The TVTropes Trope Finder is where you can come to ask questions like "Do we have this one?" and "What's the trope about...?" Trying to rediscover a long lost show or other medium but need a little help? Head to Media Finder and try your luck there. Want to propose a new trope? You should be over at You Know, That Thing Where.
eroock
Since: Sep, 2012
29th Feb, 2024 08:21:04 AM
Makes me think of Face Death with Dignity.
Scorpion451
(Edited uphill both ways)
29th Feb, 2024 11:06:13 AM
Calm Before the Storm for the part preceding the disaster
Can be a form of Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene, emphasizing the relatable drama of individuals over the more popcorn-grabbing sort of Apocalypse Wow where we only see the cool explosion
Can also be a tightly-focused sort of Apocalyptic Montage (The Watchmen example, for instance)
I've only seen this in two places before, but I'm wondering if there's a trope or term for it. In the moments preceding a massively destructive event, such as a nuclear detonation in the middle of a city, a scene is shown near the impact of citizens either quietly coming to terms with the impending explosion, perhaps futilely trying to run from it, or holding each other in their last moments. The scene may or may not be shown in slow motion, and might have serene music played over it with little or no sound from the impending victims. In the 2009 Watchmen film (and if I'm remembering correctly, in the same scene in the comic), as the massive explosion in New York City is shown, people on the street are shown to just stand still or cower together as they realize they're in their final moments. In the film, the music played over the scene seems to have a kind of finality to it, both warning of the explosion and sort of relishing these people's final moments. A similar scene occurs in the 2023 film Godzilla Minus One, at the end of the Ginza attack scene. As the titular monster prepares another breath attack, some people are shown fleeing, while others can only stand in place. Similarly haunting music is used in the soundtrack here. I believe both scenes use slow motion in at least some of the shots. I just want to know if there's a single trope that encapsulates these moments before devastation, possibly with a haunting soundtrack.