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What Is Ella's Breaking Point?

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The phone which Billy calls him on to leave a message before he is killed. A video message is sent most likely of Billy and fearing it may give him away Joe overreacts and jumps to take the phone from everyone. A key turning point is made here; Joe actually talks directly to Ella about their guilt and how she has been acting strangely. “Why won’t you look at me? You look at yourself in the mirror, but you won’t look at me? Am I worse than you? Am I?” This is dialogue and emotion not shown in the play between Lady and Macbeth and her husband. This emotional breaking point may even be what leads directly to Ella’s death. She has already been having issues with guilt and now Joe reminds her of what has been done. The scene adds more emotional background to Ella’s and ultimately Lady Macbeth’s suicide. Joe’s own breaking point takes longer to build up to. …show more content…

Her entrance scene is of her putting her make up on in the mirror. Red lipstick in particular. There is strength in her femininity, whereas before her suicide there is the same setup scene but Ella shakily and badly does her lipstick. She has lost her confidence and strength. She no longer can live with her actions. This degradation of her character comes with her slow change in costuming and makeup. As her confidence dwindles her outfits and makeup become sloppier. It shows how Lady Macbeth and Ella both draw from their roles as women and by the end they Ella has lost herself. Duncan’s murder is shown offscreen like the play but Ella’s suicide is not hidden away like Lady Macbeth’s. Alternatively, the film shows her take her life by jumping off a high ledge. This gives Ella as a character more power because her suffering is shown. It is more integrated into the story, rather than focusing more on Joe it is equally felt between the two of them. Their tragic ending conclusively matches the tragic ending of a noir

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