From Rural Wrecks to Modern Desolation

The Last of Us season two revives the cinematic violence and deep intimacy that we as viewers deeply enjoyed from season one through the use of quiet tension and unsettling compositions. Episodes “Future Days” and “Convergence” highlight the highs and lows of desperation that the characters are facing throughout this season. Overall features of cinematography and staging are a necessary role in the success of portraying the perilous state of the world

As we enter season two, we are met with restraint over the unresolved conflict between Joel and Ellie, who have found themselves in the town

of Jackson, Wyoming, a self-sufficient town with the intention of protecting those in health from the infected. The town itself appears as western and unmodernized, a significant change compared to the world pre-outbreak with everything appearing colorless, and muted, matching the dullness of everyone’s mood through the episode. Everything is warmly lit, with a wintry background outside, a bleak comparison to the luscious greenery and bright sunlight showcased in the initial flashback to five years ago. The episode progresses and showcases that even in safety there is still distrust and trauma.

Throughout this episode, both Joel and Ellie seek out ways to deal with their past trauma, Joel through partially sympathetic and validating conversation with Gail, and Ellie through rage and persistence trying to prove she can fight alongside everyone else. Joel remains within the walls during the episode, focusing on the construction of the town to accommodate the newfound survivors while Ellie ventures outside, first to secretly hunt with Tommy, and later to patrol with Dina and others. Setting plays a large part in the emotional aspect of The Last of Us as a reflection on how the characters endure these hardships of loss and survival, while building tension and emotional depth through location.

Forging ahead throughout time, Ellie and the others have ended up in Seattle where the city has seen massive desolation and 

they choose to seek shelter in an abandoned theater, dimly lit by lamps and old chandeliers. Outside lies broken down cars, graffiti and foliage scattered buildings. As she and Jesse walk through the city, the sky darkens and rain begins to fall, creating a once light scene to turn dim and unwelcoming. Once the two of them make it to the library they reflect on their current situation and Ellie picks up a children’s book, which causes the reality to sink in; Jesse has a purpose to survive this war that Ellie has dragged them into. This episode features a mix between light and darkness, showing the two sides of the world that they live in now.

The overall cinematography is conveyed in countless ways, whether that be shot composition, camera movement or lighting. In both episodes, as well as throughout the season(s), entire conversations between two characters are primarily executed with over-the-shoulder shots. This can be observed clearly during Joel’s “therapy” session with Gail where we are often met with a glimpse of Gail while Joel tries to explain his hardships to her. We can focus solely on who is speaking at the time, giving it a more personal feel to it, which ties closely into the camera movement through the show. The show was filmed primarily with handheld cameras, giving it the documentary realness that the viewer experiences as we follow the characters on their journey. Combining both handheld cameras and the various angles and shot composition throughout the show gives it a closer feel to how the video game was played. All of these elements play into the emotions and violence that occur throughout the season(s).

Where the characters are within the various settings play a lot into the deep intimacy and cinematic violence we witness. The episode "Future Days" opens with a flashback of Joel and Ellie, preceding a tight group shot of Abby and other Fireflies in an open field with graves

scattered. We as viewers perceive Abby’s grief and mourning over her father along with her anger as we are introduced to the future conflict between her and her want for revenge towards Joel. This scene holds significance because of the unknown of what’s to come, and this conflict carries on through the season all the way to the last episode, “Convergence” where Ellie and Abby are face to face with the underlying issues. Framing throughout the two episodes primarily focuses on non-centered close-ups of the characters, with negative space filling the rest of the screen which allows us to analyze their emotions in these thoughtfully composed scenes. We often see the isolation of characters even in a crowd which adds to those highly intimate and emotional scenes, such as Ellie and Dina at

the dance, and we solely focus on them.

The Last of Us uses skillful staging efforts and creative twists to portray the documentary-like style of the show, while still focusing on the roots of the video game. Viewers are able to witness the highs and lows of the lives people have to live post-infection along with the heartfelt emotions and cinematic violence. The creativity of camera work combined with thoughtful set design allows us to take a step into Ellie and Joel’s world.

(Writer: Kyra Blundell, Photo Editor: John Flores, Producer: Sophia Cervantes)