The term is a compound noun phrase. The head noun is "scene," which is specified by two proper nouns, "Patriots Day" and "MIT," functioning as noun adjuncts (adjectives). The phrase refers to a specific cinematic sequence within the 2016 film Patriots Day that depicts events on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing manhunt.
This sequence dramatizes the murder of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier by Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the evening of April 18, 2013. The film portrays the brothers approaching Collier's patrol car, the subsequent unprovoked shooting, and their attempt to steal his firearm. The narrative then connects this event directly to the carjacking of Dun Meng, which provided law enforcement with a critical lead. This part of the film serves as a crucial plot point, escalating the manhunt from a city-wide search to an active and violent pursuit.
In the context of the film, this sequence functions as a major turning point, heightening the narrative tension and demonstrating the perpetrators' escalating violence. It personalizes the broader tragedy by focusing on the death of a specific officer, thereby increasing the emotional stakes for the audience. The cinematic representation aims for a realistic, documentary-style feel to convey the gravity and suddenness of the event, establishing it as the catalyst for the subsequent Watertown shootout and the final capture of the suspects.
