Analysis on the opening of Once Upon a Time in America

The film was directed by Sergio Leone in released in 1984 and produced by Warner Brothers. It takes place after the prohibition ends, 1930.

As the opening credits roll, a sound bridge appears of 'God bless America'. This sets an ironic tone as within the first 3 minutes a woman is murdered and a man tortured. It also establishes the surroundings- USA and could be related to "The Deer Hunter" in that it used this soundtrack to criticise USA's involvement in the Vietnam war (which also stars Robert DeNiro). Therefore Leone is possibly using this soundtrack to make a statement about the USA.

As the sound bridge dies down, a non-diagetic sound of footsteps become louder which engages the audience with tension. The first image from the noir background is a silhouette standing in a doorway. The noir lighting is generic in the thriller conventions as the character is not visible to the audience.

There is then a high angle close up of the girl. The imagery of the girl portrays that she is a femme fatale as she is wearing pearls and diamonds and has red nail varnish which portrays danger. The high angle shot of the bullet holes in the mattress (that outline the shape of body) reinforces the genre of the film. This image foreshadows what possibly waits Eve (the girl). The rule of thirds is used and Eve is a third and the bullet hole body on the bed is another third.







The first image of the gangsters hold connotations of danger with their classic clothes and they form a unity as they are similar, making them more powerful. The male weapon is held menacingly by the gangster and shows how weak and vulnerable Eve is against them. As Eve is shot she falls onto the bed; dying in same place as the outline of the body, suggesting that her death was planned.

There is a quick cut. This suggests fast movement of the gangsters. There is a shot of a man being tortured by the same men. The close up of the victim shows the brutality of the attackers and the vulnerability of the victim.



In these first few minutes, the film portrays a corruption in America. So the music "God Bless America" was ironic and unsettling.

How director Ridley Scott utilised aspects of the thriller genre in Thelma and Louise

Thelma and Louise is very different to other thriller films as the main characters are women. However the film has many typical conventions of the thriller genre. The start of the film shows a typical western America and is very cultural with its setting, and music. The director is British and portrays Western American males to be misogynists.

The film begins to show thriller aspects as Thelma and Louise go into a bar. They end up splitting up as Thelma drinks allot and dances with a man called Harlan. Thelma starts to feel ill as she has drunk to much alcohol and is very drunk. The atmosphere of the lively bar suddenly changes to a darkly lit car park. The shadows of the cars create tension. The car park is a generic location in thriller films. The camera slowly pans over the car park towards Thelma and Harlan.
This creates a feeling of isolation.
Harlan starts to get forceful with Thelma as she says she feels better after being sick and wants to go back in the bar and he doesn’t want to. She panics and says Louise will be looking for her. This shows that Louise has authority and is Thelma's protector as Louise gets Thelma out of terrible situations. However Harlan has power over Thelma who is weak compared and doesn’t care if Louise does come find them because Louise is only a female and has little power against him. Harlan hits Thelma as she doesn’t cooperate with him and let him have sex with her.

Louise holds a gun to Harlan's head forcing him to let Thelma go. She uses a male weapon- gun. Louise is therefore in control and not the stereotypical weak woman in the thriller, like Thelma. Louise reassures Louise and tells her to get in the car. This authority is essential in Louise staying in control of the situation. As Louise starts to follow towards the car, Harlan shouts that he should of raped her. Showing that women are insignificant and have little power against men, it also states that Louise wouldn’t have actually shot Harlan. By this time Louise has had enough of the vile creature that Harlan is and shots him. There is a shot of Harlan who is slumped on the car bonnet, dead. This adds emphasises on the change in roles of authority and the change in times as women don’t except being belittled and treated unfairly in society.

As Thelma and Louise hit the main roads they are struck with lots of traffic. They struggle to get onto the main road and created havoc as they do. The road is occupied by mainly lorries which are male transport. Thelma and Louise's car is insignificant and weak compared to the huge trucks and lorries. The bleak shots show their bleak future as they struggle.

Thelma and Louise then pull over and try to go over what they have just done and what has happened to them. Louise takes control again and tells Thelma what their plans are.

How Terry Winsor utilises aspects of the Thriller genre in Essex Boys

Essex boys is written and directed by Terry Winsor and released in the UK on the 14th July 2000. As the opening credits are rolled it is revealed that the film is based on a true story. The contrast in the binary opposition and typical thriller music add depth to this information. The digetic sound of scratching creates tension and unease. This is a common feature in thriller films.







The first shot visible is a long shot of Billy Reynolds. The mise-en-scene in this establishing shot is of a darkly lit garage, lit by chiaroscuro suggesting not only the genre but communicates suspense and is theatrical. The little but realistic lighting used emphasises the cobwebs, claustrophobic atmosphere and the cold as the Billy's breathe is visible. As Billy gets into a dark car a voice-over is played, from this the cultural accent is apparent. The voice is perceived to be intimate as it is direct and engages the audience; it also shows how venerable the character is.



The first shot of Jason Locke is very different as it is a point of view shot from Billy. The mise-en-scene views Jason through a dirty grimy windscreen of a car. The next shot is again a point of view shot from Jason looking out at the road ahead. The wet roads and rain are typical of the genre and the unglamorous scenery portrays the lifestyle Jason lives.




As the car enters a tunnel, the shot can be described as a vivid image of the barrel of a gun, the shot is claustrophobic and can possibly show what lies ahead for Billy. As the car moves through the tunnel, the mise-en-scene turns into a vanishing shot; depicting Billy's fate as the light from the tunnel reflects on the car windscreen. This can either be portrayed as jail bars surrounding Billy showing the consequence that could possibly await him or as piano keys, portraying Billy to be played by Jason. As the car comes out of the tunnel a "Welcome to Essex" sign is visible, which brings the audience into Jason's world of crime.

As the voice over begins again, more information is released telling the audience more about where Billy and Jason are going and how they are getting there, "we picked up this white van". This is a signifier of the genre as white vans are typically used for murders, drug dealing and other crimes. It is also a male orientated object and suggests male dominance and power.
Once in the fish factory, Billy portrays the audience's wonder and tense as he watches Jason look for "an old mate of his". The point of view shot is seen in Billy’s eyes from the car wing mirror which creates suspense. Jason's personality is shown through his actions as he is intimidating, even to Billy. As the van drives towards the marches of Essex tension between the characters is portrayed as the hostage shouts in the background. Jason looks at Billy, almost looking for a reaction out of him as the hostage screams and cries. Billy looks ahead but through his facial expressions it is clear that he is frightened for what awaits.
Once at the destination (the Essex marshes), Billy hesitates as he opens the back door to the van. The point of view shot watches Jason kick the man. The man has lost all his dignity as he lies in the mud and water washing his face of the acid. A voice-over adds tension as Billy says “Jason needed a new shirt; the geezer needed a new face".

RED ROAD PRESENTATION

It is directed and written by Andrea Arnold. The cast is made up of unknown actors/actresses including Kate Dickie (Jackie), Tony Curran (Clyde Henderson), Martin Compston (Stevie), Natalie Press (April) and Andrew Armour (Alfred). Plot: Jackie works as a CCTV operator for Glasgow City Council. She has to watch over a small area and takes her responsibility to protect the people that appear on her monitor. However, one day she’s sees a man who she thought she'd never see again and she has a chance to confront him. The film won many awards which included the 2006 Cannes Jury Prize, 5 BAFTA Scotland Prizes including, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Director. The film distributors include A-Film Distribution (Netherlands), Eclipse Pictures (Ireland), Frenetic Films (Switzerland), Tartan (USA), Verve Pictures (UK). The production companies include BBC Films, Glasgow Film Office, Advanced Party Scheme, Scottish Screen, Sigma Films, UK Film Council, and Verve Pictures. It was released on the 27th October 2006 and was filmed in Barmulloch, Glasgow, and Strathclyde. The sound effects were done by Dolby Digital and special effects by Rushes Post Production.