Retribution: Misery & Other Aspects Of Influences

I've noticed that Retribution doesn't really compare to or mirror any opening sequences that I've seen, in my opinion. Retribution definitely shares qualities with films and certain scenes throughout those films, however I do not think that we took much inspiration from any actual opening sequences.

Originally we began with an inspiration from the Misery opening sequence with the close up of the glass and alkaseltzers in the morning scene and then the smoking section mirroring Misery's opening sequence with a cigarette on the table and the champagne glass. But as this isn't directly at the beginning of the opening I feel as if we didn't really draw much from other films openings.

Also we didn't just mirror one idea or draw influence from just one film. We all had different ideas and blended a few together that worked (all of which were from different films).

I think this method of doing things was good because it doesn't mirror any particular film too closely, which could have the potential of looking as if we just directly lifted our idea from that film. I like how our film can have different influences, rather than just one, because I think it shows the variation within the group that we all had different tastes and inspirations when given our initial idea. This theme continued into our production because people would suggest things that others hadn't necessarily thought of, which kept the creative process in motion and led to a varied opening in terms of interesting shots to look at.

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.

Fatal Attraction vs Retribution

Although our opening doesn't contain the same main theme of Fatal Attraction (stalking) I feel that the end shots of our opening do contain a lot of influences from Fatal Attraction. In Fatal Attraction there is a point when Dan's wife (Beth) is running a bath and she goes to look in the mirror to clean up her face. Then when she closes the bathroom cabinet door Alex appears. You expect her to be there, but that only adds to the suspense and enigma of the situation. With our opening the build up to the last shots contained the door being left open, the hand on the banister and the footsteps as well as her washing her face and you realise how vulnerable she is that she hasn't realised he is in the house. Then when his feet walk into the shot of the bathroom floor and her feet the audience is willing her to turn around and see him, much like in Fatal Attraction the audience sense something isn't right and are willing Beth to realise this.

There are obvious differences in that with our film it is a revenge attack, whilst in Fatal Attraction Alex is just jealous, however both attacks are in order to gain something for the attacker (Zak wants to hurt Trent and Alex wants to hurt Dan and get him for herself). The fact that in Fatal Attraction you don't see Alex come into the room works because the whole entirety of the film allows the audience to build up an understanding of Alex's character so you expect this sort of behaviour from her. However, as our sequence was just the opening we needed to build as much enigma and suspense as possible whilst introducing the situation and characters (even if some of the characters you do not visibly see fully).

Fatal Attraction also differs from ours as there is an attack as the next section of the scene, we originally planned to have Zak attacking Eva Trent, however when we filmed it we found that it looked tacky on screen and very amateur, so we decided to leave it out and have our last shot of both of the characters feet as this also kept the suspense and enigma up, whilst the attack pretty much took away the suspense and with it the intrigue of the audience. As the whole point is to make the audience want to watch more of the film, I feel by leaving out the attack sequence it helps to give the audience more questions that they want answered from the film.

I feel that because we watched Fatal Attraction as preparation for this project then it influenced us in including a bathroom sequence in the latter stages of the opening sequence.

Influences: The Usual Suspects

WARNING: if you haven't seen the usual suspects this post contains a spoiler.

I watched the Usual Suspects during the project and I really enjoyed the criminal/gangster aspect to the film. I liked the fact that the 'suspects' didn't know who they were working for but still did it, mainly out of fear of disobeying him. And so when I suggested that our group centered our plot around a slightly more gangster/criminal theme rather than a psychopathic killer I thought it would also be good to include a fear driven aspect to the film (which led to the inclusion of the daughter) and possibly a twist at the end of the story which The Usual Suspects pulls off amazingly (if you read the blurb of Retribution there is a hint to a twist at the end).

The end of the Usual Suspects has Keyser Soze being unveiled as Verbal Kint, which you do not expect as he was one of the suspects working for Keyser Soze throughout the story. From this idea the group thought that (had we needed a plot for the ending) then Zak Hayton (our main character) would frame Detective Trent for the murder of his daughter. Having Zak feel torn between killing Evie to get revenge on Trent and keeping her alive as he has grown to like her throws conflict into the story. The fact that then Zak would eventually kill Evie anyway then disrupts the audience's relationship towards him that he would be that hungry for revenge.

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.

Credits - Things to Include

Below is a list of things that as a group we should include in our opening sequence in the form of titles/credits. I will also have to consider how I think we should represent/show our credits - either on a coloured screen or over the top of the sequence itself. I think for our particular sequence we should have them over the action as ours isn't overly action packed so it would be more effective in my opinion to not break up the sequence too much as it may have the effect of making the opening too long and dull.

Things to include in the credits:

• Film Title
• Actors
• Production Companies
• Director
• Producer
• Based on novel (if applicable)
• Screenplay adapted by (if applicable)
• Music by
• Casting by

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.