Thursday, 8 January 2009
Sunday, 4 January 2009
The Third Man
Director: Carol ReedWriters: Graham Greene
Screenplay and Story
Release date, 3rd September 1949
The Third Man is a classic film, released on the 3rd of September 1949 and directed by Carol Reed. This is a classic noir thriller with all the aspects of a thriller film from the 1940 to 50s. This is a brilliant film, from all aspects from the story line to the actors to the location. This film has been filmed in such a perfect way and is very hard to fault. Every shot has been carefully set up and every scene is perfectly shot. I can learn a lot from this film to help with my thriller opening.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=F_SQyCJega8
Above is a one minute ten second clip of the Third Man and just in this short space of time there is such a variety of clever shots used by the director. The first is in just two seconds, where the director has used a tilt shot on the building, there is a cat in what look like a doorway in-between two windows. This shot shows us that everything is not right the world is slightly on the slant and everything is not normal. The windows also have bars covering them, which could suggest entrapment.
The next shot at Nine seconds is a low angle shots which shows Holly Martins shouting at the doorway. The lighting is very clever as it is on his face so the audience can see his face, however before the lighting is very low so we can only see the cat in the doorway. This means that the audience has no clue as to what happens next but they would be guessing as in to is it really Harry Lime or just Holly Martins shouting because he is drunk?
The next shot at 10 seconds is setting the scene for the next few shots, so the audience can work out where each character is and wont get confused as to where the car comes from in the next few shots. At this time you can still hear Holly martins shouting, the director Carol Reed has placed a Holly in a great place under the light of the lamp, this is very cleverly done and stops any artificial light being used. It also makes the scene very believable. You can also admire his clothing and classic thriller trilby and long coat these types of clothing are classic examples of the conventions of a Thriller film.
On 13 seconds the camera then moves to a mans feet, with the cat sitting in between his legs the noir lighting is used just to show up his legs.
The Next shot is on 16 seconds and shows the camera moves up to a window on the second floor of a building. The Director has used a worms eye view shot to look up at the window; this keeps the audience guessing and in suspense as Holly is still shouting across the road. This shot goes on until twenty seconds when you hear another load voice but this time its coming from the room above, where the camera has been pointing. At that second a light is flicked on and the camera flicks to Harry Limes face this is his introduction and is a very powerful one. At that moment the classic theme music comes in which was played at the start of the film, this theme is by Anton Karas. If I heard this theme it would remind me of this film straight away.
The camera moves between Holly a medium shot is used to show his shock in that Harry Lime is not dead at all but very much alive. The camera moves again to the woman shouting down at Holly but he takes no notice as he is in such shock. The next shot is a medium shot again facing Harry Lime with the light on his face glowing. The shot then moves into a close up where Harry drops his head slightly to the left, and this is the most iconic shot of the whole film and is used on posters for the film. I think this is brilliant and the best scene in the whole film and is one of my favourite parts in all of the Thriller films I have studied.
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsDirector: Guy Ritchie
Date when released: 1998
Country made in: England
Award nominated: BAFTA – won best film
This is a classic modern day British cockney film. Released in 1998 the film is comical, but also serious it depicts four cockney lads, Tom, Soap, Eddie and Bacon who owe a porn king "hatchet" a large sum of money, because Eddie has lost half a million in a rigged poker game. This leads the Four with a large problem as they now have "big Chris" after them. There are also marijuana cultivators, dim-witted robbers and ruthless gang of drug dealers. And you can’t forget the two antique rifles, which add a clever twist to the end of the film.
Essex Boys
Essex Boys
Director: Terry Winsor
Writers: Jeff Pope and Terry Winsor
Release date: 14th July 2000
Country made England
This is another modern but classic British film, it portrays a almost true story where three men were murdered in Essex and this inspired the film. This adds a sense of realism to the film where people who followed the news would remember this news story. The opening shot shows one of the main characters in a confined small space in a very unglamorous location. There is very low lighting and a cobwebbed covered car to show how long the car has been trapped in this small, unglamorous space, like the main character who has just been in prison for 5 years. The next shot sequence shows the car driving down a very long road surrounded by very dull, grey concrete. This maybe taken as there dull lives, however this contrasts with the main character who is wearing a very colourful top and riding in the back of the car to show his importance in the film. The camera then pans to the front of the car where you see a very tired Billy driving the car through the tunnel, the lighting on the front window screen is very interesting as it shows 5 bars of light across his face, this could be to symbolise prison bars.
Then after this there is a change of location, as the scene is changed to a large where house with a fish market going on. Then the main character gets out and starts to strut down through everyone with his eyes dead on the camera or the victim as we find out in a few moments. Then he starts to attack the victim as he shouts, " this is what happens to grasses" he beats him and kicks him and drags him to the back of the white van. He then throws what looks like acid over the victim’s face, after this he is thrown in the back of the van. Whist all this is going on Billy is sat in the front of the van being silent and still this shows the power Jason has as a ruthless gangster.
The location then changes again to a dockyard, where you see the white van drive through a very lonely and uninhabited place we can only guess this is where the victim will be taken to. We know he has been taken to this area so no one can hear his cries for mercy.
Director: Terry Winsor
Writers: Jeff Pope and Terry Winsor
Release date: 14th July 2000
Country made England
This is another modern but classic British film, it portrays a almost true story where three men were murdered in Essex and this inspired the film. This adds a sense of realism to the film where people who followed the news would remember this news story. The opening shot shows one of the main characters in a confined small space in a very unglamorous location. There is very low lighting and a cobwebbed covered car to show how long the car has been trapped in this small, unglamorous space, like the main character who has just been in prison for 5 years. The next shot sequence shows the car driving down a very long road surrounded by very dull, grey concrete. This maybe taken as there dull lives, however this contrasts with the main character who is wearing a very colourful top and riding in the back of the car to show his importance in the film. The camera then pans to the front of the car where you see a very tired Billy driving the car through the tunnel, the lighting on the front window screen is very interesting as it shows 5 bars of light across his face, this could be to symbolise prison bars.
Then after this there is a change of location, as the scene is changed to a large where house with a fish market going on. Then the main character gets out and starts to strut down through everyone with his eyes dead on the camera or the victim as we find out in a few moments. Then he starts to attack the victim as he shouts, " this is what happens to grasses" he beats him and kicks him and drags him to the back of the white van. He then throws what looks like acid over the victim’s face, after this he is thrown in the back of the van. Whist all this is going on Billy is sat in the front of the van being silent and still this shows the power Jason has as a ruthless gangster.
The location then changes again to a dockyard, where you see the white van drive through a very lonely and uninhabited place we can only guess this is where the victim will be taken to. We know he has been taken to this area so no one can hear his cries for mercy.
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