Film Noir is a term used to describe a stylish crime drama film made in the 1940s and 1950s. Most of them are in black and white, and the storyline usually involves self-interest attitudes and sexual motivations. Because they are filmed in balck and white, Film Noir movies are almost all crime dramas or suspense films. Most also usually involve a 'Femme Fatal', a female character who seems sweet and innocent at first, but turns out to be on the side of evil, trying to manipulate the male characters for her own ends. Also, because of the black and white nature of most Film Noir productions, silhouettes are used very effectively, such as the scene from Joseph H.Lewis' 'The Big Combo' (1955) shown above.
Film Noir is associated with films produced in the 1950's and 1960's with 'Double Indemnity' (Wilder 1949) being a well known example. Some of the conventions used in film noir include; the face being immersed in shadow, some form of femme fatale and sexual motivation, a hard-boiled detective, and a pessimistic view on particular groups in society. Film noir is famous for its use of shadow particular those of blinds and banisters. They are also well known for using low angle shots and the alienation of their characters, thus creating a large amount of their well known anxiety.
The film shooter is a thriller film, I can gather this is because the film starts in the middle of the story, the typography is also typical of the genre, bold and simple in font.
It meets to the audiences expectations, as it starts in the middle of a gunfight, and some form of danger putting the audience in the midst of the action.
Shooter is a typical thriller with a sense of mystery, and a clear orientation of who is/are the protagonists, and an immediate action scene.
Film Language
Costume plays an important role in developing the background of the sniper's for example the ghilli suits help portray them as professional hit men. Props are also used to back this up with the use of the notebook portraying them as intelligent and calculative. The use of the gun suggests that there is about to be some form of action sequence, fulfilling the expectations from the thriller genre.
The camera use mainly consists of close-ups to establish character and focus on the concentration of the Sniper's, Eagle eye shots were used to establish main geological features eventually suggesting that these people are not in their own country. Quick moving shots help suggest the urgency and quick reactions needed for the situation.
Non diegetic sound/ soundtrack is used to create a sense of sincerity of the situation. This idea is further backed up by the verbal communication of the sniper's who talk in harsh whispers suggesting sincere secrecy.
Through their communication with each other the audience can see there is a close relationship between them. This is evident because the sniper with the scope shows the protagonist a picture of his girlfriend and her future aspirations, showing that his colleague would care about his life. With the scene inside the tent the use of a loud brash voice, gives some sense of order and control.
The director used other visual effects such as explosions giving the suggestion of desperation of the sniper's that they would use avoidable force such as grenade launchers. The blood splatter helps to give a sense of reality making the audience part of the action. He also used titles to inform the audience the change of location in a simple, bold font.
Narrative
The film starts in the middle of the story, as the protagonist is seen scaling a large mountain face with no equipment.
The audience is positioned as an outsider looking at the protagonist this is backed up further as the actor breaks the fourth wall.
Alienation is successfully produced with very little soundtrack, and diegetic sound thus creating the effect that he is the only person for a large radius, it is also produced with no face to face contact and the fact that he picks up his instructions from a recording.
The protagonist is a fit middle aged man scaling a rock face un-aided showing that he is professional and doesn't need the help from others, the fact that there is no other sound other than an eagle cry suggests that this trip is out of the ordinary. This and a mysterious pair of talking glasses helps the audience determine the film as a thriller.
Tension is created as the protagonist slips for a moment to show that he isn't superhuman and is still liable to mistakes, the titles also build tension with a montage through each letter of the title between pictures of warriors/ violence and bomb fuse suggesting some form of explosive film.
Representation and Ideology
The film shows a white, middle class, middle aged, American man.
There are very little ideologies and common beliefs evident in this extract.
The film is very true to the nature of film openings to the thriller genre.
Media Audiences
The target audience of Sherlock Holmes is the core audience and the four quadrants with a 12A certificate
The probable reading is that Sherlock Holmes has teamed up with the police to stop a murder committed by the antagonist. A possible reading could be that the police are chasing Sherlock.
As a British teenager I see the text as a chase after the antagonist, with the protagonist leading the way, I perceive the protagonist as intelligent, strategic and would stop at nothing to solve a case.
Institutional Audiences
Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are both used this helps to draw in more of an audience with Downey being American people would want to find how well he can do an English accent.
The film was developed by Warner Bros, a company associated with industrial film.
Billboards and trailers were used to advertise the film with some internet advertisement on particular websites.
It is evident that the film is an industrial film with the use of expensive stars such as Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8SnZmUjhAA 'Jaws' (Spielberg, 1975) Film Language: 1: The setting is is very dark and unclear, which conveys a sense of mystery and suspense. It also conveys that something could be lurking anywhere in the shadows.
2: There are a few establishing shots of the sea and beach, suggesting that the danger is in the water. Also, the medium tracking shot of the group of people suggests that the beach is the safer place to be.
3: At the very beginning of the film, the strong music helps the audience to anchor the danger to be in the water. This is further anchored when there is no music when the group of people s shown, but the music returns when the girl goes into the water.
4: We learn that the characters are teenagers when we see them around a camp fire doing various things such as smoking and kissing. They also seem to be drinking alcohol, shown when the boy running after the girl seems to stumble alot, aswell as his speech being very slurred.
5: One shot that the director has used is a worms-eye view of the girl from underwater. This puts the audience in the situation of the beast coming towards it's first victim.
Representation and Ideology: 1: The social group being represented is Teenagers, which is shown by them being 'rebellious' by drinking, smoking, and taking drugs.
2: Because the teenagers are being rebellious by smoking, drinking, etc, they all share the same belief that they are free to do what they like. However, the girl takes this too far by entering the water and subsequently dying.
3: The film conforms to the general characteristics of the thriller genre, noticeable with the suspensful music and dark setting.
'Batman Begins' (Nolan, 2005) Narrative: 1: This film starts with a flashback of when the main character was younger, who we see in the present day later on.
2: For the flashback, the audience is sometimes put into the view of the boy when he has fallen down the well. This helps them to feel the darkness and suspense of the well before the bats suddenly appear.
3: In the prison, the man is alienated by the other prisoners because he is the only western man, whereas everyone else is eastern ethnicity. He also is the only one shown to be put in dark rooms to sleep, possibly showing how the ethnic diversity means different treatment.
4: Both of the first scenes are quite dull in colour, and have some suspenseful music, which would imply that this film is a thriller of some sort. There is also a hint to it being an action film in the large fight scene, where one man is managing to take down multiple enemies.
5: Tension is created in the flashback scene in the well when the camera focuses on the dark cave whilst some suspensful music plays in the background, which is followed by the sudden outpouring of bats from the cave.
Media Audiences: 1: I think the target audience is people aged between 12 and 25. It will appeal to younger audiences because the character Batman has had numerous cartoon shows and comics in the past, so is very well-known, and because off the amount of time that Batman has been around, older audiences will be attracted to see it aswell.
2: In the flashback, the audience will think that the characters are very wealthy because of the nice garden and the mansion that the audience gets a glimpse of. Also, the girl mentions 'Sir Alfred' when she goes to get help, showing that people of good authority live there. However, in the prison, the man has a beard and everyone and everything is very dirty, showing that living conditions are less than suitable, and suggests that the location is not near urban society.
3: In the prison scene, when the big man threatens the main character, I see him as someone who has started to lose their mind, maybe because they have been in the prison for too long. However, when the main char manages to take him down in a couple of swipes, the big man seems as more of a talker than someone with actual skills. I also see the main char as probably being from a run-down urban background due to his great strength, despite us seeing him in the flashback as being rich.
'Die Hard' (McTiernan, 1988)
Genre: 1: This film belongs in the thriller/action genre. You can tell because of the dull orangey colour used throughout the scene involving the aeroplane, which sets a tensious mood.
2: The usual expectations of a thriller are challenged in the opening when the main character and one of the passengers have a jokey conversation, and in the airport happy christmassy music is playing.
3: It kind of plays about with the genre when the main character and another character have a jokey conversation at the beggining, but then conforms to the norm with the suspensful music after this. However, during this suspensful music, christmas music is playing aswell, which is quite ironic for a thriller film.
Institutional context: 1: The star in this film is Bruce Willis, which is significant for this film because he is most known to be in thriller and action films, so he will attract more people to see the film.
2: 'Die Hard' was produced by 20th Century Fox, so it would be classed as an industrial film.
3: 'Die Hard' is actually a film adaptation of the novel 'Nothing Lasts Forever', and because the film follows the novel closely, people who have read the book would want to see it. The film is also an indirect sequel to the film 'The Detective'.
The feedback that we received from the presentation has presented the issue of the use of a long shot to establish location, the problem is the small/lack of budget for the use of a heightening device to allow shot. We may try to use a panning shot, or have the action move into shot.
Sam can you come up with any other ideas with location, or could it be used as a sense of mystery?
2010's Action Thriller's seeming to make the majority of the box office, with no stand out directors. (A-Team, Carnahan 2010)
2000's Psychological, Crime, Supernatural, and Action Thrillers are all popular within the box office. (Gothika, Kassovitz 2003) 1990's Action andPsychological thriller's make up the majority of films. (Jurrasic Park, Spielburg 1993)
1980's Crime, Psychological and Action thriller quite prolific in the decades releases. (A view to kill, Glen 1985)
1970's Crime, Comedy and Psychological thrillers are the most popular thriller sub-genre with Action slowly being introduced. (Jaws, Spielburg 1975)
1960's Crime, Psychological, and Comical thrillers are most poular with very few Political thrillers very little of Hitchcock's work.
1920-1950's Psychological and Crime thrillers are the most popular with Alfred Hitchcock dominating the amount of film's produced.
a) This film is a Thriller film, and it's sub-genres are Sci-fi and Mystery.
b) Mis-en-scene: -The film is set on a farm in the countryside on a clear sunny day, which helps to direct people towards a mystery theme, rather than a more horror theme which could be interpreted in the dark, gloomy house.
-The tall plants in the field give the scene suspense because it may make the audience feel that there is something hiding in there when the characters find the 'sign'.
-The costumethat characters are wearing are typical of that worn by farmers, suggesting that the extraordinary happens to most ordinary of people, creating anxiety in the audience over how the protagonistis going to react
Editing: -When the man hears the girl scream, the cutting rate increases to show his panic.
-The girl's scream has been amplified so that the audience can hear, also showing a reaction shot placing the audience with the man's reaction of concern, creating suspense within the audience
Camera: -When the man and his friend run through the field, there is a tracking shot, in which the camera is moving next to the two men running to show their speed to reach the girl.
-Instead of showing 'the signs' the camera is focussed on the protagonist'sreactions creating aura of suspense within the audience.
Sound: -The music at the very beggining of the opening sets the mood of the thriller genre by being quite fast-paced and mysterious, using string and wind instrument using repetitive tones similar to those made famous by Jaws creating a sense of danger. This ends in a cruscendo introducing the start of the picture.
-There is little or no non-diagetic sound focussing the audiences attention on thediegetic sounds within the scene making the sequence seem more realistic, and the suggestion of distance of the girl's cry suggesting that she is somewhere that isn't within the safety of the home.
-The film's genre is horror with some suggestion of mystery.
-There is little complicated camera usage with most of the shots being aimed at eye level to show reactions. A long shot is used to establish the location as being remote, several close up's of the couple in the tent help establish some unknown horror attacking them. The camera is positioned inside the tent therefore a glimpse of the creature is impossible creating suspense in the audience.
-A lot of camera editing was used in the tent sequence when the cutting rate sharply increased over the struggle over the woman between the man and the monster, it then slows down as the woman dies giving a sense that the woman is dead and there is no point trying to save her.
-There is little sound giving the sense that the location is remote and peaceful setting it up for the shock of the murder/monster attack. The tent scene there is little screaming and horrendous noise showing that the film is not a traditional horror and it makes it more realistic for the audience heightening the horror factor.
-The costume used suggests that this is married or seeing each other couple around the late 20's to early 30's around the age when life changes. The use of props gives a sense that this is treat and not a regular thing, making the attack seem random and more scary. In the tent the man is splattered with blood suggesting that the monster has killed him or his wife by horrific inhumane methods intensifying horror.
-The titles are very simple and army/type writer format suggesting that the following events are important, something to do with the army/organisation, and is a rare occurance. with the main title at the end of the sequence just after the murder scene helps to calm down the audience to prepare them for further scares, and the opening sequence has kept the audience interested into knowing the film name.
