Seven was made in 1995 and was directed by David Fincher, and as well as being in classed as a thriller it is also considered a crime and mystery film, this film I have found follows a linear narrative structure which helps as the film is easier to watch and understand.
Things such as the setting of the dirty city that is constantly dim as it all it does is rain, fits in with the codes and conventions that GK Chesterton brought to the for-front, he said that a thriller usually and should take place in an urban landscape. There are many codes and conventions made visible in this film; others are the new place to live for mills and his wife as this enforces the idea of the exotic as Mills and his wife are added and do eventually stir up the whole film as it is Mills wife who is killed therefore making him part of Doe’s game it also gives the film a romantic aspect which is also present in most thrillers; however this also enforces the idea of moral dilemma as Mills the ordinary hero then becomes the villain as he kills Doe through anger of his wife’s murder. Another code and convention of this film is the apartment building chase scene this then links to the ideas of Mathews but it is also something that is always shown as it adds suspense for the audience as they don’t know what is round the next corner; this could also concern the plot in general as it is not predictable therefore keeping the audience interested. The shooting of John Doe at the end of the film is greatly anticipated by the audience but is also almost predictable and again this protracted vision causes more suspense and violence for the audience as does the partial vision throughout, as you never see the killers face in the chase scenes, all of what is in the room as they are left dark and who’s head is in the box.
Throughout this film there are lots of camera shots such as mid shots, tracking shots, close ups, long shots, hand held shots (this could be to show confusion) and the list goes on, however the cinematography in the final scene with John Doe and Detective Mills is particularly interesting for me as there are lots of camera shots that carry certain connotations. The camera angles of both Mills and Doe change as the scene unravels; first there are high angle shots of Doe and low angle shots of Mills to show that Mills is more powerful and in control, however this changes when the box is opened as then there is an extremely low angle shot on Doe to show that there has been a change in power, it is also positioned so that his head is blocking the sun showing the importance and almost god like power he has, but this shot is then copied for Mills when he shoots Doe.
The sounds within this film are relatively simple; the diagetic sounds follow the lines of speech, screams, gun shots and the typical sounds you would expect to hear in a city. The internal diagetic however only appears once, and that is when Somerset is saying his quote at the end. The non-diagetic sounds however are those of loud music at different pitches to create suspense and tension.
The editing in this film consist of cross cutting shots which happen when the Somerset is in the library and Mills is looking through evidence, and also when the two are separately getting dresses, this then shows contrast between the two characters. Shot reverse shot is also used throughout this film as it shows character reactions when holding a conversion.
The graphics at the start of this film are a montage of images and clips, the images are of fingertips with not ends, developing photographs, diaries and images of torture and death, this then shows insight to the rest of the film however because it is the graphics very few people pay attention. The typography is scrawled, warped and distressed looking text; this also gives the audience an insight to Doe’s character but again is not picked up on unless re visited after the film. The colour scheme is what would be expected as it is very dark with flashes of red to grab the audiences’ attention.
The costumes in this film all follow the view of a stereotypical view of police detectives, they’re wearing long coats, holsters, hats, shirts and ties; the hair of the two detectives however are very different to perhaps show contrast, as one has neat hair and the other has more “untamed” hair. The makeup consists of cuts and bruises, also there are prosthetics and I can’t help but think body paints have been used at some point in order to make the victims look dead. The props are mostly guns, helicopters, hats, body parts, the souvenirs, neon cross and the evidence all have been used as they used in order to make the film more attractive and easier to follow. The setting and lighting link in together as it is set in a city where it is constantly raining this makes the lighting dim and shadowed. However this then changes to bright dry light when the setting moves to the open desert with the pylons, this could be to show the shear intensity of the area. There is also however a lot of partial vision involved when in the apartment buildings, but then this is broken when the audience is shown the neon cross above Doe’s bed as this gives the apartment a sinister feel.
Red eye
The film red eye was made and released in 2003 and 2004 and was directed by Wez Craven, and follows a linear structure as there seems to be a planning process involved with the individual events of stealing the wallet ect.
This follows many of the codes and conventions such as questions and answers, who is the girl in the photographs? Whose house is it? Who stole the wallet? This causes the audience to feel involved and also grasp their attention immediately. It also has the exotic, the box, the audience never see what is in the box or understands the reason for the box this technique was named the McGuffin by Alfred Hitchcock. Another technique is partial vision, as we never see the face of the man who steals the wallet; this creates tension for the audience.
The camera work in this opening sequence consists of close-ups in order to keep the audience asking questions or to show things that will be involved with how the film plays out later on and also quick shots to give a feel of pace and sharpness. There is also a switch on shallow focus as it shows the man then the cards and the wallet; this could be to indicate that they play a roll in the film further in.
The editing of this film is continuous shots but it is mostly a montage of a lot of little shots and the graphics are also extremely simple with small text that recedes, the typography resembles that of a typewriter with a colour scheme of black, white and red.
The diagetic sounds within this opening consists of no speech, but plenty of other sounds such as: keys, the shower, the flatbed of the car, the ice and the envelope, these could be the only sounds that we can hear perhaps to draw attention to what’s important and give nothing away, however the non diagetic sounds are those of low dramatic music that quickens to create tension, but there is also the sound of a plane taking off this then creates questions for the audience, why a plane? Again more questions.
The costumes in this film are fairly simple as there are workmen in overalls to perhaps show they are not as important and a man in a suit jacket to show he is more important. The lighting changes form a warm interior light to a cold, harsh, dim light of night. The workmen are performing in a rushed efficient way in order to show that they are good at what they do. The props that are used are those of photographs that indicate toward a protracted outcome and blueprints in order to make the audience subconsciously question why someone is looking at blueprints. The final thing is the setting, and in this sequence there are three, the first a warm perfectly ordinary home, then some sort of secluded dark cargo loading bay, and a dirty looking motel, these are all achieved using crosscutting and are done to show again a quick plan being put into action.
This film directed by Kevin MacDonald was made and released in 2008; this film I presume follows a non linear structure as it leaves the audience “clueless” as to what is going on and why it may be happening.
This film follows the normal codes and conventions; it is set in the urban landscape in this case being a bit busy city with the normal dark cold bad weather. The darkness creates partial vision for the audience as not everything is visible, like for example what the man is running from. The exotic is also introduced in this film as the audience never sees what the importance is of the briefcase; however this also causes the audience to ask questions introducing the critique of Noel Carroll. The scene of the man running through the city adds tension for the audience and grabs the attention as we a re given no clue as to what may be going on, another addition to the codes and convention is the use of a gun to add action and give a sense of danger but the law enforcement (security gaud) indicates that there is some form of order in this society.
The cinematography in this opening sequence is used in a way that very subtly links each technique to give a different effect and emotion. The tracking shots and the hand held shots give a sense of excitement and action as the hand held shot emphasises the clumsy ness and quickens the pace of how the opening seems to be happening. The close up of the man on the bike who is shot creates a sense of questioning, will he survive? Why did he get shot? The low angle shot of the man with the briefcase however gives a sense of power as it makes him look “bigger” than what he is. Other shots like long shots and pan then link up all of these separate grouped shots.
This opening sequences what watching it seems to be taking place very quickly this is down to the editing however, unlike many different shots all pieced together causing a lot of different shots there is actually very few shots as it just tracks the man running. There is also a build on pace as the case becomes more intense the cuts become a lot quicker this could be to add tension and give the sequence a feel of speed; however the pace of cuts then slows to lead the audience into what becomes a false sense of security as it is then the man gets shot. The graphics in this film are relatively simple, and have a blue and purple colour scheme that flashes on, this could be to represent the lights on a siren however if this was the case the surely the colours should be blue and red, the text is also quite small and this shows that the name of the film is not as important as the film itself. The typeface however is that which represents the army text this could be to show that is it strong and masculine and all is in bold capitals indicating each letter is as important as the next.
In this opening sequence there is very little diagetic sound it starts with no speech but there is the heavy breathing of the runner which slows to again create a false sense of security; the city sounds introduce the setting, and the sounds of the crashing vases in the shop give a sense of urgency and recklessness. The non diagetic sounds are those of the sound track that begins at the end of the opening sequence to introduce the credits.
The costumes within this opening give nothing away as to the class or status of the people as the clothes are simply modern. The lighting is all very dark to indicate partial vision, and the silhouettes again create tension. I think the performance of the man running is really good, the breathing and the clumsy recklessness shows he is in a rush to get away from something. The props and setting tie in well with each other as it makes sense that the cars, gun, public transport and bikes would all be found in an urban city.
Strangers on a train
This opening sequence follows a linear narrative structure and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and was made and released in 1951.
This opening sequence’s codes and conventions are the setting of an urban landscape, in this case
The cinematography in this opening can help the audience in separating the two characters, I found that although there are constant close ups of the feet the camera is not on level with them but is actually a slightly high angle, these close ups also utilise the use of partial vision as the faces are never released therefore creating tension for the audience. I also found that the long point of view shot on the train tracks not only establishes the setting of both the train and the tracks. These shots all have there own individual sounds, there are the actual sounds such as; the footsteps, the car engines and the car doors, however this film has a constant soundtrack over it, and the music instead of having a sound with a mix of high and low pitches the music is still dramatic but almost romantic, this I think could simply be down to the time the film was made.
A lot of the techniques used in this film are, I think, strongly related to the time the film was made; the most obvious to me is the fact that the film has been filmed in black and white simple because there was not the technology for colour film. Some editing techniques such as the fade out indicate change or a gentle way to link up the two separate cuts and settings. The cross cutting in this opening sequence is used when the two characters are in the same location in this case the train station, but the one long take then adds a sense of reality to the shot. The graphics in this sequence however also follows the fashions of the time with the incredibly large text on top of the credits, the type face however varies as some is bold and strong were as the other is soft and swirled this not only links with the dramatic yet romantic music but also indicates which bits are more important than others.
The mise-en-scene in this film is almost predictable, we are not shown the face of the people so I can therefore not comment on the hair or the makeup. The style of the shoes in this film indicate two things the fashions of 1951 and also the two separate styles indicating the black and white shoes may be owned by a man with more money; the props in this film also follow the fashions of the time, suite cases were very often seen in the 1950 by those with wealth, this again emphasises on the two contrasting characters and also show they are going on a journey. the performance in this sequence is also not something I can comment on greatly as all the audience is shows is feet, however they are not walking in a rushed way, not stamping their feet and also not walking very slow, this then gives a sense of relaxation and calm.
The film
This opening’s main code and convention is the introduction of the exotic in this case the spear of destiny, it also follows the idea of partial vision when looking into the whole as the audience is not shown what is in the whole until it is brought out, another example of this is when the car hits the man and the car is surrounded by smoke this again makes it almost impossible fore the audience to see what has happened. Whereas the opening sequence is filmed in a run down derelict area however I think this still would have been an urban landscape. This sequence is also entertaining and it grabs the audiences attention as in the opening sequence violence is present as this happens when the man is hit by the car. Despite following the above codes and conventions it also breaks he convention of darkness, as this is filmed in daylight however there are still some shadows.
The camerawork in this sequence is fairly simple but still extremely powerful, the first shots are establishing shots in order to introduce the setting and emphasis the abandonment, there are also quite a lot of two shots of the men scavenging, this could be to show that one is not as important as the other. When the man finds the spear wrapped in a Natzi flag, this goes from the normal mid shot to a low angle to almost give the impression that the man has been instantly empowered, this is then further shows by the cross and sun behind him to again give the impression of power; after this there is a reasonably short close up on the spear itself, however this again changes and switches to a high angled shot, this could indicate the sudden loss of power and look like he’s being watched. One of the final shots in this sequence is the close up of the man crushed into the car, and an extreme close up on his wrist is the focus point as he has suddenly got the markings of a cross on his wrist.
The sound in this film has been added in such a way that it compliments the cinematography and the atmosphere of the opening. The diagetic sounds are those of the car driving past, the floor breaking through, the early natural sounds and the use of e Spanish dialect without subtitles, therefore implying that they are not important characters and what they have to say makes no difference to the film. However the non-diagetic sounds within this opening sequence are those of the “creepy” music that may make the audience recognize that something is about to happen, there is also a harp hiss when the high shot occurs this then signifies that the man may be being watched. The higher pitches of the music add tension to the sequence. I found that actually counting the amounts of cuts in this sequence was extremely interesting as the sequence consists of 22 cuts however at the beginning of the film the cuts are very long and slow but the most amount of cuts occur during the car accident, this happens so quickly I found it hard to count those particular cuts.
The graphics in this film are extremely simple this could indicate that the film is much more important. Before the audience is told anything, like the producers or directors ect they are simply shown a black screen with information on it about t what the spear of destiny is and that it has been missing since world war two this then gives the audience a chance to question what is in the Natzi flag. The main graphic, I think, is the one with the mane of the film, this is I think very interesting, it is dark following partial vision and the convention of darkness, the typeface however is quite simple and the colour of grey and white could then indicate that the name is not as important as the film, however the scratches in the black backdrop indicate the idea of violence.
Mise-en-scene is utilized in this opening sequence to show the poor conditions of the two Mexican men, both are dressed in old tattered clothes. The lighting is natural but slightly shadowed by the dark smoke and decaying buildings. The setting for this sequence is what looks to be like a desert in Mexico; the performance I thought was very good, he makes he suspicious, untrustworthy and shifty emotions very obvious and so the audience know this is not something he wishes to share however this could all be emphasized by the make up, it has been used in order to give the man scars, dirty and also unhealthy.
This film was directed by Ron Howard and was released in 2009; this opening sequence follows a linear narrative structure as everything seems to be rather rehearsed and have a formal format.
This film follows many of the codes and conventions both expected and mentioned by critiques. It is set in the urban landscape of Vatican City however we are not shown this location until further into the opening sequence. Another convention is also the ordinary; however this is within religion not ordinary life. The opening sequence also contains many aspects of partial vision, and questions and answers; the partial vision occurs in the shot with the throne as it is mainly lit by natural light coming through the windows and the candles leaving some areas in darkness and shadow, this then causes some subconscious questions for the audience, however the main occurrence of questioning, in my opinion, is the very start of the opening sequence when the audience can see a priest destroying a ring, why is he doing this? However the audience is then told why this is happening by the voice over. This film also starts with death, this then grabs the attention of the audience; despite the break in convention as this film is filmed in the day light it is not complete brightness as it is dim outside, I found this as when watching the opening scene there are large lights on whist outside.
Shots such as close ups on the ring, the cross that is put onto the ring and the Vatican crest in the wax, causes the audience to ask questions, why are they defacing this ring, whose ring was it, why are they in the Vatican? These close ups of the destruction however could also indicate violence. There is also a pan over a large number of people as the dead pope is being brought out into st Peters basilica, this could be an establishing shot or be to show how important to people that pope was. The diagetic sounds in this film consist of church bells and the tools coming into contact with the ring, this is to ensure the audience is involved, however the non-diagetic sounds are those of the monks singing the powerfully gentle music that starts a the very beginning, grows in pitch and volume in the build up to the ring being destroyed, but is sharply silenced by the sound of the hammer hitting the ring and then another non-diagetic sound is added; the use of the voice over informs the audience of what has just happened so all the subconscious questions become answered in the opening sequence to perhaps give a sense of what the film in its entirety is based around.
The 21 cuts that were in this opening sequence all follow a slow pace, this could be to signify that it must be done properly, that it has been done before and is a ritual or to show respect. In the build up of destroying the ring slow motion is used this could be to add emphasis to the actions taking place, but in a way it also builds tension and it follows the critique of Lars ole Salurburg as there is a protracted outcome. The graphics however are very simple, the background imagery is out of focus due to pixilation this could be to draw attention to who produced the films however the pixilation then fades and the audience is shown the side of the ring, then they are given the name of the film; the typeface is somehow strong but soft at the same time, it is also quite small and in white so therefore subtle, this could be to draw no attention away form the actions at hand, however the colour scheme of whit on gold does make it stand out resulting in the audience being able to see it for the small amount of time that it is there.
The costumes used within this film are those of religious robs of the priest in black and the what look to be clergy men or Preferiti (next in line to be pope) however these are much grander the costume that is worn by the priest, this could be to show that they are more important than he is. The props within this film are all those of religious important, the ring, the tools, the parchment and the throne; this again I think is simply to emphasis the setting and the event of the pope death. The light used in the setting of the Vatican rooms, and St Peters square, is natural and looks but is however a little dim, this could have been down to the weather or to indicate the emotions felt by the people. The hair and make up I think have been done to resemble a person with a good life as there are no scars or wounds or bruises; the acting performance within this opening sequence is that of a person who is morning a death but is also being extremely reserved in doing so, his emotion however becomes more apparent after the destruction of the ring, this could signify that he no longer has to subdue his devastation.
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