Face/Off thriller analysis

Face/off
John Woo 1997
The titles at the start are full screen titles and are in a black and white colour scheme, this could represent the use of good and evil inside the movie showing there is a bad side and a good side. This is a general convention of a thriller as in a lot of cases there is good and evil.
When the names of the characters appear in overlay titles it shows their surname and first name to be black or white, one being the opposite of the other. This further enhances the use of good and evil. The titles move forward and backward and one getting bigger and the other smallest. This could represent something being taken away and then being added to something else with one gaining size and one loosing it.
There is a diegetic sound that sets the mood of happiness and fun. This is also shown by the sound of a child laughing. This shows that at the time of this all was well and sets the mood for us at the start.
The first shot is a close up of  John Travolta and his son at on the carrousel. This shows us equilibrium to start with just like in most thrillers making it a convention, in this case it is what seems to be a man that loves his son. The fact that this is the first shot we see in the movie ahead of an establishing shot perhaps suggests that the story may be based around these two characters.
We cut to a close up of a sniper being pulled out from under a cover. When the cover is took off we here an exaggerated sound to enhance that the sniper has been pulled out and so signifies danger. Also, the non-diegetic music of happiness disappears instantly. This indicates a change of mood and prepares the audience for something bad which is going to happen.
The close up has selective focus purely on the sniper rifle. We are looking straight down the scope of the sniper and so this shows us even further the potential for a catastrophic event.
There is a long shot of the person operating the sniper. This character is dressed in all black which suggests he is evil. We see in his non-verbal codes that he has a confidence about him when pulling the cover away. this tells us that his character is a professional and knows what he is doing with the sniper.
There is a close up of Nicholas Cage sipping what looks like a fast-food restaurant drink. This shows to us that he is calm about the job he is doing, which is we presume at this stage to kill John Travolta. The sipping of the cup also shows he has done this before as he is showing no signs of looking nervous and so knows what he is doing.
We then cut to the sniper in the scopes zooming in with the cross-hairs on the boy. This is done in a long-shot. The fact that it is pointing on the boy first, then to John Travolta suggests to us that Nicholas Cage is going to kill the boy instead of Travolta even though these were not his intentions.
There is a cut to Nicholas’ cage as he comes away from the sniper. We can see in his non-verbal codes at this stage that perhaps he is less confident about the shot and doubts what he is doing because there is a child there. Further showing the potential for something to go wrong.
We then cut back to a shot of the cross hairs aiming at John Travolta back, this showing where the bullet is going to hit when it is shot.
The music again changes to a sinister tone when the bullet is shot and creates a mood for the audience of fear and hurt, as if they are in the movie themselves, this makes the relate to the characters more.
There is a shot of the horse which John Travolta and his son fell off with the blood on the side. This shows us that they have been clearly hit. We hear a noise of a non-diegetic scream at this point, this enhances the horrible event that has happened and the scream itself is rather disturbing.
We see a low angle medium shot of some balloons rising up to the air. This could show us a life that is going up to heaven that has been lost. And also suggests that it is the boys as he was seen holding balloons beforehand.
There is a medium shot of John Travolta holding his son who has been killed, this shows us his love for his son and makes us sympathise with this character more. Meaning that for us we can see a definite distinction between the good and the evil
There is a long-shot of Nicholas Cage after he has killed the boy showing his non-verbal codes as quite shocked, this shows us that Nicholas Cage’s character has got some emotions and isn’t all evil inside.
There is a tracking shot showing outside a window. This shows lots of tall big buildings meaning that this movie is set in the city. This is a convention of a thriller as this is where the majority of crime is committed.
We track along to a close up of John Travolta stood at the window looking stressed and thinking. Because we have just cut from his son being killed it immediately links with this and makes us think that he is thinking about his son and that he hasn’t gotten over his death yet. We can also see in this shot a wedding ring on his finger, this implying that his character is married.
We cut to a tracking shot of the camera showing lots of awards that John Travolta has won, this shows us that he is an expert in the field that he works in which we can also see is in the police force. Which is another convention of a thriller as there is usually some form of law enforcement inside thrillers? There is a close up of a gun at the bottom. This shows us that John Travolta is highly skilled with a weapon and also links us back to Nicholas cage who was also skilled with a gun. This shows us the two characters are equally matched as is another convention of a thriller. This way the audience never know who is going to come out on top out of the two.
There is a close up of John Travolta looking very determined and focused to do something. Because of te previous scene and him grabbing his gun it makes us think he is out for revenge and perhaps foreshadows things to come in the future of this movie.
We see Nicholas Cage in a close up in a Priests uniform, which to begin with makes us think he may have changed his ways. But by seeing the orange box which connotes danger we can see that he has not and it is all a disguise. This shows he is still out there trying to cause trouble and increasingly makes the audience’s interpretation of him be worse then before.
There is a skull sign on the inside of the orange box. This sign normally connotes death and so suggests to us that Nicholas cage was planning to plot something which could kill a lot of people.
There is a contrapuntal diegetic sound of the words ‘halleluiah’ being played over and over again. This is completely opposite to the mood being set at the time but shows us that the people inside the building singing the song have no idea of what Nicholas Cage has plotted to do, this also adds a comedic effect to the movie showing that it will have some comedic elements throughout.
We see a close up of a phone with ext 1 lighten up. This is after we have heard diegetic dialogue saying his wife is on line 1. John Travolta ignores this and is more interested in breaking the case. This perhaps shows us that there are problems within his marriage and at home showing us that he is a flawed hero. This is another convention of a thriller  as the protagonist is usually the one with a flaw in the movie to show that they are not all perfect

Se7en thriller movie analysis

Se7en:

The scene opens with a sound bridge of traffic which starts from the studio logo; this shows us that the character lives in the city as it is very noisy. From the opening shots of inside Somerset's house we instantly know that the character is a detective as we see a close up of a police badge, in the opening scene there are several long shots and medium shots of his daily life. We see that the character is very orderly and organised; we know this because we see a medium close up of him wiping dirt off his suit jacket, and this gives us the idea that he likes everything to be the precise and ordered. In the same shot we see that his bed is already made, this again gives us the idea that he is very ordered and possibly that he has OCD.  His apartment is set in an urban area, use of a blue filter to make it appear downcast and dreary although it is very clean and neat. The chaotic noise makes it seem very claustrophobic and dangerous. The detective’s apartment is very neat and organised, showing us he’s a very thorough and obsessive man although we learn that he lives on his own as the apartment has a very plain style and there are no other possessions/decor that indicates children or a wife live there also.

There is then an ellipsis edit to Detective Somerset inspecting an apartment where a murder has occurred. There is use of chiaroscuro lighting in this scene, this is to add mystery and tension to the scene. A new detective is introduced, we quickly know that Somerset annoys him as Somerset wants to get the job done right and asks lots of questions into the murder, this again shows us that Somerset is a very thorough, ordered man who likes to get the job done right. We also learn from this that Somerset is planning to retire, and the other person ‘can't wait for him to go’ this shows us that Somerset may not be liked in the police force due to his need to do things the right way and leave no stone unturned, other officers don't seem to understand this however which suggests Somerset is of high intelligence since he knows how things have to be done.

We are then introduced to another character – Detective Mills, who is wearing a leather jacket and chewing gum, this immediately shows us there is a very obvious contrast between the two main protagonists. There is then an ellipsis edit to Mills and Somerset walking out of the building, there is a tracking medium long shot as they are walking. There is a low angle to show their dominance and authority. . There is then another ellipsis edit to Somerset back in his apartment ready for bed. We see that he plays a metronome to block out the sound; this again shows us that Somerset likes order and routine, the fact that the scene opened with Somerset just getting out of bed and going to work, and then ending with him back in bed suggests his life is his job as it seemed that was all that happened for him during that day.

We are taken into the titles using a sound bridge of the metronome and then a long sustained note, the titles show several close ups on several close ups. The titles use overlay titles and a use of montage. We can tell this person will be the killer as he is scraping off his fingerprints with a blade, which are something we see a lot of in this sequence. We see tightly packed journals which show he’s very intelligent but also shows he’s quite disturbed. During the titles there are slight flickers of red on the screen which connotes blood and death which again shows us that this person is probably the killer. We see many disturbing pictures during this of blades and dead animals, the blades link to the overlay titles as they look as though they have been scratched onto a surface. The music used in this sequence is 'closer' by Nine Inch Nails, there are several dark sounds throughout this like screeching, smashing of glass and human screams, this creates a sense of unease for the viewer and suggest these are the sounds of the villains actions. There is use of binary oppositions which fits the mood of thrillers. 

Sixth sense thriller analysis

Sixth sense

The scene opens with full screen titles, unlike Face off and Se7en which use overlay titles and a montage sequence. This suggests that the film may be more of a psychological thriller rather that an action thriller. The opening titles are quite slow, which builds up the tension but doesn't connote action. There is classic white, serif font on a black background which slowly fades in and out as they move towards the front of the screen; this implies that this will be a psychological thriller again. The eerie and supernatural feel is reinforced by the opening slow paced orchestral music.     

The first shot is a close up of a bulb turning on, the use of a close up shows the bub with more detail as it is turning on which creates a certain mood in the audience as they do not know who or what else is in the room. From the start is unclear to work out where the location is set, as we have only seen a light bulb slowly coming on and a shot through a wire rack, this adds to the mystery aspect as we don’t know where we are.  However, they are given clues by the fact the light bulb is on its own with no cover over it. This makes the overall setting seem unwelcoming and makes the audience feel apprehensive. We then see a long shot through the wine rack. This gives the idea that someone or something is in the room watching the woman. This makes the audience feel very uneasy. A tracking shot is used when she is looking for the wine which makes us feel as though every move she makes is being watched, showing she is in danger. The use of shadows and chiaroscuro lighting creates an eerie tone in the scene and makes us feel on edge, shadows also give us the idea again that something is watching her.

We then have an ellipsis edit to them celebrating his award in the living room of the house. At this point the scene seems very relaxed with shot reverse shot as they engage in conversation about Bruce Willis’ awards. We learn that he is a very professional psychologist as he has just won a major award for his work, we also learn that he has put his work over his wife, this could potentially show us that work is his main priority over anything else which is a typical thriller convention as in most thrillers the main protagonist always puts his job first and always makes sure the job is done right, this is emphasised by John Travolta’s character in Face Off.  There is a cut to a long shot outside of the room on the stairs, this gives us a feel that someone is watching them, and something is about to happen.

There is then another ellipsis edit to the psychologist and his wife going to hang the award in the bathroom. We see a medium close up as their non-verbal codes change and become shocked as they see that their window is broken. The built up mysterious non-diegetic music as it climaxes as the audience realise that they have been broken into gives the scene a sense of danger. There is then a cut to someone walking out of the bathroom who turns out to be an ex-patient of the psychologists. The man seems very disturbed, we see this as he has stripped off down to his underwear, we instantly get the idea that he is very deranged. There are several shot reverse shots between them as we get the feel that everything is calming down as shot reverse shots usually show a good relationship between two people. Just as the audience believes everything has calmed down the mysterious, disturbed man shoots the psychologist, as the man goes to shoot himself there is a tracking shot until he is off screen, this is to show that the audience are to focus on the psychological element of the film, not the action part of the film. We cut to an overhead shot as Bruce Willis’ character  is bleeding on the bed, this is to show the full extent of his injury.

There is then an ellipsis edit using overlay titles to state the next fall. We see an establishing point of view long shot of the house the psychologist is observing, this is done to set the scene. From the establishing shot we see a tight packed, well organised, clean community, we see that there are several flats/apartments. This is not a general convention of a thriller as thrillers are typically set in chaotic, busy cities. There is a whip pan to imply a point of view shot as the child we presume he is working with exits the house. We then see a tracking shot of the psychologist as he is following the child. As Bruce Willis’ character is following the child we see that it is a set in a city, which is a convention of a thriller. The child enters a church with red doors, this connotes death and that a murder could possibly happen in the future.

In The Sixth Sense our protagonist is not the general protagonist you would find in most thriller films. He is a psychologist, not someone who works for the law like most thrillers. Although, he is a highly respected psychologist, being played by Bruce Willis he has many of the qualities we’d expect from our protagonist. Todorov’s theory is represented well in this film as it goes from a peaceful celebration with his wife, to an attempted murder which is the most typical equilibrium and disruption. There are other typical conventions of a thriller, the use of chiaroscuro lighting and shadows create a supernatural feeling. The eerie sound effect also add an element of mystery.

Bruce Willis is the typical actor who would play the protagonist in thrillers due to his features such as gender, age and looks.

General coventions of thrillers

Conventions of thrillers

The conventions that are shown inside thrillers are dependent on several different aspects. Many of these are depicted by the location that the thriller is set in, the lighting that is used, the actors build and personalities, and in general the mise-en-scene.

Todorov said that there are usually certain types of character that are used in thrillers. This is met in a lot of cases generally as they are seen to be characters that will make the movie a thriller. He said that there will be a Hero, Villain, False hero, Helper, mentor, Blocker, Prize and dispatcher. All these characters are a convention of thrillers. The use of these different characters is as follows:

Hero- the central protagonist of the movie that tries to save something in the story or gain a reward. This is traditionally a male character in the movies.

In the departed, Leonardo Dicaprio depicts Billy Costigan as the hero in this movie. He is a male character as is tradition and seems to be an equal match for the villain in terms of their physical structure and also in terms of how they think. This character is important because he is sent into the Costello mob as an informer for the police, eventually finding out there is a rat in the police department, it would then be his job to find out who this is.

Villain- central antagonist who’s aim is generally to cause terror in people’s life, or to prevent them from gaining

There are two main villains in the departed. Frank Costello is depicted by jack Nicholson and he plays a mob boss leader, a main tradition for thriller movies or crime movies. He normally sits in the dark instructing his men of what to do but sometimes comes out to fight the battles when he sees necessary. He is the same build as our hero in this movie

The second villain in this movie is Colin Sullivan who is portrayed by Matt Damon. This character is sent in undercover by Costello to the police force so that he can prevent them from finding Costello. Sullivan has to make it out that he isn’t a part of Costello’s gang so has to act like a normal officer but gaining information along the way. He would eventually lead the operation of finding Costello and so making it virtually impossible to find him. Sullivan is again the same build and around the same intelligence of our hero, Costigan. Again making them an equal match.

False hero- the person that is given the task to accompany the hero and help to succeed in his/her task

Martin Sheen plays the role of Captain Queenan in the Departed. This character is the false hero throughout the movie until his death. He gives Costigan advice and support throughout on how to stop the Costello mob and to find the rat that they know is working inside the police force.         

Mentor- gives important information to the Hero, and also may provide them with equipment to help them on their task. They are often represented as being wise, or having superpowers.

Vera Firmings plays the part of Madelyn in the departed a psychiatrist that Billy Costigan goes to see fairly often but also gains some form of love interest in also. Madelyn gives advice to Costigan in order for him to find the rat in the mob. She is giving all of this information without actually knowing her boyfriend is the rat inside the mob.

Prize- this is what the hero is ultimately trying to achieve. Traditionally the prize would be a princess or women of some kind that needs to be saved, but more recently the prize can be different things for example saving the world from a villain or getting the world back to normality.

The prize in this movie was to find the rat inside the police force and either kills them in fight or to arrest them and put them in jail. As this is a thriller it would be more a convention of the thriller to have a gunfight as a pose to just an arrest.

In thrillers there is usually a rule on how the film will progress. To start there will be equilibrium- where it shows an ordinary working environment for the characters to be in. For example in the Departed it shows a normal family run business with Sullivan as a young boy in there. The disruption in this case is Costello approaching him and convincing him to join the mob and then be a rat in the police force. The resolution in this movie comes right at the end when Mark Walberg comes back after being away for some time to kill Sullivan after he himself had killed Costigan and Captain Quennan

There are a lot of other convention inside thrillers that are to the story and the mise-en scene, editing, camera work and sound. These include:

-Chiaroscuro lighting

-Quick cuts

-Shadows

-Tension music

-Changes in the angles of shots

-Diegetic sound of music

-Black and white shots

-Montage

-The protagonist in the mercy of the antagonist

The place in which a thriller is usually set is also important as it suggests a lot about the movie. Generally, a thriller is set in the city and normally has lots of sirens going off to depict that there is a lot of crime that happens. This is normally done to show the audience that this is a thriller and make it a lot more realistic to the story then what it would be if it was set in the countryside.