How the Use of Shallow Focus Photography in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Drives the Sense of Confinement

In a fascinating essay about the hauntingly dystopian series The Handmaid’s Tale, video blogger and web producer Evan Puschak aka The Nerdwriter looks at the systematic ways in which director Reed Morano employed the use of shallow focus in order to drive the narrative forward. By keeping the focus on actress Elisabeth Moss‘ face under the bonnet, Morano provides a similarly narrow visual focus as the one within Offred’s world. This in turn allows the audience to connect and empathize with the character’s plight.