No Country for Old Men

Directors: 

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Cast: 

Tommy Lee Jones as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell
Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh
Josh Brolin as Llewelyn Moss

Trailer:

The initial establishing shots revealing the location of the Texan desert landscape has connotations of seclusion and so therefore serenity to an extent. We could interpret this as a contrast between the following shots of the villain Anton Chigurh and the action that unfolds after. On the other hand, the extreme serenity can also be quite jarring for the audience- the danger that the psychotic hitman Chigurh brings is an ongoing cycle, comparable to the seemingly endless expanse of desert.

We are made to recognise the villain obsessed with chance as Chigurh through the association of a shot of his profile followed by a shot of two dead men. Also, by beginning the trailer with only the villain present, the audience are immediately of the impression that he is domineering and more resourceful which acts as a typical thriller convention. The shot of the two dead men is repeated as an eye-line match between them and the protagonist, Llewelyn Moss, creating a new, contrasting association to the one previously. We now identify Llewelyn as the protagonist and foreshadows that he will be under the same threat of Chigurh.  Following these associations, shots of dialogue consisting of  indirect comments such as "I've got a bad feeling" and "if it ain't [already a mess] it'll do 'til the mess gets here" increases the sense of impending danger and so heightens suspense (suspense/threat: a thriller convention). I feel that his constantly fretful wife acts as the catalyst of impending danger throughout the film because she is never settled, much like the situation Llewelyn is in with Chigurh.

This increasing suspense reaches a climax after the shot of the car explosion which introduces Llewelyn's attempts to equal Chigurh's resourceful status. He struggles to saw away at his makeshift weapons whereas Chirgurh, the resourceful one out of the pair, uses his signature captive bolt pistol to achieve a silent, rapid attack with minimal struggle. Additionally, to create a sense of relief (to some extent) is another thriller convention that arises when Llewelyn tells his wife to tell his mother that he loves him if he does not return. His wife replies by stating that his mother is dead to which Llewelyn replies, "well then I'll tell her myself", implying that his fate is inevitable.

After viewing the trailer, I think the target audience is young adults (18-25). The trailer displays scenes of explicit violence (Chigurh choking the police officer, the use of the pistol) and so wouldn't be suitable for a younger audience and some older viewers may argue that the action is too intense in some scenes.

Synopsis:

• American Crime thriller
• Adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel
• Set in 1980
• Villain-driven plot

The film tells the story of an ordinary man to whom chance presents him with a fortune that it not his. The 'chance' being $2m dollars found in a desert which once belonged to a drug deal. However, Llewelyn's fortune isn't so bright- he finds himself involved in a cat-and-mouse scenario involving three men who crisscross each other across the West Texan desert landscape. No Country for Old Men examines the themes of fate and circumstance.

Opening scene:

As revealed in the trailer, the setting consists of a desolate Texan desert landscape which creates an eerie sense of serenity which can only suggest danger with no means of escape. This foreshadows Llewelyn's fate as he struggles to run away from Anton Chigurh. There is a solitary feel about the opening created by the Sheriff's monologue, the lonely setting and the lack of sound. The monologue voice-over is the only non-diegetic sound which heightens the sense of solitude. The rustling of wheat fields is the only diegetic sound which pauses when the Sheriff reaches a significant point of his speech; he states that Chigurh had killed a fourteen year old girl. We are immediately made to feel sympathy for the young girl, as we question what she could have possibly done to him. The heartlessness behind the murder makes us all the more frightened to meet him. When we do meet him, we instantly recognise him as this infamous villain because of what is in the mise-en-scene. His incongruous appearance of slick black hair and the glimpse of white, almost yellowing, skin indicates a deathly and ghastly presence. Additionally, his weapon which has been confiscated is far from the ordinary hand-gun; Chigurh is far more resourceful than the average man. He is entirely detached from his warm, Texan surroundings. Chigurh's body language is also key. Throughout the opening, his anonymity is maintained which makes us unsure of him. He is presented in handcuffs, with his back turned in a black suit. Usually when we see someone in handcuffs we associate this with vulnerability; however his appearance maintains the dominance and iciness about him which establishes the importance of the mise-en-scene.

Successful villain?

Anton Chigurh is a hitman who has no remorse of compassion for other human beings which explains his carelessness for every murder he carries out. He decides whether to murder a victim by simply relying on chance at the flip of a coin i.e. the coin toss with the innocent shop owner:

It is all a game to him; he gains warped satisfaction and enjoyment from creating fear which creates the tension throughout the film. His main weapon (captive bolt pistol) is used to shoot people or open unlocked doors which means he has access to anywhere he pleases- it is impossible to run from Chigurh. As an audience we know very little about him because of his lack of speech; instead we gain an understanding of his character through the mise-en-scene.

Past Student Thrillers

Does it look like the opening of a film?
Can you see any "thriller" conventions?
Have they made good use of mise-en-scene?
Is there a combination of diegetic and non-diegetic sound?
Have they made any technical mistakes (e.g. poor lighting, shaky camera)?
Is the quality of the performance at a high level?

4- Excellent
3- Proficient
2- Minimal
1- Basic

You're Mine 

I think that this thriller opening is borderline trailer however it is clear that there is some sort of story following on with the non-linear narrative, we see that the girl will be abducted. As a thriller, it contains some typical conventions such as a villain, a vulnerable victim and a secluded setting. The setting varies throughout and the use of props and costume were good. The most creative part was when the villain burns the photograph. I think that there could have been more of a balance between diegetic and non-diegetic to make it look less like a trailer. Despite this, the use of this sound alongside thoroughly accurate cinematography make this almost perfect on the technical part. The cross-cutting was effective which created a good, exciting pace. The performance of the actors was very good throughout which made it realistic.

I rated this a 3 out of 4 (proficient).

Night Walker

I found the opening fell into the "minimal" area because it was quite tedious and didn't grasp my interest. However, the title sequence was effective. This thriller had some thriller conventions with the villain pursuing an oblivious protagonist, the dark setting and suspenseful music to suit the mood. At one point, I think there was even a red herring- the seemingly innocent man asking for the time turns out to be the villain. The props and costumes within the mise-en-scene were not very interesting. There was very little variation. However, the use of sound was effective except for the end when the victim is abducted; we would expect her to scream with struggle. The lighting was extremely poor most of the time, it was filmed at night under street lamps which provided very little light. A lot of the time we couldn't see what was going on entirely. The filming was generally good, I enjoyed the shot of the feet walking as the antagonist pursues their victim. There was a high angle shot as she approaches the alleyway however it was slightly shaky. Overall, the performance was effective for the purpose.

I rated this 2 out of 4 (minimal).

Finders Keepers

This was my favourite thriller of out the three because I found that it truly did look like an opening of a film and involved a good use of thriller conventions. It is about a case of mistaken identity, similar to Hitchcock's "North by Northwest". The protagonist did not ask for trouble, he found an item which appeared to have no owner and so he kept it- finders keepers. For a short period of time we are made to think that the silver suited man will bring trouble; I enjoyed the build up of the rousing non-diegetic music with the stare down. The sunglasses and gloves make us feel suspicious of him. The setting throughout was effective- the first scene is set in a bar/cafe which is a normal, everyday setting which then contrasts with the free running down flights of stairs and tunnels. I found the free running creative and unusual which made it stand out amongst the other thrillers. The only tiny mistake with the filming was the tilt at the stairs as the black suited villains approach the protagonist.

I rated this a 4 out of 4 (excellent).

Hitchcock Homages

After studying the work of Hitchcock I have started to notice some Hitchcock influenced episodes in a American teen drama mystery-thriller show called 'Pretty Little Liars'. 

Season One

Season one's finale was based on Vertigo with the scene of a bell tower death. Ian chases Spencer to the top in attempt to murder her but "A" saves her and pushes Ian off of the tower instead. This is a direct reference to Detective Ferguson's chase after Madeleine Elster to try to stop her from jumping to her death. 

Season Two

In the second season, Hitchcock's famous film Psycho influenced the setting of 'Lost Woods Resort' from Hitchcock's Bates Motel. The shower scene was an exact reference to Psycho with the close-up camera shots of the shower head to the build up of tension until the shadow appears on the shower curtain. In this case, the scene was an anti-climax.

Hanna's shower scene:

Season Three

The third season's halloween special referred to Strangers on a Train while the finale involved an homage to North by Northwest with regards to mistaken identity. There is a large house fire in which many characters were mistakingly given the blame for. The lighter used to start the house fire was planted next to an innocent character and was marked with a map compass stating "northwest". Additionally, the iconic aeroplane scene of Cary Grant being chased down in a crop field influences the scene involving a plane Spencer sees land outside of Rosewood.

Preliminary Task

      The task's aim was to create various shots including: match on action, eye line match, shot/reverse shot and to maintain the 180 degree rule. We chose to follow a simple story-line of a mysterious package exchange in order to include every shot. Previous work lacked the use of every shot due to poor planning of a complicated plot. 

      Our best shots were the match-on-action shots during the first 20 seconds. The shots switched between a high angle shot inside the classroom outlooking the corridor, to the corridor to view Sophie approaching the door, and then finally a close up shot of her entering the door in the classroom. Instead of following her movement entirely with the camera, we continued the action of approaching the chair in the next shot. This made the action flow smoothly to represent a passing of time. However, we should have used a dissolve instead because it was only a short period of time. The next use of the match-on-action is used during the exchange of money which was included to dramatise the action.

      To begin, we used a short master shot to set the start of the conversation. When Rebecca began speaking we used a shot/reverse shot to allow the audience to identify with both speakers. The shot itself was effective but the sound ruined the fluidity of the editing because filming each shot separately ruined the natural flow of conversation. Before the exchange, we used an eye-line match between Sophie and the package to associate the two and make the audience feel wary. Again, we could have used a dissolve to link the two together even more and to suit the very short time that has passed. Overall, our use of the shots were effective and we maintained the 180 degree rule throughout however improved sound quality would have improved the quality.

Style of Editing

The style of editing considers how the shots are linked together. The movement from one shot into the following shot is called a transition.

There are several types of transition:

Mid-point of a dissolve

1. The most common and "invisible" transition is the straight cut. It occurs when one shot moves instantaneously into the next without attracting the audience's attention to help maintain reality.
2. We can also use dissolves to fade one shot off the screen while another shot fades in. This maintains fluidity in a way that a rough sharp cut doesn't. When the dissolve reaches mid-point, the audience will be able to see both shots on the screen at once (shown in the image). Therefore this form of transition can be used to link two places, characters or objects together. It can also indicate a short passing of time.
3. Fades indicate a longer passing of time as the image gradually fades entirely black or white. It is only a 'fade' when only a black or white screen can be seen. It is also used to end a particular section of time within the narrative. 
4. Wipes are when one image is pushed off of the screen by another image. They are most commonly pushed off the left-hand side because this maintains a sense of moving forward in time. They are used to signal movement to a different location that is experiencing the same time. (Star Wars example)
5. A jump cut breaks continuity editing, causing 'discontinuity', because the audience's attention is brought into focus on something else very suddenly. It appears as if a section of a shot has been removed entirely. (provide example)
6. A graphic match is when two consecutive shots are matched in terms of their shape/size. This creates a smooth visual transfer from one frame to the next. Hitchcock uses this in Psycho by matching the circular shape of the plug hole with Marion's eye.

Montage Theory:

Lee Kuleshov was one of the first to theorize the new medium of montage in cinema in the 1920s. Kuleshov argued that creating a film was like building a building: shot-by-shot, brick-by-brick. Around 1918, he conducted a study to prove this theory by taking a head shot of a known Russian actor and inter-cut this shot with various images.

Kuleshov's theory in use

Strike 1925 directed by Sergei Eisenstein used Kuleshov theory by associating images of a cow being killed with collapsed workers to make it appear as it they were being slaughtered.

Montage editing consists of many images that are quickly edited together to force the viewer to create connections between the images being shown. At times the images may be put together deliberately without any necessary connection which is used to reflect chaos, tension or disturbance of a character's state of mind perhaps. Although the images do not provide a sense of the narrative moving forward, the images are full of meaning for the viewer and they may have an overall thematic or visual connection with one another.

Citizen Kane opening:

Montage Theory:

Montage: The Kuleshov Experiment

Montage editing:

Speed of Editing

In a film, some scenes may last a matter of seconds while others can last for minutes. The length establishes the pace of the film moving the action along which can help to determine the mood. A romantic film tends to have longer scenes to suit the mellow mood whereas action or thriller films will have shorter, erratic shots during action/suspense packed scenes to engage the viewer.

This is a scene from The Bourne Ultimatum to show how the frequent, short cuts make us feel anxious during the onset of the fight and involved throughout the duration of it.

Casino Royale opening

I liked how the opening of Casino Royale varies the speed of editing for different purposes. When Bond is introduced, the shots last longer to reveal information about his personality and outlook of the situation; we are under the impression that he is a serious man who isn't easily intimidated. During the action scene, the shots are much more shorter and dynamic to focus on capturing the viewer's excitement- little is revealed here about Bond other than the fact that he is a man of action.

Russian Ark: "In one breath"

In contrast to the countless, fragmented shots of the Casino Royale opening, Alexander Sokurov has completed an entire film in a single, continuous shot. For entire hour and a half, Sokurov required 2000 actors to maintain character through split-second timing and organisation. Although perceived as a piece of art and Russian history, a general audience could easily find Russian Ark tedious. This is due to the lack of involvement and action which is often developed through a varying the speed of editing.

The Man in the Iron Mask

Film trailers must pack in enough detail about the film to make it appear as appealing as possible to the viewer. In order to do this, the editing must be very fast.



I counted roughly 120 edits, each edit lasting an average of one second. However, the amount of information shared must be limited to some extent- trailers should not give too much away, only enough to capture the viewer's interest. Revealing too many vital parts of a film in the trailer alone can cause controversy for example, Fast and Furious 6.

Opening of a film

Scenes at the beginning of the film serve the purpose to create the setting and the plot and to introduce characters, therefore the edits must be slower than those in later action scenes. As the film progresses, the edits become shorter as there may be two or more story lines occurring simultaneously. This is called parallel editing.

Action scenes

The famous shower scene from Hitchcock's Psycho creates the overlap between the speed of editing and the style of editing. Later, I will discuss Montage Theory and explain it's relevance to Psycho's shower scene. 

With regards to speed, Alfred Hitchcock presents how the speed of editing changes correspondingly to a change of scenario in a single scene.

At first, the cutting between each shot is used simply to follow Janet Leigh's movement. The speed isn't particularly slow or fast- it's purpose is to create a sense of ordinariness which makes her attack all the more shocking for the audience. The moment her killer tears away the shower curtain, Hitchcock increases the amount of edits accordingly to the frenzied slashing and the discordant music. The shots in this action scene are so cleverly collated; the shots vary to reveal the weapon, Janet Leigh's body, her petrified facial expressions and the blood which create the illusion of a bloody attack, the knife never actually pierces the skin.

The Manchurian Candidate

Mise-en-scene

Continuity Editing

Today's lesson covered continuity editing which will help my thriller maintain a sense of realistic chronology and to represent time passing fluidly regardless of whether I vary the narrative or not.

I learned about three different methods of continuity editing which are:

1- Eye-line match:

• We see a character staring at an object/character off-screen and then we cut to a shot which reveals what the character in looking at.
• This method significantly links the two objects/characters together

2- Match-on-action:

• We see a character carry out an action in one shot and then continue to carry out this same action in another. Example:

3- Graphic match:

• Two shots are linked with objects of similar shape providing a smooth visual transfer from one frame to the next. An example of this is in 2001: A Space Odyssey when the bone fades into a spaceship to show the passing of time.

The 180 Degree Rule

The 180 degree rule is a basic guideline that states that two characters in the same scene must have the same left/right relationship as one another. 'Crossing the line' is when the camera passes the imaginary axis which would break the left/right relationship. 

The Hunger Games contains an example of where the rule is broken ineffectively without purpose and effectively with purpose.


This is an extract in which the rule is broken ineffectively which causes confusion.

Now, here is an extract in which the rule is broken with effect. Its purpose is to express Katniss' astonishment at the opulence of the room because she comes from a very poor, deprived background.

(...)

Shot/Reverse Shot

Shot/Reverse shot is used to show conversations/arguments. In the first shot, we could use a master shot to identify Speaker A and B. Following this, we would film a shot of Speaker A opening the conversation. The response would be the 'reverse shot' and an over the shoulder shot could be used here to identify Speaker B.