The man with the golden arm (1959)

Through the emphasize of closeup shots Preminger creates a world in which we emphasis with recovering heroin addict Frankie despite his flaws.

The camera work through out often follows the characters with them either sitting in front or walking towards it. As a result, as a viewer, we are given the sense that we are following Frankie’s story on more personal, intimate level and thereby the results of his actions weigh more. These close ups furthermore allow for the emotional reactions of characters such as Frankie’s tears during the outburst of a fellow prisoner begging for a fix. This in turn humanizes Frankie and consequently we feel increased sorrow for him when he does rebound. The continuity of street to interior sets further adds to the exclusivity of the story with the lack of set cuts making the journey feel more immediate and further investing us as an audience.