Initial Research Task by Maddie

Initial Research Task

 Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

The opening sequence of this film begins with equilibrium, as we see a little girl making bracelets, whilst her father works on fixing some kind of microchip. By starting with equilibrium, we can assume that Todorov's Theory has been applied, and therefore, a disruption will soon occur in the film. (A diagram of this theory is shown below). A sound bridge of diegetic music can be heard, creating a relaxed mood; the music is an example of parallel sound as it reflects the relaxed and content mood of the characters. There is also off screen sound of a lady calling to the man, showing the audience that there is another character in the house, as well as building the appearance of a happy, ordinary, family evening. The man wears a plain cream sweatshirt, and the girl’s hair is perfectly straight, which connotes to us that the man is innocent, the girl is angelic, and they are both unsuspecting. However, because of the low key lighting used, the audience connote that when there is a diegetic sound of someone knocking on the door, something sinister is about to occur. When the man walks towards the door to open it, a tracking shot from behind is used to create fear in the audience, who suspect that something terrible is about to happen. There is also lots of camera shake to suggest danger and make the audience feel unsettled. The narrative structure is chronological and restricted, which is very tense for the audience because, like the character, they don’t know what to expect next. When the man opens the door, he is attacked by two men who tie him up and begin to steal items from his house. The men wear dark clothing, which further connotes that they are evil characters. Whereas at the beginning, steady close up and mid shots were used, this shocking scene uses a variation of high and low angle shots, varying shot distances and lots of camera movement to reflect the violence, confusion and fear the characters are experiencing. A low angle shot of one of the attackers also connotes that he is in a position of power here, which makes him seem dangerous and frightening.

 

 

Witness To Murder (1954)

This film opens with an establishing extreme long shot of the night sky, where large dark clouds cover a full moon. This shot uses pathetic fallacy because full moons are often associated with fear and violence, which connotes mystery to the viewer. A diegetic crack of thunder sounds, and then dramatic non diegetic string music begins to pay which foreshadows a frightening event. The audience can also predict this because of the movie title, which appears over a high angle extreme long shot of a city, to contextualise where the movie will take place; they wonder who the murder witness will be. A dissolve is then used, and the audience see a long shot of an an empty street, with litter blowing around in the wind which could connote a rough urban area. This edit suggests to the audience that the location is within the city- therefore giving us the location of the film. The emptiness of the setting connotes an eerie, desolate atmosphere which again foreshadows that a crime may soon be committed. We then cut to a medium close up of a young woman asleep in her bed. Lighting is used effectively here, as we see strips of shaking light, as if coming through curtains, across the woman’s face. The audience can hear the diegetic sound of strong wind, which suggests that the window is open. These elements of the opening make the audience fear for the woman, as she seems vulnerable, and we wonder if she could be the victim of the murder. However, when she gets up to close the window, she sees the murder taking place in the apartment opposite. An over-shoulder shot is used here, to show the woman’s point of view as she witnesses the crime. Also, this shot also allows the audience to be witnesses; therefore throughout the film we will be on the woman’s side as she tries to catch the killer.

 

 

Taxi Driver (1976)

 

The film begins with an extreme close up of the side of a taxi as it pulls away, leaving a cloud of exhaust smoke in which the opening credits appear. After the credits, there is an extreme close up of a man’s eyes, who we assume to be the taxi driver because of the film title, and the clip of the car we saw previously. This shot distance suggests to the audience that this character is important, and by looking closely at his eyes the audience feel close to him, as if they are there with him in the car. There is non-diegetic jazz music which could connote a mysterious, sleazy atmosphere to the film, but also give us clues to the setting- the boroughs of New York City, and the illicit themes of the movie which include crime and prostitution. The lighting is low key, as the man is in shadow apart from the red, blue and white lights that flash occasionally over his face. When the shot dissolves into a point of view shot through the windscreen, we see that the light sources are neon signs, connoting an urban setting. There is rain on the windscreen, which is a use of pathetic fallacy; the audience could connote that the character is lonely and unhappy in his work, which is suggested by the weather. Long shots of the road ahead and people on the pavement, linked by dissolves to the extreme close up of the character, suggest that the man is familiar with the environment and he often watches the activity in the city at night. The length of the shots, compared to the the close ups inside the taxi, could also suggest that the man is lonely, and spends most of his time alone. After watching this opening, the audience don’t know much detail about the man and his life apart from his profession, which creates mystery and leaves us wondering who he is, and what the significance of the taxi will be in the movie.

 

Pulp Fiction (1994) 

 

 The opening of this film is unconventional compared to most thriller openings. Whereas all the other examples I have shown use low key lighting, tense non-diegetic music and often very little dialogue, this opening scene focuses on a conversation between two characters in a brightly lit diner. Diegetic lighthearted 'muzac' and diegetic sounds of traffic outside replaces the tense soundtrack that is typical in most thrillers, in order to convey that the characters are in an everyday situation. 'Pulp Fiction' includes elements of comedy, which is revealed in this opening scene through the dialogue and relaxed body language of the characters, which are incongruous with typical criminal characters. These elements make the characters' actions unexpected, when at the end of the opening they jump up, holding props -guns- and announcing that 'this is a robbery!'. Throughout the opening, mid shots and close ups of the characters are used to show that their conversation is private, and has gone unnoticed by any other customers in the diner. Even when the waitress comes to offer them more coffee, a low angle point of view shot is used to connote that the waitress is not at their level, and therefore not part of their conversation. Through the use of these shot distances and angles, the audience feel a sense of voyeurism, as if they are included in the conversation. This makes the audience fond of the characters, despite the fact that they are robbers. The use of dialogue helps to characterise the couple not as evil criminals, but people who thieve in order to make a living and don't wish to harm anyone unnecessarily. For example, the woman tells her partner, 'I'm not gonna kill anybody', to which he replies, 'I don't wanna kill anybody either'. Most of the opening is shot using two shots or over-shoulder shots, which suggests to the viewer that the couple are a team and always stick together. Even in the final shot, when the characters are holding their guns and threatening the people in the Diner, they are in a two shot to connote their alliance.