The dominance of the both Peter and Ellie is made clear by both the distance of the pair and the background and the centering of the couple, which is emphasized by the rack focus added to the depth of field, creating a definite split in the world: Ellie and Peter, and the rest. The rack focus also seems to point out that the two are in their own world and its accompanying concerns, and that everything else slows down for them, yet doesn't stop. Yet, it seems the director wants to remind the audience that one can never truly leave the real world by giving the shot an open frame, which I personally think, once combined with the tightness that the pair were shot in, serves to illustrate the vastness of the world. Plus, the rack focus leads the eyes easily to the subsidiaries of the shot- the people that seem frozen in their movements.
The high contrast lighting gives Ellie and Peter that extra sense of isolation, as if to say that they are all each other has. Also, the fact that in the shot, Peter has is hat on shading his eyes, while Ellie's whole face is in the light makes her draw more attention than Peter. This draws us to Ellie's eyes which looking pleadingly at Peter, hinting that Peter is the dominant one in the relationship.This trick of the light cleverly points out the opposite truth of who is the dominant of the pair.
Analyzing all these separate components of the shot, one is able to comprehend the story it tells: Ellie and Peter are having moment in a station, a very vulnerable moment for Ellie, who is pleading with Peter about not revealing her whereabouts to her father.
Nice work, Jeremy. I'd say this is actually high key here, with pretty even lighting across the image. The few shadows do more to create a sense of depth and dimensionality rather than to exteriorize a mood. I do wonder what you mean about the true dominant of the pair. Are you suggesting Ellie is the more powerful of the pair?
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