The editor uses a lot of long shots that contain pans, and follow focus shots, which gives the edit a fluid feeling, almost like a dance.

The edit is slower paced. The editor even keeps a shot uncut that they each walk in and out of creating a relaxed feeling and pace. Walter’s and Phyllis’s voice has a lackadaisical tone and dialogue which goes with this slower paced edit.

I counted 26 cuts and 18 different setups. There are 4 different tunes used in this scene. They each use strings and woodwinds. The first is the intro tune that plays very low for a while, then changes to a faster paced tune when Walter is walking into the living room.

As he is observing the fish and pictures, another tune comes in, then when they are talking just voices can be heard. At the end, as he is leaving another tune plays. I could not tell if this is different parts of the same song or completely different compositions altogether.

The slower pacing and immediate fluid feeling give the impression that Walter and Phyllis are kindred spirits who have just met for the first time. Then later when she asks about “accident” insurance, a plot starts to form.

Her pacing give the impression that she is plotting something.

Later, his resilience to her rejection lets us know he’ll be around for awhile. This scene is a nice intro paragraph for the movie.