This image strikes me as being very dark in nature. The lighting for the scene is minimal and appears to come through a window somewhere behind Phyllis and the doorway through which Walter is coming. This lack of lighting from within the room automatically creates a suspicious and rather sinister tone for the image. Further enhancing these dark moods is the presence of shadows throughout the image. The light coming through the window casts restricting bars across the wall, fencing the characters into the predicament in which they have put themselves. The light from the doorway effectively creates a silhouette of Walter on the wall. This ominous shadow hints at the betrayal about to be revealed and the violence that will follow. His shadow acts as a warning to Phyllis that this figure in the doorway is not the same man who she deceived and used.
I find it interesting to note that the seductive ankle bracelet is visible on Phyllis’s leg. This anklet is strangely attractive to Walter and is one of the first things that he noticed about this deceptive woman. In this image, Phyllis wears this tempting accent piece even when lounging in the dark in a dressing gown and house shoes. Her otherwise seemingly innocent attire is ever tainted by this suggestive piece of jewelry.
The fact that Phyllis is smoking seems to suggest that she is nervous about something. She is up late, sitting in a dark room, smoking a cigarette. It is not unreasonable to assume that she is upset. This unsettled mood adds to the bleakness of the situation and further hints at the dark end to not only the movie but also Phyllis’s life. The casual yet still dangerous position of the temptress paired with the stark shadow of Walter presents a fascinating duality between the seductress and the seduced. Phyllis has done her dirty deed and now seems to wait for the consequences to catch up. Walter, on the other hand, has only recently come to realize that the woman he loved used him. He seems to hesitate in the doorway, not wanting to face the woman who betrayed him.
Great, great post, Amber. Really a fine and insightful breakdown of all the elements here. It's interesting, too, I think that while we may see a shadow as a representation of darkness or mystery (and I think you do a good job of reading it as a change that's come over Walter), we might also see it as a kind of double. So maybe we're seeing not just a change in Walter, but also the arrival of two Walters: one of darkness and another one. The real one? Hm. Great comments, too, about the anklet, which, as you seem to get to, has a kind of sexual suggestiveness, perhaps hinting openly at what lies beneath the clothing.
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