Film analysis- 'Momento'

In class we watched the opening to the film 'Momento', directed by Christopher Nolan. We were encouraged to watch it in great detail and make notes on the techniques used that made it a good Thriller film.

The Opening Titles
Black background (establishing the dark, mysterious atmosphere for the rest of the film) small blue font (blue is a connotation of cold, eery, death). The colour of the text gets darker and fades, leaving an eery glow. The titles are seen immediately, getting straight to point.

Generic Themes

The opening sequence is shown in reverse which added interest and intrigue, instantly grabbing the audience's attention. The murder is shown, then it goes back in time to before the killing. This creates a sense of inevitability because you know the end point before you have seen the full story. This is a good way of creating tension and suspense in a Thriller film.

Sound

Diegetic~ any diegetic sounds (such as the sound of a polaroid shaking or the sound of the gun) are heightened to make them louder and more intense.

Non-Diegetic~ orchestral music is played over the opening sequence, it is slow and builds & falls to create an uneven atmosphere. There is also a voiceover from the main character. At times he is in shot but not actually speaking, creating the idea that the audience is seeing what thoughts are running through his mind.

Mise-en-scene

~The contrast between dark and light is heightened

~Camera is established as a key object in the scene (which becomes more relevant as the film goes on)

~Black and white is used to show the character's confusion and disorientation

~He is seen in a hotel room, suggesting something about his lifestyle

~The fast-paced opening sequence and the use of a gun link to a Thriller/Action sub-genre

~Photograph is unclear and blurred, drawing the audience in. Just as you think you can see it, the photo fades further

~Characters wear relatively smart clothing

Shot Types

*Lots of closeups

*POV extreme closeup

*focus is on the photo for a long time (unusual to have a close up of one thing for such a long time)

*CUs are used to disorientate and confuse

*High and low angle shots are used to change perspective, This reverses the audience's position from a place of power to a place of vulnerability in a matter of seconds

*Medium long shot used in the next scene to show more of his environment (less intense atmosphere, more normal and naturalistic than previous shots)

Camera Movement

No camera movement to begin with- an unusual device (most films use lots of movement to create tension whereas Nolan uses stillness, combined with other conventions, to build an atmosphere in this opening).

After this, a tilt and a pan are used to more of the situation gradually.

I liked this Thriller opening. I was really inspired by the use of black and white because it was aesthetically interesting and symbolic. I also liked the variation of the narrative structure- flashbacks used, not a linear sequence of events.

"What are Thriller films?"

... this is the question we tried to answer. To begin with, we talked generally about film we had seen and what we already knew. We then looked in more detail at specific areas and conventions used. Below I have listed the main points that I feel contribute to a good Thriller movie.



-a Thriller should be atmospheric, exciting and thrilling

-there is usually a "fight for survival" theme, such as preventing/solving crime, a terrorist attack, a fight against corruption, a hostage situation... etc

-stereotypical characters often include
*a protagonist (an unconventional hero, often lonely )
*an evil character/organisation (usually creating mayhem, sometimes foriegn)
*sometimes include a partnership (good cop/bad cop, boss and gunman)
*usually realistic characters put in extraordinary situations
*often, although the main characters are often "important people" (police officers, doctors,
army officers...), civillians are sometimes drawn into the plot to create emotional or comic
subplots
*stereotypically male characters but female leads in Thrillers are increasing

-usually full of twists and turns in the plot to keep the audience interested

-many sub-genres are linked to Thriller films~ mystery, horror, psychological. It will be important to understand the key differences when making our own film openings to ensure they are predominatly Thrillers

-setting in Thriller films is important as it can be used to establish an atmosphere before any action has even taken place. It can also be used symbolically as a pathetic fallacy to reflect events taking place or a character's emotional journey

Introduction to the course

In our first lesson we were told abit more about what the AS Media course involves. We will be studying the medium of film, in particular the genre of Thriller. Some of our lessons will be focussing on the genre and how it differs to other forms of filmmaking. In others, we will create and film our own openings to a Thriller film, learning different shot types and how to use the cameras effectively in the process.
I have not seen many thrillers before so it will be interesting to experience different films, rather than watching the same old ones. I am also looking forward to getting some hands-on experience with the camera equpiment!

Camera shots

We focussed on increasing our knowledge and understanding of different ways you can use a camera. Below are lists of the shot types, camera angles and camera movements that we discussed. I have also included a description on when and how they can be used when filming.

A bit about me

My name is Holly and I am now an AS media student! I am really looking forward to the course and I'm looking forward to the challenges facing me and the others in my class. I love watching films so it will be really interesting to learn how they are made. I am particularly interested in camera angles and shot types, as I did some work experience with Sky TV and thought the camera operators did an amazing job. I also think that as an actress it is important to understand the world of media because it plays such a huge role in performing arts these days.