COLLATERAL- Textual Analysis

Describe the Location(s) /setting A busy airport or some sort of public transport station and a loud taxi rank How is it typical of the genre? Because they are ordinary, boring locations and extraordinary events are expected to happen there because it is a thriller.

How does it contribute to the representation of the characters? In the airport, both the men are wearing suits; this gives the audience clues towards their social class, finical situations and jobs. They look very professional. Whereas the man in the taxi rank is dressed very casually (scruffily) and this could show the audience that he is a very laid back character that has possibly given up hope with fulfilling his dreams or being happy.

Describe the lighting/ colour stock The lighting in the airport of very dull but is bright enough for the audience to pick up on minor details. The lighting in the taxi rank is also very dull and washed out, but it does however highlight the bright lights of the cars and helps show the audience detail of the man doing the crossword.

How is this used to create atmosphere? It helps create tension between the two men that walk into each other and doesnt make the atmosphere particularly happy. It helps to make the audience more empathic because we see a quiet and contained man in a very busy, loud environment. It doesnt look particularly happy either. It helps show the unhappiness of the man.

Describe the costume/ appearance of the characters Hair/ makeup/ dress etc. The men in the airport are wearing suits; they look very smart and professional but quite dull. The man in the taxi rank is dressed very casually and looks quite scruffy. This connotes that: In the airport they are of a higher social class and are on a business trip. And in the taxi rank this could give us clues to his financial situation and how he may have lacked the motivation to care about his appearance

What Props are used? Glasses Brief cases Newspapers A picture Cleaning things

How are they typical of the genre? The glasses hide the characters identity and doesnt giver too much away to the character. This is typical of the genre because thrillers are all about exposing what is meant to be revealed. How do they add to the action? They add to the action because they give us more detail about the characters personality and keep the audience thinking. For example, the swapping of the brief cases.

What additional information do they give us about the characters? The bottle of cleaner in the car tells us that the character takes pride in his presentation but he doesnt always show this in how he dresses. The picture in the car also shows us that the character is unhappy with what he is currently doing.

Describe the actorsPerformance Body language/ accent/ paralanguage Key phrases etc. The men in the airport are both very formal and their body language is very strong and forward. The man in the taxi rank is very closed off from the other people in that environment. He is doing his crossword on his own and doesnt make any interaction with any other characters. What does this tell us about the social status of the character? In the airport this tells us that they may have a higher social status and know that they fit in well in that environment. And in the taxi rank scene this shows us that he may have a lower social status than the men in the airport because of how he is dress and how he feels. What does it tell us about the personality of the character? This tells us that the men in the airport are both very powerful and mysterious. And the man in the taxi rank seems very reserved and quiet, he is also very unhappy with his job.

Camera Shots Why shoot this sequence in this way? What meaning is created? Long/mid shots of the men in suits walking through the airport towards each other. -This gives him more power and authority and he seems to be more important than everyone else because he is the only one in focus. Associated point of views shots when the men are having a short conversation in the airport. And when the character is leaving the airport. (we only see half of his face and sunglasses) - Everything else is out of focus and they are the only two characters that are focused, this shows the audience how relevant this conversation is to the rest of the film. Lots of close ups of things in the taxi rank and a mid-close up of when he is filling in his crossword.-Only exposes a little bit of information about where the man is and helps us empathise with how isolated and alone he feels.

Camera Angles Why shoot this sequence in this way? What meaning is created? All the angles in the airport scene are from straight ahead-This suggests that the audience should focus more on the characters body language and there isnt much emotion to be focused on. It helps us focus more on the action. Low angle from where the bag is placed in the taxi.- The meaning behind this could be that the character once had lots of power in society and he feels comfortable in his own taxi. However there is also a high angle shot after this.- Helping to expose his vulnerability and show how unhappy he is in that environment.

Camera Movements Why shoot this sequence in this way? What meaning is created? There is a pan in the taxi rank of the man filling in his crossword and it makes its way up to his face. -This implies that there is more to him that what is shown on screen and he can be quite a mysterious character.

Sound What information does it give / how does it create / imply meaning? Diegetic Sound- People talking in the airport, faint footsteps of protagonist. Constant sound because they are in a busy, built up area. Noise of the suitcases falling to the floor is slightly louder. Footsteps build tension and make the audience wonder where the characters are going. The suitcase falling on the floor shows the audience that it is significant but the camera is also close enough to pick up that sound. This shows the audience that the interaction between them in important in this scene.

Non-Diegetic Sound- Upbeat music, high pitched during the changes of the scene. This helps the audience to identify that the location of the scene is changing. And that the two characters are linked together in some way. Diegetic Sound- Man in taxi rank speaking on the phone, engines starting, car horns and people shouting, ruffles of paper moving. Radio The driver is getting organised and the noise around him is shut off, this helps him to get ready for work. And gives us clues to how he is feeling (alone and isolated) Non-Diegetic Sound- The background music continues even after the scenes have changed, the volume lowers and gets less intense when the taxi driver closes the door. This could help the audience to understand how the driver is feeling at this point. And could help the audience what kind of a character he is (organised but a bit lonely and isolated etc.)