Pre lim evaluation

I think that the prelim went well and that our content was filmed well. Some shots were unsteady, especially the pans, and the framing/composition. In some places there are jump cuts, for example when he walks through the door and fluffs his shirt, the camera moves back and there is a small jump between the shirt being fluffed and his hands going to his sides.

A larger amount of shots are needed for when we’re filming out thriller because it gives the viewer a better perspective of the surroundings and the environment the actors are in.

 

 

Preliminary assesment

Leon Analysis

Luc Besson’s Leon is a thriller filmed and released in the 90’s (1994). It is about a professional assassin, played by Jean Reno and is set in a suburban area in America. It also stars Natalie Portman as Matilda and, as the two faced policeman drug dealer, Stansfield played by Gary Oldman.

Unlike a typical thriller, the movie starts off with a point of view shot, giving the audience a sense of what the surroundings are like and where the movie will be set. It is a suburban American city, in a foreign part. The music is non-diegetic and fits in with the scene, it’s very foreign. The camera ends up going into a store. We therefore don’t know who’s point of view this was and it’s all mystical.

The camera then uses extreme close ups on 2 unknown characters. The camera and the lighting only reveals certain features of the characters talking which creates mystery again. A photo is then placed on the table. Like a conventional thriller, a quest has started. The protagonist, Leon, is then given his mission which is a big part of a thriller, a quest. He must kill someone but you’re not told why. This makes the opening scene tense and the audience involved.

In the next scene, the target is introduced. He has several other characters which are his security, meaning he is a very important or wanted person. Leon takes one of them hostage easily and uses them to talk to the man he is trying to kill. This shows that Leon is an experienced killer and this may be his job. He them kills the guard without hesitation. He shows that he is very strong, physically and mentally. This is because he managed to get this guard to do what he wanted him to do, and then he just killed him.

As the scene progresses, the man Leon is trying to kill says ‘this time is serious.’ This could suggest that this happens frequently and that they know of Leon and they know he’s a pro.

Leon uses the guard he killed as a warning and maybe even a distraction. The guards have big machine guns, this shows that they’re used to this and they need a lot of protection because of whom and what could come. One of the guard’s leans over the top of the stairs and out of nowhere, Leon comes. This could surprise the audience and show that Leon is a very skilled killer.

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The scene progresses and Leon makes his way through the guards and manages to trap the man he is trying to kill, physically and mentally. This is because the man is very scared, he is on his guard but must know that he cannot escape from Leon. He therefore stands with his back to the dark with 2 large guns. A heartbeat and music start as he backs towards the door. Leon then just appears out of the dark and slowly draws a knife to the man’s neck. As the switchblade is drawn, the non-diegetic heartbeat and music is stopped almost showing the audience that Leon is in control of the situation. Both Leon’s and the man he is trying to kill faces are lit by a small lamp. Leon provides the message from the man he is doing it for to the man he is trying to kill and backs away into the darkness.

Leon is almost a comedic thriller because of its witty dry humour throughout the opening scenes. The camerawork throughout the opening scene is basic and is edited by just straight cuts. However throughout the opening scenes, Leon’s identity is not revealed, suggesting his identity is secretive.

Se7en Analysis

The beginning of David Fincher's psychological thriller se7en (1995)  starts off with Detective Lieutenant William Somerset, played by Morgan Freeman, in his house. He is dressed smartly and is placing everything in a specific order. This shows that he takes pride in his appearance and he is an important person. It also gives off a sense of OCD and suggests that everything he does is methodical and has to be done in a specific way. The items in shot were not cheap items, this suggests that he has money and maybe his job as a Detective is well paid.

54 seconds into the film and a dead body is shown. The lighting in the scene just shows the body and some of the light reflects off the pool of blood surrounding him. The is not conventional because we haven’t learned anything about from the actors and who is the protagonist. This body creates a mystery and the fact that the body has a chunk of his head missing suggests it was just a normal murder.
Detective Lieutenant Somerset is a caring person. This is shown when he sees family pictures on the wall whereas the other actor doesn’t care.

The scene progresses and the second protagonist is introduced. Detective David Mills played by Brad Pitt. As he enters the shot he looks chilled, chewing gum with his mouth open suggesting that he has little manners. His shirt looks mucky and isn’t ironed.  He is also unshaven which suggests he doesn’t take much pride in his appearance.

As both of the protagonists move outside, the weather is dismal. This is conventional because it makes the setting seem glum and dark. The camera is then aimed up at them to suggest dominance and to show that they’re above the general public because of their jobs.  When speech is exchanged between them, Detective Lieutenant Somerset makes it clear that he needs to listen and act like a Detective and not mistake arrogance for confidence. Detective Mils backchats and uses humour. Detective Lieutenant Somerset doesn’t like this which suggests he is the more experienced detective and wants Detective Mills to listen and not backchat.

Detective Lieutenant then states that he has 7 days left before he leaves, which could link to the title of the film.

The opening titles start with a book. The music is very screechy, fast paced and uncomfortable. They’re very graphic and suggest to the audience that it could be a crime journal of cases that have been investigated. The shot then cuts to a man changing his finger prints. The music gets faster and faster and more graphic images come up.

After the opening titles, it states that the day is Monday. This suggests that the length of the film will cover the week. Monday to Sunday.

It then cuts to Detective Mills in bed with his wife. The puts on a crumpled shirt with the tie already round his neck. This suggests that he is lazy and unprepared. He quickly answers the phone to avoid his wife waking up which shows that he cares about her. The scene progresses to outside and shows Detective Mills holding 2 coffees. The weather is dismal and is still raining. Detective Lieutenant Somerset arrives and is very blunt. He doesn’t accept the coffee and doesn’t even say hello to his partner. This suggests that he just wants to get into the scene and keep his mind clear.

The shot is filmed in a rough area with lots of fences giving a sense of loneliness and not wealthy. The police officers in the shot are very dismissive and blunt. This could suggest that the upcoming scene is horrific and they’re disgusted by what they’ve seen. As they walk to the scene, the camera tracks them as they walk and Detective Lieutenant Somerset is in front of Detective Mills which gives off a sense of authority.

In the scene there are no lights which could disorient the audience because they can only see what the flashlight sees.
When the light shows the body, insects crawl all over the shot which could suggest that he has been there for some time. The dead body is huge and has died whilst eating. In the 7 deadly sins, the first sin is Gluttony (Greed) which could be why this murder takes place. This then also is just like the title, seven.

As the scene goes on, tension is built when Detective Lieutenant Somerset looks down. There is a delay between the camera cutting to what he is looking at which builds tension. He is looking at rope tied round the victims feet which could suggest murder.

Tension is then carried on when Detective Lieutenant Somerset asks Detective Mills to be quiet and then tells him to go and do a police officer’s job; ask the neighbours about the crime. This is demoralising to Detective Mills and embarrassing.

 

The 6th Sense and The Terminator Analysis

Firstly, the extract from the film ‘The Sixth Sense’ creates a sense of mystery and sadness for the characters involved. Both the mother and son look very sad throughout the shot. The way the son looks at his mum throughout the shot is a good example of this. Throughout the shot, the child is the main person because he is the one explaining to his mum about what has been happening. However, If we use the goal of mean, both of the eyes are in the centre of the shot. This shows that they’re the most important thing in the shot and that the viewer should be looking at them. If you look at the eyes, they’re show fear and sadness. At the beginning of the shot, the camera includes the door frame of the car to show that they’re in the car. This stays in the shot throughout the scene to remind the viewer that they’re concealed in this car. This could suggest that the mother is trapped in this conversation and cannot avoid it.
Throughout the scene straight cuts are used and are consistent throughout, from mother to son, back to the mother etc. The camera is positioned to also show emotion from both the mother and her son.
In the scene, the child shows that he isn’t normal. This is not because of what he says, but how he speaks. His vocabulary used is complex and isn’t the vocabulary that a normal 7 year old uses.

Secondly, the extract from ‘The Terminator’ is a short scene which involves the cyborg terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, looking for Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton. The shot’s audio is a song called ‘Burnin' In the Third Degree - Tahnee Cain & Tryanglz.’ In the beginning of the scene, the terminator looks like he is imprisoned. The entry to the club is fenced off and guarded like a prison. The way the terminator breaks in, and twists a man’s wrist when he tries to stop him. This could make him seem invincible and powerful which could make people scared of him. The colour of the club is very dark with colour such as black and red. Red can represent anger, blood or love. This is effective because the terminator is attempting to kill Sara. This is a dark action and would obviously result in RED blood. Throughout the scene the Terminator is filmed walking with the camera position in front of him. This is almost like he is entering your space. It may also make the audience feel as if he is chasing them.Another shot used is the point of view shot. This is when the gun is aimed at Sara and she is basically, staring at her death. This is affective because it makes the audience feel as if the gun is being pointed at them. The shot is also aimed upwards at The terminator to show that everyone is lower than him and he is more important. His long leather coat also does this. It’s an expensive coat and is also style used and worn by detectives. His walk also shows authority and importance because he strides and doesn’t slouch.

Overall, both of the films are very different. The sixth sense isn’t really a classic thriller because of its camera work whereas The Terminator is. Both the 6^th sense and The Terminator give of a dark feeling that thrillers normally do and both involve death.

Psycho Shower Scene Analysis

The extract from Gus Van Sant’s remake of Psycho (originally directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960) lasts around 3 to 4 minutes and involves over 12 different shot angles and camera positions. This is used by the director to build tension and draw the audience through the scene. The variety of shot angles and positions also gives the viewer the perspective the director wants.

As the scene progresses, the director slowly reveals more of the story by increasing the amount of the room that the audience can see. For example Marion’s view of the shower head shows the wall, shower curtain and low ceiling, increasing the sense of this being an enclosed space. I feel this shows the audience how trapped Marion is.

 

 

Van Sant’s over-the-shoulder shot of Marion subtly alerts the audience to the presence of an intruder, who is just visible through the opaque shower curtain. As the shot continues the camera starts to move from Marion to the murderer entering the room. The director does this to show that the murderer’s entrance is performed slowly and smoothly just like the camerawork used.

 

The loss of life is shown through a continuity shot. I feel the director uses the blood trickling from Marion’s body to represent her life slipping away. This fades slowly from the trickle of blood moving down the plug-hole, to Marion’s lifeless eye.

 

The number of camera angles now increases as the director gives the audience a better perspective of the room.  In my opinion this does not decrease the tension as each shot is much shorter.

For example, the editing at the beginning of the scene was slow and shots were onscreen for over 4 seconds. As the tension builds, however, the length of shots decreases to around 2 to 3 seconds. This can disorientate the audience because they’re getting so many different angles so quickly. This effect is heightened by the audio of her scream and slow motion zooming to Marion’s mouth.

Though the scene uses both diagetic and non-diagetic sound to create different atmospheres it is the non-diagetic that is used to disorientate the audience. For instance, Van Sant uses the building screeching of non-diagetic violin noise to contribute to the scenes bloody climax.

The most effective way Mise En Scené is used in the clip is during the stabbing. The blood splatters over the shower but not all in one place. This gives a sense of realism to the stabbing. The gruesomeness of the shot can also repulse the audience like a real murder would. 

Overall, Psycho is a film which disorientates the audience through its effective use of close camerawork, shot length, editing and sound.