No Country for Old Men- The Coin Toss, How does this scene create tension?

The opening long shot emphasises the isolation of the petrol station. It also shows the desolation of the land surrounding it. With reference to the rule of thirds, the petrol station is in the final third, also helping to show its isolation; if it was placed more in the middle of the shot and the camera then zoomed into it, it would seem more busy and give the area a sense of life. In this shot, the desolate land suggests it is a harsh and merciless place to venture, this provides some of the tension when the two men talk, as the audience may sense something bad is going to happen. Also, the old and dying land suggests the attributes of the shopkeeper, old and frail.

As the camera shows a mid-shot of the shopkeeper, Chigurh walks in. It is visibly clear that as he walks in, the room becomes darker. This may signify that he is a sinister person, and that his evil has already taken control of the shop merely by his presence. Also, with reference to semiotics, above the shopkeeper's head there seems to be some rope hanging down in the shape of nooses, this suggests death for the shopkeeper. Behind the shopkeeper is the only light source within the shot, a window, in front of him is the shadow of Chigurh, this implies that the light shining through the window signifies escape and life. Although, this means it is near impossible for him to escape the implied threat from the customer as it is not as easy as walking or running through a door.

As the conversation begins to delve into each characters' personal affairs, Chigurh begins to be the powerful participant in the conversation. We can see this by his calm and confident voice and facial expression, which never seems to waver. Whereas the shopkeeper's voice becomes croaky and weak with various comments from Chigurh. Also showing the Chigurh's confidence is that he is always eating the nuts, as if he was at home on his own, as opposed to the shopkeeper who seems uncomfortable. There is an atmosphere of interrogation towards the shopkeeper, Chigurh scrutinizes every word he says.

After having asked the shopkeeper when he shuts the shop, it is suggested that the customer has consolidated his superiority. He says 'You don't know what you're talking about do you?', when he says this the camera shows a close up of him, after having shown over-the-shoulder shots for the majority of the scene, giving Chigurh more attention after having switched between the two shows he is now the most important and powerful character in the scene. Soon after this, Chigurh places a wrapper on the counter, the camera shows a close up of this, there is a very clear (diegetic) sound the audience can hear as the wrapper unravels. It signifies the tension of the conversation unraveling as the previous part of it comes to an end. Although Chigurh is quick to bring back tension with the introduction of the coin toss. Also, after the shot of the wrapper, there is a medium close up of the shopkeeper, showing him looking at the wrapper. This shows that the wrapper is very significant in this situation, whereas in a normal conversation the wrapper would be overlooked. This shows that the shopkeeper wants to be out of the situation he is in, he is feeling trapped and uncomfortable, hanging on every word and action of the customer.

Other than the diegetic sound of the wrapper, the coin toss and the wind, there is little sound with the exception of the voices of the men. By not using any non-diegetic sound, there is an emphasis on the isolation of the two men, showing there is no input in to what happens from anyone else. Also, there is more focus on what is being said rather than dividing attention with music, this is done very well and adds tension to the scene.

Behind the shopkeeper are some smiley-face stickers on the wall, these are symbols of his vulnerability. Also the products around him are very crowded, whereas the area around Chigurh seems more clear and concise, these things signify the clarity of thoughts within each character's minds. The shopkeeper is confused and flustered, the customer is confident, powerful and takes care with what he is saying.

In conclusion, by using various methods including the sparing use of sound, well planned camera shots and use of lighting, tension is built throughout the scene, ending in a sense of relief as the shopkeeper wins the coin toss. The audience is kept on edge from beginning to end, it is very successful in creating tension. This scene shows that there are many ways by which tension can be created and the methods can be entwined, for example, both the camera shot and the sound help to create tension when the coin has been tossed and is under Chigurh's hand.