Brick Charlie Funnell

Character The main character in this scene is clearly an unpopular person because of the way he dresses which seems like he hasn’t put much effort into it and the fact that he is wearing glasses. His costume tells us that he is a teenager and the glasses are stereotypical of an unpopular teenage boy, and suggests weakness which is typical of thriller protagonists. Also the body language used by the character seems very awkward, as if he is a person uncomfortable with being in a social setting like high school.

Narrative The opening scene in this film is focused heavily on narrative as it builds up the basis of the story in a very short space of time, leaving the audience with questions and wanting to watch more. Which is what a Thriller film is designed to do. The audience doesn’t know who the dead girl Is laying in the storm drain, or why she got there and The fact that the phone call between the characters is confusing, as the main character is asking lots of questions which don’t get answered is typical of the thriller genre. Also the fact that the narrative is non linear and shows us the important event of the murder right at the beginning of the film suggests it is a thriller.

Mise-en-scene Location: The opening scene of this film is set in very ordinary but remote locations such as a storm drain, a high school and a roadside in a quiet suburban town. The ordinary locations are typical of the thriller genre as extraordinary things often happen in ordinary places in thriller films. Lighting: This scene has very de-saturated colours such as blues and yellows to make the setting seem like a place where bad things could happen and gives the feeling that things aren’t quite right.

Mise-en-scene Props: important props such as the telephone a cigarette and a muscle car are used in this scene. The telephone as it is an important as it suggests the secrecy of the conversation the two characters are having, as they are not speaking face to face. The cigarette, thrown out of the car has negative connotations and suggests that the driver is a bad person, and the car itself is threatening looking. Another important prop in this scene is the blue bangle worn by the girl. It is first shown when she is laying dead in the storm drain, and then the shot cuts to her opening a locker in a different location, wearing the bangle. This is important as the prop suggests that we are seeing a flashback.

Cinematography Close ups are used in this scene to display the characters emotions in more detail to the audience. Low angle shots are also used throughout the scene possibly to suggest that the character in shot is significant. Another significant shot in this scene is a handheld shot. The main character is in a phone booth, so the handheld shot makes it seem as if he is being watched which is typical of a thriller narrative. The fact that the opening scene of this film has no establishing shot is typical of a thriller.

Sound A soundtrack is used at the beginning of this scene to help set the tone of the film. The scene filmed in the storm drain is unexplained and mysterious and the soundtrack fits these themes well. For the rest of the opening scene there is no non-diegetic sound, only sound inside the scene, such as the telephone ringing in the phone box and the car loudly passing by. This helps to show that the film is set in an ordinary place, where not much usually goes on.