Collateral Textual Analysis

Key:
Camera work
Mise En Scene
Editing
Sound
Narrative Story

The opening starts with shallow depth of field, medium shot of the first male character walking. Then there is a very quick cut to another shallow depth of field, medium shot of the second male protagonist, however in this scene the second male character is walking with a quicker pace compared to the first male protagonist. Both Characters costumes are very formal suggesting that they have a very important job to do. The first character is wearing a grey suit and tie with black sunglasses. The colours he wears are solid, connoting that he is a strong and professional character.

There is no soundtrack in the first 30 seconds of the film, only sounds of footsteps and a low sound of people. This created an eerie notion which is slightly disturbing to listen to due to the fact that it is very quiet. The silence is then broken when the two characters bump into each other, forcing the audience to stay focused on them both. This is a cardinal technique because the audience need to the characters switch cases to understand the beginning of the opening. The soundtrack then begins as soon as the first male character picks up the suit case. It begins with a solid rhythm playing while he walks off and the taxi garage scene begins. This soundtrack with combined with the jump cuts that put in place create a fast paced motion and keep the audience engaged and entertained. 

The lighting is bright in the airport, which shows no character is hidden from public view, yet the two characters are deliberately shown in focus to show their significance in the scene. Their actions help them to blend in to the crowd supporting their professionalism and mystery in the opening

After the airport scene, there are a selection of jump shots that present the atmosphere of the taxi garage. The use of jump shots show the garage's busy schedule and stressful responsibilities. Once the character in glasses shuts the door. The sound is muffled to almost a silence, and we see him set up his 'office' in his car. This implies that this character is happiest in his car, and not the garage as it is loud and stressful. The close up shots give detail as to who he is and how important he is in the film. At this point we understand that he is the protagonist.

However during the whole taxi garage scene there are a lot of repetition of close ups giving the impression that this film wants the audience to stay focused on the details of the narrative. This reflects on the characters feelings because the protagonist wants and has to stay focused on his job. In addition there are also a lot of extreme close up frequently used to show the protagonists hopes and dreams. Perhaps he is looking for a better life elsewhere? Maybe he needs a goal to keep him motivated in his occupation. These ideas support the hatred that the protagonist has for his job and reflects his character's ordinary life.

In the whole opening there aren't a whole lot of long cuts in the sequence, it mainly consists of jump cuts and close ups. This suggests that the motion of the film is fast paced and explosive, helping the audience on the edge of their seats at all times. This also implies that the whole film will be action packed. There are many obscure angles that the camera focuses on in the taxi garage. For example, an over the shoulder-type shot looks at the window of the taxi which seems odd to look at on its own , but when it is added to the other jump cuts, it gives places to ordinary people. This is typical of a thriller films as spectacular consequences can happen at any time.

Focusing in and out with the lens is used to vary the camera shots and to employ more detail in the mise en scene elements. These variations create questions within the audience and help to build more anticipation as more objects come into focus without any real action being recorded.

Near the end when the protagonist shuts his car door there is a build up before cutting dramatically to the door shutting. There is still a constant rhythm playing while he is in his car, but it is stripped down to one synth which sets a calming yet apprehensive mood. This undisturbed atmosphere helps the audience to focus on the protagonist, supporting his important role in the film. The rhythm still plays as he slowly exits the garage, ending the opening with a good level of anticipation.

The opening does follow the Narrative theory of Todorov. It starts with an equilibrium of both of the two characters in suit walking in the airport. Then suddenly they both bump in to each other, this is where the disruption of the equilibrium is. There is then a reinstatement of the equilibrium when both characters check if the other is fine and apologise. 

Conclusion
Overall I think this film is suitable for people ages 12+ due to the fact that the opening foreshadows not a lot of strong language or gore. The opening uses jump cuts very well and keeps the film fast paced and steady. The unusual camera angles and the camera work with the lens focus makes the film look very pleasing to the audience eyes which therefore makes it a nice watch.