That photo... Again, compare this cinematically absurd theatrical setup to Zelenskyy's selfie shots in the middle of his people. Putin is dangerously guided by fear, in many ways. pic.twitter.com/Fdodz6Gjgo
— Oliver Reichenstein (@reichenstein) February 27, 2022
Russian president Vladimir Putin has been photographed meeting with various people at either end of a long, long table, leading to plenty of humorous internet memes. Is it covid paranoia or a power play? Probably both, but the end result is ridicule. Tables like these are meant to seat a lot of people, whether for dining or for meetings. When one person is isolated way at the end, it is symbolic of power, wealth, or estrangement.
New Putin table from IKEA, presented by @me_too pic.twitter.com/0wd48j7P7h
— Darth Putin (@DarthPutinKGB) February 15, 2022
The term "cinematically absurd" means a lot. The image of a long table with few people has been used over and over in movies to illustrate a supervillain's power, as explained at Mel magazine. It is such a recognizable symbol that it is used mainly for parody today. Continue reading to see some examples.
In Citizen Kane, Kane and Emily, his newlywed bride, sit very close to each other at the dinner table. Over the course of the film, they gradually move to opposite ends, symbolizing their growing emotional distance.
That emotional distance was recreated in War of the Roses.
In Cinderfella, Jerry Lewis is forced to sit at the far end of the table, but is still summoned to serve his stepfamily.
In Network, the meeting table only used at each end symbolizes corporate power.
In Batman, a long table illustrates clueless wealth; not the best setting for a first date.
The parody stage is epitomized by the over-the-top display of wealth in Coming to America, in which the table is so long, the characters must communicate by electronics. TV Tropes gives us plenty more examples, but be warned that TV Tropes can lead you down a long internet rabbit hole.