Thriller Research Task

Inception

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VXkUzf1et4

 I think that the opening sequence for inception does a great job of creating mystery and confusion about the film and what’s going on in the scene right from the start of the film. For example the first part of the scene creates questions about the film such as why has a man washed up onto a beach and why are there kids on the beach one minute and the next minute there not there. When the clip cuts to an old man sitting in a large dining room and the guard comes in and shows him what the man that washed up on the beach had with him he first showed him the gun which didn’t get a reaction from the old man but when he showed him the spinning top he stopped reaching for his drink and said that he knew what it was which could imply that the spinning top is in some way more powerful than the gun.

 

Sound

The first sound that you hear when the film starts is a deep and loud sound that adds tension and excitement to the film straight from the get go. The next sound is the sound of waves crashing against rock which could help the viewer gets the idea that this first scene is set on some sort of beach. There is also a quiet ominous soundtrack playing constantly throughout the 2 minute clip which helps to give the scene a sense of mystery.

Editing

The first 50 seconds of the clip have been slowed down a little bit to enhance the fact that the man that has washed up on the beach is a little disorientated and delirious. I also think that the clip was slowed down so that the waves had a better impact when crashing into the rocks.  When the guard said “and this” referring to the spinning top, the shot quickly changes to a close up of the spinning top which gives the viewer the idea that the spinning top may have an important role in the story of the film. This fast cut also has a big impact because all of the scenes and cuts beforehand where very slow compared to this one. 

Mise en scene 

The man that has washed up on the beach is wearing scruffy clothing which could be used to show the audience that he has actually washed up on a beach and that maybe something has happened to him beforehand. The man that walks over to him on the beach is wearing a military style outfit and is carrying a gun which shows that he is a guard or soldier of some kind. When the scene cuts to the huge dining hall with guards at the door and hundreds of lights above shows the audience that the elderly man sitting at the table is powerful in some way.  

Pulp Fiction

At the beginning of the scene it goes straight in to the middle of two peoples conversations. The man in the scene is talking about never doing something again but he does mention what he will never do again to start with which creates mystery and has the audience wondering what he will never do again. This gets the audience’s attention straight from the start of the film.

Mise en scene

The scene is set in a stereotypical American restaurant/ diner. When the man takes a gun out of his pocket the scene suddenly becomes more serious, whereas before it seemed like a jokey conversation and the way that the two people are dressed don’t make it look as if they are dangerous but as soon as you see the gun you know that he is not messing around and that he is serious.

Camera

The most commonly used camera angle in the scene is just a simple mid shot that gets the two characters having a conversation in it. The camera only changes angles when the waitress comes over and offers coffee to the two characters, this clip uses a close up shot of the waitresses face.

Gone in Sixty Seconds

 

This scene starts the action in the film straight from the first scene. It also does a good job of showing what the film is going to be about straight from the get go, which is stealing very expensive cars. The scene involves three men in a car planning to steal a car from a show room. They use a very aggressive plan for stealing the car instead of using a stealth plan.

Sound

The clip also includes a comedic effect, for example when the two men are talking and say “I gotta get my tool” and then the other man says “that’s not a tool that’s a dam brick “. This creates a funny moment but at the same time they are talking about stealing a car which brings you back to the fact that this film is a crime/thriller. The sound of the glass smashing when the man throws the brick through it is made to be louder than it actually would be. This heightens the excitement in the scene. As they are reversing the stolen car the sound of the tires screeching is also heightened to add more excitement. This also helps to add to the fast pace of the clip.

Mise en scene

The first scene is set on a busy street with lights on lighting up the car that they are planning on stealing. The setting shows how difficult it is going to be to steal this car without attracting too much attention. The three guys are just wearing normal clothing that is plain and dark which is probably worn so that they don’t attract too much attention to themselves. When he opens the boot you see a variety of different tools to show that he steals cars on regular bases.

Camera

The first shot you see is a close up of a Porsche, which is the car that is stolen in the first scene. Then an establishing shot is used to show where the Porsche is and what it is surrounded by.   A close up is used to show what the boot of the car has in it.

Editing

When the two men are walking towards the Porsche there are a lot of fast cuts used to show the two men at different angles which adds some fast pace to the scene. The scene is slowed down a little bit when the brick is thrown at the window. When the man sitting in the car outside waiting for the other two men starts trying to start up his car the camera keeps cutting from the two men driving the Porsche and him trying to start up the car so that he doesn’t get hit by them when they smash the Porsche through the window. This helps to add tension to the scene.