Directed by Eric Rohmer,1972

 

At the beginning  of the scene, the two characters appear in traditional coverage; each in their own separate frames as the film cuts between the pair. 

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However, Rohmer begins to manipulate this traditional shot-reverse-shot coverage after Frederic reveals to Chloe that he is married. Frederic crosses through Chloe's shot, indicating to the viewer that he is exiting this interaction.

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Chloe is already at a deficit in this interaction. She has come to see Frederic, not the other way around. Her desire for his company, whether platonic or romantic, is being expressed simply by the fact of her presence in Frederic's office. When Frederic reveals he is married and leaves his single shot, Chloe is left out to dry. Chloe turns awkwardly with her body as if to put out her cigarette and even asks if she's in the way. To add insult to injury, Frederic answers his phone and tells a client to come upstairs. Chloe puts on her coat and exits her frame in the coverage.

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However, no sooner does Chloe exit her frame when Frederic asks for her to 'wait a minute'.

 

As Frederic says this, he moves into Chloe's former mark, in Chloe's former single.

 

Now, Frederic is the one "chasing", or expressing interest, in this two character dynamic.

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When Rohmer cuts back to Chloe next, she occupies Frederic's former mark, but with one key difference. The shot is no longer a clean single, but a dirty over the shoulder. Perhaps this is to indicate that the pair are being drawn closer together, and to further emphasize that now Frederic is the agent of pursuit.

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Rohmer chooses to hold this shot for the remainder of the conversation rather than reverting back to shot-reverse-shot. Frederic moves closer to Chloe, a bit of flirtation occurs, and the pair discuss meeting again later on for a drink. It is interesting that Rohmer only lets us see Chloe's facial expressions in the remainder of this conversation as opposed to Frederic, the protagonist.

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The scene climaxes with one final fluctuation in the push-pull dynamic. Once more, Frederic breaks the interaction by crossing through Chloe's frame. He does this to call his client into the office. Chloe's body language expresses disappointment and she begins to leave.

 

In order to leave, however, she must move closer to the door, which is where Rohmer has placed Frederic. In addition to the blocking, Rohmer uses a pan to bring Chloe and Frederic closer together once more.

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Once again, faced with the threat of Chloe's absence, Frederic chases. He denies Chloe's remark that they were never close, asks if she will call him, and follows her out the door. Suddenly, his client is not so urgent anymore.

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And, scene.