Heisenberg, Drugs, Violence, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, Skyler White, Walter Jr., Laundering, Money, Crystal, Blue, Class Project

Id: jhCCIzfe5ic

Length: 9min 17sec (557 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 16 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/[deleted]]

I just watched this today! Such good presentation, pity the dude only did one other video

[u/JMjustme]

This is good shit, I like this dude's analysis a lot.