In a recent episode of The
Knick, “Working Late a lot,” there is a scene where Dr. Levi Zinberg
(Michael Nathanson) is giving a presentation on a new medical device. While
there are shots of Dr. Zinberg, there aren’t as many as there typically would
be of a speaking character. The focus is on Dr. John Thackery (Clive Owen),
essentially moving his head from Dr. Zinberg, to Zinberg’s presentation board, to
the audience, as he sits away from the majority. Immediately, this sequence
stood out to me, as it should have for many viewers. The sequence takes importance away from Dr. Zinberg and gives it to Dr.
Thackery (which is right, and I will say why shortly), but this isn’t the only
reason why such a sequence stands out. While there might be more, like the
amount of fast cuts (about 2 seconds each) in the sequence, I will draw
attention to only one, i.e. the breaking of the sacred 180-degree rule.
