Media Essays: Puss Meets Death Shot-by-Shot Analysis

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is easily one of the most beloved animated films to come out in this very decade. Released to critical acclaim from critics and audiences everywhere, the long-awaited sequel to Puss in Boots was widely praised for its strong story, complex characters and their relationships to one another, strong emotional core, surprisingly heavy themes and for having probably the scariest villain to ever come out of a DreamWorks movies. Even I myself have been very positive in regards to the movie with my own review where I had mostly good things to say about it.

One of the most heavily praised aspects of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish naturally is the film's main antagonist, the Wolf, who later turns out to be DEATH ITSELF! Literally NOBODY went into the movie and expected him to be literally Death. We just assumed he was the Big Bad Wolf, albeit not the one we've seen in the Shrek films. But nope, he's Death STRAIGHT. UP.

Not only was Death a truly terrifying character who made the stakes of the movie feel even bigger than they already were, but he had a lot of clever, subtle build-up to his eventual reveal and anytime he was onscreen, he absolutely stole the show. His introduction is one such example.

So what made Death's introduction so effective? Why is it one of the most praised aspects of the movie? Why did it leave such an impact on people? That's what today's post is all about my friends. I'm going to analyse Death's introduction shot-by-shot and break down why this scene was so impactful...

Death's ACTUAL Debut

I'm not the first, second or even one hundredth person to point this out, but Death actually first shows up in the movie during Puss's big battle with the giant. This screenshot here shows you where he can be spotted. So yeah, he's just there among the crowd of people, and visibly scowling at Puss. Given we found out he's Death incarnate, his presence here serves as subtle foreshadowing that Puss is about to die at some point in the movie, and we get that when he gets crushed to death by the bell. Seriously, how much thought went into the script for this movie? I wish all movies could have this much thought put into their stories. Anyhow, let's get to...

Death's Big Entrance

After a visit to the doctor's and finding out that he is now on his last life, Puss is told to retire, something he absolutely scoffs at. We see him later in this moody looking bar where he's downing several glasses of milk. We can even see he's had about eight glasses already and is on his ninth glass, no doubt a visual metaphor for how he's down to his last life. The eight empty glasses are his lost lives and the glass he has in his paws that's still full of milk is his ninth life. The bar has an unsettling, dark atmosphere with no signs of life other than Puss and the bartender, who strangely disappears after he goes to get the heavy stuff from out the back. One has to wonder where he went and what happened to him. Did he disappear or something? We see this overhead angle of Puss at the bar and we see this chandelier which has one lone candle burning...and then it goes out. In films like this, the fire going out is usually always a sign of something bad approaching. Only question is...what?

We then cut to an over-the-shoulder shot of Puss as he continues to lament his lot in life. He's by himself in this scene with only his reflection in the mirror to talk to and he scoffs about how he's "too good looking to retire". The mirror is the perfect visual representation of Puss's ego. He does love himself above all else, as Kitty Softpaws brings up later in the movie, and having Puss talk to his own reflection reflects (no pun intended) that aspect of his character as we see him compliment his looks and insist he's too good looking for retirement. Also staging the scene this way was a great way to have Puss still be able to express himself and give us readable facial expressions, but also to set up Death's eventual reveal. For as you can see...

Puss lowers his head and begins lapping up more milk, thus skilfully blocking our view of the mirror so we don't see anyone else yet. The large hat especially really helps in keeping the mirror covered. It's so clever of the animators to set up this over-the-shoulder shot so Puss's head can block the mirror as we see and prevent Death from showing up too early. Speaking of...

...Puss is suddenly interrupted as he hears a spooky whistling tune. He turns his head...

...and there he is. Appearing completely from nowhere, this strange robed figure is now suddenly by Puss's side with a glass in his hand and whistling a haunting tune. And even now, it's still not a full reveal just yet for Death's here, but his face is shrouded by his hood. We can only see his snout sticking out from the shadows. As is, he already sets up a very haunting first impression. He's appeared from nowhere, his face is shrouded, he's whistling a haunting tune and Puss can only look up at him in confusion.

And as if he didn't look intimidating enough already, we get this behind shot of the two as they're sitting together at the bar. Just from the back, we can see something else imposing about the mysterious wolf that's suddenly appeared: he is HUGE! Look at him! He practically dwarfs Puss by comparison! Also his tail poking out at the bottom and the silhouette created by his cloak and hood give him an appropriately ghostly image, another visual metaphor for how he is Death itself. He's only been onscreen for seconds, literally seconds, and already the audience has a bad feeling about this stranger. He's shown in a very ominous manner with little to no music in the background and the dark background plus the flashing lightning only adds to Death's creepy presence.

After Death finishes whistling, we finally hear him talk. And what's the first thing he says?

"Well, well. If it isn't Puss in Boots himself. (chuckles) In the flesh..."

As he says this, he picks up a glass and observes it with Puss's face reflected in the glass. Then he turns his head and Puss, as well as the audience, gets a clearer look at his face. As if this guy didn't look imposing enough already, now we see he has RED EYES! That alone tells us one big thing about him just from seeing his face: whatever he is, he's bad news and possibly unnatural. No other character in the Shrek universe has red eyes like Death does, so that already tells us he's something else entirely. I also love how his first line of dialogue is him commenting on the fact he's seeing Puss in person. The dialogue seems innocent at first, but the rather sinister way he says "in the flesh" suggests the wolf speaking those words may not mean them in an innocent way...

Death then goes on about Puss, commenting on his appearance and then giving his compliments to Puss's cobbler about the famous boots. While there's a sinister edge to the wolf's comments, there's also some slight humour to the scene too in how Puss just sits there rather awkwardly, struggling to even keep eye contact with the guy while mumbling "Good to meet you too". I just love how this is the same guy who laughs in the face of danger, yet here he is being awkward about possible meeting some kind of creepy fan. The fact Death's just complimenting him and acting somewhat sinister no doubt gives him the impression that he's dealing with a fan. No doubt many celebrities or anyone with a big following can relate to this. I'm sure those people have found themselves in this situation many times, albeit without said "fan" being literally DEATH. XD Also this front shot of the two sat together further emphasizes how tiny Puss looks compared to Death and how imposing he is. Puss barely looks any bigger than his head here!

Then as if Death couldn't come off as any creepier, he actually asks Puss for his autograph. We then cut to an overhead shot as Death gets out a piece of paper for Puss to sign. However, the paper isn't just any paper, but his Wanted poster. This moment completely flips the scene on its head and Puss's attitude towards him for now we see this isn't some creepy fan who wants his autograph. This is an imposing bounty hunter who wants the bounty on Puss's head...or so we think at the time.

Yet again, we get a somewhat obvious hint at Death's identity that most viewers likely didn't take onboard at first. He tells Puss to sign right THERE while tapping at the "Dead" part of the poster. As he taps it, the music gets more tense, we get a dramatic close-up of his finger tapping the word and the taps become louder and more ominous as if they're approaching footsteps of doom. The fact he's pointing specifically to the word "Dead" is played off as him hinting at Puss he wants to kill him, but on a rewatch the viewer can see it as foreshadowing to Death's true identity.

We then cut to Puss again while still getting that close-up of Death's finger on the paper. Puss then rather arrogantly claims he laughs in the face of death, then suddenly gets serious as he growls the words "bounty hunter" at him. Also, it's very subtle and easy to miss, but you also see Death's finger scratch the poster after he says he laughs in the face of death, another very subtle clue to Death's true identity. You wouldn't notice on a first watch, but on a rewatch, you see it and it all adds up later in the movie. Also, quick comment here, I find it SO funny how Puss isn't sure how to act around Death when he's all "creepy fanboy", but once he sees he's (presumably) a bounty hunter, he's suddenly all cool and confident again. So what, he can handle bounty hunters but not creepy fans? Eh, not the only time we've seen that in media, am I right? XD

Puss then warns Death that his reward will NOT come easily. This is further emphasized by a close up of Puss's sword from a below angle. Death just rolls his eyes and warns Puss that everyone thinks they'll be the one to defeat him. But nobody's escaped him yet. This is once again another clever bit of foreshadowing, for his line here has two meanings. To us and Puss, we think he means "nobody's escaped him yet" because he's a successful bounty hunter who always collects his prize. But given he's Death itself, what he ACTUALLY means is nobody's escaped him yet because, well, nobody escapes death. Death comes for everybody and it WILL catch up to you eventually. This is only Death's first scene and already it comes with so much hidden subtext and little clues that foreshadow his true identity later in the movie. It's unreal how so much thought has gone into this script! It makes me look at other movies we get in this day and age and just wonder why we don't get intelligent writing like this more often. I know Disney could do with that themselves...

Puss, completely nonchalantly, just says "Let's get this over with" and draws out his sword, ready for combat. I just love how Puss is such an arrogant blowhard that something like this is just another Tuesday for him.

However, that Tuesday takes a dramatic turn as in the blink of an eye, Death just swats the sword out of his hand. This is as shocking to the audience as it is to Puss for we've never seen a villain so casually disarm him like that. This gives us yet another sign that whoever this is Puss is up against, he's no foe he's ever faced before...

The whole while, Death's still having his drink while Puss goes to get his sword back. Death's casual attitude to the whole thing adds another air of creepiness to him. It's like he's got all the time in the world to deal with Puss and doesn't need to make the effort to deal with him. He just sits and drinks, allowing Puss to come for him. Puss attacks, but he misses as Death moves out of the way with practically no effort. In a split second, we now see how much this guy means business. He's not only physically imposing, but he's FAST too! Puss then tries to stab him three times, missing each time while Death mocks him with:

Slow!

Sloppy!

SAD!

The only damage Puss even does is scratching that wooden post there! The fact Death can so easily dodge his every move while mocking him every time also makes it so clear that this won't be an easy win for Puss. If anything, it tells us he may have met his match here.

We then get this close-up shot as Puss tries to attack again, but Death reveals he has his own weapons, which are these twin sickles. Once again, another hint that he's Death in this universe. After all, what is the Grim Reaper usually depicted with? A huge scythe or a sickle. Also, the sickles contrast Puss's sword in the same way Death contrasts Puss: they're so much bigger and more threatening compared to him. I also love the little reflection of Puss in the sickles here. It's like Death's wordlessly warning Puss that he's next to fall by his blades...

Seeing that his opponent is clearly more than he bargained for, Puss resorts to using his old trick again where he'll fling himself in the air and spin towards his opponent. This gives the audience a glimmer of hope for he used that trick against the giant earlier and he won that battle. And...

...it doesn't work. This moment is when the battle has now gone from bad to worse for we now see this figure is so strong and fast that Puss's signature move doesn't work on him. The sheer ease in which he caught Puss further has you wondering just what IS this guy? I do also love that smug grin on Death's face. It's like he's saying "You really thought that'd work on me?" He even mocks Puss by saying he's not living up to the legend. And then he gets serious...

He slams Puss on the bar, swipes him across it and then casually throws him across the room as if the cat weighs about as much as a feather to him, giving us another example of how this guy is both fast and strong.

Then he strikes at Puss, narrowly missing the cat as he jumps back...

..and then as if Death didn't look powerful enough already, he slices a table in two with ease, his sickles carving through them like a knife through butter!

Then everyone holds their breath as we cut to some close-up shots of Death's sickle just narrowly missing Puss's head, or so it seems. He just manages to slice the hairs off the top of his head, emphasized by the little hairs we see flying off just below Death's sickle. This is also something you'd miss the first time, but on a rewatch, you may also notice you can actually see some markings on Death's sickle in this shot. As we learn in a later scene, they're Puss's previous eight lives all marked there, yet another clever bit of foreshadowing for his later reveal. Seriously, the amount of foresight these writers and animators had in this movie is insane! Also the background has turned to red, possibly a visual clue for what's about to happen next...

After that close call, Puss is left gasping for breath while Death is reflected in his eyes. If there was ever a visual metaphor for staring death right in the face, this is it. Puss is clearly shaken, but otherwise seems fine. Until...

Cue the gasps of the audience as a single streak of blood trickles down Puss's head.

And as if to emphasize that point, Puss puts his paw to his head and stares in horror as he realizes that it really is blood. There's no fake-out or cheap gag or anything, it's actually blood. This alone tells us how serious the scene has gotten. This is no longer Puss dealing with an enemy that he can take down and call it a day afterwards. This is Puss fighting an enemy so strong and powerful IT DREW BLOOD FROM HIM! And this is in a family friendly movie no less! This is the kind of ballsy, shocking stuff you'd expect from classic Disney or classic Pixar, yet here's a modern DreamWorks movie proving that family films can still push the envelope and prove that animation isn't just for kids! Also, this is a dark twist on an earlier bit of dialogue in the movie. If you remember, Puss gloats about how he has "never been touched by a blade". Well...now he has and the realization really sinks in for him that he's not only been touched by a blade, but he was millimetres away from having his head sliced open. Remember, he's down to his last life, so he nearly DIED then and there!

Puss's fur stands up on end as we see that for the first time in possibly ages, he is well and truly terrified at what's happened and what he's dealing with. Death then croons about how he loves the smell of fear and approaches Puss, giving us this wonderfully scary shot of his sickles scraping across the floor and creating sparks as he approaches Puss ominously.

We then get a central shot of Puss as he stares at the oncoming threat in total fear as it's finally settled in what's happened: he nearly died and it would've been final. The scene gets tenser as Puss's breathing becomes haggard, we get several flashbacks to moments in his life, and even a quick cameo from Shrek, as his lives flash before his eyes and the soundtrack is replaced with a racing heartbeat. This combination of visuals and sounds gives us a visual and audible representation of what being scared for your life looks and sounds like.

PUSS. IS. TERRIFIED.

And for good reason given what's just happened!

And all the while, Death can only sneer at him, asking what's the matter and if his lives are flashing before his eyes. As if to make him look even scarier here, he's now no longer smiling and just has this cold, threatening, predatory glare as he demands for Puss to pick up his sword. He's no longer a bounty hunter after his prize, but a serial killer looking ready to make his next kill, and the fact he's demanding Puss to pick up his sword speaks volumes about him. He's actively DARING Puss to keep up the fight and come at him again!

But Puss doesn't take the bait and instead just legs it. This is the cherry on the sundae here, the final piece of the puzzle that solidifies how dangerous this strange wolf is. Puss in Boots, the cat who laughs in the face of death...is now running for his life like, well, a scaredy cat. Just earlier in the movie, we saw this guy take on a giant as if it was nothing, but this frightening wolf with a pair of sickles has him running for the hills! It's no wonder Death leaves such a big impression in his opening scene alone. Over the course of this one scene he has displayed immense strength and speed, swatted Puss's sword out of his hand with one swipe, avoided every blow, No-Sold his signature spinning attack, caused Puss to bleed and sent him scurrying away in terror! If this scene isn't an example of how to have a villain set off a big first impression, I don't know what is!

The scene concludes with Puss hiding in the toilets, but Death just follows him, strolling casually as if he can so easily catch Puss that he doesn't even need to run. Puss escapes via the toilet, but Death isn't even annoyed that he got away. He just stares ahead with that icy, red-eyed glare and a single taunt of Run, run kitty, but spoken in Spanish. The message is clear to us, the audience: he'll be back and he'll be right on Puss's tail. (shudders) We sure this is even a kid's movie anymore...?

Conclusion

And that was Death's introduction. What a scene it is, am I right?! It's no wonder this very moment was THE moment where audiences knew this movie was going to be amazing. It's beautifully shot, incredibly well-structured and storyboarded, it manages to include little bits of humour here and there while also being intense and horrifying, it gives the film's primary villain a TERRIFYING debut and it arguably set the tone for the movie going forward. This scene was the moment everything changes for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and that this was no mere sequel. This scene told us the movie we were seeing was going to be scarier, more intense and much darker than we ever expected, and that Puss was dealing with his scariest opponent yet. This is how you introduce a villain and it's no wonder Death left such a big impression on everybody, including me! This scene should be used in writing and film classes as an example of how to introduce a truly scary villain and how to really make every shot in the film count...

To finish off, I'll list five of my favourite shots from the scene:

1: The shot of Puss and Death in the mirror when Death appears for the first time.

2: The close-up of the poster as Death points to the word "dead".

3: The close-up of Death and Puss as they lock weapons and Puss's face is reflected in Death's sickles.

4: The extreme below angle of Death slicing at Puss's head.

5: The shot of Puss framed by Death's sickles as they scrape across the floor towards him.

And that's it for this post. I hope you enjoyed it and I invite you all to share your thoughts down below. What do YOU think of Death's debut and what's your favourite shot from the scene? Do comment and tell me.

Next week, I'll be reviewing the latest instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise. See you then media fans!

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