Commando
The film starts with a prelude to the introduction set in a typical American suburb. It begins with a fade opening of a long shot of a garbage truck driving towards the camera. The garbage truck is followed through the area by the camera shots until the scene cuts to a couple waking up in bed alerted to the sound of the truck approaching. The man carries the garbage outside to be collected. The tone of the scene begins to change as the expressions of the garbage men turn sinister. The man says “I was worried you’d miss me” to which he is replied “don’t worry, we won’t.” His man changes to a look of horror as the men produce semi-automatic weapons and gun him down. This sets the tone of the film and introduces the audience to our antagonists. Two more scenes of this nature follow with the same men killing two other nameless victims in different urban scenarios.
The tone of the film is suddenly changed as the scene fades to a close up shot of a man’s feet walking through a forest accompanied by dramatic non-diegetic score. Extreme close ups follow of a chainsaw and biceps until it finally rests on the face of the main protagonist, none other than the mighty Arnold Schwarzenegger. The camera follows him as his carries a log atop his shoulder and chainsaw in his hand through a forest. The music suggests he is about to engage in some kind of challenging task. The camera is low, pointing up towards his face with the sun over his shoulder, displaying him as a figure of power. As he begins chopping the wood, upon arrival at his home, a shadowy figure is seen to approach him from behind. He glances at the reflection in his axe and smiles, this leads the audience to believe that he is in danger whoever is approaching him is no challenge to him. As he turns around intensely it is shown to be his daughter. This is reaffirmed when she calls to him “Oh, daddy!” and the musical score changes to an uplifting friendly tone. This is then followed by a montage of our protagonist alone with his daughter being paternal. It is clearly displayed that they are close. This time is used to display the cast and crew credits which is in a bold blue font which connotes to the feelings of an action thriller.
Textual Analysis 3 - Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction
The film begins with a dictionary definition of the film title. There is no music and the text is plain and white on a black background. This once again draws attention to what the words have to say instead of the words themselves. The diegetic sound of the scene fades in fades in before the footage itself appears on screen at the moment of the man beginning to speak. This gently sets the scene without the audience becoming consciously aware of it. The use of taboo language and the subject matter of the opening few lines connotes that they are criminals, or at least not the average citizens. The fact they are talking in this way in the middle of a busy diner shows their disregard for the opinions of those around them and a feeling of confidence. The prop of a cigarette is used to instil the ideology that the man is an unsavoury character. The woman’s giggling at what he has to say shows she clearly does not fear his exterior and knows him very well. Her playful teasing of him shows there are mutual feelings of affection shared between them. The tone of conversation of the man is very business-like compared to the woman’s cheerful banter. It shows their relaxed attitude towards crime. When the waitress arrives to serve them coffee they break conversation to attempt to appear normal citizens, showing that there is some severity to the supposed joking of their conversation. It is clear that the man is the leader of their operations as the woman asks him a lot of questions and he is the answer provider – he is clearly the brains of the operation – and appears to become slightly annoyed by her barrage of questioning. The mise-en-scène of the shot displays that they are small time criminals as they are in a cheap restaurant in cheap clothes eating cheap food discussing their robberies of liquor stores. The man is clearly quite intelligent because although his use of language is that of a stereotypical common criminal what he has to say is very clever and detailed. He then reveals to the woman his plan to rob the coffee shop they are sat in which gives the film it’s first sense of danger thus far and first stereotypical thriller plotline. As the excitement builds between them at this new idea the tension builds along with it culminating with a medium close up of the two kissing over the table and preparing their guns. It should be noted how just before all this anarchy should be unleashed there is an exchange of “I love you”s between the two, providing comic relief and also affirms to the audience that they are not completely confident with their plans and cannot be sure of what will happen to them. The man, very much the same as the character we were introduced to, stands up on his seat and announces the robbery – triggering the woman to change character completely into a screaming threatening gun-wielding maniac. The scene ends with a freeze frame medium/close up shot of the two looking very serious aiming their guns around off camera.
The film begins with a dictionary definition of the film title. There is no music and the text is plain and white on a black background. This once again draws attention to what the words have to say instead of the words themselves. The diegetic sound of the scene fades in fades in before the footage itself appears on screen at the moment of the man beginning to speak. This gently sets the scene without the audience becoming consciously aware of it. The use of taboo language and the subject matter of the opening few lines connotes that they are criminals, or at least not the average citizens. The fact they are talking in this way in the middle of a busy diner shows their disregard for the opinions of those around them and a feeling of confidence. The prop of a cigarette is used to instil the ideology that the man is an unsavoury character. The woman’s giggling at what he has to say shows she clearly does not fear his exterior and knows him very well. Her playful teasing of him shows there are mutual feelings of affection shared between them. The tone of conversation of the man is very business-like compared to the woman’s cheerful banter. It shows their relaxed attitude towards crime. When the waitress arrives to serve them coffee they break conversation to attempt to appear normal citizens, showing that there is some severity to the supposed joking of their conversation. It is clear that the man is the leader of their operations as the woman asks him a lot of questions and he is the answer provider – he is clearly the brains of the operation – and appears to become slightly annoyed by her barrage of questioning. The mise-en-scène of the shot displays that they are small time criminals as they are in a cheap restaurant in cheap clothes eating cheap food discussing their robberies of liquor stores. The man is clearly quite intelligent because although his use of language is that of a stereotypical common criminal what he has to say is very clever and detailed. He then reveals to the woman his plan to rob the coffee shop they are sat in which gives the film it’s first sense of danger thus far and first stereotypical thriller plotline. As the excitement builds between them at this new idea the tension builds along with it culminating with a medium close up of the two kissing over the table and preparing their guns. It should be noted how just before all this anarchy should be unleashed there is an exchange of “I love you”s between the two, providing comic relief and also affirms to the audience that they are not completely confident with their plans and cannot be sure of what will happen to them. The man, very much the same as the character we were introduced to, stands up on his seat and announces the robbery – triggering the woman to change character completely into a screaming threatening gun-wielding maniac. The scene ends with a freeze frame medium/close up shot of the two looking very serious aiming their guns around off camera.
Textual Analysis 2 - Scarface
Scarface
The introduction to this film begins in a realm of the unknown with a pitch black background and some ominous non-diegetic music; this builds a hugely tense atmosphere for the audience but does not yet clue them in on what is going to happen. By doing so from the get-go it immediately encapsulates the reoccurring themes of a thriller film which gives the audience some idea of what to expect. We are shortly exposed to plain white text detailing the historic events in Cuba in 1980, giving the audience some insight into the prior events relating to the plot. The lack of style to the text allows our attention to be captured by what it has to say instead of the text itself. It then leads into footage from a Fidel Castro speech being given to the Cuban people and focuses on the repeated phrase “We don’t want them!” which shows the audience what kind of people were being taken over to America and their own people’s opinions of them.
The tone of the film is then flipped on it’s head and begins to play some non-diegetic upbeat 80’s funk music coupled with a mixture of historic footage and studio filmed shots of immigrants entering into Florida by boat. It makes sure to show the variety of people who were emigrating from Cuba – old, young, male and female alike. One of the ways it does this is showing a close up of an old woman leaving one of the boats. It can also be noted that the shots used display how bad living conditions on these boats were and by doing so displaying the ideology of what these people were willing to go through to get away from Cuba and the revolution. A protrusive shot used is that of a medium close up of a man holding his crying child and beckoning it to look at something off camera he is pointing at followed up by a close up shot of an American flag waving in the wave which fills the entire screen. This shows the audience that the Cubans are looking to America hopefully, their heads full of ideas of living the ‘American Dream’. These messages are reinforced by a medium shot taken from the viewpoint of one of the boats looking to the pier surrounding by the cheering people as they arrive in their new home. Another prominent shot used is that of an old woman being carried off the boat by stretcher, this goes against the usual connotations of this shot of sadness and loss as she has a smile on her face which connotes that the gruelling journey was worth their eventual arrival. This is at once contracted by a shot of two young men being searched by military police upon their arrivals; this reaffirms the ideoloy of what the Cuban immigrants are like. The introduction to the film ends with bird’s eye shots of the living conditions of the immigrants and close up shots of their faces, their expressions showing that their arrivals in America have not lived up to their expectations of a better quality of life. If they want a better quality of life in this country then they must take it for themselves, and one man is willing to do so...
The introduction to this film begins in a realm of the unknown with a pitch black background and some ominous non-diegetic music; this builds a hugely tense atmosphere for the audience but does not yet clue them in on what is going to happen. By doing so from the get-go it immediately encapsulates the reoccurring themes of a thriller film which gives the audience some idea of what to expect. We are shortly exposed to plain white text detailing the historic events in Cuba in 1980, giving the audience some insight into the prior events relating to the plot. The lack of style to the text allows our attention to be captured by what it has to say instead of the text itself. It then leads into footage from a Fidel Castro speech being given to the Cuban people and focuses on the repeated phrase “We don’t want them!” which shows the audience what kind of people were being taken over to America and their own people’s opinions of them.
The tone of the film is then flipped on it’s head and begins to play some non-diegetic upbeat 80’s funk music coupled with a mixture of historic footage and studio filmed shots of immigrants entering into Florida by boat. It makes sure to show the variety of people who were emigrating from Cuba – old, young, male and female alike. One of the ways it does this is showing a close up of an old woman leaving one of the boats. It can also be noted that the shots used display how bad living conditions on these boats were and by doing so displaying the ideology of what these people were willing to go through to get away from Cuba and the revolution. A protrusive shot used is that of a medium close up of a man holding his crying child and beckoning it to look at something off camera he is pointing at followed up by a close up shot of an American flag waving in the wave which fills the entire screen. This shows the audience that the Cubans are looking to America hopefully, their heads full of ideas of living the ‘American Dream’. These messages are reinforced by a medium shot taken from the viewpoint of one of the boats looking to the pier surrounding by the cheering people as they arrive in their new home. Another prominent shot used is that of an old woman being carried off the boat by stretcher, this goes against the usual connotations of this shot of sadness and loss as she has a smile on her face which connotes that the gruelling journey was worth their eventual arrival. This is at once contracted by a shot of two young men being searched by military police upon their arrivals; this reaffirms the ideoloy of what the Cuban immigrants are like. The introduction to the film ends with bird’s eye shots of the living conditions of the immigrants and close up shots of their faces, their expressions showing that their arrivals in America have not lived up to their expectations of a better quality of life. If they want a better quality of life in this country then they must take it for themselves, and one man is willing to do so...
Textual Analysis 1 - Fight CLub
Fight Club
The film opens with a fast-paced, tense, non-diegetic music track accompanied to a CGI background of a virtual journey through the inside of the head – the brain, muscle tissue, skin, pores, etc. – along with the film titles and actor names brightly flashing up on screen. This combination of quick; lights, sounds and images is sure to catch the viewer’s attention immediately. When the CGI sequence reaches the outer skin it is seen to be a sweaty brow, the camera pans down along the nose to the mouth and then back to follow along the barrel of a gun. When it reaches the rear sight the focus switches from it to the frightened face of our unnamed protagonist, gun between teeth. The fear in his eyes is amplified by the close up shot used, even though the voice narration, his voice, is calm... almost bored sounding. The situation is tense; this is made clear by the sudden lack of musical backing, and the fact that the protagonist is clearly bruised, beaten and bleeding. He also appears to be tied to the chair he is sat in. The lighting is dim which also adds to the feeling of a tense atmosphere and puts a dark aura around the action focus. By having introducing the film in such a manner the director has set up the audiences expectations for the film. It could also be noted that we never see Tyler Durden’s face in this opening scene, keeping an air of mystery about him.
The film opens with a fast-paced, tense, non-diegetic music track accompanied to a CGI background of a virtual journey through the inside of the head – the brain, muscle tissue, skin, pores, etc. – along with the film titles and actor names brightly flashing up on screen. This combination of quick; lights, sounds and images is sure to catch the viewer’s attention immediately. When the CGI sequence reaches the outer skin it is seen to be a sweaty brow, the camera pans down along the nose to the mouth and then back to follow along the barrel of a gun. When it reaches the rear sight the focus switches from it to the frightened face of our unnamed protagonist, gun between teeth. The fear in his eyes is amplified by the close up shot used, even though the voice narration, his voice, is calm... almost bored sounding. The situation is tense; this is made clear by the sudden lack of musical backing, and the fact that the protagonist is clearly bruised, beaten and bleeding. He also appears to be tied to the chair he is sat in. The lighting is dim which also adds to the feeling of a tense atmosphere and puts a dark aura around the action focus. By having introducing the film in such a manner the director has set up the audiences expectations for the film. It could also be noted that we never see Tyler Durden’s face in this opening scene, keeping an air of mystery about him.
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