For my Main Media Task, I have compared the opening sequences of three thriller movies and have a personal opinion on which is the most effective. I have analysed Inception, Swordfish and Collateral, and all of these films have a variety of techniques and characteristics to fit the conventions of a thriller film.
The first technique used in these opening sequences is the use of camera work to create different effects on the audience.
In Inception, one of the very first shots is a close up of Leonardo Di Caprio’s face. This instantly lets the audience know that he is an important role in this film, and the knowledge of this helps draw the audience further into the narrative. Once involved in the narrative, the emotions the thriller is supposed to make viewers feel are more likely to be heightened, as the audience feel part of the storyline. This same effect is also created when the importance of Di Caprio is shown via the camera tracking his face upwards from the sand he is lying on, a point of view shot from a guard down onto him and when the camera pans up his body.
Other forms of showing importance are used, like the close ups of certain objects like the spinning top. This has the same effect on the audience as when the importance of Di Caprio is shown.
Another one of the initial Inception shots is a tracking and pan shot to follow a wave. At first we do not know why the scene is set here and it is not explained, which creates enigma. The confusion the audience feel is supposed to be felt, as confusion is a common convention in thrillers and this is why it is used. The confusion leads to the audience wanting to know more so that they can understand, so they become more deeply involved into the narrative, which means that other conventions will be heightened for the audience as they are more involved.
After this shot, the camera pans to and fro with the rhythm of the waves. The camera mimics the motion of certain things several times throughout the opening sequence, like this waves shot and also when the camera follows the movement of certain characters at certain times. This can be seen when the camera tracks left when the China Man looks left, or when the camera mimics the action of the China Man leaning forward to eat, and then leaning back again. Along with showing the importance of the China Man, this camera movement is very disorientating and would put viewers on edge. This is also a very common convention for thriller films, as causing the audience a slight form of discomfort is a main aim. The uncertainty and disorientation are both feelings needed to be ‘thrilled’ by a film.
Another disorientating thing about this opening sequence could be the extreme close up of a watch, which is upside down. As the shot is so close we do not instantly know what it is, and the fact that it is upside down makes it harder to determine. This disorientation is a common thriller convention and has the same effect on the audience as the disorientation caused through the mimics of the camera.
A minute or so into the opening sequence of Inception a handheld/point of view shot is used to pan up to a building. This could disorientate the viewer whilst also making them feel an actual part of the scenery (as the shot is how a person would see it from standing there), creating a sense of nervousness which is a common convention in thrillers.
In thriller films, it is conventional to have some characters with more power than others. We can see that this convention is used in Inception through shots such as low angle shots looking up to a character, who is looking down on a character, like when there is a low angle shot of a guard looking down at Di Caprio, or later on, when there is a low angle shot of Di Caprio looking down at the China Man. The actual physical status is higher, showing a power of one character over another, a common convention.
Swordfish uses close ups in the same way that Inception does, to show importance, and in comparison, has the same effect as Inception does by using it. The knowledge that Travolta is a vital part to the storyline draws the audience deeper into the narrative and helps heighten the other emotions the thriller is supposed to make viewers feel.
Further on in the opening sequence of Swordfish, the camera pans upwards from Travolta’s chest to his face several times, and this also outlines his importance, adding to the same effect created before.
Shortly after a close up of Travolta’s face, the camera cuts to a close up shot of the side of his face, and the camera is wavering slightly, as if it is handheld. This gives the idea that Travolta is being watched, and makes the audience feel tension as they do not know who is watching him or why. The enigma and tension are both very bi conventions in thrillers and can help us see why Swordfish is one.
Soon after this shot takes place, an over the shoulder shot is taken from behind a man sitting in front of Travolta, which confirms that he is indeed being watched. The enigma remains as we do not see the face of the watcher, but also sets the audience up for a completely different thing entirely. As the audience believed that somebody was watching him and their beliefs were confirmed, the viewers are more likely to trust their instincts from this point onwards. This is an ideal situation for a Red Herring (a huge thriller convention) to be set up, as since the audience feel the need to follow their instincts they are more likely to be lead on by the Red Herring, and more shocked when they find out that they are wrong. This drama makes for a good thriller. This is in contrast to Inception, as nothing in the opening sequence of that film indicates that viewers should be feeling the way this technique makes viewers feel.
After the over the shoulder shot, the camera cuts back to the side close up, but is this time a lot closer to Travolta’s face. This heightens the intensity of the shot and the increasing intensity could cause unease or tension for the viewers, two things thrillers are conventionally mean to make audiences feel.
Throughout the whole opening sequence, the camera is constantly moving and cutting at random intervals. This is very disorientating for the audience and the disorientation is in comparison with how Inception makes its audience feel via its camera movement. It has the same effect on the audience, already explained, and this indicates that disorientation is a main theme in a thriller.
In collateral, the first shot is a mid-shot of Tom Cruise walking slowly towards the camera. I can compare this relatively well to Swordfish and Inception, as it outlines the importance of his character for the same reasons as mentioned before. It also does this when the camera cuts to a mid-shot of Jason Statham in the same way. The only difference between these two shots is that when Cruise is walking towards the camera, the camera seems to follow his moves. For example, when Cruise dodges a person and moves to the right, so does the camera. This does not appear to happen with Statham, and could show that Cruise is more powerful than him. It is a common convention in thrillers to have different levels of power in different characters, so this is what the camera work could be showing.
After the mid-shot of Statham, there is a close up on the face of Cruise. Combined with the fact that Cruise is still walking forwards, the audience see his face getting closer and closer and this is very intense. The intensity of this shot can be compared with the intensity of shots in Swordfish and Inception, such as the second side close up of Travolta or the close up of Di Caprio. Intensity is a big convention for thrillers and this is why they have been used for effect.
When the suitcases are switched in Collateral, the camera stays very close to the two actors and keeps the intimate environment intact; giving the feeling that nobody is watching them, unlike in Swordfish. The fact that a crime has just taken place yet nobody has noticed gives a feeling of intelligence from the men, which could create tension as the audience now know the characters are capable of doing serious things.
After this shot there is a hand held shot over the shoulder of Tom Cruise. We can compare this to the hand held shot in Inception, and it creates the same effect of placing the audience in with the action.
All three films use a variety of sound techniques to fit the conventions of a thriller movie. At the start of the opening sequence of Inception a low eerie non-diegetic music is playing with a beat, and the beat is palpitating like a heart. As the music goes on the beating gets a little faster which could link in with the fast heartbeat of a person in fear. This puts viewers on edge as they realise that this movie may be scary, and they may feel tense as they do not know what to expect. Making the audience feel tense is an aim in thriller movies.
As the movie starts, the low eerie music is replaced by the diegetic noise of the waves, but soon starts again, minus the beat.
Soon after, two children are seen on a beach laughing and playing. The laughing and squealing is heard on top of the on-going eerie music. This could indicate that although things may seem happy, something still isn’t right. This could create tension for the audience too, because they know something is wrong and they don’t know what it is. This would put viewers on edge, an aim thrillers normally have.
Shortly after this has taken place, a guard comes over to Di Caprio and shouts to a fellow guard in a foreign language. As the majority of the audience will not know what the guard is shouting, it creates an enigma and confusion. The uncertainty may create a distrust of the guards, and all the emotions the viewers are feeling at this point have been created by the methods of the film.
Soon after this event, the camera cuts from the beach to a wooden room, and a loud thud is added as the camera cuts. This could startle the audience. If it does, the audience may feel more suspense from this point, as they do not know what else is going to make them jump. This is a very effective method as the more suspense the audience feels the more effective a thriller is considered to be.
In the wooden room, the guards are speaking English, but in their foreign accent. English is the equilibrium language for the majority of the audience and the fact that it is in a foreign accent could indicate to them that something is wrong. This could create tension and enigma, as they still do not know what this potential danger is.
This scene soon changes, but before the camera actually cuts to the other, the sound from the second appears at the end of the first scene. It could indicate that the first scene is important to be lingered upon, and makes it less forgettable. As the second scene of this film is the equilibrium, not the first, it makes it more likely that the audience will not forget that something has to go wrong, which creates tension, uncertainty and suspense – three main elements of a thriller. Another sound technique to show that the second scene is the equilibrium is that in the second scene only diegetic noise is used, whereas in the first scene a disrupting eerie music is playing throughout.
In the second scene, Di Caprio makes a speech to the China Man using sophisticated vocabulary. This is followed by an interruption from Gordon-Levitt using an “errrrr” sound. The use of this unsophisticated vocabulary makes Di Caprio’s look even more impressive, instantly giving him more power. It is a common thriller trait to have certain characters with more power than others, making this thriller conventional and effective.
Towards the end of Di Caprio’s speech, the dull eerie noise starts to play again. The audience now know that this music means disruption and it puts them on edge and makes them feel tension, a main element in thriller films.
Soon after Di Caprio’s speech the room begins to shake, and the lanterns above them begin to clink together in the disruption. The clinking of the lanterns is very high which stereotypically could indicate that they are made of crystal rather than glass, an expensive material. The expensive edge helps the audience relate to the fact that these disruptions are happening to the higher classes in society. Stereotypically, people high in class have fewer problems than people in lower class as they have more control. The fact that higher-class people are in a sense of danger indicates that no control can be taken over this situation, adding a great sense of danger to the scene, which is a big element in thriller films.
As the film progresses into the third scene, the ticking of watch links in with the ticking of a bomb before it explodes, and the increasing rattling from the disruption in the last scene builds up to loud explosion as the bomb goes off too. This is happening whilst we can also hear gunshots and tense music, a heartbeat-esque noise, some notes on a string instrument before returning to the ticking of a watch again. All this sound at once could disorientate the audience very much, and the sound is revolving around a semantic field of danger. The two things combined create an excitement and fear throughout the audience, two emotions stereotypically meant to be created through a thriller film.
Swordfish also uses sound techniques to create a good thriller atmosphere.
As the opening scene starts, a sudden screechy noise occurs, which is quite startling. As the audience are startled so quickly and so early into the film, it creates suspense, as they do not know what to expect next. This can be compared with the loud thud in Inception as the camera cuts.
As the scene is filmed, a quiet whirring noise is heard every time the camera is moved, which makes viewers aware of the fact this man is being filmed and clearly being watched. This creates a tension and enigma throughout the audience as viewers do not know who is watching this man or why at this point.
From the first sudden noise, a high music continues throughout the whole clip. This music heightens and drops at different intervals, or has another instrument added to it, or has a random beat in the background. The uncertainty, if you will, of this music links in with the uncertainty that the audience will feel through viewing it. As it changes at different intervals the audience do not know what to expect which creates tension. Tension and uncertainty are both elements in thriller movies. We can compare this with inception’s music. In contrast, the sound clips are both very different, but in comparison both create similar effects on the audiences by making them feel unsure.
One moment the music seems to get particularly high is when Travolta casually mentions killing. This shows that there actually is danger of death in this film, a very common convention of a thriller film. This is in contrast to Inception, as at one point the China Man asks “are you going to kill me?” and the music fades away, as if to reassure the audience that he is not.
In Swordfish, Travolta swears a lot in his opening speech, in contrast to Inception. The swearing could link into power and danger, two main elements in thriller films.
The sound of small things like clipping the cigar or placing a mug down is amplified in Swordfish. This could resemble the fact that everything Travolta does in this clip is powerful, showing him as the same thing. The same technique is used in Inception when the noise of the spinning top is amplified, but instead of a person, this is showing the power of the object. Power is a main element of a thriller film and the amplified sound helps portray the power of these things.
As the scene goes on, a low note is added to the music. Along with the high note, the whole sound is made generally more intense, heightening the emotions of the audience. This is similar to the low note being added over the children’s laugh in Inception, but it does not have the same effect.
Towards the end of the scene, we finally hear another man speak. We hear is voice but all we see of him is his back, not his face. This adds more enigma to the scene. This could be compared to the enigma created when we hear the voice of the China Man in Inception but only see his back, but Swordfish keeps the illusion up instead of showing the face of the speaker after a few seconds like in Inception.
In Collateral, no opening music is used, in contrast to Inception and Swordfish. This could resemble equilibrium, so when music does appear in the film the audience are more aware of the disruption, which would cause more suspense and tension.
Whilst Cruise walks towards the camera, no voices from the surrounding people are heard, but others are, such as airplanes taking off or the intercom. The main sound is Cruise’s footsteps. This could show his importance and power as we only hear him even though he’s in a very busy place.
Representation of power is shown when Statham walks towards the camera. His footsteps are heard too, they’re faster which could show nervousness, whereas Cruise seems completely at ease. We also hear the voices of the surrounding people when we see Statham which makes him seem less important. Representation of power is also shown in Inception and Swordfish, but not via this method.
The intercom in the background combined with the noise of airplanes conveys the setting well, the audience instantly know that the scene is set in an airport. This is in comparison with Inception, where the sound of waves helps contribute to the fact the scene is set on a beach, but in contrast with Swordfish where no noise is added to set location in the first scene.
When the two characters bump into each other and when the suitcases hit the floor, the noise is amplified. This can be compared to both Inception and Swordfish, like when the noise of the spinning top is amplified or when Travolta clips his cigar. It shows the importance of the action so the audience know that this is a vital part of the film.
Inception uses editing techniques to fit the conventions of a thriller film. The film opens with a slow motion shot of a wave crashing against a rock. The slow motion could signify the importance of this motion, and make us realize that a wave crashing against a rock could symbolize something. For example, the wave could be equilibrium and it is disrupted when the rock (the antagonist) stands in its path. This narrative is a common convention in thriller films and the slow motion helps us realize its relevance.
Slow motion is also used in actions such as the children running across the beach, and could be used in the same way. It helps us realize the happiness still isn’t completely right, as mentioned before.
Soon after the beach scene, the camera slowly zooms into the wooden room. The zoom could make the audience feel as if they too are entering the room slowly, and slow approaches normally mean there is suspense involved. This heightens the audience’s feeling of tension and suspense, which are two main elements of a thriller film.
In contrast to this slow zoom, in the next scene there is a very fast zoom onto the explosion in the street. The fast paced editing adds to the excitement of the thriller and makes the audience feel the same excitement, a main element in thriller films.
The lighting in Inception changes throughout, from being quite bright to quite dim to being in natural daylight. The changing could cause some disorientation which is an element commonly used in thrillers.
In Swordfish, the editing is very different to that in Inception. When the opening sequence starts, the image is flickering and grainy, with fuzzy lines intercepting, like a home movie. This gives the impression of being watched, creating tension, and also the idea of something being wrong. Inception and Collateral do not use this technique in any parts of the sequence.
There are many deep and shallow focus pulls in Swordfish. This is very disorientating and creates an edge and unease for the audience. Inception and Collateral don’t use this technique.
The lighting in Swordfish is very gloomy and dark, a little similar to the gloomy lighting in the wooden room in Inception. This similar technique could portray an emotionally darker side to the story, something which would cause unease for the audience. Unlike in Inception, the lighting in Swordfish is mainly putting all of the focus onto Travolta, as he is the most brightly lit thing in the frame in most shots. This could portray his importance as the antagonist or protagonist (depending on the further storyline).
Half way through the opening sequence of Swordfish, there is a jump cut. This indicates that more than one person in watching Travolta, creating suspension for the audience. A jump cut is also used in Inception in the second scene in the wooden room, but it doesn’t give the feeling of being watched therefore I feel that the jump cut in Swordfish is more effective.
In a similar way to Inception, Swordfish uses a slow zoom on Travolta. This compares well to Inception as both slow zooms build tension due to the pace, and also show importance of object/character, a common convention in Thriller movies.
In Collateral, a lot less editing is used than in the opening sequences of Swordfish and Inception. This could be very effective in itself, giving the movie a higher illusion of reality, which could help the audience connect to the storyline better. This is effective because then when the dramatic events happen in the film, they will be more shocking next to the realistic storyline, and the audience will also react better because they are connected to the storyline more, due to its realistic traits.
The lighting in this film could also link into the realistic effect, as it is bright, natural light. The lighting does not change unlike in Inception, and is not dark unlike Swordfish. It sets atmosphere as the natural lighting shows the time of day, and also makes the opening sequence more realistic for the same reasons as before.
When Cruise is shot walking towards the camera, the shot is zoomed in on his face and also appears to be in slow motion. This could highlight his importance to the film, just as Swordfish and Inception highlight the importance of their characters with zoomed in images of the antagonist’s/protagonist’s faces.
In the part of the opening sequence when Statham and Cruise collide and drop their bags, fast paced editing is used. Fast paced editing is used only slightly in Inception towards the end and not in Swordfish. The speed could startle the audience compared to the slowness of Cruise’s walk, and shock is a common element in Thriller movies.
All three films use a lot of mise-en-scene to create representations and conventions of a thriller movie.
The setting in Inception is first on a beach, then a wooden room, then a room in a street full of war. The beach is a place the majority of the audience can relate to, so when the events that take place there are not understood the enigma increases, as the audience feel they should understand due to recognition of the setting.
On the beach, we see rocky terrain in the background. This could possible represent the instability of the setting and events.
The wooden room looks very expensive, which ties in with the same point earlier made about the clinking crystal. It also has traditional Chinese patterns on the backdrop, setting location.
The last room makes the audience feel danger, as it is surrounded by fighting and explosions and these are both very big signals of danger. This is effective for the film as when the audience know there is danger, they will feel unease, a common element of thriller storylines.
The last room is constructed of a paler, more worn wood than in the last scene, and has wooden beads as blinds. These are both stereotypical features of a third world country, and this sets scene. It could represent a more panicked and poor state of mind, a convention in many thriller storylines.
The costumes and appearances in this movie represent characters well, which helps the conventions of the film become more effective.
The two children in the film are both wearing brightly coloured clothes, a common trait for children. This represents them as normal and happy. The fact that they are in abnormal surroundings and are not in a happy place contradicts their state of being, creating tension for the audience as they do not know the reasons for such contradiction yet.
Di Caprio is first seen in very shabby clothes, with his hair dropping down in front of his face. His whole look is very dirty and unsophisticated. This portrays him as weak and powerless, making the China Man in the next setting look more powerful in comparison. This outlines the characters well, effective for the convention of antagonists and protagonists.
The guards are all wearing uniform in the opening sequence, portraying a company or organization. As the audience, we do not know what this grouping is, so it creates an enigma. It also creates an effect of indifference throughout the guards, so the audience knows that none of these people are main characters and we are no too absorbed by their behavior, and instead pay attention to the more important features of the film.
In the second wooden room scene, all the men are wearing suits. This represents a professional atmosphere and makes events like the ‘earthquake’ seem more worrying when they take place in an atmosphere that appears to have control.
Di Caprio wears a wedding ring throughout. This represents him as a realistic human, not just a business man. This helps the audience relate to him better as we see that he is realistic just like the majority of the audience.
In comparison to Di Caprio’s tie, Gordon-Levitt wears a bow tie. Stereotypically, these are more comical and less serious than a tie, which represents Di Caprio as higher in power. This helps the convention of power in thriller films.
In the third room, the fourth man is wearing jeans and a tee shirt. This is a big step down from a suit, which shows his difference to the other men and maybe even an irrelevance to the storyline. In this scene the men are also wearing different coloured suits than in the previous scene. Instead of a classic black, they are grey. These suits are not as classical as black ones, and show a step down in power from the last scene. It is unusual for somebody in a thriller film to lose this much power without something being made of it, so this part does not necessarily fit the conventions of a thriller movie.
Guns are used in this opening sequence, a common representation of danger. This gives the audience a sense of unease, a common element in thriller storylines.
In the second scene, a bowl of some kind of stew is used. It doesn’t look classy and actually looks disgusting in comparison to the next scene, where well cut meat is being eaten accompanied by wine. The comparison represents how much the equilibrium of this film has to be disrupted to go from something so classy to something so poor and vile.
The events in this opening sequence also represent conventions of a thriller. The explosion represents danger, as does the fighting. The whole enigmatic storyline is a huge convention for a thriller, too.
Unlike Di Caprio, Travolta has very strong facial features, like his powerful jaw line. This in itself represents a power that Di Caprio does not have. It also adds the convention of power of the antagonist/protagonist in a thriller.
He wears a black suit with a dark shirt, which reflects on his character and represents him as an emotionally dark man. This element is not used to the same effect in Inception, but has a similar effect when Di Caprio’s ‘rough’ costume is all dark brown. It does not show an evil side to him as Travolta’s suit does, but shows an emotionally dark side.
We notice that Travolta is wearing a ring on his right hand, and jewelry is a sign of expense, making Travolta appear rich, a very common convention for the ‘baddy’ in thriller narratives. It also draws attention to the fact that he is not wearing a ring on his left hand, a wedding ring, which could portray him as unloving, another common convention for ‘baddies’. This is in contrast to Di Caprio’s ring, which shows his loving nature.
Behind Travolta we see a man wearing a suit and a white shirt. The fact that both characters we see in this scene are wearing suits makes the meeting seem professional, which is contradicted by the fact we can see glasses and chairs in the background as if in a café. This is disorientating and enigmatic for the audience, two main elements of a thriller. Inception also uses disorientation and enigma to create effect.
Along with the professional atmosphere, the fact that the other man is wearing a white shirt in contradiction to Travolta’s grey one shows the convention of good and bad. The white on the other man’s shirt represents his innocence and cleanliness of nature. This is similar to Inception, when all the men wear white shirts underneath their suits.
In this sequence Travolta smokes a cigar, a sign of expense and a phallic symbol. They show his manliness and richness, two common traits for a character in a thriller. Signs of expense are also used in Inception, such as the crystal lamps.
There is also the fact that Travolta only partly smokes his cigar before stubbing it out, which represents that he only smoked it for show. It shows that he does certain things solely for appearance, which could be worrying for the audience as they know there is an act taking place that we don’t know the reason for. A similar effect is created in Inception when Gordon-Levitt says “he knows.” indicating that the China Man has picked up on something that they were trying to hide by an act.
Travolta drinks what appears to be a cappuccino in this opening sequence. In comparison, it makes Travolta look bigger (for representation of character) and at the same time portrays him as a practical business man.
A big representation in this scene is probably when Travolta lights his cigar, he uses a lighter without flame. Fire is a conventional symbol for danger, yet in this scene it is invisible. This could represent that there is danger in this scene that we cannot see, putting the audience on edge and adding suspense.
In Collateral, the setting is that of an airport, a place of which the majority of the audience will be able to relate to. This is very similar to the use of the beach in Inception, and creates the same effect.
In Collateral Cruise wears shades. This represents an enigma of character and the fact that something suspicious is taking place, a common convention in thrillers. Enigma is also used in Inception and Swordfish, but not via the same way.
Both men are wearing suits here, in a very similar fashion to Inception and Swordfish. In the same ways as before, it represents a businesslike and sophisticated atmosphere, a common element in thrillers.
In a very similar fashion to Inception, Cruise wears a tie with his suit whilst Statham doesn’t, just like Di Caprio and Gordon-Levitt. In the same way as before, it helps outline the power in both characters, which is an element used in all thrillers.
When the cases are dropped, we recognize that they are black. While businesslike, they could also represent something dark and dangerous, such as Travolta’s suit does in Swordfish and the danger is a common effective element in thrillers as it creates suspense for the audience, as they do not know what this danger is at this point in the storyline.
At the end of the opening sequence, we see Cruise tuck a leaflet away. This could represent that the main event is over, that it is being put away. This alerts the audience that the danger and tension is over for now and that they can relax, but this could be very effective to make the next bit of danger unexpected and therefore more shocking, and shock is a common element in thrillers. We can relate this to Swordfish, when the danger appears to be over when Travolta leaves.
A lot of enigma and conventions are used in the narrative of Inception. The most common convention is the disruption of equilibrium. In the second and third scene, two very different atmospheres and times are contrasted, the first is disrupted and he second is not. This indicates that something has to go wrong to get to this disruption, so the audience is instantly on edge.
Disruption is also shown in Swordfish’s narrative, when disagreement is taking place.
In contrast, only a small amount of disruption is shown in Collateral when the cases are dropped, but this could be even more effective as it puts the audience on edge because they are waiting for the disruption to take place.
I have not seen the production company logos for Swordfish or Collateral so I cannot compare, but the misty dark colours of the production company logo for Inception represent a dark theme for the film, putting the audience on edge.
I personally find Swordfish the most effective thriller out of the three. Inception has the most disruption and signifiers, and Collateral is the easiest to relate to, but Swordfish creates the most suspense and tension, and I find these the most effective conventions of a thriller.
