Red Eye Thriller Analysis.
NARRATIVE STRUCTURE- It starts with the stealing of the wallet, also some people are studying plans of a building and pictures of the girl which establishes who the main character is. No other characters are seen only partial views of them. A crate of fish being moved is also shown being moved from one place to another.THRILLER CODES AND CONVENTIONS- In the introduction we only see the hand of then man, which is use of partial vison, and it also puts questions into the audiences head like, who? what? why? ect. The music also builds up to create a tense and exciting atmosphere. There is also hints of modern/technological settings.CAMERAWORK- At the beggining there is a close up focusing on all of the pictures and wallet, hiding the identites of characters also showing what the camera is filming is significant. A slow track forward draws attention to the wallet suggesting it is important. The camera is constantly following the crate or tracking it. Extreme close ups on pictures, plans of the building but also as the crooks are looking at them there identity is concelled. Extreme close up on pics in wallet to emphasise importance. High angles look down on objects which shows them to be weak.MISE-EN-SCENE- The low key lighting creates shadows, which gives it a sense of mystery. Wallet and keys used for props also the photo's but they let the audience into the past. The fish in the crate have red skin, links to the title red eye. Other props are the pictures/blueprints of the building and the suit that the thief is wearing looks very professional.SOUND- Non diagetic- Opening music is very intense and it also uses the sound of plane taking off, linked to the title zooming out , you get the sense its the beggining of a journey. A thumping beat which makes it dramatic. A cresendo of sound as we zoom on the wallet leading to orchestral music which signifies seriousness. Its also in a minor key which creates mystery.Diagetic- The props banging as they are thrown onto the draw. Sounds of car, box being loaded. There is a constand driving rythm.EDITING- The time is condensed so a period of many days is shown in two minutes. The film takes us to several different places and there is a dissolve effect used to show the pictures of the buildings.GRAPHICS- A plain white font, maybe a sans-sarif. At the beggining words zoom out links to it being like an air plane fading out at the end. Starts with actors names then goes on to crew names and roles and then finishes with the director. Also the credits are positioned in different parts of the screen and they have a drop shadow.
Strangers on a train
Narrative structure-this scence shows two men going to a train station getting on to the train they sit opposite eachother and bumps feet, indicates there paths crossing , its a linear narrative.
Thiller codes and conventions-The opening scence uses partical vision you only see the feet right up until the end of scence when characters faces are introduced. Engima codes are used to create questions,
Who are they?
Where are they going?
How are they connected? ( Going to be?)
It is a transformed city theory a ordinary city used as a location for an exciting story and a ordinary person is thrown into a werid situation( swapping murders)
Camera work-The scence starts with a establishing shot of washington. Then mid-shots from waist down showing characters feet and legs, tracking left to right and right to left following both sets of feet. Also a long shot is used where you still see no faces but showing people going towards train from behind. Point of view shot of front of the train then it begins to track foward as the train moves off two final shot as men sit opposite each other.
Mise-en-scene-The shoes are used to suggest the characters status in society, Guys shoes are plain and he wears a plain suit which suggests he is a normal casual person but brunos shoes are two-toned brogues 'jazzy' and wears a pin-stripped suit which suggests he is a strange out-going person. Also tennis rackets indicate guys occupation to the veiwers before words. The railway lines produce a X symbol which link to the criss cross motif.
Sound-Non-diegetic, Orchestral music is used the same melody played throughout for each then the character station announcer also says "all abroad" there is not much variety of sound in this opening scence.
Editing-In this scence, graphic match is used for dissolving from the station floor to the train lines also there is some cross cutting used to link two sets of feet which makes it like the two males are destined to meet eachother.
Graphics-The credits appear over the opening establishing shot then there are no graphics during the sequence.
State of play
Narrative structure-In this scence a man suddenly runs across a busy road in a panicy way and gets knocked by cars and various objects he then runs through a shop and out the back where he hides and thiniks he is safe and comes out from hiding and is shot by a gunman and this gunman shoots a passing cyclist. Done in continuity editing linear narrative.
Thriller codes and conventions-Enigma codes to create questions
Why?
Who?
Darkness is used to create partial vision and mystery of the characters, the city becomes transformed into the thriller back drop and the weather increases the doom and gloom of the film.
Camerawork-Opening establishing shot, a wide shot of washington dc, a hand held camera is used following the man across the road which creates feeling of panicing movement like we are in the scence with him all of these give us a sense of realism. it is a fast moving camera to show speed of the man panning and tracking to follow the man. Close-up on the mans face as he hides which shows us his nerves. Also the camera pans quickly after the gunshot as if it responding to it then there is a point of view shot as the cyclist goes by and of the gunman looking down on the man. The final shot zooms in at ground level to the mans dying face.
Mise-en-scence-The m.e.s is designed to produce a feeling of mystery. The lighting of the scence is at a very low key (very dark) gives it a gloomy look. The gunman wears black carries gun and a metal briefcase also is breath is very visable which has connotations of a devil, like he has the breath of a angry dragon. He also has a silencer on his gun which suggests he is a professional very secreat. the man running away is sweaty and scragging as if he has a hard life. Around this is alot of rain and puddles dull doesnt come across as a nice place to be.
Sound-Diegetic- sounds of helicopter (asynchronous), beeping and sirens all of these sound portray crime to us. Ambient sound is used for example people talking, doors and the movement of many different things. Then there are the sounds of the bad things about to happen, screams, smashing, breathing and the rain and thunder which give us a sense of the gloom and doom also there is the sound of the man bumping into things when he is running away for example the bin, there is the sound of the gunshot which is very sudden and the man on the bike passing by.
Non- diegetic- In the background there is a sutal buzzing noise which called ominous and after the gunshot the sound is all distcordant the music gets louder as cyclist is killed.
Editing-In this scene there arent many shots and they are quite long takes which gives the film a sense of realism it is continuaty editing also it follows the man as he runs which is called linear.
Graphics-The credits are in blue capitals but are quite small in a very old western font and at the end the title is in white capitals.
Se7en
Narrative structure-There is a montage of images which suggests some kind of story about crime, the person is putting together a dark scrap book of words and images.
Thriller codes and conventions -Enigma codes to create questions
why?
what?
who?
And partial vision you dont see any faces just flashing images of the scrap book the persons fingers throughout its all black,white or red colors which have dark connotations it focus on the villain and the crime.
Camera work -There are extreme close ups to place us very close to all of the nasty harsh things and the camera pans occasionally across surfaces e.g on the writing.
Mise-en-scene-In most parts you seen fingers with bandages and them cutting things e.g the dollar bills/ photos/ film strips. In the scence there is alot of pens and pencils erasing words, needles, scissors, razor blades, book and photos of nasty/ violent things.
Sound-Non-diegetic- The music is scary, distored throughout there is a heavy thumping beat it is very slow and there is lots of layers of sound like scratching,screams and creaks which reflect the twisted mentality of the character. Also builds up to a climax where words link up to the image "you got me closer to god" - religious?
Editing-It is a very fast montage using half dissolves and the images jump around on the screen and jump cuts are used.
Graphics-The credits jump around the screen and flip about the credits are written in a white but it as if its an un-natural white they are blurry and look hand written.
Sumary
According to our research opening scenes to thriller films use the following conventions:
Important narrative elements are suggested without being made to obvious.
Sense of narrative beginning in which ordinary life is distruped by threatening force.
May contrast between good and bad characters.
Narrative structure may be linear and non linear.
Enigma codes used to raise important questions in audience minds.
Partial vision with holds important information.
Settings are urban, transformed place of excitment or danger.
Close-ups link to point of view and extreme close-ups.
Lighting low key( shadows with conotations of mystery).
Objects, costumes etc suggest ideas and characters and narrative.
Montage combined images from different times and places linked to narrative.
Continuity editing starting narrative off with a thrilling taster scene.
Diegetic sounds combined with non-diegetic sounds .
Dark serious music signifies type of film it is.
Graphics may be designed to reflect the dark themes of the film .
