CR-Shooter (Fuqua 2007) Film for analysis as well as Sherlock Holmes and Mission Impossible 2

Genre

• 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