This is one of the final scenes from the 1995 neo-noir thriller 'Se7en' starring Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. The significance of this scene is that it reveals who the last two victims of John Doe's serial killing spree are but through the combination of editing and sound in the first two minutes, it does so in a very implicit and subtle way.
We first see Somerset cutting open a box that Doe has sent, while Mills is standing alone with Doe in the near distance. As Somerset pulls back the first bits of cardboard he sees blood underneath and says "that's blood". The next shot is of Mills watching Somerset but he is too far away to be able to distinguish what is happening. This combination of editing and sound creates tension because we are aware that there is blood on the box so we are now dreading to find out what is actually in it. We are also reminded that Mills is on his own with Doe who has sent this box so we know that Doe, although detained, is still dangerous so now we begin to fear for Mills' safety. Somerset then opens the box completely and reels back in shock, gasping as he does so. He doesn't stop looking at its contents so we as the audience expect to also be shown but we aren't and this really builds up the tension felt because we know that whatever is in the box has greatly disturbed Somerset but the director clearly doesn't want us to know what it is so we are left gripped, wondering what's in it and how it's going to affect the remaining narrative. At first the only sound we hear while this is going on is diegetic which makes it all the more tense and real for us and immerses us in the narrative. Then, Somerset looks back at Mills and Doe and this is when the dramatic non-diegetic music begins which indicates the severity of the situation and tells us that the contents of the box could be the twist in the narrative. It also challenges our previous assumptions that just because Doe's been arrested he's unable to do any more damage.
From when Somerset says "John Doe has the upper hand" at 1:02 to when he reaches Mills and Doe at 2:02 we hear two different things happening simultaneously that are both significant. We hear Somerset shouting at Mills telling him repeatedly to put his gun down and we also hear Doe talking to Mills about what he did when he went to his house. The contrast in tone and emotion between Somerset's and Doe's voices fundamentally shows us that John Doe is in control of the situation and almost in control of Somerset and Mills. The fact that both Somerset and Doe are talking to Mills then gives us an idea that the thing in the box has a connection to Mills.
The editing during this minute also conveys the same idea because it cuts slowly from each character but with the most attention on Mills. The fact that it cuts from Doe talking to Somerset running and shouting at Mills to put his gun down could be an indication that, based on what he has seen in the box, he knows that Doe is saying things that will anger Mills to the point where he could potentially shoot him so this leaves the audience even more desperate to know what was in the box.
The dramatic music that starts when Somerset realises what Doe has done continues throughout the rest of the clip and changes in intensity according to what is said by Doe. For example, when he reveals that Mills' wife was pregnant and then laughs and says ''he didn't know'', the music reaches its crescendo and this could be symbolic of the fact that this is the thing that will push Mills too far and essentially cause him to shoot Doe.
In terms of the mise-en-scene, specifically the setting, it's all quite remote and barren and desolate which could emphasise Somerset's and particularly Mills' vulnerability and inferiority especially when the truth is revealed and it could suggest that there's nothing there by way of props or other actors to protect Mills from the truth of what's happened. Their exposure and vulnerability could also be highlighted by the high key lighting used throughout the clip. In terms of the audience and how this affects them, it ensures that their attention is solely on the actors, the box, its contents and the consequences it instigates.
The camerawork in this scene is also successful in reinforcing the tension and realism, especially when Somerset is running back to Mills, at which point the camera is handheld so it allows the audience to feel the panic that Somerset is feeling and their attention is retained. Also at the end of the clip when Mills shoots Doe a further five times the camera is at a low angle looking up at Mills which emphasises the power he has taken away from Doe.
The BBFC age rating for this film is 18 and its reasoning for this age rating is that it contains: strong bloody violence, horror and threat.
Personally I think that the film's target audience is largely male, possibly 70% male, 30% female because it does have at least one significant female character in its narrative but most of its content and subject matter I think would most likely appeal to men more than women. Bearing in mind its BBFC rating I think that it is a film more suited to adult viewers but considering that this rating was decided over 20 years ago and also the amount of young people becoming 'desensitised' to violence in film over the years I think that today's target audience for this film would be approximately 15-40. I also think people are more likely to watch this film if they are fans of its director's previous work like 'Fight Club' and 'Zodiac'; films with similar narratives and some of the same actors e.g. Brad Pitt.
This clip is from the 2003 action crime thriller 'Kill Bill' starring Uma Thurman and this scene shows us the violent meeting between The Bride and Vernita Green, the first of the five members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad that she comes back to kill.
One of the first things that happens in this clip is a flashback which begins with a punch and dramatic high pitched music so both things immediately grab the audience's attention and from then on, the editing is extremely fast paced which retains the audience's attention and keeps them transfixed throughout the whole clip.
Another noticeable aspect of this clip is the sound - especially the dramatic action sounds e.g. the punches, kicks, shouts of pain, the impact of their bodies hitting the walls/floor and this along with the fact that there is no more music in the background or other non-diegetic sounds after the flashback creates a strong sense of realism and essentially makes us more able to feel the pain they're feeling. However, to make the violence easier for the audience to handle, a lot of the punches/kicks sound quite animated in the sense that they sound quite similar to those that would feature in a gentler animated action sequence which is quite a contrast to Tarantino's typically graphic, raw style of film-making, subtly illustrating his versatility and originality as a director.
Something else that adds to the realism in this clip is the mise-en-scene, specifically the props and the setting. The setting is a suburban house in America and not a typical location for a fight to take place and the weapons that they use (with the exception of the gun and the knife) are all household objects which shows that neither of them are particularly prepared for a fight and the fact that both of them are getting hurt and showing the pain that they're in makes it all the more realistic for us to witness.
In terms of cinematography, focusing especially on the end of the clip when Vernita's daughter comes home from school, we are given a wide shot of the two women standing in front of the window pointing knives at each other and through the window we see her daughter get off the school bus and walking up the garden path. This essentially shows us the massive juxtaposition between corruption and innocence and creates a strong sense of tension because we know what she's about to walk into and see in her home. This tension is further emphasised by the decreased pace of editing as Vernita and The Bride stare at each other, Vernita with an expression that is almost begging The Bride to not do anything that could potentially jeopardise her daughter's innocence.
The BBFC's age rating of this film is an 18 and their justification for this is that it contains: frequent, strong, bloody violence and very strong language.
I think that in terms of gender, considering the number of alternative representations of women in this film, the split between the male and female target audience could possibly be 50/50, especially since the title 'Kill Bill' is The Bride's ultimate aim throughout the film so this is a great example of female determination which could be one of the main aspects of this film that attracts a larger female audience. Similarly to Se7en, I think that despite the BBFC age rating, this generation of young people have become desensitised to the things that feature in a lot of 18 rated films so I think the age range would be around 15-45. I also think that since Tarantino's work is quite an acquired taste, the people most likely to watch Kill Bill will already be fans of his other films e.g. Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds, Reservoir Dogs etc.
This clip is from the 2001 sci-fi thriller Donnie Darko starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the eponymous character. This scene is when we first see Donnie's imaginary friend Frank's real face underneath his scary rabbit mask.
The scene begins with Donnie and his girlfriend Gretchen (played by Jena Malone) sitting alone in a cinema watching a film. This small number of characters in a place that would ordinarily be host to a great deal more characters is a very unusual scenario and an example of mise-en-scene that makes the teens appear exposed and vulnerable, subsequently making the audience wary as to whether something significant is going to take place. This unnerving, eerie feel is further emphasised by the low key lighting used throughout the scene, with the only on-screen light coming from the cinema screen. This also creates a sense of realism so before anything even happens, we're already immersed in the scene.
In regards to the editing, there is a brief moment when Donnie looks to his left at the seat next to Gretchen's and smiles - this immediately evokes fear in us because as far as we know, the cinema is empty so we have no idea who or what he is smiling at until the next shot which is Frank but this slower-paced editing is a good way of letting an audience's imagination run wild as to what the next shot is going to be, if it is shown at all. The pace of editing is generally slow as the scene progresses which contributes to the high levels of tension and fear already present, especially with the shots of Frank as he takes his mask off and looks in the direction of the camera very slowly. The alternating shots between Frank and Donnie with very minimal dialogue makes it a very intense scene because we're constantly anticipating that something will happen.
In terms of the cinematography, most of the shots in this clip are close ups of either Donnie or Frank with different reasons for each character. For Donnie it is so the audience can see his mental state exhibited by his change in facial expressions e.g. he'll go from smiling eerily to frowning in a matter of seconds, something that is best captured by a close up shot. For Frank it is partly so the audience can get a first glimpse at his wounded eye which instantly makes us wonder how it happened, particularly when Donnie asks him the same question but he doesn't answer. If a different shot was used I don't think it would have had the desired effect which would have been to shock and disturb the audience and make them feel as uncomfortable as possible.
Its BBFC age rating is a 15 due to: strong language and horror. I agree with this rating because there aren't really any elements to this film that suggest the need for it to be any higher but the language in it is frequently strong which I think is what sets the minimum age at 15, plus there are also a few scenes that younger viewers could find distressing to watch. Furthermore the plot is extremely complicated that ends in a very indirect and vague way and I think anyone younger than 15 would struggle to follow it so I think the range would be around 15-40. I think the gender balance in its target audience would be quite equal but I think the genre of it maybe pushes the male proportion slightly higher to around 55% leaving the female proportion at 45%.
This clip is from the 2006 drama-comedy road film Little Miss Sunshine starring Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Colette and Alan Arkin. In this clip we see Steve Carell's character, Frank trying to explain to his seven year old niece Olive (Abigail Breslin) why he recently attempted suicide.
I think what's most noticeable about this clip is how successfully the dialogue conveys the instability of the relationships between certain characters. For example as soon as Olive asks Frank why he wanted to kill himself, her father tells Frank not to answer the question which causes Olive's mother to shout back at her husband and in just 20 seconds we already have a clear idea of how this family functions. Similarly to Kill Bill, the director's choice to use only diegetic sound creates a strong sense of realism and allows the audience to become more engaged in the conversation and its distressing subject matter. There are also some elements of humour in this clip, specifically at 1:31 when Olive's grandfather loudly blows his nose right in the middle of Frank's story and I think the aim of this was to alleviate the depressing feeling that Frank's suicide may have started to have on the audience. Also, when Olive describes Frank's gay relationship as 'silly' it almost forces us to laugh because it highlights just how innocent and naive she is in this situation and this family.
In terms of the mise-en-scene, specifically costume and props, we are able to get some sort of idea of their values as a family and possibly their financial situation. We can see that they are eating take-away fried chicken from a brand that probably isn't as well known to the audience as something like KFC would be; they are eating it off of paper plates and drinking Sprite from plastic cups and this in its entirety could suggest frugality. This could further be suggested by the costume, especially Olive's. The most prominent aspect of her costume is definitely her large, thick glasses which suggests that as a family, they're functional rather than materialistic. She also appears to be wearing jewellery on her arms and fingers which could indicate her attempt to look older and more grown up but the fact that all her jewellery is plastic illustrates that she has to make do with what the little money they have can afford.
There isn't anything that noticeable about the cinematography but the one thing I notice is that there are only four long shots of the whole family together, most of which are near the beginning of the clip and then as the clip goes on, the rest of the shots are either of each person individually or of two or three people together which could be an indication of the unstable, broken relationships between some of the members of the family and how this conversation itself is putting strain on their already fragile relationships.
The BBFC age rating for Little Miss Sunshine is 15 because of: strong language and drug use. I agree completely with this rating because the context of some of the strong language that features in it would, in my opinion, be unsuitable for anyone younger than 15 and also, the drug use that features in it results in death which could be upsetting for people under 15. Some people could argue that the drug use would warrant a higher rating because of the potential risk of younger people seeing it and feeling compelled to do the same thing but I myself would also set the age rating at 15 because although the drug use is frequent, I believe it's important to educate young people of the risks and dangers it poses so I think exposing them to a film in which casual drug use results in unexpected death could essentially deter them from doing the same, a message which the film's producers could have been subtly trying to convey themselves.
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