My Left Foot 4

1
The camera remains
on or with Christy for most of the scene. This may seem unremarkable enough until we
consider the events that occur. At two very significant moments, the camera stays with Christy instead of
showing us the important event taking place. The first time this happens we hear Mrs. Brown calling out and
the sound of her falling, but the camera remains fixed on Christy’s face. This has a number of effects. We only
receive the same information as Christy and witness the look of terror on his face, both of which strengthen
our identification with him. But because neither he nor we can see what has happened, suspense is created
until help arrives. This confirms the story as being told from Christy’s point of view.
2
There are two 
close-up shots
of Christy in this scene, both of which literally bring us closer to his character
and permit us to see his expression, his reaction, and to read the emotion in his face.
3
This is followed by the scene’s only 
point of view shot
. We have seen Christy’s expression and now finally
see what he is looking at, what he has been struggling to get to see: his mother lying unconscious on the floor.
This type of shot brings us closer to the protagonist than any other. For a moment we actually assume his
position.
This is a scene of particular significance to the portrayal of Christy as hero. We have witnessed a very brave and
heroic act by Christy and the great difficulty with which it is achieved. We identify with Christy’s frustration at
being misunderstood by the neighbour at the end of the scene (because we know what happened and she doesn’t)
and so are involved us in his subsequent struggle. The scene also positions Christy at the centre of the action –
between the private world of his home life and the public life of the outside. This prefigures his own struggle and
movement over the course of the film, from an interior world of non-communication to an exterior world and public
celebration of his painting and writing.