War is a plague that infests and infects every crevice it can wiggle its way into.  It is only when the plague of war retreats back to its cave, and the chains of war that the host was once confined by are broken, that life returns to the previously lifeless host. With the revival of life, the beauty hidden within moments of day to day life return.  Alfred Eisenstaedt’s photograph, “V-J Day in Times Square” captures this revival of spontaneity, energy and exuberance the American people felt when the news of World War II ending broke in the United States.  His creation of a focal point through the use of the visual motifs, contrast, value, implied lines, isolation and placement, and the feeling of movement, captures the relief that the end of war brought to the citizens of the United States, and express it though the couple featured.

The home front was committed to the same rigid and unwavering determination and strength that the soldiers possessed while fighting in Europe.  Everyone made sacrifices during this time of upheaval.  Food, gas and clothing were rationed, and communities conducted scrap metal drives for the greater good.  To help build the armaments necessary to win the war, women took over the role of men in society and found employment as electricians, welders and riveters in defense plants.  Everyone did what was necessary, but it was a time filled with struggle.   

The photograph is undoubtedly structured to have the kissing couple as the focal point. The sharpness in the contrasting colors (black and white) is what helps to achieve the focus on them.  The difference between the man and woman is emphasized by the black and white color contrast of their outfits.  The man is wearing an all-black sailors uniform and the woman is pictured in a bright, head to toe, traditional white nursing uniform.  This sharp contrast that is centered in the foreground of the image draws the viewers eye directly to them and establishes them as the focal point. 

Value also plays a role in the creation of the couple as a focal point. Due to the fact that the picture is in black and white the effect value has on the creation of the couple as a focal point is more evident than if the picture was taken in color. The couple features the darkest and the lightest values found in the photograph. All other values of the people and things featured in the photograph are muddy when compared to the couple. This highlights them as the focal point. They are the focal point because they are embodying all the emotion the end of the war brought to citizens of the United States. 

We also see a contrast in the shape and form of the couple compared to the rest of the people we view in the background of the image. This use of implied lines further establishes the couple as a focal point. The bodies if the main figures create several lines, all of which are curved in some way.  This unstructured, fluidity of their bodies conveys the emotion of pure freedom and joy from the war that was previously holding them captive. As it conveys this feeling of freedom, it also separates them from the buildings and those they are surrounded by who are horizontal and still structured. The combined separation from and contrast of their body lines to the others in the photo makes the viewer look immediately at the chosen focal point (the couple) and keep their focus there.

The couple is placed in the near dead center of the photograph and that naturally makes them a focal point of the picture. This combined with the space that is sensed and seen between the couple in the foreground and the people in the background creates a feeling of isolation.  The couple being separated makes you feel the spontaneous emotion they are feeling in this joyous moment of history.  

Although this is a photograph, there is a sense of movement surrounding the couple. This further makes them the focal point.  In a city where everything and everyone is constantly moving a million miles an hour, the emotion and joy of the war being over resulted in these two people being filled with so much emotion they had no way to express it except by pausing in the chaos and kissing each other.  By blurring everything but the primary subject, in this case the couple, all potential distractions are eliminated and the viewer’s attention focuses on the couple. The couple captures all the emotions that the war ending brought to the citizens of the country.

War is a time in a society where emotion is a natural counterpart. During war itself there is an intense sadness and worry that penetrates and controls everyone who is surrounded by war, but this photograph captures all the emotions that the end of war bring. It accomplishes the portrayal of these intense emotions citizens felt through the visual motifs that enhance the couple as the focal point. The couple stands as a representation of what the country felt as a whole but, what is truly remarkable is the ability of the photograph to transcend time because it captures at least part of what people experience when any war ends. 
