hello everyone!
So this is my first post because my laptop doesn't seem to like blogger too much... but now its finally working!
So, for my film analysis, i chose one of my favourite thriller films, Law Abiding Citizen. i analysed the opening 3 minutes or so and saw how it fitted in with the classic thriller codes and conventions.
^ here's the youtube clip i used :)
the opening titles are displayed in a quite official font, but the letters are cracked and warped, which could hint disruption or damage which could be foreshadowing of the opening sequence. the first scene we see is a scene between the Gerard Butler and Ksenia Hulayev, who play a father and daughter. Both characters seem to be making something, extreme close-ups are used to show what they are doing, and because they are doing similar activities, this could show the closeness between them. In the background there is ambient music coming from a radio. This gives a homely innocent feel to the scene and leaves the viewer relaxed. After the close-up shots, there are then medium shots of the characters, which also shows their surroundings, because of the casual normality of the scene, the knock at the door seems innocent and unsuspicious, shot reverse shot is also used very effectively.
The father then walks up towards the door to open it, the atmosphere is happy, and an over the shoulder shot is used. light is ambient and natural creating a sense of false security for what is about to happen. When the door is opened and the father is smashed in the face with a baseball bat, the family atmosphere then turns very dramatic, the editing is a lot faster and moving constantly, the ambient music has turned to non-diagetic cold sharp noise creating suspense. There is a close-up shot of the intruders tying up the fathers hands, showing power for the intruders and helplessness for the father. An effective jump-cut is used when his wife walks in, and her echoed screams creates a loss of hope for the viewer.
her echoed screams continue and she claws her fingers across the floor to try and escape, also a stereotype of thrillers. There are now many close-up shots on the victims faces, emphasising their pain and desperation. the music also also becomes a higher pitch and faster tempo, to build tension and insecurity. The fade to black transitions used effectively as if they were blacking out. Although this is the same setting and place as when it was peaceful the lighting now seems to be darker than before, creating a change in the mood and emotions of the characters. The shouting of the criminals combined with the sobbing of the victims also helps to create suspense. Focusing is also cleverly used here to reveal something in the background as the music also comes to a halt. As the little girl comes into the scene, there is a low angle shot of the criminal, showing his power and dominance over the little girl. The end of the scene is an extreme close-up shot of the man's face, he is clearly in agony and struggling to stay conscious. The scene ends with high pitch music fading to sirens, and the cut into blackness as the man shuts his eyes, symbolising his unconciousness.
In my opinion for this type of scene to be the opening one of a thriller is very unconventional for a thriller movie; thrillers usually build up tension throughout the film to keep you watching from the edge of your seat, but this film literally catapults you into the action! Also there are many elements of a thriller in this opening scene, it is unusual for it to be so dramatic so fast, but i do think this is a clever and diverse way of performing this. I know the whole point of a thriller is to keep wanting to watch it, and even though this goes at it from a different angle, i certainly want to see the rest of movie, and this is definitely a fantastic example of a thriller. - definitely worth a watch! :)
thankyou for reading! :) :)
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