Thriller Sub-genres

Opening Credits - Sweeney Todd

'Sweeney Todd: the demon barber of fleet street' is a horror/thriller film released in 2007. The film is about a n ex-barber, Sweeney Todd, also known as Benjamin Barker, who seeks revenge on his nemesis Judge Turpin, who stole his wife from him many years before.I believe the opening two minutes of this film are interesting to analyse as there is many different ways the themes are established.

For example, the organ-sounding music used until a later burst of loud, explosive music foreshadows the running theme of tension and melancholia of the film. the use of minor keys adds to this as it is almost disturbing for the audience to listen to. The use of the different sound effects from the old machinery shown in the clip also portrays the negative tone used throughout the film as it is gives off an eerie vibe to viewers. The sound and visual effects of thunder and lightning also add to the gloomy and chilling feel of the film as it alerts most viewers.

The way the low-key lighting starts the film and continues throughout also creates a desolate atmosphere as it links to a dark time within the context of the film, for example the existence of the black death. Despite this point, the only bright color we see in this clip is the color of the blood. This has a large significance on the effect of the clip as it establishes the horror genre and the sinister themes and characters used in the film. Also the way the blood is only ever next to dull-colored objects accentuates the royal yet evil color of it.

ALI,ALICE,KATIE,ROSE PRELIM TASK

Summer Task

Media gap task: comparing L.A confidential and Casino Royale opening sequences

One difference between the two sequences is the choice of music. L.A confidential has more light-hearted, up-beat music to create some irony in the scene whereas Casino Royale uses more tense music to add to the suspense of the scene.

Another slight difference is that in L.A confidential there is a use of original, old real life clips to create a naturalistic portrayal of the film’s context. On the other hand, Casino Royale appears to flip between two very contrasting scenes which produces a sense of flashback, which is also used in both sequences at times through the effect of black and white picture.

One more difference is that the character writing in L.A confidential is narrating in an almost monologue way and is speaking positively which possibly foreshadows negativity in the film through his sometimes sarcastic tone. In comparison, Casino Royale starts off in silence which creates tension and later on there is quiet one on one dialogue, which highlights this tension further.

The major similarity between the two clips is the camera work. For example both clips use close-ups on character’s faces to capture the feelings and emotions of the character through their facial expressions.

One other way in which camera work was used similarly was through the use of low camera angles. Both clips used low-angles at times for reasons such as determining a character’s status or setting a scene.