Shot-by-shot Analysis of
"Death's Marathon" dir. D.W. Griffith. (1913)

Shot 1(straight-on angle): • White text on black background written, " To find his friend before he losses all" (2 seconds). Cut to

Shot 2 (medium long shot, slightly low angle): • Front of house, with stairs slightly to the right of shot and potted plant on either side of stairs. Friend (man) enters from right and walks up stairs (2 seconds). Cut to

Shot 3 (medium shot, straight-on angle): • Interior of living room where foreground is pretty vacant but background has a study and a desk with a vase with flowers in it. There are three ladies standing: Two nurses on either side of the wife. wife asks maid on left something (1 second) then turns back …show more content…

cut to.

Shot 21 (medium shot, straight-on) • Interior of room (like shot 16), husband sitting on seat leaned against table speaking on telephone (4 seconds). Cut to.

Shot 22 (medium shot, straight-on) • interior of room (like shot 3) friend laughs on phone then wife gets up looking relieved and happy (2 seconds). Cut to.

Shot 23 (medium shot, straight on) • husband in same pose as in shot 21 continues to speak on the phone looking at his gun which is now pointed towards the ceiling (5 seconds). Cut to

Shot 24 (title) • White text on black background that reads, "Determined upon suicide" (3 seconds)

Shot 25 (medium shot, straight-on) • friend and wife standing in the middle of interior of room (like shot 3), friend speaking on the phone and wife standing looking over shoulder (2 seconds). Cut to.

Shot 26 (medium shot, straight-on) • interior of room (like shot 16) with husband in same position as shot 21, continues to laugh and talk; still pointing gun to ceiling (2 seconds). Cut to.

Shot 27 (medium shot, straight-on) • friend and wife in same position as shot 25, friend getting angry, hands wife the telephone then exits to the left of shot. Wife speak on the phone with softer, happier expression (11 seconds). Cut to

Shot 28 (Long shot, straight-on) • friend exits house, gets into car, then is briskly giving instructions to his driver pointing forward.