Billy Martin

MODERN THRILLER OPENINGS

BRICK

Sound• In ‘Brick’ the sound starts of non-diegetic and

the non-diegetic sound is a slow sad piece of music that is used to build up the tension.

• Also, there was no dialogue used in this as the the scene was with a boy staring at a girl that was dead

• Furthermore, the non-diegetic sound was a sad piece of music that shows the the innocents of the boy and shows that it could be a mysterious death.

• Moreover, the audience are confused as to why this has happened because the music that is being played makes the audience fell that the death is unknown.

BRICK• Mise-en-scene

• The scene is set in a sewage tunnel and the two people are just outside of the entrance and there is a blonde women that is laying down dead and there is a young man staring at her with an expression on his face that indicates that he is shocked and shows that he is not sure as to how this death has happened.

ZODIACFirstly, the opening scene has the audience’s full attention from when the two characters get into the car. From this we are able to tell that they are in a relationship/affair together. At the start of the film it starts off with Diegetic sound from the fireworks and the car radio. Furthermore, we can tell that the two characters are going out for a romantic night out.

Likewise, out of random one of the characters are killed and the audience are left not knowing who the killer. This creates a mystery and is in the correct manner for a thriller.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

The film “No Country for Old Men” starts of the scene with the scenes of the West. The scenes are extremely empty and noting fascinating is taking place. Therefore it starts off boring. There appears to be an unusual man with a long black formidable hair standing with an extinguisher clamped in his hands being arrested by the police. This shows the audience that he is not a protagonist and that he is not evil.

When the people get back to the police station the strange man uses his handcuffs to strangle the police officer and he kills him. The mise-en-scene is shown in this scene as the man is wearing dark black cloths that represent death, creepiness and he looks uncomfortable This shows the dark side of the man himself.

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE• The start of the film “A History of Violence” is extremely silent

which is very unusual. From then on, the two characters are outside of a motel that looks quite, calm and dead. The motel has no atmosphere to it and therefore the scene looks to be set in some unknown ghost town. The sound that is used is diegetic and it is from insects making nose. Apart from the sound of any insects none of the men speak. However, you can also hear the sound of the engine at first but then it is cut out.

• The two seem to act very odd. It appears that they have a specific bond. Due to the fact that they don’t speak to each other it shows that they are unusual and the audience find it hard to understand who they are and what they are involved in. As there is very little dialogue used in the scene it makes the scene seem strange because no one can tell what is happening. The characters dress very unusual to be in a thriller. One of the characters wears a white shirt with denim trousers and the other one wears all black clothes.

• The scene is full of brightness until the two characters go into the motel. In the motel there is a child and a man. However, the child is used within the scene to make the audience fell sympathy for the child because they don’t deserve to be in such a serious scenario.