The Usual Suspects
The title of this thriller suggests that there is a suspect that is usually thought to be guilty. The first shot is a close up of matches being lit to create a ring of fire. There is only a diegetic sound of the matches being lit creating a sense of loneliness and danger. We get introduced to a character in the second shot, a medium close-up of a man. He is in the middle of the shot indicating his importance in the scene and the mise-en-scene of a cigarette could be to indicate to the audience that the matches were only there to light up his cigarette. However this builds an enigma as to why he has lit so many matches for one cigarette and why he's still got the matches inside the box. We acknowledge the fact that this character's posture and appearance implies that there is something suspicious about him. By stereotyping the character, we can make assumptions such as his all black clothing and casually lighting a cigarette as if nothings wrong suggests that he is a very laid back man even though someone is lying on the floor dead. We then get a medium close-up of a man who appears to be urinating on the fire to put it out. This is shown through a panning down shot. This makes the audience start to question and it builds tension as to who this man is and why the other male character doesn't mind him putting out a fire he just started.
A mid shot of the character sitting on the floor and the mise-en-scene suggests that he's in a warehouse as he's surrounded by wooden boxes. This allows the audience to think about why the character looks so fed up and if he is the suspect. Diegetic sounds of water running and fire sounds in the background emphasise that he is alone. This is until he drops the lit matches on the floor and creates a trail of fire. This makes the audience eager to know where the trial of fire is leading to and why the character had done this. There is another close up of the fire trailing along and these continuity shots create tension. There is another continuity shot from a different angle of the fire trail, however this time the fire passes the dead body, which makes the audience forebode that the character we were first introduced to is the murderer or is going to be the suspect in the following narrative. This scene plays with the audience expectations, as the audience instantly assume that the fire is going to set the building alight.
A point of view shot of the character we were first introduced to, allows the audience to see what the character can see. There is a diegetic sound of the man urinating on the floor giving a real sense of what is happening in the scene, stopping the diegetic sound of flames. The camera pans up, as if it's the character raising his head and looking up to see where this is coming from. A non-diegetic soundtrack mainly orchestral suggesting danger's getting closer and something is not right. This is a high angled shot which suggests that the unknown character has more authority. The reaction of the first character informs the audience that the unknown character is not a stranger to him. While the camera pans down the unknown character walks down the stairs and the mise-en-scene lets us know more about the surroundings of the rope and the metal stairs, showing us that they're on a boat. As the unknown character is walking closer to the first character a close up shot of the unknown characters feet walking past the dead person could mean that he knows all about the murder and is not concerned much about the dead person. The fire burning in the background suggests that danger is building up.
Non-diegetic sounds of calm and quiet orchestral instruments being played representing something dangerous about to happen. The sound track gradually increases in volume, building more tension as it makes you feel that the danger gradually getting closer while the man walks towards the first character. The man pulls out his lighter and lights it. This plays with the audiences expectations of the narrative as the audience believe that he's going to start a fire with it. We then realise the lighter was actually to light his own cigarette. The unknown character remaining unknown, starts a conversation using shot reverse shot with the character asking him whether he's ready. The script builds an anxious atmosphere as the unknown man points the gun which is shown as a medium close up towards the camera to build suspense. Just as the unknown character shoots, a long shot of the location is shown, not showing the audience the characters death leaving the audience to use their imagination. This scene shows 6 different shots of the location including a boat. As the fire exploded a diegetic sound of a police siren sounded suggesting that the police are involved in this narrative.
A mid shot of the character sitting on the floor and the mise-en-scene suggests that he's in a warehouse as he's surrounded by wooden boxes. This allows the audience to think about why the character looks so fed up and if he is the suspect. Diegetic sounds of water running and fire sounds in the background emphasise that he is alone. This is until he drops the lit matches on the floor and creates a trail of fire. This makes the audience eager to know where the trial of fire is leading to and why the character had done this. There is another close up of the fire trailing along and these continuity shots create tension. There is another continuity shot from a different angle of the fire trail, however this time the fire passes the dead body, which makes the audience forebode that the character we were first introduced to is the murderer or is going to be the suspect in the following narrative. This scene plays with the audience expectations, as the audience instantly assume that the fire is going to set the building alight.
A point of view shot of the character we were first introduced to, allows the audience to see what the character can see. There is a diegetic sound of the man urinating on the floor giving a real sense of what is happening in the scene, stopping the diegetic sound of flames. The camera pans up, as if it's the character raising his head and looking up to see where this is coming from. A non-diegetic soundtrack mainly orchestral suggesting danger's getting closer and something is not right. This is a high angled shot which suggests that the unknown character has more authority. The reaction of the first character informs the audience that the unknown character is not a stranger to him. While the camera pans down the unknown character walks down the stairs and the mise-en-scene lets us know more about the surroundings of the rope and the metal stairs, showing us that they're on a boat. As the unknown character is walking closer to the first character a close up shot of the unknown characters feet walking past the dead person could mean that he knows all about the murder and is not concerned much about the dead person. The fire burning in the background suggests that danger is building up.
Non-diegetic sounds of calm and quiet orchestral instruments being played representing something dangerous about to happen. The sound track gradually increases in volume, building more tension as it makes you feel that the danger gradually getting closer while the man walks towards the first character. The man pulls out his lighter and lights it. This plays with the audiences expectations of the narrative as the audience believe that he's going to start a fire with it. We then realise the lighter was actually to light his own cigarette. The unknown character remaining unknown, starts a conversation using shot reverse shot with the character asking him whether he's ready. The script builds an anxious atmosphere as the unknown man points the gun which is shown as a medium close up towards the camera to build suspense. Just as the unknown character shoots, a long shot of the location is shown, not showing the audience the characters death leaving the audience to use their imagination. This scene shows 6 different shots of the location including a boat. As the fire exploded a diegetic sound of a police siren sounded suggesting that the police are involved in this narrative.
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