The Big Lebowski – Rug Scene Analysis

Characters: The Dude walks into his house with a slightly puzzled
expression on his face. This suggests to the audience that he was
aware that he was going to be attacked by one of the men who have
broken into his house. The expression the character makes is
successful at remotely foreshadowing what this scene will entail.

Camera Angles: The scene begins by showing The Dude’s face as he

walks into his house. The camera moves backwards as he moves
forwards to eventually reveal one of the men whom of which have
broken into his house. This was done in order to create an element
of surprise. This works well because as the man is revealed to the
audience, immediately after a second man puts The Dude in a
headlock.
Lighting and Colours: The room appears to be coloured
neutrally with warm lights which hold connotations of
comfort. This was done in order to contrast to the upcoming
events where The Dude’s rug becomes soiled with his
intruder’s urine. The inclusion of this colouring is successful
at enhancing the humour created by the actors.

Mise-en-scene: The set is dressed with minimal furniture to

put a comedic emphasis on the rug. The rug is signposted
through the majority of the scene to indicate to the audience
that it has some importance with the rest of the film.