Thriller Moodboard

How does the director of The Third Man use cinematography and mise en scene to connote post war feeling in society?

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

(photos added later as cannot access from home)

In the opening of thriller films it is important that they set the scene by establishing key elements such as the character and location.

Character

In the opening scenes of Se7en by David Fincher, we see him using a variety of different shot types in order to establish the character to the audience. For example in the shot of Detective Somerset looking at the fridge, they have used a close up on the face with shallow focus so you cant see the character in the background. This connotes feelings of isolation for the character because it is like he is alone. Furthermore, the only light source in the image is the one faded behind him which causes his face to become a silhouette, this causes the audience to think about how Detective Somerset has a dark side to him that nobody knows. In addition to this, they way in which David Fincher shows the organisation of the the main character helps the audience learn more about the character because it shows us the he is clearly experienced in his job and has a set routine for it. (Image of dressing table with items on it). As you can see in this image he has a clear order of things played out that he needs and nothing else. At the end we can see he has a piece of flower painted wallpaper which we can infer holds some sentimental value to him. Alternatively, in the film Layer Cake which is directed by Matthew Vaughn, we see him establish the character through the smoothness in the movement of the camera work. The camera follows his every move in one smooth motion which conveys his power and authority to the audience because it is like we are all following him. Furthermore, that fact the camera movement is slightly behind him helps add the the sense of authority, when he turns we turn after to show that he is more important than us. This also can be seen as glorification of the drug industry because of the way that the camera is so smooth and clam whereas what he is doing and talking about is a very dangerous and illegal business.

Location

Another thing that directors like to establish in the opening of thrillers is the location. Essex Boys by Terry Windsor does this very well, one of the best ways he does this is through the use of metaphorical spaces. (shot of guy in car with lights looking like bars). As we can see from this image, they have used the lights in the tunnel to create the idea that the character is trapped within the space like he is in a prison with bars stopping him from getting out, foreshadowing a potential future behind bars if he continues with what he is doing.

(image of man stumbling on road with grey sky). Furthermore, in this image we can see how the use of vanishing points can affect the mood of a scene. The image seems to all come together just off centre creating the feelings of immorality and disorientation for this character and the time because he's not sure where he is or what is going to happen to him. 

Another film that establishes the location well is The Third Man which is directed by Carol Reed. The location for the film is in the city of Vienna which is the capital of Austria, and specifically in the large sewers. Like in Essex Boys there is use of vanishing points to help show emotions and feelings but in The Third Man they often have vanishing points the don't all merge together to connote how society is feeling after the war and how nothing seems to be going together, it could further create feeling of paranoia and confusion which would also link back to society. (image of entrances to sewers in big open area)

Tone / Mood

Tone and Mood is a key feature that directors like to try and establish in the opening of thrillers because it helps the audience understand the film better of they know the mood of the situation the character is in. An example of this is in the film The Disappearance of Alice Creed by J Blakeson. The film uses a wide range of shots in order to try build up the tension within the audience and keep them on edge with what could happen. One of the ways in which they do this is through synchronisity of the two main characters. (image of characters by the curtains drawing them open). As we can see from this image the two characters are standing in the exact same position to the same thing to show that they know what to do and clearly are organised people. Joint with the slightly harsh music helps create a slightly tense atmosphere amongst the viewers because we don't know exactly what they are doing but we know that it is not going to be good. Furthermore, another way in which the establish the tone and mood of the film is through the use of shallow focus in a similar way to seven. They will use an extreme close up with shallow focus on only the important detail to almost create the idea that they are perfectionist because they are taking each individual aspect of what they are doing with extreme care and precision. (photo of ECU of drilling in door.) This image is a example of the way in which shallow focus is used within the film. All these features help build up the intensity within the opening scenes because the whole time we are not entirely sure what the two characters are going to be doing but with the use of ECU's and shallow focus it allows the audience to be more engrossed and find out.