The Usual Suspects: Opening Scene Analysis

The Usual Suspects is a 1995 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. In this post, I have analysed the opening sequence of the film to learn about the genre, narrative and characterisation. 

The opening sequence of 'The Usual Suspects' enables us to learn about the genre, narrative and characterisation. The film opens with a bang. Literally, a bang from the gunshot fired at Dean Keaton, played by Gabriel Byrne, and then an explosion. The scene feels dangerous as it is dark, late at night, and the only thing that brings light to the screen is fire. These aspects suggest the crime and thriller narrative/genre. A hooded figure is seen smoking and urinating on the fire. Keaton is lying tired on the floor, he looks up at the hooded figure and says his name, "Keyser". Non-diegetic music becomes intense which tells us Keyser is of importance. Keyser's status in the hierarchy is suggested as we see him standing above Keaton and refer to him as "kid" before shooting him. This opening scene is followed by the arrest of each of the suspects, including Keaton. Therefore, the scene is something that happens in the future, however as Keaton gets arrested, we clearly know that his murder is not the crime the film may be based on.

Each of the characters have a different story arc/role in the film and we learn this within the clips of their arrest. McManus, played by Stephen Baldwin, is in bad living conditions and aggressive towards the police. This suggests he is one of the hard men and doesn't care how he acts, perhaps he has nothing to lose. Hockney, played by Kevin Pollak, gets arrested whilst working on a machine which makes loud bangs, like gunfires. He doesn't fight the police which suggests he is used to being arrested and is clever. He stays calm which he knows could get him out of trouble. Benicio del Toro, played by Fred Fenster walks with confidence and arrogance, he is good looking, suggesting he is the womaniser. Even though he is one of the hard men, he tries to run from the police, maybe his persona is all an act. 

Keaton is shown most on the screen. Keaton's camera time being three times more than the other suspects may suggest his importance to the crime as well as his status in the hierarchy. His arrest is quiet and rather than being forced, he is asked to walk outside of the restaurant he is dining in. His camera time may also be a warning to the audience to pay attention to him throughout the film. 

As the suspects are walking into the line-up room, the camera pans upwards on Kint, played by Kevin Spacey. The camera starts on his feet, revealing he has a disability, then panels up revealing his face. The camera also does this on Keyser, who we know is the killer, but no other character in the scene. This is perhaps extremely significant and a hidden clue that Kint is the killer and his disability is an act.

The Usual Suspects: Poster Analysis

What can a poster tell about a film?

By looking at the poster to Brian Singer's 'The Usual Suspects', I immediately think this film has a narrative of crime, trouble and illegal activities. I think this because of the men standing up against a mug-shot wall. Therefore, I also suspect a crime-drama genre. The tagline also suggests a thriller narrative and tells me that these men are the criminals of the film. They are the suspects. They are the main characters of the film.

The men look as if this scene is familiar to them. They look as if it's no surprise they are there. This tells me either they are definitely guilty, know the reason for being arrested and can no longer hide, or they have been arrested in the past and this is nothing new. This is 'usual' to them.

The height chart shows there may be a hierarchy in terms of importance of the criminals to the crime; who caused the most damage. Their clothing show a hierarchy in terms of importance in society and possibly reveal their characteristics. For example, the man in the suit, actor Gabriel Byrne (plays Dean Keaton), looks of different class to the others by the way in which he is in smarter clothing. Perhaps he works in an office, this helps draw his character out as the organiser of the group. The man in the leather coat, actor Stephen Baldwin (plays Michael McManus), looks as if he doesn't care by the way he is posed. This suggests he is the hit man.

Overall, the poster helped me to draw out the narrative and genre of the film, as well as profiling the characters.

Kill Bill Volume 2: Scene Analysis

This is my analysis of Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill: Volume 2' (2004), looking at the scene of actress Uma Thurman's character being buried alive and the scene of her escape.

Buried alive scene:

Sound is a key element to creating the terror in this scene. There is diegetic sound of crickets, showing isolation and that the scene is taking place in the middle of nowhere, therefore the woman is away from an escape. Along with this, the dark setting outside reveals it's night, therefore no one would be around (again, suggesting the woman's vulnerability in getting away/being saved). This relates to a horror set, suggesting the genre of the film.

The woman looks like she's been beaten up, perhaps she has been held hostage; she is dirty and sweaty with dry blood on her face. The camera shows an eyeline match from the woman at a low angle looking up at a cleaner looking man. This helps to tell us he is in control.

The woman is tied up and forced into an empty wooden box. The camera cuts from inside to outside the box. Placing a camera inside the box may make the audience feel as if they are also trapped in the box, creating a tense atmosphere from the audience. Cross cutting shows a close up of nails being hammered into the wood to nail it shut and the light decreasing inside the box - emphasising the build up to the woman being trapped completely. Non-diegetic sound of high pitched whistling tones are layered with diegetic sound of hammering the nails into the wooden box. In addition, there is also diegetic sound of the woman's heavy breathing. These sounds together are massively exaggerated to create the horror of the situation and build drama.

The more the light dims, the colour of the screen switches to black and white. A continuation of non-diegetic western style music created using mariachi horns is played as she is dropped in the ground. This sad type of music makes the audience feel hopeless towards Uma Thurman's character trapped inside the box. Synchronous sound of gravel thrown onto the box is amplified and enhanced deliberately with the diegetic sound of the woman's heavy breathing, showing her obvious panic. All light dims as the last nail is hammered in, the mariachi music fades into nothing. This quietness shows all hope is gone. The woman is left with a torch which she switches off as we hear diegetic sound of a car driving away. She is alone completely.

Escape scene:

The camera slowly pans from an angle above, looking down on a old grave yard. This immediately sets the scene back to Thurman's character buried underground and makes audience aware something is going to be revealed about her at that current moment. Shown as a wide shot, this reveals the surrounding area; it is night and no one is around. At this moment the audience hear diegetic sound of crickets and insects. This further indicates the atmosphere surrounding the area and how no one is around. The next cut is a medium close up of mud, stating that far beneath this mud is where Thurman's character is trapped.  As the screen slowly dims into pitch black, the next light we see comes from inside the box. The camera is placed behind her head and so the torch looks as if it's being switched on at the audience.  The camera then tracks the light which is following the edges of the box. This is significant to make the audience believe she is going to try and break free. Non-diegetic western music is played continuously which emits a sense of hardship and success. This leads the audience to believe she is going to be successful in breaking free.

A high angle from behind her looks down at her fiery-red cowgirl boots, indicating her feet take the first step (pun intended) in helping her set herself free inside the box. A low angle looking up from her feet then shows how little space she has and makes the audience feel tense and myself, claustrophobic. Cross cuts at a medium close up from her feet to her face builds tension as the audience ache with anticipation. Close ups highlight the beads of sweat on her face as well as her relief as she manages to untie her feet. Non-diegetic whistling sounds on top of western non diegetic music adds to the feeling of success.

As she struggles to cut the rope around her wrists with the penknife from inside her boots, non-diagetic success music plays continuously as cross cuts from her face to her eyeline match shows how she bashes the wood to split it open. Diegetic sound of her hitting the wood makes the audience hear how much force she is giving, blood appears on the wood, emphasising her painful effort to set herself free.  The camera then tracks Thurman's character climbing through the mud in a wide shot, giving her power as she fights through the suffocating underground. Finally, a medium close up of her hand coming out of the mud is shot, the non-diagetic music stops and the audience can now breathe.

Scream: Textual Analysis

In this post, I look at sound, camera, editing and the mise-en-scene in the opening scene to Wes Craven's 'Scream' (1996). I analyse why these techniques are used and what effect they give to the scene and have on the audience. 

Before a scene image is shown on the screen, there is non-diegetic sounds of a heavy heartbeat, immediately createing tension before the film even begins. This non-diegetic sound then cuts into a phone ringing, which is apparent as diegetic sound as we now see a girl who appears to be in her late teens on the screen. The blonde-haired teen looks innocent as she answers the phone, which immediately presents her character's vulnerablity to the audience. Further vulnerability is presented through the diegetic sound of crickets as this informs the audience of the setting. This is an isolated area with no easy or quick escape. All of the above demonstrate a typical horror film set. The genre of the film is also highlighted through the mise-en-scene; it's dark and late at night. The house is set in the woods. This suggests the director's intentions of a horror setting. 

The way in which the camera tilts down to a wide shot of the house from a shot of the trees above it shows the audience this girl is in the middle of nowhere. Amplifying there is no hope and no escape. In addition, the camera tilt also connotes the girl being watched from outside. This builds tension as the audience are aware of this, but she isn't. 

As the girl engages conversation over the phone, she sounds naive as she is telling a mysterious sounding guy over the phone what she is currently doing. Post modern humour follows this as they talk about her favourite scary movie whilst playing with a knife. This can suggest comedic elements to the film. 

At one moment, the camera tracks the girl as she walks around, this intentionally tells the audience she's alone in a big house, further adding to her vulnerablity. Tension begins to rise as the raspy voice over the phone says "I wanna know who I'm looking at". As he reveals he can see her, the camera zooms fast into a close up of the girl's face and non-diegetic music changes and gets more serious. This sychronous use of camera and sound informs us this is no longer a light hearted film.

The audience hear diegetic sound of a dog barking, this makes it clear that the dog has sensed there actually is an unknown person around. As overlapping non-diegetic and diegetic sounds get louder, cracking of popcorn intensifies and we are lead to believe it's going to explode, making the scene more dramatic. The camera shots to a close up on the girl again and a booming non-diegetic sound (perhaps imitating a heartbeat or footsteps) creates immense suspense as the camera tracks the girl with no editing as she runs. There are no cuts at this moment to show she's in a rush. The way in which this tracking shot follows her at a fast pace, makes the situation more believable and makes the audience feel like they are in the room. 

Non-diegetic music cranks up tension as the ring of doorbell is intensified with her eyeline match to it, amplifying her vulnerability. As sound switches to non-diegetic spooky music, the camera tracks her backing up slowly into a wide shot and the audience get a glimpse of someone outside. A wide shot of the girl then emphasises her hiding and the camera zooms into a close up of her face. Here, editing and sound work together to create the horror scene. The synchronous use of editing and sound are also shown when her eyeline match to the wounded person outside presents the state of how he has been brutally stabbed, whilst non-diegetic sound creates more tension as it gets more amplified.

As non-diegetic sound then shifts into less suspense and more action, the audience begin to question what she is going to do to try and escape. The camera cuts from one side of door to the other as she leaves. This is an editing technique known as a 'match on action'. Suspense non-diegetic music picks up as the camera shots a car driving past, giving a sense of salvation. Is she going to get to the car in time to save herself? Or is the car a trap?

Slow motion editing is used to heighten the effect of her gruesome murder, making it more dramatic as the knife stabs into her chest. As she falls to the floor, the camera angle from the ground is known as a 'dutch tilt'. This is used to give the impression she is weak, uncomfortable, and is also deliberately done to show what she sees. Cross-cutting is then viewed through her eyeline match to the view of her parents, making the audience believe she may have a chance of living if she can get to them in time. However, non-diegetic sound shifts to emotional and angelic. This sound presents to the audience that she was unsuccessful in escaping and has died. 

Finally, a wide shot of her body hanging from a tree zooms fairly into her face, once again making the scene ever so dramatic, scary and horrifying. 

Skyfall: Opening Scene Analysis

In this post, I will demonstrate how the use of the '4 Technical Codes' (camera, sound, editing and mise-en-scene) explain how genre, character and narrative are represented in the opening sequence of Sam Mendes' 'Skyfall' (2012). 

Firstly, the opening scene introduces the hero of the film, whom we know is James Bond, through the tracking shot that follows him as he enters a dismantled room, exposing himself to a wounded agent. The non-diegetic sound at this particular moment of the scene signifies the seriousness of the situation and creates great tension.

We then hear diegetic sound through Bond's earpiece, revealing the narrative of this scene being to restore a hard-drive from a computer which contains some sort of "list". A clear eyeline match from Bond to the computer draws attention to the audience that this hard-drive has been stolen and it is of great importance. Serious non-diegetic music begins to surround the scene, creating dramatic tension. This enables the audience to identify Bond as the main protagonist and hero of the scene, as it shows his expected mission is about to begin. From this already, the audience is aware that the genre of the film is a hybrid genre of action, crime, mystery and thriller.

As the scene progresses, the audience is introduced to the mise-en-scene of a bright city packed with people. The sound is non-diegetic middle eastern, with a glamorous sense of chaos and culture. This sets the scene being in a busy middle eastern city. The camera pans and tracks Bond into a car which introduces the character of the 'helper'. Cross-cutting then introduces two scenes in different locations happening at the same time, linking them together. This editing technique presents the differences between a dark, grey office and a bright city. This is important to the scene as the office scene introduces the donor, 'Q', and father/mother figure, 'M'. 

The sound shifts into non-diegetic chase music, giving the scene its narrative. The camera is hand held in the car and shows a close up of expression. Quick cuts from the helper, to Bond, to the outside of the car helps the chase become fast paced and thrilling. Also, the busy area makes the car chase ever so dramatic as it is perceived to the audience that innocent civilians are not going to run out of the way in time. When the cars crash, gunfire begins, giving an action sequence, and wide shots of Bond outside the car gives him power and status when shooting.

Hannah: Scene Analysis

In this post, I demonstrate a brief analysis of a scene in the 2011 action, thriller and adventure film 'Hanna'. I focus on the sound, mise-en-scene, genre, and narrative.

Immediately in the scene, there is ambient sound. This is the natural sounds of the room in which both the actors and the audience hear. This helps make the audience feel more apart of the film and engages us completely. Ambient sound soon shifts into non-diegetic electronic sounds, giving the scene an easy nature. Both this sound along with the blue-grey coloured surroundings makes the genre of the film to be suggested as a sci-fi. The teenage girl on the screen looks as if she has not seen much daylight in quite some time. Along with her pale face and ratted hair, she wears a bright orange jumpsuit. This suggests she is imprisoned - perhaps she is mentally ill and is being held in an asylum. The science-fiction nature of the scene suggests maybe she is not human.

The sound becomes more action-like as the girl kills the people holding her captive. By killing, the narrative of the film suggests Hanna is out for revenge and the genre switches to action/thriller. The blood splattered on her face shows the brutality of the killing, yet she doesn't seem affected by what she has done, suggesting this revenge. The audience now know she is strong and possibly an anti-hero. As she escapes, non-diegetic music is played in time to what sounds like her footsteps or heartbeat, amplifying the adrenaline surrounding the scene. As well as this, strobe lighting follows the timing of the intense sound. This makes the scene even more dramatic and riveting as we follow Hanna's adventure to escape.

Analysing Film Posters

As an introduction to Media Studies, I learnt about the two levels of analysis; denotation and connotation. Creating an understanding of these levels allowed me to analyse clearly film posters as well as discuss what I literally see and what this represents on the poster, potentially revealing things about the film itself.

Run Lola Run

When denoting poster, I was first drawn to the bold red text, the colour red initiated to me that this film has a dangerous element to it. Therefore perhaps being of the genre, thriller or action-drama.

The overall use of colour on this poster is quite clever. The actress, Franka Potente, who clearly plays 'Lola' has bright hot-red hair. As the colour red suggests to me a sense of danger, I suspect that her character is either in or creates danger and problems. However, this use of warm colours (being bright red) contrasts with the cold colours (being a grey-blue) on her clothes and in the background. These cold colours suggests an almost a dark and unwanted vibe to the image, perhaps revealing that she is the only light running from a dark place. In addition, these grey-blue colours present a sci-fi theme. Furthermore, the quote from a newspaper article in the New York Times at the top of the poster describes the film as being "post-human" also suggests the film's genre is sci-fi.

The way in which the picture is heavily blurred in the background and slightly blurred on Lola who is evidently running gives me an idea of the narrative of the film. As 'Lola' is the focal point of the poster and a little blurred, I understand the sense that she is running at a fast speed towards something as her hair is blown back. There is no show of equipment e.g a gun being worn, therefore suggesting she could be running to get somewhere urgently. The safety of something or someone, even Lola, may be the importance of the film and it's Lola's job to secure this safety. As the background of the image is heavily blurred, this may suggest that if Lola is running from something, it is not a someone, but the entire place/city. I thought of this as if she was running from a specific person, the poster would probably show a figure in the background, running after Lola.

Children of Men

To begin, the tag lines on this poster can present many ideas on the genre of the film and its narrative. Stating that the film is set in ' THE YEAR 2027' immediately indicates that the genre of 'Children of Men' is science-fiction as this date is over a decade into the future. The collaboration of the colours red, white and a greyish-silver suggests a dystopian future.

The broken glass may equal to a broken world in which the film is based in. The actor, Clive Owen,  is captured behind the broken glass, suggesting he is trapped and is needing to escape. Perhaps the broken glass may also suggest the brokenness of his character. As he is looking into the centre of the camera, this draws the attention to people looking at this poster. He has an intense, yet sad facial expression. Owen looks unkempt, with scruffy looking facial hair and furrowed eyebrows creates a disturbed character living on the rough side of life, yet strong and willing to fight for the "last days of the human race".

The bloody-red colour on the poster is used for the tagline text as well as a small image of a baby inside and eye, which appears to have a tear. The red eye equals an evil society in which people live in. Matching the tagline "No child has been born for 18 years" suggests that this baby inside the eye could be the first to be born after all that time. Nevertheless, this baby is obviously in immense danger and so Clive Owen's character must fight to save this unborn baby, who will "protect" the "only hope" for the human race to continue.

Pulp Fiction

Firstly, the immediate attraction to this film poster is the actress, Uma Thurman. She is shown laying down in a bedroom in a seductive manner, showing a little cleavage. This creates a sultry image, inviting us into and understanding of her type of character within the film. Above all, the cigarette in had, facial expression along with red bold lipstick being the only colour Thurman is shown wearing (other than black) suggests she is a femme fatal - the red helps highlight a sense of danger. The gun placed on the pillow in front of Thurman indicates the genre of this film as crime and perhaps action.

The poster has much dark lighting, the main light on the poster urges towards the cigarette in hand, the gun and the Pulp Fiction Magazine - this may suggest to the viewer that these objects are a key part of the film. I first believe that this film is packed with crime and danger all because of the femme fatal. However, the Pulp Fiction magazine, within the Pulp Fiction film poster is quite comedic to me. With this in mind, I begin to think that this crime film may have some elements of comedy and is a mix genre.

The frayed edges of the poster, text font and 10c price sign equals classic fifties potboilers. The use of red and yellow colours together imitates a slight western feel. Also, the cast list is written in bold yellow font - this helps attract an audience with an interest to any of these well-known actors.