Analysis of Thriller Opening: The Disappearance of Alice Creed

The disappearance of Alice Creed is a Thriller film opening I have studied in class to help me gain an insight into what makes thriller openings so successful. When analysing the opening scene I considered 4 Main aspects:
1. Camera Work (Shot sizes, Movement, angle and depth of field)
2. Mise en Scene
3. Editing meathods
4. Sounds

The Video clip below shows the first five minutes of the film (I only studied the first 2 minutes and 20 seconds of the clip):



1. Camera Work-Key aspects of the Camera work in the film opening which I felt were successful:

Print Screen shot of footage from opening
scene displaying shallow field of depth.

• The use of Close ups and Shallow depth of field-focusing on key aspects of a shot, for example in the Hardware store, when the men were purchasing items such as the saw and the rope (as shown in image to the right, a very shallow field of depth was used so we could only focus on the item (this builds tension as we are unaware what these dangerous items are going to be used for).
• The camera in many shots is either tracking/dollying or panning (It is constantly moving to watch everything that the two men are doing); This is significant because it shows us that a lot is going on -we can see them working hard but this builds suspense as we still are unaware of what they are trying to achieve.
• Also the are a number od POV/blocked frame shots at the start, not to indicate the men are being watched by anyone in the film, however it gives the impression that the viewer is watching them and this creates a suspicious atmosphere as we are aware the men are up to something they should not be (An example of this is at 0:28 in the clip above, this gives the impression the viewer is spying on them).

2. Mise en Scene-Key aspects in the film opening:

• The first 2 minutes 20 seconds of the film uses 5 different locations; The carpark, the rubbish-dump, the Hardware store, the house and the forest. The scene where the two men work in the house I feel is a successful scene and helps to create suspense. The first sequence of shot in this scene is the camera panning around the flat, we are able to see that the house looks abandoned and run down, there is few objects and those that are there are broken. This already creates tension because we begin to question who this house belongs to, why is it empty and what are the men doing with it? The other location i feel is effective is at 2:04 when the men enter the forest. This is a stereotypical location in thrillers because they have a very spooky, dark atmosphere. I think woodland areas would be a good location for our thriller opening as it is a myserious, potentially dangerous location which would create suspense and tension and draw in the viewer. 
• Props are also significant (as mentioned above) because the props used are dangerous (for example the saw and drill) and so leads us to believe the men are dangerous and provokes thoughts in the viewer like; what are the men making in the house? What is it for? What are they digging for in the forest etcetera, and the key point is that none of these things are revealed straight away and so it builds suspense and tension.
• The lighting is also significant, especially in the scene in the house. In the house low key lighting is used and the colour appears to be slightly desaturated. This in itself creates a negative mood and makes the scene more mysterious. I feel that low key lighting and desaturated colour would play a key part in our thriller opening as is creates a mysterious atmosphere thus increasing tension.
• Their facial expression and body language is very plain and hard to read and the way they act makes them come across as very robotic and that they know what they are doing and are very serious characters (which gives us the impression that they are the antagonists).

3. Editing Meathods in thriller opening:

• The opening sequences uses a lot of quick cuts between shots so we are able to see everything that is happening (especially the scene in the house where they are buildings things). The shots tend to be slow paced and longer shots before we se the men (for example when the camera is tracking throught the carpark or panning across the empty house), however the pace speeds up when the camera focuses on what the two men are doing.
• The opening also uses match on action and because of this, we know it is continuity editing.
• A very significant point about the editing is in the house, when the two men are fulfilling tasks, it is edited so that there is a clip of one of the men doing something and then straight after a clip of the other doing exactly the same-like they are working in unison.

4. Sound-key elements of sound in the opening:

• Throughout the opening there is a non diagetic music track playing, the track changes due to what is happening in the film. An example of this is when the camera is panning across the empty house, the music is peaceful and high pitched, the ticking in the background then gets louder as the camera zooms in towards the door (building tension-we know someone is going to come in), and as soon as the men enter, the music turns deep and dark. The use of a chello creates a very sinister, negative mood.
• There is some diegetic sound in the opening however these are all sound effects. The diagetic sound in the house is of the two men working away and you can hear them saw, staple, drill and other things, however these sounds are all exaggurated and loud, to emphasize what they are doing is significant.
• The most important thing I feel about this opening is that there is no dialogue. The men do not communicate throughout the opening of the film, which shadows the idea that they have planned what they are doing very well and that they are serious about what they are doing. Even when they have a break to eat, they do not communicate. They come across as very robotic and this creates tension as we as the viewer do not know what they are doing but it is clearly something very important.

By Holly King