What's in a Thriller: Thriller Analysis

Media Film Analysis:

Vystrel

Film info/ How do we know:

The film I watched was Vystrel, which is Russian for shot. The film centres around a briefcase, which contents are unknown to the audience, the briefcase has something that the woman and hitman want. We know this because, in the beginning, there are close shots of her holding the briefcase tightly and protecting it; she also becomes anxious and begins running (when she gets suspicious of someone following her). Ultimately, she is shot (Vystrel) by a Man who steals it from her.

How do they build tension:Music/Sound:

-  As soon as the Camera shot moves to the girls hand holding the briefcase, the music becomes louder and more dramatic. This creates a sense of tension, as it emphasises that there is something important in the briefcase and the audience does not know what’s inside.

 "Whats Inside the Briefcase?" 

-  The sound of her heels hitting the pavement, produces a metronomic clacking sound that gets louder and more frequent as she runs faster. This builds the climax as it makes the atmosphere more intense.


-  There was no dialogue, which leaves room for interpretation and mystery, as there is no clear indication of what’s happening.


-  In the same way as her heels are used to create tension, the pace of her breathing increased which hinted at the growing tension. In addition, when she get in the car, her breathing relaxes which eases the tension and makes the final climax even more poignant.

- she exhales and applies pressure on the steering wheel, she feels she has regained control of the situation.

Lighting:

-   The white lights in the elevator and parking lot, made the scene even more cold and bleak.

Camera angles:

-          The close up of both the woman and mans clenched fist in the beginning build the tension by making the audience feel as if there will be a fight between them. We anticipate that the man will harm her; when he doesn’t it  is an anti-climax, which makes the audience ensure of the upcoming events.

 - This is the moment the Woman bumps into the Man by the Elevator, you can see the apparent fear and surprise in her reaction. 

-          In the car the camera films her  from behind the back, and we see the man rise from the seat. This makes the audience extremely uneasy, because she is completely vulnerable, and we know what’s going to happen before her.

Characters:

- Woman:

She is the main focus in the opening sequence, the audience believes that she is the protagonist until she is shot. We are supposed to feel empathy  for her and be worried for her safety. For example, we see her put on her earphones in the beginning, this makes her more relatable to the audience as she is exhibiting normal behaviour. In addition, she is young and well dressed, which makes her appear  more approachable and safe. Subconsciously, we think because she is a woman, she wouldn’t be as dangerous and we assume she is the victim from the start. She is blonde, so we assume she is in trouble, because it plays on our prejudice that blonds are dumb. Furthermore, she is wearing heels, which are feminine and we associate femininity with fragility. However, the reason she is killed is because of her briefcase which then makes us suspicious, whether she really is a victim.

- Man by Elevator

We first see him in the elevator sequence, he is waiting for it. The camera takes a shot of his clenched fists, which immediately makes us believe that he will harm the woman. He is wearing all black, making him look menacing and he has a hood covering his head which implies a deceptive nature. The filmmakers used him as a tool to create a climax, in the beginning so to set the tone for the entire piece. We fear him in the beginning because of  the music and camera angles used to represent him as a threatening figure.

- Man in Car

His first appearance, is in the woman’s car where he waits for her in the back seat. Due to his entrance, (creeping out of darkness) we get this idea that he is a malevolent character. Doesn’t give warning before shooting her, which makes his presence even more shocking. He is wearing all black, which we associate with death and darkness. He is also wearing a thin red tie that presents him as a sleek figure that creates bloodshed (association, Red=Blood). The red also symbolises warning and danger.

 - The fact that the camera is out of focus emphasises that his character is ambiguos.

What I think the rest of the plot line would be?

After having shot her, he takes the briefcase back to his partner. They are expecting to find the bank codes for major hedge fund managers in the world. However, when they open it they see that it requires a fingerprint DNA scan of the woman he killed. They go back to the parking lot to find her body, but are too late and the body has been taken by someone else. The entire film is the Man who killed her trying to find her body. At the end he breaks into a morgue and steals her body. Finally, as he is about to place her finger on the scanner, he is shot by someone in  the back of the head, and the briefcase is once again closed. And we never find out what’s really inside.

This is the entire film, for you to enjoy