Tuesday 1 March 2011

Analysis of a Thriller opening: Leon

Leon: A 12 year old girl, Mathilda's whole family is killed while she's at the store and as she arrives home sees the men who killed them still at her home and to save her life she decides to walk past and pretend to live at her neighbors home, Leon her neighbor turns out to be a professional assasin who reluctantly takes care of her and teaches her his trade.

Camera Work:
The establishing shot at the begining is a of a large space of water and the camera then pans across it, then crossing over some trees and the pan gradually becomes slower and lifts up to show an skyline of New York, it then continues with a faster speed and cuts to the busy streets in the city where the camera is unsteadily panning through them just above car height. This scene gives away the location of the film as the camera lifts up to reveal a banner reading 'Welcome to Little Italy'. The camera then pans in closer on a shop titled 'Supreme Macaroni co.' The next shot is a close up of Leons hands gentally placed around a glass of milk on the table, this adds tension to the scene. The next shot is really usefull; it's a close up on Leons eye, but his eyes are hidden with his black lensed circle framed glasses. The glasses don't only add mystery to the figure as it's hiding his eyes, but they also act as a mirror for the viewer, who will be able to see the reflection of the man sitting opposite him putting a cigarette in his mouth and then the next shot is a close up of the man lighting the cigarette in his mouth and the camera pans up very slightly but the mans features are hidden behind the smoke from the freshly lit cigarette, once again adding mystery to the identity of the two men. They utter a few words in italian that also add to the mystery. A mid-close up is then shown of Leon but half his face is blocked from the unfocused shoulder of the man opposite from him. Another close up then shows the man putting out his cigarette in the little glass ash tray on the table. A close up is used on the mans mouth as he says 'Let's talk business'. The man then slides a black and white photo of a man in a car, unaware that the photo has been taken, into the possible point of view shot. The shots then switch between close ups of the two mens faces and the photograph as they speak. The close up of Leons hand around the glass of milk is used again and he picks up the glass, then a close up of the other mans eyes show his eyes following Leons movements, then a close up of Leon drinking the milk is used and finally a close up of when he puts the empty glass back down beside his hand. In a point of view shot a close up of the picture is shown as Leon puts his hand on the photo and slides it away, a reflection in his glasses also shows him doing this.

Many of the shots in the opening scene were close ups, used very skillfully to add tension and mystery between the two men, especailly as close ups don't show all of their features and techniques are used to block them such as; smoke from the cigarette, black glasses, over the shoulder shot close up etc. What i think is really skillfull and interesting about the way the close ups were used is that even though the viewer wasn't shown a full shot of what was going on, they managed to build the scene up bit by bit with big and small details, almost like a jig saw of little pieces put together to show the viewer the full picture.
Also very clever is the use of unsteady camerawork as it pans through the streets as it makes the veiwer feel almost apart of the film, like they're actually there in the street and glancing up when the camera lifts up.

Sound:
The overall soundtrack in the opening is very soft and calm. The soundtrack commences with simple soft notes as the credits appear over a black screen and a single high pitch violin is then added as the camera pans across the water. As the camera rolls over the trees to the New York City skyline more detail picks up in the music and by the time the camera is panning throught the city's busy streets it has become quite complex with pipes or flutes used too but still quite calming. I think this music is well suited to the opening becuase the music is at it's simplest point as the credits appear on a black screen and then as more location is revealed to the viewer, more qualities start to rise in the track and like it's a transition of simple to complex in the music as it is visually from the sea to the city streets.
The music dies down as close up of the man opposite Leon is shown and only ambient sounds are present along with the dialogue from the two men. Tense music then builds up as a clear decision has been made as Leon picks up his glass, the sound of Leon putting his glass down is exaggerated an slightly echoed to add more tension and a final impacting effect.

sound effects used include:
- a cigarette being lit
- dialogue
- a cigarette being put out
- a photo being slid into and out of the shot
- leons hand touching the glass of milk
- sound of the milk being drunk
- the glass being put down on the table


Editing:
The credits and titles are all in a simple white font, with all the names in capitals. The titles fade in and out on the black screen and also along the establioshing shots of the location. When the camera reaches the skyline of New York the title 'LEON' flashes onto the scene, filling up most of the screen and fades away after a couple of seconds, The titles continue through the streets until the camera reaches the little shop.

The majority of the transitions int he opening are cuts, there is only one fade transition which is appropriatly placed between the entrance of the little shop and the close up of Leons hands against the glass of milk.

editing techniques used:
- shot reverse shot is used when Leon is sharing dialogue with the man opposite him.
- as Leon picks up his glass of milk and drinks it, a reaction shot is used of the man opposite him as his eyes follow the glass.
-Match on action is used when the mann lights his cigarette.

The pace at the beginning is slow in the establishing shots and picks up as the camera goes into the restaurant and speeds up more as the two men are having a conversation.

Mise-en-scene:
Lighting: In the establishing shots of the sea, tree's and city the lighting is very natural and bright creating an everyday environment. In contrast to the outside shots, in the small restuarant the lighting is lower and artificail, creating a more tense and serious atmosphere.
Set/Location: The storyline is set in New York, shown in the establishing long shot of the City skyline, in Little Italy, shown by a banner in the street saying 'Welcome to Little Italy' and then even deeper into a restaurant named 'Supreme Macaroni co.'
Costume: the wardrobe for the film is made up of casual everyday wear from the 90's, as the film was brought out in 1994.
Colour Design: Outside the restuarant, nutural colours are used to create the city and inside the restuarant an orangey/red colour design is used.
Props: A glass of milk is the first thing the viewer sees of Leon and acts almost like a full stop because as they finish their conversation, Leon finishes his drink. The other man has a lighter and a cigarette and i think this gives him more of a respectable position. Leon is wearing black lensed circle framed glasses which hide his eyes and add mystery to his identity and show the reflections of what he is seeing. The black and white picture is of a man in a car, a possible target, who appears unaware of the photo being taken.
Body Language: The men come across as ver calm and serious as they talk. Little hints and details such as when the man both lights his cigarette and puts it out and how he casually slides the photograph into view indicate that he is in charge.

Conventions:
Leon is an action thriller, conventions include:
- The narrative centres around the crime of Mathilda's family being murdered and her wanting and gaining revenge.
-Micro elements build up the suspence and tension in the film.
- The protagonist, Leon, now has a weakness, an achilles heel that will be his downfall which is that he cares for Mathilda.
- Leon is put in a complex situation where there appears to be no escape, he manages to escape from it but is dragged a little back in and is killed saving Mathildas life.

1 comment:

  1. Great work Bekki.
    To make it superb you could weave in a discussion of the thriller conventions with your microelement analysis.
    Well done.

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