The Usual Suspects vs Retribution

I feel that we gained a lot of influences from The Usual Suspects which may be why I also feel that there are a lot of similarities in the plot and also the opening.

Below is the opening to The Usual Suspects:



Below is the opening to Retribution:

I feel that there are a number of similarities between Retribution and The Usual Suspects. Firstly both contain an aspect of mystery and slight confusion. In The Usual Suspects you do not know who the character who shoots the man on the boat is due to his face being obscured - this is similar to not knowing the man who enters the girls house in Retribution for the same reason. In both films you also follow the 'victim' of the scene and then the killer/villain enters the scene midway through - allowing you have time to build a certain allegiance with the character that you have been following.

Retribution though, has more establishing shots than The Usual Suspects, in my opinion, during the opening shots. Retribution has quite long shots with the car driving towards the screen, the long angle shots of the house and street also set the scene of suburbia. In The Usual Suspects you do not get this, you are straight into the middle of the scene with tight shots of the character and then it gradually moves out into slightly longer shots to allow the audience to see things which will be important later in the film. The Usual Suspects also isn't set in suburbia, the opening begins on a boat.

Retribution and The Usual Suspects share the fact that both delay any major action until later in the opening. Retribution has Zak entering the bathroom quite a while after Evie and the idea of Zak being in the house are introduced, however no physical contact (such as an attack) is shown which is different in The Usual Suspects in that the character which we follow (the man with the matches) gets shot in the opening. Yet The Usual Suspects follows this same idea of delaying the action until the end in order to allow the audience to get accustomed to the set up of the scene and for them to form even a basic allegiance with a character.

Plot wise I feel that the films are relatively similar in that they both contain 'gangster' and police aspects. Both also contain a fear factor/drive - in The Usual Suspects they are frightened of Keyser Soze who they are working for and in Retribution, Trent is driven to following Zak's demands due to his fear of losing his daughter. Both stories contain a twist at the end as well. Both beginnings don't really give much of the plot away either, it is only later on in the film that their relevance will become apparent so I feel that both have good audience engaging qualities which will keep the audience interested and wanting to gain answers to the questions which have been raised from the openings.

Applying the theories to Retribution

For this project we studied the four main theories relating to thrillers, so I decided to apply them to Retribution to see whether or not it contains some of the generic conventions. I am applying these theories to only the opening itself because we haven't made the rest of the film.

Claude Levi-Strauss - Binary Opposites
male vs female - you can tell the intruder is male
freedom vs entrapment - she cannot get out of the house without passing him
prisoner vs captor - he has her trapped within the house
justice v injustice - Zak getting justice against Detective Trent's injustice

Roland Barthes - Action & Enigma Codes
Enigma Codes:

• You don't see the intruders face - Who is he?
• There is no interaction between them and he doesn't make himself known, yet he was waiting for her - Does he know her? What is their relationship?
• The last shot being just of their feet in the bathroom - What happens next? What does he do to her?
• The phone call whilst she is in bed and she gets up - Who was on the phone? Is she going out somewhere?
• The camera moving behind the car from the intruders point of view - Has he been planning this? Is it spontaneous? Why is he waiting for her specifically?

Action codes:

• She gets a phone call - leads to her getting out of bed
• Goes to bathroom - leads to the intruder trapping her inside the bathroom
• Drops door keys - leads to her leaving the door open
• Leaves the front door open - leads to the intruder getting in

Tzvetan Todorov - Narrative Structure

Equilibrium - Woman walking home
1st disruption - Leaves the front door open and the intruder gets in
2nd disruption - The woman is trapped in the bathroom

The final sections of this narrative structure do not work because we haven't made the rest of the opening and usually this theory is applied to the entire film. However the first few do work because they generally happen at the beginning of the film. The sections of the theory which don't apply are the big disruption, thwarted attempts at resolution, a resolution and a new equilibrium. However if we had continued to make our film according to our synopsis, then the other sections would be applicable. The big disruption would be Zak kidnapping Evie and holding her hostage whilst setting a trail for Detective Trent to follow, the thwarted attempts at a resolution would be Detective Trent attempting to find her, the resolution would come in the form of whether or not Evie lived and Detective Trent possibly being framed for her supposed murder and finally the new equilibrium would be Zak's new situation concerning his revenge and whether he achieved it or not.

Vladimir Propp - Folk Tales & Character Types
1. The villain/antagonist - Detective Trent (for his actions which made Zak end up in jail)
2. The hero/protagonist - Zak (we follow his story and want him to achieve his revenge)
3. The donor - Evie (in that she gives Zak the means to achieve his revenge)
4. The helper - there isn't really a helper in our plot, but it could be Evie due to finding our her father killed her mother
5. The princess - In the sense of him getting his revenge it would be Detective Trent, but due to his relationship with Evie then it could be her if she wasn't killed
6. The father figure -Again there isn't really a father figure, although in the rest of the film Evie could hate her father when she finds out her father killed her mother
7. The dispatcher - Detective Trent
8. The false hero - we don't really have a false hero

I also studied a fifth theory, by Syd Field. His theory is that thrillers contain a three act plot structure. So I have chosen to apply this theory as well, although it is slightly more difficult to apply as the synopsis didn't go into immense detail of the ending etc.:

Act One - Setup

• Two of three main characters identified in opening sequence: Evie and Zak
• Detective Trent would then be introduced along with the story behind the kidnapping
• The audience are given reasons to support Zak in that he was wrongly framed, yet also don't agree with him kidnapping Evie - there are split loyalties
• The problem facing the protagonist is identified: Zak is having to keep ahead of Trent, who is a detective and so has far more resources available to him

(Plot point one: Evie discovers that her father killed her mother)

Act Two - Confrontation

• Zak is beginning to face more problems as he begins to fall for Evie and she has to die for his original plan to work
• Evie also wants to die to punish her father
• Detective Trent keeps following the clues, but quicker than Zak anticipated.

(Plot point two- Zak realises that he cannot kill Evie, so he begins to conduct a plan to frame Detective Trent as planned, but without killing Evie or having a body)

Act Three - Resolution

• Zak carries out his plan and frames Trent
• Trent goes down
• However Evie may or may not be dead, which has the possibility to tarnish his revenge

Finished Opening Sequence for Retribution

Below is the finished opening sequence for our thriller - Retribution. Any feedback would be appreciated.



Overall I really like our opening sequence, however I think that it is unclear in the girls significance to the rest of the film. Only when you have read the blurb do you understand who she is and what her purpose is. Of course, if this was a real film, the sense of mystery surrounding the girl would be appealing to the audience and make them want to find out who she is, what the man's motives are and of course what actually happens to her. I think some of our shots could have been better framed, particularly the shot going from the glass on the table to the bedside table and some of the outside shots. But generally I'm proud of what we have achieved.

Final DVD cover for Retribution

This is the final version of our DVD cover for our opening sequence. I hope you like it. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Just leave a comment.




Blurb:

‘Retribution’ is one of the most exciting British thrillers of recent times. Directed by Angela Yaz it tells the tale of Zak Hayton (Joshua Dean – ‘Archie’), released from prison after being framed for the murder of the wife of Detective Trent (introducing Henry Carter). In a bid to avenge the past, Zak begins his dark and chilling venture to force his enemy to face the repercussions of his actions. As events move towards a violent climax, Evie (Stephanie Miller – ‘Starling Manor’), Trent’s daughter - a troubled young woman already touched by tragedy, becomes a pawn in their game, and Zak finds his feelings towards her are compromised when he unwittingly gets too close. We follow Zak along this journey of regret, uncertainty and ultimately redemption, climaxing in an electrifying twist which will make you re-evaluate the power of human weakness.

Our Group Opening: Rush

We edited together a rough rush for our opening which is below.



I feel that it looks good, yet still isn't quite thriller enough. It doesn't have that much suspense or atmosphere so as a group we have decided to add in a few extra shots.

Firstly we've decided to add in some shots of the kidnapper's feet walking up the stairs which we plan to inter cut with the sequence of the main character getting out of bed and walking down the hallway.

Secondly we have decided on a shot of the kidnapper's feet in heavy shoes behind the girl's bare feet in the bathroom to show that he is just behind her. Hopefully this will add suspense and also show the contrast between the two, bare feet connote vulnerability whilst big heavy shoes connote something sinister.

These additions should help to create a bit more tension in the opening sequence and also make the audience connect and sympathise with the main character a bit more because she seems to very vulnerable in the situation (as she doesn't know someone else is in the house and we do) but she doesn't appear to be a vulnerable character. She comes across as capable of looking after herself if a little reckless with her drinking and into activities which a lot of people can relate to which helps to make the audience feel a connection with her.

Another Idea

We had a group meeting (Zen, Nick, Angela and myself) and we got brainstorming other ideas for a possible opening sequence for our thriller and since we don't have a group blog yet I thought I would blog this here. Anyway we came up with the following idea as a result of the brainstorming, although this is only a rough idea without many specifics. It also includes the section from my previously blogged idea.

The Idea
It is dark/night time and in a countryside setting (at least quite secluded). A car pulls up with its headlights on facing the camera. A girl gets out, dressed up and obviously drunk, she thanks the driver for the lift and says goodbye to her other friends in the car before staggering away down her driveway towards the front door (the door wouldn't be in view, it would preferably be at the side of the house, out of shot).

Then the car pulls away past the camera which is quite shaky and front the point of view of someone although we don't know who. This shot could also be an over the shoulder shot of someone hiding watching the previous event happen.

Next the camera moves around the corner (a fence or bush) from the point of view of the character watching the girl or as an over the shoulder shot of this character.

The next shot is closer to the girl and of her struggling to find her keys then open her front door and we see her closing the front door from the inside or at least pushing it too and it seeming to close.

At this point the original idea of the cigarette/drink shot of the girl waking up and getting out of bed and then walking towards the bathroom - although this time there wouldn't be anything to do with a party in the hallway, her clothes from the previous night would be strewn down the hallway and she would be dressed in a baggy t-shirt as a nightdress, her clothes left where she had left them as she got undressed on the way to bed the night before.

So she picks her way towards the bathroom but this time there is a shot from in front of her and as she walks closer to the camera there is a pan to the front door which is still open from the night before, she hadn't closed it properly.

So there is a shot of the door opening (although possibly her turning the handle and opening it slightly) and the next shot is from inside the bathroom of her opening the door the rest of the way (the two shots would have to match up). She again uses the camera as a mirror and goes to wash her face (an over the shoulder shot may be needed to establish that this is what she is doing). As she lifts her face up from washing her face she is grabbed from behind with someones hand over her mouth (the hand would be in a leather glove).

Basically the main character is the girl and she is watched from outside her house the previous night before being kidnapped the next day. The intruder gets in via her front door which she didn't close properly. By not obviously leaving the front door open it stops the audience from guessing what will happen next.

It would cut immediately to the title screen and that is how the sequence would end.

This is what I can remember us deciding from the meeting so if anyone else in the group has anything I've missed out on please let me know. And as with the other idea I've blogged, any comments on the idea and its continuity or anything else would be appreciated.

Idea

I have been talking to Angela and she had an idea referencing the opening of the film Misery, which includes some very good close ups on objects with things happening in the background which aren't very clear. During this talk I extended her idea into the following - however some details need to be fine tuned.

Angela's Idea
The opening starts with a close up on a pack of cigarettes/a glass/bottle of alcoholic drink. The background is fuzzy but you can make out the shape of a body which reaches towards the drink/cigarettes and takes them. Then they sit up take a drink/drag on a cigarette, but you don't see their face clearly, only their lips down. Then she puts down the drink/stubs out the cigarette and swivels out of bed with her back to you.

My extension
The next shot is of her bare feet landing on the floor and the camera tracks from behind at ankle height following her to the door which she opens and the camera stops, tilting up slightly as you watch her pick her way down a hallway which is littered with the remnants of a party. These 'remnants' would be signified with empty drinks bottles/cans, some people asleep in the hallway (one or two), party streamers, a knocked over flower pot/broken table and shoes. The character is wearing a party dress.

Then we watch the character open the door at the end of the hallway halfway - this is matched when the camera cuts to inside a bathroom watching her open the door the rest of the way. She then proceeds to walk up to the camera and adjust her hair, taking off her makeup/washing her face using the mirror (which the camera is in place of). This is the first point when we see her face completely.

Then we have an over shoulder shot of a girl asleep on the floor and the character starts talking to them - laughing at how drunk the girl was the previous night - meanwhile the character continues to look in the mirror. When the girl doesn't reply she frowns and looks down at the girl who has a look of terror on her face. She crouches down to comfort her (over shoulder shot possibly?) and then she pulls back her hand as she realises it is covered in blood which has soaked through the girls clothes from a stab wound.

At the minute it is only an idea and there are a few details which need to be sorted out, but I like the outline and the possibilities for camera work within the idea.

Any feedback from people would be appreciated.

The Illusionist Opening Sequence

In this opening the major of it is credits, which I feel is good because the images behind the credits help to set the scene and time period of the film. When the film actually begins then the shot is of the Illusionist/Magician on stage at one of his shows.

The opening doesn't really introduce the characters overly. You can see the police chief and the illusionist, but you don't get introduce to them as a character overly. This happens later in the opening because the film starts very close to the end of the plot and then goes back to the beginning.

I feel that the credits are really good because although they have images/clips behind them, it isn't of anything that is overly related to the storyline so you don't have to concentrate. Instead it allows you to take in the images and you begin to realise the time period and also the setting of the film. Then the film begins, meaning you don't then have to concentrate on time period, you can just concentrate on the character.

The camera work is quite varied to show the expression of the Illusionist and also the reaction and sheer size of the audience that have come to see him perform - although he doesn't appear to be performing much. Particularly in the way that it uses closeups to convey emotion and reactions. The angles and camera work is used to highlight important people (such as the policeman) and actions (such as the ghost of the woman appearing & the woman's outburst). When the police chief comes onto the stage to arrest the Illusionist, having the illusionist sitting down makes him look a lot smaller and fragile than the police chief.

The continuity editing is good and I like the lighting. It gives the auditorium a very sinister feeling which then comes true when the police come in and arrest the illusionist. The dark lighting adds to the tension and suspense. I;'ve noticed that with lighting it is normally quite hard to achieve the correct emotion/enigma within a scene.

I think that the sound is very effective. The music definately matches the time period of the film and the silence when the film actually starts gives tension and suspense to the scene immediately. Then when the woman bursts out in excitement the silence from before helps to emphasise her excitement.

Overall I think that this opening is very effective with the way that the credits help to set the scene, normally people don't utilise this unless they are already showing part of the film in the background.

As with the opening to Se7en I like the way that the credits themselves aren't boring, in the Illusionist they move and flicker about which just helps to make them a little interesting on screen.

I would like to use the idea of setting the scene behind the credits just via stills or small clips of movement in my thriller opening. However due to the limitations in length I wouldn't have time to fit this in and have an opening for the thriller, so I won't be able to do it.

Past Thriller Projects

The following are examples of past thriller openings made by other groups. I have watched a few to see what worked well and what didn't in a bid to make sure that I don't make the same mistakes. I am looking at their work to see what areas are the hardest to get right so that I can pay particular attention to making sure mine don't go wrong.

2005
Group 1 - The Protégé



In this opening two men are in a car, and one of them is instructing the other how to make a hit. I think it works well because there isn't too much going on, so the audience doesn't get confused. The opening also really introduces the characters thoroughly and you understand their relationship immediately.

I feel that it really evokes the thriller genre with the dresscode - both men are wearing a black suit and tie with a shirt - they are very smartly dressed and looks like they means business.

The camera work is quite varied with lots of different angles and distances being used to keep the audience engaged and also show important shots in developing enigma and mise-en-scene. I particularly like the closeup on the man in the front seat's mouth when he is talking and the closeup of the protége's hand to show his nerves. The tracking being hand-held also adds to the sense of the person in shot - the protégé - being in a hurry and it highlights his nerves. It subsequently creates enigma and draws you in because you wonder where he is going and why he is so nervous.

The idea itself is good because it is realistic, it could happen and isn't too extreme. The actors are very convincing which adds to the overall effectiveness of the opening because you don't feel like you are watching an amateur production.

The continuity editing is very good, which I've noticed can tend to be a problem with a lot of the thriller openings made by past groups. You never jump from one place to another, it all follows very neatly on so you barely notice the editing, which allows for a more pleasent viewing and understanding of the sequence. If you were continuously jolting from place to place you would be distracted by that.

I didn't overly like the fact that their credits were so boring. I think it works well that they are simple and go with the classic feel of the opening, however it would have been more interesting for the viewer if they had been a bit more creative.

However the sound was quite poor quality. I think that the music fits well with the sequence and the changes in pace and tension. But the quality of the recording of the speech is very fuzzy which is probably due to the lack of equipment they had available. Also at the end of the opening at about 1min 54 secs the movement of lips and the sound don't quite match up.


2006
Group 6 - Exposure



In this opening a man comes home and begins to pack his bag in a rush ready to leave somewhere, but then he stops on his way out of the door to go to a room full of photos of a girl. I like the idea because it isn't overly complicated but it was executed in a fashion that keeps the audience entertained. It also raises a lot of questions about the character and the girl in the photo which would be good in a real thriller because it would keep the audience engaged.

The dresscode in this opening is similar to that used by the makers of The Protégé in 2005. It is a classic thriller dresscode of a black suit, black tie and a white shirt. He is smartly dressed, but his tie is loosened, which adds to the fact that he is flustered/in a rush.

The camera work has lots of variety in terms of angles and distances, and also in the colour used for the shot. The first half/three-quarters of the opening is in black and white giving it a classic feel, then when the protagonist enters the room full of pictures the room is in colour, showing a change of scene - this highlights a change in tone of the opening. The variety of angles and distances used helps to exaggerate how flustered and hurried the protagonist is.

I really like the idea because it is like something going on behind closed doors, from the outside he could look like a normal person, but he obviously has an obsessive streak in the form of this girl. The actor they used is also very good at his role.

The continuity editing is excellent here. Everything follows on from shot to shot perfectly and you feel as if you are literally just following him around the house.

The credits weren't that exciting, however I liked how they were in colour (orange) over a black and white shot making them stand out in a way opposite to usual (black or white text on a colour shot is normal).

The sound quality wasn't amazing, it was a bit too loud and echoey, however I think the music coming in at the point it did is perfect, because it sets the audience up for the change in mood and situation. Overall I think the sound was quite good quality for the openings I have watched.

Clockwork Orange Opening Sequence

This particular clip doesn't have the original sound with it and unfortunately I didn't manage to find a clip with the correct sound. However I am going to analyse this sequence on visuals.

This thriller opening starts with a red screen, this colour is particularly significant because it signifies passion and anger, two emotions which feature prominently. It begins focused on one man (the protagonist), then zooms out to introduce his droogs/friends and then it tracks back to introduce the setting of their meeting. I feel this works well because the language the protagonist speaks in isn't modern English so this can be a little disorientating for the audience. But by taking it slowly and introducing first the language over the blank screen, then the main character, then his friends and then their location, it gives the audience time to adjust and take in each new piece of information.

The location they are in (a nightclub) really evokes the thriller genre, the fact that they are drinking milk laced with drugs again evokes films of the thriller genre often contain drug references.

The men are all dressed in the same colour with a black hat, reinforcing the idea of them being in a gang.

The camerawork doesn't vary much in the beginning in terms of angles with the camera staying fixed in the same area but zooming out to incorporate more of the scene around the protagonist. It begins with a closeup to show the emotion of the protagonist and to introduce him - showing us he is the most important to us. Before zooming out to give us a bit more detail about his life, e.g. his friends, where he hangs out. I think this is good because it develops the mise-en-scene of him being the leader and of the seedy place they hang out. Even when the camera is very zoomed out, the group is the main feature at the end of the shot, with other people in the club up the sides, they are less important.

It doesn't have any opening credits except for the title and the director on the plain colour screens. I think this is good because the plot could be quite difficult to understand if you had other things detracting from the atmosphere which is created.

The continuity is excellent because you don't have any cuts or pans in the opening. It just tracks all the way back to the end of the room. So it all follows on from the last shot. You notice the camerawork in the sense that it gradually reveals more to you as the opening carries on.

I really like the idea of having one continuous shot without editing as the opening scene. I think that this is very original as I have never seen any film use the same technique.