After his brother's death, a withdrawn handyman named Lee Chandler returns to his hometown to become guardian to his teenage nephew. There, he has to face the catastrophic grief that drove him away from the community. The film is a precise and devastating study of guilt that won't go away.
Manchester by the Sea is a 2016 drama film directed by Kenneth Lonergan. This breakdown covers 4 techniques (1 editing, 1 sound, 1 narrative and 1 cinematography), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, 12 Years a Slave uses several of the same techniques.
Cutting between the present and scattered, out-of-order flashbacks, the way a painful memory comes back in pieces. You put the backstory together as the character remembers it.
How this film uses it
Lonergan cuts without warning from Lee's ordinary present to memories of his family life before the tragedy. That is, grief works as an interruption here, something that breaks into his day.
Where to see it
Lee passing a woman on the street. The sight triggers a sudden, wordless memory of his children playing.
Watching events from a measured distance with no swelling music, tear-jerking close-ups or showy camera moves. The film trusts what happens to carry the weight on its own.
How this film uses it
The film gives you no catharsis, meaning no emotional release. Lee is not healed, and Lonergan never comments on his inability to recover. You are left to sit with the discomfort of grief that stays unresolved.
Where to see it
The final scene. Lee and Patrick fish on Joe's boat after Lee has arranged for Patrick to stay in Manchester with George's family. Lee says he will look for a Boston home with an extra room so he can visit. There is no dramatic score and no redemption for him.
Shooting with a handheld camera so the frame shakes and moves with the action. This documentary-style look, called cinema vérité, puts you uncomfortably close to the character.
How this film uses it
Jody Lee Lipes shoots the film with an understated, naturalistic camera that stays close to characters in cramped spaces. It feels fairly close to eavesdropping on real lives.
Where to see it
Lee and Randi's meeting on the sidewalk. The camera stays on the 2 of them without flourish as Randi apologizes and pleads with Lee not to just die.
Questions
Manchester by the Sea: quick answers
What filmmaking techniques does Manchester by the Sea use?
CineCode breaks down 4 techniques in Manchester by the Sea (2016): Fractured Memory Editing, Strategic Silence, Observational Restraint and Handheld Cinema Vérité.
Who directed Manchester by the Sea?
Kenneth Lonergan directed Manchester by the Sea, released in 2016. CineCode also covers You Can Count on Me (2000).
What films are similar to Manchester by the Sea?
Films that share techniques with Manchester by the Sea include 12 Years a Slave (2013), Aftersun (2022), Schindler's List (1993), Das Boot (1981).
