All_About_The_Thing

When the helicopter returns a large group gathers to meet it. The dog is inside,
watching intently through a window. The focus on the dog is emphasised by the cutting
(we go back to it twice, from the noisy helicopter to the quiet rec’ room).
The nature of the Thing is debatable but the behaviour of the dog demonstrates
that it is not simply an infectious virus. Whenever the dog believes it is unobserved it
behaves in a way that we register is different. It is very interested in what has been found
at the Norwegian camp. When walking down the corridor earlier, it looked about to make
sure it was alone.
This little sequence is a demonstration of the power of montage and presence in a
film. Different emotions can be read on the face of the dog. It looks concerned and
interested at the same time. It appears to be thinking in a way that is beyond the scope of
a dog.
When the Norwegian-thing is revealed to the group, only two lines of dialogue are
spoken, both of them measured and calm. The astonishment is shown only by the
expressions and the looks that pass between the characters. The scene is covered in long
slow tracking shots that allow us to watch the reactions of the actors without being
conscious of the camera. The camera is outside the group. If it were inside, the
impression would be quite different.
The slow movement and the framing give an audience the freedom to look from
the thing on the table to the actors and back again. It helps draw us in by letting us take
part in the scene in some small way.
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