Tasha's Research Task of 'Prisioners'

 

Tasha's Research Task

Analysis of Prisoners

 

This analysis is based on the opening sequence of the film 'Prisoners' that I have found.

The start of the opening sequence presents the spectators with the title of the film. The format of this is constructed with a black background and a white font in bold capitals. This type of format makes the title of the film stand out as white and black compliment each other very well. This then fades to a black screen and afterwards the black screen dissolves into a extreme long shot of a woodland area.

This same extreme long shot is focused on screen in silence with the slight notion of the wind calmly blowing in the background creating diegetic sound effects, when a voice over of a man praying overtakes the calmness. As the man continues to pray a dear walks into the centre of the still shot. The camera then slowly zooms out so that the spectators are presented with the backs of two figures. One of them is holding a gun; this is a key convention of a thriller as guns and weaponry are iconic props used in thriller films. One of the figures then shoots the dear with the gun causing a loud gunshot sound to echo throughout the woods, the sound of the gunshot could have been created through the use of on screen foley sound effects.



The camera then changes to an over the shoulder shot revealing the identities of the two figures, who are in fact men. This then may cause enigma to occur amongst the spectators as they could now be unsure to whether the voice of the man praying was actually a voice over or off screen diegetic dialogue. The facial expression of the older man is revealing that he looks proud of the younger boy who just shot the dear. This suggests to viewers that their relationship to one another is a father son relationship.

At this same moment after the boy shoots the dear, quite slow paced music begins to play in the background suggesting significance towards the death of a living animal. The older character then pats the younger male on the back representing a sign of respect and pride towards him. The camera then switches to the opposite side, facing them from a distance. I think this is significant as the camera is now positioned from where the dear was standing, so this could be a point of view shot from the dears perspective. What makes this even more reasonable is that immediately after this thunder erupts, this may make the spectator's believe that the use of pathetic fallacy is symbolising the dears experience and may also be foreshadowing the death of someone else to come. These various techniques used may create enigma amongst the audience.

I think this sequence works as an opening to a thriller as very little information is given to the spectator's so when certain actions take place, it therefore makes them want to find out more and this way they will continue to watch the film. I also think that the film has also very effortlessly in this short time looked at the aspect of death and murder by putting the killing of the dear and the technical factors that come with that in the opening sequence. This is also connected when looking at the development of character because the two characters that are presented in the opening are most likely a father and son who are bonded together by the context of murder. This then gradually links to the structure of the narrative as the opening included the tile of the film which is 'Prisoners' which then links to the murdering of the dear as you go to prison for murder.

So in some ways it the opening sequence is foreshadowing what's to come in the plot. This is a really good way to narrate the opening sequence of a thriller film as it creates enigma within the audience and may even cause them to be actively viewing. I think this sequence appeals to my target audience to some extent as there is violence and weaponry included in the first few minutes of the film, so in that context the film is developing very quickly. However, the action taking place in the opening sequence isn't actually developing very quickly as the first scene was presented at a slow pace. Whereas, I think my target audience would want the action to happen quite fast and rapidly as this then create enigma.