THRILLER - Analysis

Red Dragon:
To get more familiar with the thriller genre, we watched some films in lesson. The first film we watched was Red Dragon. It is the 2002 prequel to The Silence of the Lambs directed by Brett Ratner, and starred Anthony Hopkins and Edward Norton.
The film begins in a theatre as an orchestra are playing, it is an extreme long shot as well as an establishing shot, and the setting suggests that the characters in the film are intelligent, upper class people. The camera then slowly zooms into a close up of Hannibal Lector's face, introducing him to the audience. The audience are given the impression that Lector is well educated as he sits and appreciates the music that is being played. The music compliments the slow camera movements. Within the orchestra, there is a flute player who is out of tune. We then see Lector's face once again as he singles out and concentrates on the flut player who is making the mistake. This once again shows his intelligence. The music builds up to a cresendo as the action begins, helping to create tension in the audience and to suggest that something dramatic is going to happen.
The film continues in Hannibal Lector's house at dinner. Hannibal seems very poilte, and when the group are talking about the missing flute player, he remains calm and composed under the pressure. When he is asked to confess, there is a close-up on his worried face- hinting that he knows something. When the person who asked him the question continues with the conversation, Lector seems relieved, showing the audience that he has been up to something, and may have had something to do with the missing flute player.
Lector's house is large, and the furniture inside is very traditional and clearly shows that he is a wealthy man. The ornaments ar-ound the house also show that he is very cultural. Also, it is noticeable that there are a lot of books in the house, continuing the theme of Lector's intelligence. He keeps a tidy house that is full of eccentric artifacts and expensive furniture. This not only gives the impression that he is rich, but also powerful. Also, the carpet in Lector's house is a very dark red symbolizing danger, anger and blood - an ominous sign of what is going to happen.
The lighting in the scene is very dark and reflects the mood and the character that has been introduced. In comparison to the other people in the scene, Hannibal Lector is shown in a darker light, suggesting that he has a darker, more sinister side to him, that hasn't yet been revealed to the audience.
The is extensive use of pans in the sequence to show spacial awareness in the scene. The cuts and editing are slow and steady to gradually entice the audience into the story. Also, it could reflect the way Hannibal Lector works - subtly and silently, progressing unnoticed.
When Will Graham is looking around Lector's possessions, the music builds up as he is discovering new things about the character.The music being played is quite edgey and scratchy, there is also a lot of string instruments being played. The music accompanies the clips in parallel shots. There is a reaction shot when Graham realises that Lector is the killer. After Graham has looked at the cookbook and discovered the truth about Lector, the music gets high pitched as Lector stabs him. The music gets louder and develops into a beat, which could be perceived as Graham's heart beat. After he has stabbed Graham, the audience are shown that Lector has a more caring side, as he "doesn't want Graham to feel any pain". It is obvious to the audience that Lector has experience in this situation as he is well rehearsed in what Graham is going through ie- "you are in shock now".
Another important factor in the opening sequence is the scrapbook. The audience can see it being made piece by piece. It is a way of keeping the audience up to date with Hannibal's story. It is a form of dramatic irony as the audience are aware (or think they are aware) of the criminal before the police in the film do.
The verbal codes in the opening sequence also indicate a sub-genre or theme in the film. As the credits appear, the word 'Red' fades from white to red and the word 'Dragon' stays white. This could have been done to achieve various effects. Firstly, it could show a slow change in a character from good to bad. It could also be symbolic of the conflict between good and evil, and the fact that there is both in everyone.

Seven:
Seven (SE7EN) is a 1995 thriller film directed by David Fincher. It stars two of Hollywoods most respected actors Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.
The opening of Seven follows the typical thriller formula where the characters are introduced to the audience. We are also given the advantage of seeing into the characters homes and lives. We are initially introduced to Morgan Freeman's character - Detective Somerset. The first shot in which we see Somerset is a low-angled medium shot- instantly giving him an amount of respect and authority. Throughout the opening sequence, most of the shots range from medium to close up. The movement of the camera develops gradually in the sequence to assist in building the tension and suspense in the film. However, it is noticeable that the camera is a lot smoother when Somerset is in the shot as oppose to when Brad Pitt's character - Detective Mills is. There are various ways in which Detective Somerset and Detective Mills are contrasted, not only in the opening sequence, but throughout the rest of the film.
SOMERSET: At the beginning of the film, we see Somerset getting ready in his house. It is a very calm house, indicating that he lives alone. His clothes/uniform are ready on the bed and look meticulous. They look like clothes for a stereotypical detective. Also, there is a lot of white furniture in the house, although it is still quite dark. This could mean that he is good, innocent man with a potential shadow looming over him. The camera movement in Somersets house is often slow, smooth tracking and panning, to mirror how Somerset acts later in the scene and film, despite the situation he may be in. Another noticeable feature in Somerset's house is a chess board, which is an indicator to the audience that he is an intelligent man. This is also evident because of the amount of the books in the house. When he is walking through the street with Mills later in the scene, he isn't fazed by what is going on around him as he walks calmly with his hands behind his back. Just before the opening credits begin, Somerset lies in bed with a metronome on his bedside table. This could be suggesting different things. Firstly, it could show how he has a methodical approach to his work and his life. Also, it could be a reflection on the fact that he has trouble sleeping- maybe because if his job. The rhythm of the metronome is similar to that of a heartbeat.
MILLS: Detective Mills is representative of a younger generation. The most obvious difference between the two characters is the age. As he wakes up in the morning, it is noticeable that his and his wife's flat is quite dark and gloomy. Mills is in a rush and is unorganised. His tie is hanging up in the same knot from the last time he wore it. He takes less care in his appearance than Somerset. When he is walking with Somerset, he looks uneasy in his surroundings and has to move out of the way for everyone else, as if no-one notices him. He is wearing a leather jacket which appears unprofessional and quite rebellious. They also have different approaches to how they work, Somerset is analytical of the crime scene, whereas Mills doesn't really stop to assess the situation. The camera is a rougher to reflect how he has flaws. Although they are made to look different a lot of the time, there is also the use of low-angled shots looking up are both of them, giving them equal authority.
The location of the film also plays a big part in the story, even though it is purposely not revealed. It is a fictional city of constant rain and urban decay that mirrors the general tone of the film. However, it is believed to be New York, because of the surroundings and features. It is a typical inner city are and through the use of mise-en-scene, it is clear to the audience that the area is not a particularly nice place and quite dangerous. This is because of the walls covered in graffiti. Also, when they get to the crime scene, there is a lot of blood up the window in the background.
Throughout the opening sequence, the weather and lighting are significant in setting the tone. The weather - constant raining - reflects pathetic fallacy, making everything dark and gloomy. The rain is a religious symbol of the sins being washed away one by one. The darkness acts as a cover for the criminal who is committing the horrific crimes. The mysterious surroundings put both of the main characters out of their comfort zones, showing that they do share some things in common. All of the characters are in the dark as they dont know what is going to happen to them. To create tension in the opening sequence, and for most of the film, the audience do not see the killers face.
Music is used for a dramatic effect during the opening credits. The ticking of Somerset's metronome develops into a heartbeat, which integrates with the scratchy music. The screen is black and the actors names appears. They match the distortion of the music. The font is as if it was written by a child. The credits are white on a black background. It is suggesting that the theme of the film is good characters getting drawn into dark, sinister secrets.
There is also the use of a scrapbook in the credits, an indication that the crime has been planned which makes it even more sadistic. The editing in this section is very messy and unorganised, which could reflect someones life or attitude to life.