A scene we watched in class from a film called 'Witness' by Peter Weir was the main inspiration for the toilet scene that will take place in our thriller opening. There are mirrors in various different positions in the toilets we are going to shoot in. Mirrors symbolise a different view on somebody and can cause great suspense if used efficiently as well as presenting an enigma for the audience. These props are the main feature of the mystery/thriller film, 'Mirrors', starring Kiefer Sutherland. The film gives off immense suspense throughout due to the clever use of the mirrors to create drama amongst the audience. If we are able to duplicate the techniques used with these props I believe an intense thriller feel could be created in our opening. I felt that the scene has more impact when the lights were turned off and only natural lighing can be seen. This slight darkness correlates with the darkness of the events that are going to take place in our thriller opening. It also strikes a contrast between the brightly lit hallway that we may choose to shoot prior to the bathroom scene, emphasising how the bathroom can be seen as a whole new world. However, although the darker shot seems more fitting for the thriller genre, it may be interesting to challenge key generic features of the genre. This was done in the film 'Jackie Brown' where Robert De Niro shoots a woman in broad daylight in a public area and worked very well. It proved shocking and ruthless to the audience.
This is a shot we saw as perfect for the follow scene leading up to the toilet scene. The wet path is considered a key thriller convention and is used throughout many successful thriller films in the past such as 'Jackie Brown' and 'Thelma and Louise'. The wet street tells us that it has been raining, this is then further associated with the mood of the film. In this case, seeing as it has been raining, the mood and feel might be sad or gloomy. We considered both a straight high shot and a tilt high shot and eventually decided that the latter best suited our opening because it shows disorientation and foreshadows that something abnormal is going to occur.
I was inspired by a shot I saw from the film 'Jackie Brown' where the characters Ordell and Beaumont are walking to a car and they pass a set of railings as the camera pans with them. With a closer look, these rails give the effect of prison bars and therefore forebode negative occurrences. Another shot like this was used in Essex Boys where a reflection from lights is used to represent bars. We were lucky enough to find bars in our location which could give this 'bar effect' and so used this opportunity. The fractured society that the shot represents fits perfectly with the meaning behind our thriller.
Title: The Third Man Director: Graham Greene Year: 1946 Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten
At the start of the film we hear a zither playing in the background. This non-ambient sound sets the mood of the film and attempts to give us an idea of what kind of character Harry Lime is. Based on this music we can assume that Harry Lime is a bit mischievous and plays around with people, alike the zither being 'played'. The background of the credits correlate with the instrument. The lines going horizontally across the screen are meant to represent the zither and it's strings. The music is surprisingly cheerful which challenges the conventional, stereotypical music associated with thriller films.
Soon after the opening credits we are introduced to many aspects of the thriller convention which do not fail in explaining to us the exact theme of the film and the environment it is set in. For example there are different shots of the black market that appear. These immediately give us the impression of a corrupt environment which is often associated with the thriller genre. In this case the man is selling watches; time is another key thriller convention. It often proves essential in creating suspense because it makes us feel as though we are rushed or in a hurry. This technique of referring back to time has been later used in the film 'Heavenly Creatures' by director Peter Jackson (1994). We see a body floating in the water which to many people is extremely shocking. However it is ignored in the film and simply passed over. This explains how this image is one that doesn't prove at all shocking to this city and displays therefore, how the city as a society is seriously disturbed and fractured.
We see a steam train from a low-angle shot. This means that the train fills the vast majority of the shot and creates a sense of journey as a result - another key theme that is present in many thrillers. We then see a man getting off of the train. He is dressed in a suit with a trilby hat on his head. This is a typical outfit for a thriller film and is used most notably in ‘Once upon a time in America’ and ‘The Godfather’. The trilby hat often covers the face slightly which means that the person wearing it is sometimes enigmatic; mystery is created as a result of this - another key theme throughout the thriller genre that Graham Greene is attempting to establish in his work.
We then follow the man on his walk to his destination. Along the way he walks under a ladder. This is a known form of bad luck and as a result we are lead to believe that something bad will happen to this man. This symbolic negativity juxtaposes with the happiness that the man is showing in his expression and the light hearted non-diegetic music playing in the scene, creating again, a fractured feel to the environment in which the film is set.
Staircases are often used in a symbolic way in thriller films. Walking up stairs can sometimes be hard work and might be seen (as a bigger picture) to represent a struggle in life for the character walking up them. These are used regularly throughout this film. We see the mans shadow as he walks up the stairs. This suggests another presence although we do not know what it is just yet. This arises the theme of mystery which is present in the film throughout as well as being a conventional thriller film. A tilt shot is used - this suggests disorientation, perhaps not just of the shot but of the country as a whole. Again, a recurring theme throughout that is adressed in numerous ways by Greene.
A man begins to talk in a foreign language which we believe to be German. At the time, this would have immediately forced the audience into anxiety as the film was released shortly after the second world war and so the shouts of the German opposition would still be ringing in mosts ears. It comes as a surprise that the speech is not supported with subtitles and proves somewhat frustrating to consume as an audience. This also creates further mystery about the film because we have no idea what the man has just said and whether it was significant or not. It also allows us to position ourselves and sympathise with the character we were earlier introduced to as he also is clueless as to what has been said, just like the audience. The technique of association with characters in thriller films is very often used in order to make the audience more involved in the film and feel more on edge as a result. It is most notably used by Quentin Tarantino in his film, Kill Bill (2003). This gives us the idea that he is going to be the main character throughout the rest of the film.
The shot we see next is a high angle shot from the perspective of the foreign man. The fact that he is up high and looking down on the other character suggest his superiority over him and puts the character we met earlier on in a position of weakness. Because we have already associated with the, now inferior, character, we begin to feel vulnerable and uneasy as an audience.
We are soon introduced to Anna. Her face proves extremely hard to read, meaning we are not able to tell much about her character, thus creating her as an enigmatic figure. Her ‘hard to read’ face could be associated with the face of ‘The Mona Lisa’. We soon find out that Anna is an actress. Her job is very important to her and she takes it very seriously. Because she is an actress it means that she is not always herself. Perhaps not only when she is acting but also in real life. Mystery is emphasised here again.
Here we see two men striking a relationship. This kind of relationship is very often present in the thriller genre, for example in Jackie Brown with Louis (De Niro) and Ordell (L. Jackson). This relationship could stimulate a constant contrast throughout the film.
We see a man whose first action is to smile. However, it is not an ordinary smile. This smile strikesthe viewers as that of a villain. A somewhat evil smile. A villain is usually present in most thriller films and so we can immediately assume that this is the role that this character might play. When talking to who we assume to be the villain, the man interrogates him and takes on the role of detective. This again is a key thriller convention which is used in many other films. Usually, the detective is successful in determining the outcome of the dilemma and is a heroic character as a result. This further emphasises the fact that this man is going to be the main character who we are expected to empathise with. The man we assume to be the villain gets closer and closer as the scene progresses. This portrays him as a threatening character and adds to his stereotype of a villain. He is also wearing fur which is often directly associated with death, thus, further emphasising the negativity of his character.
There is a shot which involves a key thriller convention - a wet street. This can be associated with films made post to this one such as Thelma and Louise and Jackie Brown. Props can also prove key in emphasising the conventional themes of thrillers, in this case, the prop is a die. Just by seeing dice we assume that gambling is taking place which is often associated within the same field as other things that are also present in this film such as violence.
We see a young child watching what is going on here. This brings back our sense of reality as we begin to understand that what has happened has affected a young innocent little boy. This can be referenced to the film ‘Witness’ in which a young amish boy witnesses a murder and is mentally scarred as a result. The next shot is from the childs perspective. This shifts our sympathy from the main character to the young boy.
There is an arch that appears in the film which can be related to one similar from ‘Once upon a time in America’ by Sergio Leone. This is one of several references to this film, another key one would be the costume - the suit and trilby hat.
Title: Jackie Brown Director: Quentin Tarantino Year: 1997 Starring: Pam Grier, Samuel L Jackson, Robert De Niro
The opening scene of Jackie Brown proves very important in explaining to the audience who the woman is throughout the scene and emphasises her moral superiority. 2 minutes and 7 seconds into this clip there is a very clever, low, medium close-up, follow shot. The camera follows the woman we assume to be Jackie Brown and she remains in focus throughout, suggesting her power and dominance.
After 2 minutes and 15 seconds in this clip, there is another clever shot which further emphasises Jackie Brown's authoritative manner. The low shot sees her straight in the dead centre of the shot suggesting she is centre of attention. The fact that the shot is low-angle and is looking up on her, displays her as a very important figure who we should look up to. These aspects successfully denote Jackie Brown as a hugely important and influential character.
This shot, although at first glimpse may not seem significant, proves extremely symbolic towards the overall message of the play. The Statue of Liberty is arguably the most iconic symbol in America, and for it to be portrayed in such a violent way with a gun coming from it, puts across the message of how America as a country is corrupt and acts as a violent environment. This displays the USA as a fractured society - a key theme often addressed in thriller films, e.g. 'The Third Man' and more recently 'Essex Boys'.
The following shot strikes a contrast between characters. De Niro and Jackson are not dressed to impress like the woman we have seen earlier in the film. They both look unhappy which is different to how the woman seemed. Samuel L Jackson makes several comments about the guns that he is watching on television, opposed to the good looking women on the screen. This emphasises the fact that the men of America seem more interested in violence than love. The obvious juxtaposition of race in this shot allows us to consider how the stereotype of gangs and violence, is no longer specific to the African American race but has now been adopted by all - again highlighting a demoralising downfall to a fractured society. On a more positive note, the fact that two men of contrasting ethnicities perhaps shows how the issue of racism is no longer present in a modern day society.
This shot sees one of the main characters, Ordell, meet Beaumont. There is a clear and important contrast here which symbolises the social position of each of these men. The contrast is in the way that they dress. Beaumont is half naked, perhaps portraying him as more vulnerable and giving us the impression that he will suffer as a result of this susceptibility. This is further emphasised by the fact that there is nobody else in the scene, displaying no sense of community in the environment these people are living in and portraying Beaumont as an isolated, lonely character.
This shot is very clever again in foreshadowing to the audience what could potentially happen. We see Ordell and Beaumont walking past some rails on the side-walk. Although at first this may not seem like anything symbolic, it in fact displays the idea of a prison cell as the rails look very much like cell bars. This could be referenced to a shot in Essex Boys where light is reflected on to a car window to also look similar to cell bars.
This shot is a typical thriller shot. From a low angle to show power and dominance of the men standing over the camera, dark lighting so that a mysterious feel is given to the shot and a gun being held is an extremely violent object and is a key thriller convention. This shot is similar to one in Pulp Fiction which is a hugely successful thriller film by the same director, Quentin Tarantino. There is also a clear contrast in the colour of each character's clothes. Ordell is dressed in black, the darkest colour, symbolising evil. On the other hand, Beaumont is dressed in light colours which could perhaps be seen to portray him as a somewhat innocent and naive character, just a young boy. At one point in this clip, Ordell loads the gun. This sound is associated as extremely powerful and immediately presents the person performing the action as the superior. This is also highlighted in the film, Phone Booth. Another classic thriller where a gun and its sound plays a key role in determining who is in control.
Here we see Ordell putting on some leather gloves. This again is a key thriller convention. It connotes to death and is strongly associated with crime, which this play surrounds.
Ordell then drives the car to the place where he is going to kill Beaumont. The car is personified here to play the role of 'angel of death' because it is leading him to the place where his life will end. The car drives slowly on a dark, wet street. This is a key thriller convention again and is also present in the film Thelma and Louise. The car soon disappears into the vanishing point, creating an enigmatic feel as we are not sure what is about to happen. A vanishing point is used throughout many thriller films such as Essex Boys. This is a very clever technique which creates tension amongst viewers, thus emphasising the thriller genre and its generic features.
This shot, also from Jackie Brown, is very differently shot to any other scenes in this film and strikes controversy to the key generic features of mis-en-scene within the thriller genre. The ambient lighting is extremely bright - broad daylight. This is a big contrast to the other dark shots we have previously seen. This scene can be seen as a direct comparison to the murder of Beaumont by Ordell earlier on in the film. Perhaps because of the fact that Ordell had to plan his crime and do it in a dark, deserted place it shows that he is more wary of what might happen to him as a consequence. Conversely, Louis commits his murder in broad daylight in a shopping mall car park where anybody can see. This portrays him as the more ruthless character of the two and thus, a more powerful man. The competition for alpha-male could be seen as a key thriller convention as it is used throughout many other successful thriller films, most notably, Essex Boys.
A scene we watched in class from a film called 'Witness' by Peter Weir was the main inspiration for the toilet scene that will take place in our thriller opening. There are mirrors in various different positions in the toilets we are going to shoot in. Mirrors symbolise a different view on somebody and can cause great suspense if used efficiently as well as presenting an enigma for the audience. These props are the main feature of the mystery/thriller film, 'Mirrors', starring Kiefer Sutherland. The film gives off immense suspense throughout due to the clever use of the mirrors to create drama amongst the audience. If we are able to duplicate the techniques used with these props I believe an intense thriller feel could be created in our opening. I felt that the scene has more impact when the lights were turned off and only natural lighing can be seen. This slight darkness correlates with the darkness of the events that are going to take place in our thriller opening. It also strikes a contrast between the brightly lit hallway that we may choose to shoot prior to the bathroom scene, emphasising how the bathroom can be seen as a whole new world. However, although the darker shot seems more fitting for the thriller genre, it may be interesting to challenge key generic features of the genre. This was done in the film 'Jackie Brown' where Robert De Niro shoots a woman in broad daylight in a public area and worked very well. It proved shocking and ruthless to the audience.
This is a shot we saw as perfect for the follow scene leading up to the toilet scene. The wet path is considered a key thriller convention and is used throughout many successful thriller films in the past such as 'Jackie Brown' and 'Thelma and Louise'. The wet street tells us that it has been raining, this is then further associated with the mood of the film. In this case, seeing as it has been raining, the mood and feel might be sad or gloomy. We considered both a straight high shot and a tilt high shot and eventually decided that the latter best suited our opening because it shows disorientation and foreshadows that something abnormal is going to occur.
I was inspired by a shot I saw from the film 'Jackie Brown' where the characters Ordell and Beaumont are walking to a car and they pass a set of railings as the camera pans with them. With a closer look, these rails give the effect of prison bars and therefore forebode negative occurrences. Another shot like this was used in Essex Boys where a reflection from lights is used to represent bars. We were lucky enough to find bars in our location which could give this 'bar effect' and so used this opportunity. The fractured society that the shot represents fits perfectly with the meaning behind our thriller.
