Deception In Catch Me If You Can

In the screenplay Catch Me if You Can by Steven Spielberg, the main character Frank Abagnale Jr., flees New York when his parents divorce, and is driven by a desire to reunite them. He is willing to do whatever it takes to restore his former life, even if it involves deceiving innocents, and his ambition blinds him to the consequences his actions are creating. During the scene of Frank escaping Miami, the theme of deception through appearance is portrayed through a combination of lighting and colour, music, editing, and costuming. These elements create atmosphere and capture human nature by mirroring society’s inclination to believe what they wish to see and neglecting the repercussions their decisions create.

Throughout the scene of Frank

Spielberg uses high key lighting and a yellow colour filter towards the end of the scene when Frank and the “Pan American stewardesses” step out of the van and link arms. Society most commonly associates yellow with happiness, and the mood created during this moment correlates with Frank’s own emotions, as he has successfully outsmarted Carl Hanratty once more. These techniques are also paired with a wide and a slight low angle shot to prove their superiority to those around them and capture the ecstatic expressions plastered across the stewardesses’ faces. The idea of deception is also emphasised through Spielberg's significant use of costuming during the scene. While every agent and officer sports a suit, Frank stands out because his is perfectly tailored and fitted, emitting a sophisticated image of wealth and maturity, and lulling those around him into a false sense of understanding. Pilots are highly respected and are seen to have a polished reputation and this mirrors human nature’s habits of tending to trust others by what they wear, judging by appearance, making assumptions and jumping to conclusions without any real fact.

Music is a very prevalent element used during this scene and influences the audience to experience Frank’s changing emotions. When he drives into the airport car park and sees Brenda emerge from her taxi, the soundtrack is light, soft and joyful, reflecting his own feelings. However, the music dramatically changes to a lower and faster-paced track when he notices her tear stained face and realises that everything is not as he thought it was. Spielberg uses a point of view shot from Frank’s perspective as the camera pans around the parking lot in a series of simple cuts, showing officers atop buildings and FBI agents in cars. These combined techniques allow the audience to gain an insight into Frank’s tense and anxious emotions as he completely absorbs the fact that this time, he is the one that has been deceived. He takes a moment to grieve for what could have been a perfect life with the woman he loved, and the music switches to a more wistful tune as he glances at her for the last time. Ironically, Frank feels hurt by Brenda’s actions, even though the entirety of their relationship was based on lies that he had created. The moment Frank realises that his actions have caught up to him is shown in a close-up shot with a minor high angle of him sitting in his car with his head in his