Essex Boys (2000 Terry Winsor)

plot summary :
'The film is based loosely around events in December 1995 that culminated in the murders of three drug dealers in Rettendon, Essex, UK. On 6th December Patrick Tate, Craig Rolfe and Tony Tucker, three drug dealers well known to the police, were lured to Workhouse Lane, Rettendon. There they were blasted to death with a shot gun while sitting in their Range Rover. They had been lured to their deaths on the pretext of a lucrative drugs deal. The three bodies were found the following morning, 7th December 1995. '

synopsis :
'This film starts off as a young taxi driver is offered a job to help a small-time hardman get a little revenge. As the film progresses, he gets money and he thinks he is gaining respect from the other gang members. Then there comes a time where he is woken at night, only to find a Range Rover outside his house: his boss is expecting him to drive this to pick up the rest of the gang and take them to their awaiting fate...'

How Terry Winsor established and develops the thriller genre in the opening to Essex Boys

the genre of essex boys is established very clearly in the opening to the film. the title sequence of white lines on a black backround which subtly fade into the shed of light coming from under the garage door in the first scene of the film. this shows the fluency of scenes in the film, it gives a standard of intelligence which the director will carry on using throughout the film. Thrillers are strongly based on intelligent interpretations and camera angles ensuring the viewer is on the edge of their seat and paying attention to the film, at the same time as feeling involved with the characters and the scene which is unfolding infront of them. 

with the effective title sequence, and the first few scenes, it is clear to the viewer that 'Essex Boys' is a thriller. The first shot of discovering the car in the cold, isolated garage with non ambient lighting created to give an effect of darkness and uncertainty. The single spot light of lighting in this scene gives the scene an atmosphere, which is concerning and unsafe. This feeling will keep viewers attentive and wanting to know what happens next. All this is given off purely to the lighting, which has a massive effect on the film overall. As the lighting in this scene is incredibly limited, it makes the characters whereabouts seem mysterious, almost as if they shouldnt be there. The darkness of the scene connotes a Noir Thriller look. With effective use of shadows it mirrors scenes from famous noir thrillers such as 'The Third Man', meaning the genre is quickly established through stereotypical conventions.  The cold, and bleak streets in this scene is also a cultural reference to the setting of the film, essex is commonly seen as unglamorous place, and the scenic shots from this sequence mirror this expectation well.

introducing Jason

From first encounter it is clear that Jason will play a very important part to the story, you can clearly see his status from the first time the audience view him. The way he is only visible to us after wiping mud of a windscreen and we see him through a glass screen. This infers that he has extreme detatchment from his emotions, he is hidden behind this glass screen unable to make any pure contact with the other characters. He remains distant and cold to other characters building up a mysterious personality, making us want to find out more about his character. Having a character like Jason in the film creates an urge to be attentive to his every move, in hope to discover his true colours. whilst being attentive, the audeince will unconciously form their own opinion on him, setting up for a unique experience when viewing the film. 

 The use of the windscreen wipers cleaning the dirt between Jason and Billy shows that theres is something about Jason which is unclean, almost as if everywhere he goes this cloud of dirt follows him, inferring that he has done terrible things in the past which will never wash away. The way the scene is shot, from a low angle, gives Jason status and power. Making billy seem vulnerable. Jasons loud shirt indicates confidence and brashness, along with his working roots and his backround of coming from essex. Jason is a stereotypical archetype for a character in a thriller, his character has adopted the characteristics which we expect. It is clear that he will play the 'villian' in this film. He comes across as cocky, and a bit of a 'wide-boy', his character somewhat mirrors that of Harry Lime from 'The Third Man', both characters appear to the audience as cocky, and flash. From this, his status and personality is clear to viewers. Winsor has intelligently crafted Jason around other characters of the same status from other films, establishing their roles in the film.  His personality also mirrors the atmosphere they are in, as the film is set in essex which is sterotypically unglamorous, you would expect a character like Jason to originate from here.

alot of things are said about the genre of the film through the scenic shots taken throughout the first opening scenes. For example, when Billy and Jason are trvalling in a white van through the long tunnel. This indicates several things: the white van is seen as an enigma, we as the audience are not yet sure what it is going to be used for, stereotypically, there are a lot of bad views around white vans in our society, this provokes thoughts about what is going to happen. While the audience are trying to work out the next steps they are paying close attention as the white van speeds through Dartford tunnel. The tunnel may be seen as a reference for a barrell of a gun, and the use of the long journey through the tunnel may be seen as Jason and Billy changing worlds.  Going from the bleak darkness in the tunnel, to the bright natural light on exit from the tunnel. They have just changed their position, and this gets the audience ready for new scenes of action in a new location. The use of clear lighting contrast is clear, this is another way of Winsor showing the change in atmosphere. Going from enclosed spaces into something wider indicates that Jason is taking Billy on a journey into what his life is like, this is also backed up by the assault he is about to perform on a man in the fish market. The tunnel may aslo be seen as an encolsed space, again referencing the genre of a thriller.

 

Research Into Thrillers

Pulp Fiction (1994) - Quentin Tarantino- Miramax Films

'The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.'

This thriller, directed by Quentin Tarantino, stars many well known actors such as John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis. The Oscar-winning script by Tarantino and Roger Avary intertwines three stories, making this film unique and incredibly interesting, with Tarantinos fantastic directing and natural talent of making films, there is no way this motion picture would not be a hit, even to this day, almost ten years after it was released it is still being viewed and enjoyed by younger generations.

Review from Rotten Tomatoes,  94%, 9/10, said to be 'One of the most influential films of the 1990s, Pulp Fiction is a delirious post-modern mix of neo-noir thrills, pitch-black humor, and pop-culture touchstones'.

Summer Task

What are the similarities and differences between the title sequence to LA Noire and the opening scene of Casino Royal? 

In the casino royale clip there is an excellent example of mise en scene throughout. The black and white filter through the shoot adds a suspicious atmosphere and interprets the mood of the opening to the audience. The darkness surrounding Bond and the other male character limits what we can see, creating an urge for the viewer to pay close attention, insuring every fine detail is seen in order to grasp an understanding of the events occurring as the sequence unfolds. Although there is no in-depth conversation, and what is said is basic but very important, we rely on visuals to guide us through what is happening, this makes the flashback to the cricket match incredibly effective. The use of darkness soon changes to a very bright setting in the flashback, but still, among the sea of white clothes, bond is dressed in dark garments, and his face shaded, the contrast between the two tones is a very important visual for setting the mood of the scene, also presenting bond as a serious character, despite being at a place of leisure, a cricket game. This adds a feeling of uncertainty to him, and suspicion.

On the other hand, in the opening title to LA Noire, despite being the same genre, the use of mise en scene is the complete opposite. The colours are bright, and shows members of the public engaging in conversation and carrying out every day tasks. There is nothing out of the ordinary to create suspense, unlike in casino royale. The events are told differently also, instead of dialogue between characters, in LA Noire, the story is told from a narrative point of view, over a sequence of images and short clips, rather than long periods of footage with real life actors in them. This shows clear differences between not only format, but also the purpose. The film (Casino Royale), guides you more through what is happening, where as in LA Noire, there is a short time spent talking, and only basic information given, this gives the player their own personal freedom to actually get involved within the game and story line, and in ways, make it their own. The two sequences differ as they have different purposes. One thing which is constant and similar throughout is the choice of music, adding the mood to the scene. Music in media is incredibly important, it sometimes can infer things which could not be inferred through dialogue or choice of scene and lighting. The use of music is effective in both clips.

  

Introduction