4 Thriller Openings Research- Patrick Rotzetter

Pulp Fiction

                         

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Analysis:

           ·The opening starts with a two shot showing the indifference of both characters;this could also show the gender differences between the two characters.

         ·  The male character's body language seems to be relaxed in this situation; this could imply that he feels relaxed and normal around the female character and the way she talks to him and makes fun of him by saying he sounds like a duck shows to us that they are very close and know each other.

         ·  The female character's seems to be a more sophisticated type of woman,she is shown to be quite respectful and kind mannered when the waitress goes to ask if she wanted some coffee where as the male didn't ask or even say thank you, which shows the differences between genders.

           ·   Ironically, her character seem to be the opposite as we go through the sequence, she is shown to be quite psychotic, bad mannered, and this is a plot-twist to the audience since we didn't expect her to be this kind of woman.

       ·    A close-up of the waitress is used to introduced her entrance to the scene to the audience

       

          · An over the shoulder shot is used to bring us closer to both characters in this scene.

       

                                                                                      

                                                                                       · A POV is used here to make us see what the characters can see in their eyes, this gives the audience more of a sense that they're actually there themselves.

·     ·    The scene carries on with a few two shots, over the shoulders, and when the male character mentioned "killing", the camera tracks onto him to make the audience a bit shocked, his dialogue about killing might make him seem to us that he might be a person who would kill if he had to in that situation and making it a bit dark.

 

      ·    A close-up of a gun prop is used to show to the audience that they're about to

do something quite chaotic.

        ·    A low angle shot used here to show dominance by the characters, this makes us feel like

we were there ourselves and that you can see the power in authority within this situation.

Camera work: 

       ·    A lot of two-shots are used at the beginning to introduce both characters and what purpose they have in this scene.

      ·    Over the shoulders shot are used to bring us closer to both character.

·   ·      POV shots used to show expression on both characters face and it  seems as  the camera

was done on a hand held device to hold it perfectly to give us this realism atmosphere as if we were there ourselves.

Mise en Scene:

      ·       The settings takes place in a Cafe which is quite ironic since thrillers would be mostly based somewhere dark or not where there is too much public

       ·       Props gun are used to show their true intention of robbing the Cafe and building the tension for the audience when the props are introduced.

        ·        Low key lightning are used to give the effect that the sun was reflecting next to them near the windows and shadow on their left to make the atmosphere more real as they were actually in a Cafe.

        ·         Acting was done perfectly, the woman made it a twist for us since we expected her to be this kind mannered woman, and her acting was done perfectly since she tricked us and we find out that she was quite psychotic and crazy.

·         Body language of the male character seems to be relaxed and quite hyper, it looks like he was waiting for something to happen, where as for the woman seems to be more sophisticated.

Sound:

        ·        Foley effect is used when gun prop is introduced to make huge impact sound on us and make us feel quite shocked.

       ·         Mainly dialogue are used with diegetic sound.

Editing: 

      ·         Shot/reverse shot is used a lot in this which are quite long then follows on to the dialogue between both characters. 

INCEPTION

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Analysis:

 

    ·        The opening starts with a close up shot of waves, showing where the opening will take place which seems to be around the sea front where the character is introduced walking up.

     ·         We can conclude by looking at his costume and the state he is in, that he has been involved in some violence action before walking up unconsciously.

      ·         When he starts waking up, he seems to have a flashback vision of a kid and a girl playing in the sand, this could be someone related to him or someone he knew. 

   ·  From that point a Japanese guard finds him laying unconscious and we can tell he is a Japanese guard and that this is set in Japanese by looking  his uniform;  his props guns and the language he uses.

      

    ·  From there, we are showed another establishing shot which tells that a new setting is about to take place.

Camera work:

     ·     Close-ups of children are used, making us feel confused and this is where the use of enigma takes place again. We are left clueless.

     ·         Low angle shot with tilt used when the Japanese officer with a gun prop find the protagonist laying down unconsciously and to give hint to audience that the setting might be in Japan.

 

 

 ·  POV shot used hinting the audience this is a thriller film.

·         ·    Establishing shot used at the Japanese cultural mansion on the other guard to show where the next setting will take place.

   ·         Close-ups of the Old Japanese man used, to show mystery, making us not know what’s going on and use of restricted narrative too, to show more mystery, ·    Close-ups of gun prop used the spinning toy used which becomes an important element later in the film; used as a foreshadowing effect.

Mise en Scene:

·    ·      Settings seems to take place in Japan where we are hinted that it does by the cultural Japanese house and the guards speaking the Japanese language.

·       ·   Flashbacks of children showed to be suitably dressed whilst the main protagonists' not, this lend to believe that this may be a memory fragment or flashback of the protagonist.

·   ·       The main protagonist’s  facial expression tells us that he was involved in some sort of violence since he seems tired, and unconscious.

 Sound:

·        · Diegetic sound are used at the opening mainly from the waves and the children playing in the sand.                        

     ·  Non-diegetic sound played in the sequence when we are introduced inside the Japanese mansion to build tension.

Editing: 

    ·   When the children are first introduced in this sequence- the camera starts off in focus on the boy and then off focus to return to in focus again, this may imply that the protagonist is having a memory flashback or dreaming.

ShutterIslands

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Analysis:

        ·The opening starts off with some diegetic sound and a non-diegetic in the background with a foggy background until we see a boat appearing from the fog. 

    ·    The main Protagonist is introduced by an over shoulder shot and he seems to be sea-sick.

Camera work:

·    ·    An establishing shot of a boat appearing in the fog is used at the opening of the sequence to give a sense of sinister feeling to the audience.

·      ·   An over-shoulder shot is used to introduced the protagonist.

 

·      ·  A close-up of the protagonist’s face to show his facial expressions.

       

      ·  A new establishing shot to show where the next scene will take place.

       ·  A close-up of shot of the badge of the protagonists which shows “Deputy Marshal” this tells the audience that we know know what kind of job he does and what’s his purpose on the islands.

Mise en Scene:

·         ·The setting seems to take place on a boat when we are introduced with the establishing shot. He is found in a room where he appears to be throwing and this might imply he is sea-sick.

·         ·The protagonist seems to be suitably dressed and this contrast the dirtiness and rusty objects around him, which gives us the idea he’s on a boat.

·         ·Both characters are suitably dressed which makes them stand out on the boat which is rusty, old, and dirty and telling by their dialogue; we get the idea that they’re both working on some detective work hence the props they have and the hat prop too.

·        ·The protagonist starts having flashbacks of him and his wife when his partner asked if he, too, has a wife/girlfriend. The colours in this flashbacks and lightning are quite high in contrast which can give a sense of happy feeling and happy atmosphere where as it goes back to the scene where he’s on the boat where it’s quite low in lightning and old, rusty.

Sound:

        · At the opening, there’s a mixture of diegetic sound of waves and non-diegetic sound

      ·  Non-diegetic music builds up through the sequence, raising the tension.

     ·   Diegetic sound of waves when the boat emerges from the fog.

   ·There's a soundtrack that might suggest to the audience that something is happen to about when they reach the island which suggest something is about to happen.
·Soundtrack builds up when they reached the island making the audience what's going to happen next and why they are on the island.

Editing: 

·       The editing was mainly put together by cutting each shot and putting them together; all cut-scenes are evenly matched with the soundtrack.

·       Another editing is used when the protagonist has a flashback about his wife, the colours in the flashbacks contrasts the colours in the current scene since in the flashback; there’s high key lightning and high saturation to give the audience a sense of happiness happening in that scene.

The American

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Analysis:

·         The movie starts off with an establishing shot which shows the forest tress in Winter which is located in Sweden.

     ·         An establishing shot is used on a  house, this may indicate where the next scene might take place, there’s also a tracking shot used on the establishing shot to make the audience approach the next scene closer and closer.

·         Introduction of the characters included drinking, and there's a good deal of nudity (including full-frontal female) which may indicate there was some sex before being introduced.

·         The main protagonist seems to be targeted by assassins, by looking at his body language and his skillful range with a gun and being tactician, we might assume he may be an assassin himself or likely a spy.

   

Camera work:

    

·An establishing shot is used on the forests at the beginning to represent where the setting will take place and then after that another one is used on a house to show where the next scene will take place. 

·      A tracking shot is used on the house to make the audience approach the next scene.

                                                  ·      Tilt shot used to introduced both characters, this gives the audience the idea how both characters will look like and their facial expression.

    ·     Crane shot with hand held used on characters to make the audience feel like someone is watching them, building the suspense.

     

· POV shot used to show the audience who is targeting the protagonists.

Mise en Scene: 

·         Setting takes place in Sweden, hinting by the subtitles, there’s a lot of snow and we are shown a house in middle of the forest which indicates where our next scene will be introduce next.

     ·         Gun props are used by other assassins and the main protagonist himself, this tells the audience that he isn't  just the typical normal guy, but rather someone who knows how to defend himself or has had some experienced with guns before, and the fact that other assassins are trying to assassinate him, also tells us that he might be someone important or dangerous.

      ·         Colours used in the introduction scene where the main protagonist and a woman are seen sitting together and drinking are used to represents:  love, peace, and warm. This changes after they both go outside in the snow which might represents: Coldness, lonely, and the opposite of peace, pretty much the opposite of the other scene.

      ·         Body language and facial expression of the main protagonist shows when he’s outside with the woman and looks at the forest indicates he is quite experienced and skillful at detecting when he’s being targeted and might indicates he is an assassin himself.

Sound:

·         Warm peaceful soundtrack used on the establishing shot where we see a house, this might be use to represent the peace within the area.

·         The soundtrack has some piano melody played with it when the characters are introduced, this may indicate that they’re both a peaceful couple and that they love each other a lot.

·         Slightly dark soundtrack starts playing when the main character kills his assassins, this might give the audience a bit of irony since it went from a peaceful,warm, sound to this dark, frightening atmosphere.

Editing: 

·         Opening used fade out effect from the start of the opening where it shows the establishing shot.