Essex Boys Shot Analysis

Essex Boys Shot Analysis

Once Upon a Time In America Shot Analysis Continued

OUTIA Shot Analysis

Final Cut of Preliminary Task

Working Title Revision Resource

Working Title Revision

Notes on Once Upon a Time In America

Background Info

• “Epic tale of a group of Jewish gangsters in New York, from childhood, through their glory years during prohibition, and their meeting again 35 years later.” A short summary of the plot taken from the IMBD website, written by Andrew Welsh.
• First released in 1984.
• Directed by well-known auteur director Sergio Leone, famous for ‘spaghetti westerns’ such as The Good The Bad and The Ugly.
• Complex loop narrative told by flashbacks from 1960’s to the 1920’s around the time of the end of the prohibition.
• Story based largely around the prohibition that was set in place from 1920-1933. The prohibition was the banning of the consumption, import, manufacture and selling of alcohol which gave rise to a dramatic increase of gang crime due to bootlegging and demand on the black market.
• Literary adaptation of Harry Grey’s ‘The Hood’.
• Pays tribute to the classic 1940s noir thrillers like Gilda.
• Shows a direct intertextual link to Italian director, Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter (1978) by way of an aural signifier, in using the same song God Bless America to open Once Upon a Time In America as Cimino did in the closing scene of his film. In using this song, irony is created by the comparison of the song lyrics and the bleak plots of both productions which suggests that both Italian directors may have been mocking the United States.
• The film explores themes of childhood friendships, love, lust, greed, betrayal, loss, broken relationships, and the rise of mobsters in American society.
• The original version by the director was 4 hours and 29 minutes long, but when the film premièred at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, Leone had cut it down to 3 hours and 49 minutes to appease the distributors. This was the version that was to be shown in European cinemas. 
• For the US release it was edited down even further to 2 hours and 19 minutes by the studio and against the director's wishes. In this short version, the flashback narrative was also changed, by re-editing the scenes in chronological order.
• A third version was made in 2011 by a film lad in Italy under the supervision of Leone’s children and the film's original sound editor, Fausto Ancillai, for the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

How Does Leone Establish Genre In The Opening Scene?

• Characters: From the outset it is clear that Leone has stuck to the generic characters commonly found within the crime thriller sub-genre; Eve as the femme fatale, the three threatening men as suspected corrupt cops and the beaten victim. It is made clear, from her entrance, that Eve is a wealthy, appearance-proud woman from the glamorous costume, jewellery and make-up worn. The string of pearls worn around the neck and on the earrings could be taken as symbolic for tears which suggest some sort of loss or despair which would be common for the femme fatale of a crime thriller. We can tell that she is a deviant woman from the way in which she withholds information from the three criminals however, whereas the classical femme fatale is strong, dangerous and deceptive, the generic femme fatale is challenged here in that Eve seems to be more vulnerable and weak; an image that is soon after confirmed when she is killed without fight. The three unknown criminals are suspected to be corrupt law-enforcers from the traditional dark-coloured costumes worn; all three wear a trilby hat, suits and a long dark overcoat, two of which brandish a gun. Guns are very common props seen in crime thriller productions and help to establish genre in the opening scenes. This technique of including the prop to define genre has been used in many other crime thriller films such as Pulp Fiction’s (1994) opening café scene in which they use them to attempt to rob the café of its money. Each criminal is shown wearing a similar outfit to the others to show the bond or connection between the three, reinforced by the archway in which they are all framed in together. The character ‘Fat Moe’ is shown as a victim, suffering from harsh torture forced upon him by the criminals first seen in the opening scene. Fat Moe is shown covered in blood, weak and strung up by a rope around his throat. Victims such as this are commonly shown to be exposed to great physical violence in crime thrillers, to engage the audience and create emotions of guilt and sympathy. Although seen as the victim in this scene, Moe is dressed in dark, scruffy clothing, suggesting that he too has been involved in some sort of dark, gang crime.
• Location/setting: In both locations in the opening 4 minutes of the film, the rooms are dimly lit with little light, mostly non-ambient. These shadowy, overcast locations are traditional to the thriller genre in creating and reflecting the bleak, tenebrous atmosphere and plot. Aphotic shadows create feelings of fear and lead the audience to anticipate violence and fright, for example when Eve enters her house, the light switch does not work at first and the audience is in fear of what lurks in the shadows. Pathetic fallacy is used within this film; rain, wind and general bad weather reflect the tone of the scene and create a gleaming street which is typical to the thriller genre.
• Camera Angles: Close up shots are used frequently throughout the opening scenes of Once Upon a Time In America to show the intensity of the characters feelings whether they are fearful, threatening, angry or hopeless; a popular technique used within the genre to aid in creating a sympathetic relationship or understanding between the audience and the character. Over-the-shoulder shots are used several times within the opening to show significant shots in the point of view of the certain character so that the audience may gain a better understanding of the feelings shown by the character in the shot and also to provoke feelings of guilt and sympathy. Low angle shots are also used throughout, most frequently when showing the three suspected mobsters, to give an impression of power, strength and status.
• Lighting: Throughout the film, Leone pays tribute to the classic Noir Thrillers that were so popular in the 1940’s by using dark, bleak locations and settings, and the utilisation of selective lighting. Most lighting during the production is non-ambient and has been used to highlight or give special attention to a particular part of the shot. Equipment such as spot lights would have helped achieve the chiaroscuro effect that is so frequently utilised.

Once Upon a Time In America Shot Analysis

Once Upon a Time in America Shot Analysis

Action Adventure vs Thriller

When analysing and reviewing film, action adventure films are commonly mistaken to be classified within the thriller genre. However, there are many distinct differences that can aid in defining the line  between the thriller and action adventure genres. 

The main difference between the thriller and action adventure genres is the target audience; as a general rule, action adventure films are aimed at a younger male audience of 12-18 year olds whereas for thriller films it is 18-30 year olds, however, still predominantly male.

Another difference between the two is that action adventure films tend to be less realistic than those within the thriller genre; in action adventures, for example the Bond films, the protagonist is able to jump from great heights and survive major explosions without injury or, for example Spiderman, are able to defy gravity and fly. Thriller films are more realistic than this in that the characters cannot survive life-threatening situations or have any super-human powers. These unrealistic scenes lead the story for action adventure films, whereas in thriller films the story is more character led and focuses more on character development rather than the action events.

Being more based on character development, films within the thriller genre tend to have more complex plots (often complex loop narratives) that have more implied suspense and require more thought compared to those within the action adventure genre. Action adventure films, as a general rule, are linear narratives that do not rely on complex and complicated story lines but are created for excitement from car chases and similar sequences.

Continuity Rules in Film

Anna Karenina Packaging

How is Anna Karenina packaged to appeal to a range of audiences and build upon past successes?

A wide and varied audience is essential in ensuring success in the film industry. Anna Karenina has been tactically packaged by Working Title to widen the audience and therefore increase profits and popularity by casting and contracting various cast and crew members from past successes, in a wide range of different genres.

The British film production company, Working Title, cover many different genres of film, such as historical dramas (Elizabeth), spoof comedies (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), romantic comedies (Love Actually, Bridget Jones) and are also known for producing literary adaptations, as Anna Karenina is. These various genres reach out to many different audiences, expanding the popularity and profits of the company.

Anna Karenina is a literary adaptation of the novel written by Leo Tolstoy, a Russian author well known for his ‘epic novels’. Adapting one of Tolstoy‘s novels would expand the audience to those in the older generation as his popular novel was published within the 19th Century; this older audience would be interested in seeing the adaptation and how this epic novel has been represented.

Joe Wright has worked with Working Title numerous times in the past, directing many successful films such as Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. Similar to Anna Karenina, many of his previous films have been successful literary adaptations (including the two mentioned), creating a stable, trustworthy relationship to develop between the director and production company. Being the director of such acknowledged productions, Wright has created somewhat of a name for his self within the film industry and has many followers of his work; it is because of this reputation and the relationship between the production company and director that Working Title chose to contract Wright as the director for yet another of their literary adaptations.

The writer of Anna Karenina is a British establishment play writer, Tom Stoppard. Stoppard has written many successful stage plays such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Arcadia for the theatre and has also written acknowledged films such as Shakespeare In Love. Including this playwright in the production of Anna Karenina makes the film more appealing to a literary audience, interested in Stoppard’s work.

Typical to the productions of Working Title, the three main roles are played by established British actors; Keira Knightly, Jude Law and Aaron Taylor Johnson. These actors tend to star in very different genres of film, tactfully casted for Anna Karenina to widen the attracted audience. Keira Knightly is a very successful actress, taking major roles in many films typical to the romantic genre, such as Atonement and Pride and Prejudice whilst also staring in romantic comedies such as Love Actually and Pirates of the Caribbean, giving her valuable experience and skill of acting in films similar to that of Anna Karenina. Many of the films the actress has been casted in have been directed by Joe Wright which has created a good working relationship between the two; this contributes to the reasoning for the contracting of both actress and director. Keira Knightly has a very large fan base from the wide variety of films she has taken part in and is widely seen as a very attractive figure for the younger generation, this sex appeal contributes to the casting for Anna Karenina.

Aaron Taylor Johnson is a British actor, previously starring in many comedy films such as Kickass and Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging. These productions are generally aimed at a younger audience, that and being an attractive man, has created a fan base of teenagers. By using this actor, the audience is widened to the younger generation, through familiarization and sex appeal.

Although not being hugely popular for his acting, Jude Law successfully aids in expanding the audience for Anna Karenina as he is well known by older or middle-aged woman for his attractiveness. The British actor has played a part in range of different films such as The Holiday (a romantic comedy), Sherlock Holmes (a mystery film) and Existenz (a sci-fi drama). This wide range of genres means that his name would be known to wide variety of people, this and his sex appeal to older women, add to the reasoning behind casting him for his role in Anna Karenina.

To conclude, Anna Karenina has been tactfully packaged by way of involving many different cast and crew members known to a wide variety of audiences and also uses actors, such as Keira Knightly, that have previously worked within successful Working Title productions. The director, Joe Wright, has also previously worked with Working Title and also has substantial relationships with several actors within the casting. Each director, writer, cast member and the like have been chosen from a wide variety of genres and different audiences in attempt to reach a maximum audience for the film.

Generic Conventions of the Thriller Genre

Thriller films rely on tension, suspense, fear, excitement, danger and high levels of anticipation to captivate an audience and provide a thrilling, realistic, climaxed storyline that keeps the audience alert and anxious throughout. The story is classically based around one protagonist character who becomes involved with some sort of conflict or life-threatening danger from an abstract or mysterious menace.
As a general rule, all thriller films are based around the generic conventions regarding character, location and theme:

• Characters- convicts, gangsters, innocent victims, femme fatale (dangerous or deviant women e.g. Gilda (1946)), assassins, criminals, psychotic individuals, hit men/women (Pulp Fiction (1994)), drug addicts, corrupt police officers, terrorists, characters with dark pasts etc.
• Locations- dimly lit, claustrophobic locations such as basements, tunnels, underground rooms/hideouts, phone booths, shower cubicles (Psycho (1960)), wet narrow backstreets, large barren landscapes (Essex Boys (2000) reflects emotional/physiological state of character), inside vehicles, derelict buildings, elevators, staircases, toilet cubicles etc.
• Themes- conflict, gang war, greed, political conspiracy, obsession, envy, romantic triangles, violence (weapons), terrorism etc.

Sub-genres
There are many different sub-genres within the thriller genre that are largely based around these classic conventions:

• Crime Thriller – focuses on crime (gangsters etc) and the life/story of the protagonist - Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
• Action Thriller – focuses more on the dramatic and fast-paced action scenes - The Bourne Identity (2002)
• Film Noir – a ‘sub-genre’ established in early 1940’s characterised by lighting effects & black and white style - Gilda (1946)
• Physiological Thriller – based around physiological issues more than action, storyline tends to be more complex than other sub-genres - Strangers on a Train (1951) or Sixth Sense (1999)
• Religious Thriller – commonly based around the supernatural and religious issues/experiences - The Da Vinci Code (2006)
• Science Fiction Thriller – classically films made about the future, involving advanced technology unavailable today - Inception (2010)
• Western Thriller – based on events in the western areas - High Noon (1952)

Aspects of the thriller genre:

Film noir is the French translation of ‘black film’, a film genre first contrived by French film critic, Nino Frank in 1946. This ‘genre’ commonly features themes and feelings of moral corruption, alienation, bleakness, loss of innocence, despair, guilt, desperation, paranoia and violence. Strictly speaking, film noir is not a genre, but a reference to the tone, style and atmosphere created within film. Character figures commonly used in film noir are murderers, convicts, cops, gangsters and femme fatales involved in storylines that are usually non-linear, complex narratives with acerbic dialogue and often featuring flash backs through time. The mise en scene of noir thrillers often feature dark, depressing colours and lighting, claustrophobic and restricting locations and an oppressive atmosphere to emphasise the negative experience and atmosphere.





Femme fatale is French for ‘fatal woman’, used within media to describe a mysterious, seductive and predatory female character whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. These characters challenge the stereotypical view of women as being weak and safe characters, an example being the protagonist played by Pam Grier in Jackie Brown (1997) and Rita Hayworth who plays the protagonist in Gilda (1946).

Anna Karenina vs The Dark Knight Rises, Marketing Strategies

Anna Karenina vs the Dark Knight Rises (1)