How does the director of Essex Boys use location and colour to establish menace?

How does the director of Essex Boys use location and colour to establish menace?

The focus on location is crucial in the opening of Essex Boys, there's a scarce amount of establishing dialogue, therefore establishment of menace through location is crucial. By using a gritty location in the heart of Essex, it already connotes a foreshadowing sense of criminality. The colour palette further develops this and thus brings with it a range of different emotions.

This shot symbolises entrapment in a dark desolate way of living. The converging lines of the overpass traps the car in a triangle. To compliment this, the colour palette is very grey and dreary. This suggests that the story brings with it a story about loneliness and isolation in a world of corruption. The converging lines also signify the idea that the path that the characters are leading, takes them nowhere and in the end there is nothing.

This shot connotes the same idea. This character is stumbling into the desolate land they lays in front of him. The path leads into nothing, and what lays around is also a connotation of this desolation. It is also a connotation of the unapparent presence of morality. With the characters' lives not leading anywhere and that suggestion that when they die there's nothing for them, they can live a life that is without morale, as they have nothing to lose.

The focus on the opening utilises this technique in most shots; this shot could however suggest a less derogatory ending for the story. The colour, although still dark, is lit by the tunnel lights. The audience don't know where the tunnel leads and the lights suggest that the ending couldn't be so dark. On the other hand, the light could also symbolise death, as going towards the light is a symbolisation of going to heaven; ironic to the story. The ambiguity of this meaning holds the audience in a suspense as to what the future of the characters beholds. With this shot against the others, it also holds the thought that the characters could take the right path if they do the right thing, and the future doesn't hold just misery. With menace doesn't always come a dark ending

What do directors seek to establish in the opening of thrillers?

What do directors seek to establish in the opening of thrillers?

The opening to a thriller film is crucial- it gives the audience the first impressions of the story and therefore it needs to incorporate ways of establishing characters or tone or location, etc. these elements often contribute to the actual end result of the story. The opening gives a first indication as to where the story itself is heading. The best way to foreshadow or in the case of a thriller, often forebode, is through the opening. By using subtle metaphors, it can create an atmosphere that already gives the audience an indication as to where the plot will take them. Although all of the different aims of the opening to a thriller are important to consider, some of them are left out; an example of this is se7en- they establish location and genre excellently but the director David Fincher decided not to establish the plot as such. This in a sense creates more of a tension and is effective for the story of this film. 

One film that captures the purity of its genre is Layer Cake. They immerse the audience by establishing clear characters. The director does this in a very stylistic fashion. Matthew Vaughn uses techniques that can be associated with a film noir style; alike to his other films such as Kick Ass and Kingsman: The Secret Service, he uses a narrative that allows for the audience to instantly establish a connection with the characters- in the case of Layer Cake, we as an audience are able to associate ourselves with the anti-hero. Daniel Craig's character is established through his dialogue and his actions. However we don't initially see his character; his narrative his voiced over a movement through different scenes. This indicates that Daniel Craig's character is a god-like character, it seems as though he is dictating the speech, especially with the use of synchronised sound. 

In this shot, Daniel Craig voices over the movement and the bald headed character says a line in synchronicity with Daniel Craig.  

From this opening, we also learn that this character is a cool, laid back character- the camera is constantly moving, slowly and smoothly, connoting a fluidity and thus symbolising that this character reflects these ideas too. He lives a fluid cool life and he continues to live this life; this however is used to create a big tension when we learn that his life is soon to turn around towards the end of the opening. The camera is constantly moving, following him in many shots. He leads the movement of the camera and many of the shots are shot in his eye-line in attempt to further establish a mental connection between character and the audience. By using this movement in following the character, the audience are under the impression that Daniel Craig is a leader-like character and he is symbolised to be an image of power and nobility, then making the rest of the film that much more exaggerated. 

When we first see this character interact with any other character, they are packaging drugs to sell. This instantaneously creates a sense of immorality within his lifestyle. It is also an efficient way of introducing another character- with a close up on the other character and a narrative describing who he is and what he does. Vaughn uses this simple technique to introduce various different characters. In the shot where there are various different characters in the shot, Daniel Craig voices over and, with the contribution of close ups, individually introduces every character and who they are. Although this is a very simple technique, it works very effectively in establishing character.

How are lighting, sound and mise en scene used in the opening of se7en

How does "The Third Man" use cinematography and mise en scene to further accentuate the thoughts and emotions surrounding post World War 2 Europe?

How does "The Third Man" use cinematography and mise en scene to further accentuate the thoughts and emotions surrounding post World War 2 Europe?

This shot is broken up by the geometry of the steps. The spiralling of the straight lines creates an entrapment of the character, which reinforces the reality that the people of Europe where driven into a state of isolation, following the physical entrapment of Jews and Nazi opposition, in complement to the mental isolation of the people. World War 2 developed a society that lead people to keep themselves to themselves- in many cases, if people were to express themselves or express an opinion that opposed the government they were prosecuted. By breaking up the shot and visually trapping the character between the lines, the metaphorical idea that this character is mentally trapped prevails as a key part of society.

This shot accentuates the confusion and disorientation that post world war Europe were facing. With the use of several different levels and several different exits or passages, it gives the viewers the impression that they are lost and that they are confused as to where they are and where the character is heading. These thoughts and feelings reflects social context of the time. People didn't know where to turn after the war.

This shot connotes the ambiguity of society in post world war 2 Europe. The character is silhouetted against the light from the police; this light is ambient light but is used to create a chiaroscuro effect. The light makes the character of Harry Lime appear darkened, reflecting his immorality in his character. By showing this character escaping the light and going towards the darkness, it represents his metaphorical escape from good. His disregard to the law can be symbolised as his want to move towards the darkness and away from the light; light has connotations of heaven or good, where as darkness signifies a movement to hell or evil. 

Here the director has split the shot, essentially into two different parts. The levels of the two characters creates a divide between the two and creates an illusion as to where the paths lead and where they come from. The labyrinthine effect that is created through this split again mirrors the confusion and disorientation that prevailed in this post war society. This difference in level between the two characters also denotes the social difference between the two; it can further develop the idea that Harry Lime is below the law and the police- although in most film noirs police are portrayed as corrupt and negative, here they are portrayed as more powerful than the character. This can obviously be complementary as the corruption and derogatory thoughts on the police can be made further negative by them being presented as powerful. 

The use of dutch framing again explores ideas of disillusion within society. The distrust and anxiety present in the shot are relevant to the position of people after the war; they were left all of a sudden without anything. They were unsure what to do and who to trust. With the fall of Austria, the land was occupied with German, British, French and Belgian armies. The compliance of the four sides was obviously fairly dissolute, due to the relationships during the war, thus the people of Austria felt helpless and confused, which is reflected here in this shot.

How does the director of Peaky Blinders use camera angles and mise en scene to establish expectation and character?

In this shot the director has positioned the characters at the top of the shot. This connotes a godliness of the characters and suggests an empowerment of strength and position. It also shows their authority in the social hierarchy in their society.

The distortion of normal visual conventions also accentuates a sense that these characters don't conform with regular rules and are characters that oppose everyday laws and reforms.

The characters are also dressed all very similarly, signifying a unity in the group. By showing this, the director is then able to reinforce senses of intimidation and fear by showing their strength in a group rather than individually, seeing as a group is far more intimidating than one character alone.

This following shot breaks up the slow paced movement and the tranquillity of the first shot. This reinforces the sense that these men are threatening and thuggish. They break up the picture that is made in the first shot by stepping in the puddle. This shows that they are merciless and gives across a sense of arrogance and ignorance to life around them. They break up the peacefulness of the first shot, connoting a further sense of danger that they behold.

The unity of the group is still prominent in this shot. The character's coherent costume reinstates the pack-like instincts and their intimidation as one whole group.

This cut is shot in front of a burst of fire. With the fire and bright orange and yellow behind them, it accentuates their evilness. The idea of cynicism prevails with the background having links with hell and negative thoughts of dark, supernatural doings. Also to some extent reinforcing the idea that these men are godlike or some what supernaturally superior.

The rule of thirds is also used. All three main characters' eye lines are on the line which signifies an importance of the characters and shows us as the audience that these characters are main figures in the story line and that they hold the power in this certain scene.

The geometric composition of the main three characters symbolises that the character in the middle, slightly ahead of the other two, is our most significant character. By positioning the characters in a triangle, not only does it, once again, reinforce the unity of the group, but it metaphorically places the characters into a hierarchy with the most significant character being ahead of the rest.


The final shot holds a fairly enigmatic atmosphere. The back of the characters' heads constructs connotations of blankness and deceit. The fog in the background also emphasises these ideas.The characters are faced away from the camera; this also shows again their arrogance and ignorance to those around them. And once again we get this idea that this group are as one and are close to one another- shown through the use of costume and positioning of characters.

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