Conventions Of A Gangster Film

By Nick Webber

Movie Mise En Scene

Sound Editing Camera

Scarface

Pulp Fiction

Departed

Se7en

Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels

Screen Shots

Scarface Convention

Mise En Scene Clothing , political events, technology and music to illustrate the 1980’s, the time period of the movie.

Sound Non-diegetic sounds, the sounds are to illustrate and reassure the time of the 1980’s with retro technology music, also at the beginning you can hear what sounds like guns shots, this could increase tension and how this movie will be themed around violence.

Editing Background music is put with shots of 1980’s videos of politics and locations where the movie will take place, this is to reassure the audience that this is the historical content of the time period, most story's link with a historical event .

Camera Nothing fancy, simply medium and close ups, showing refugees arriving to Florida bay.Also establishing shot to setting.

Screen Shots

Pulp Fiction Convention

Mise En Scene The symbolical prop of the gun is to represent that this movie isn’t a regular movie as it has lead you to believe, suggesting it will become confusing and violent, the use of the coffee mug suggests that it will play a role later in the movie to make a link with the audience. The props also suggest that the time period is early 1990’s. I like how the guy keeps asking rhetorical questions to persuade the woman and to engage the audience.

Sound No non-diegetic sounds or music, however a great deal of diegetic sounds like un-audible chit chat, cars driving in the background and coffee dinner music in the foreground, this makes the movie seem regular, this is a juxtaposition because we all know it isn’t a normal movie.

Editing Straight cuts to either medium shots or close-ups to make the viewer engaged with the conversation, the hand gestures alone provoke the audience to keep attention to the movie. also point of view shot makes us feel like the character which can also help engage the audience.

Camera Medium shots, no establishing shots to introduce the setting of the movie, this may of be happening to make the movie seem boring and regular, even the introduction characters seems to be them just talking about theft, the conversation alone can be engaging and tempting to persuade the audience into the movie. The rest is mostly close-ups to show facial expression and medium shots to express body language. Also the point of view shot makes us feel like the character which can also help engage the audience. One Low angle shot represented that this couple are in authority, the body language is also signature for the movie.

Screen Shots

Lock, stock and two smoking barrels Convention

Mise En Scene The props of the goods and gesture of money shows that this movie is based upon making money, black is a recurring theme in this movie, the titles are black and the costumes are black as well, maybe to show death or high class and formality.

Sound No sound effects is added to this opening scene only the characters voice which is diegetic, near the end of the opening a non-diegetic song plays in while the opening credits rolls in and out.

Editing Title screens roll in and out by cut in motions, this titles are overlapped with the characters voice to show the movement of time, later the police start to chase the couple and background music is added to show the time period and action, the couple then charge into a back alley or stairs, this happens in slow-motion to let the narrator speak which has also overlapped the music, the narrator includes us to the characters and storyline. Finally the last credit cuts as a sketchy text which slowly writes out “Lock, stock and two smoking barrels”.

Camera The opening begins with a classic over-shoulder point of view shot, this makes it feel like we are part of their world, the point of view shot then tracks out to reveal a crowd of people, the characters are then seen by the police and then a close-up of them chucking money and goods into a suit case, it then cuts to a side way as it follows the characters, this follows them to a long shot of them running away, then it cuts to a slow-motion which is in a medium shot.

Screenshots

Strangers on the train Convention

Mise en scene Mostly props and dressing from the time period of round about 1951, the most symbolic props in the opening is definitely the shoes, one pair black and white made from leather and one made of just brown leather, this can show the characteristics of the people, I presume the one with black and white shoes has a edgy crazy side to him because of the contrast, I imagine the brown shoes should be more civilized. America is the setting, because of the clothing and architect.

Sound A soundtrack plays continually through-out the opening scene, the music is quite cheerful but with a mysterious side to it, the music also goes with the tempo of the walking.

Editing This movie, because of it’s age, doesn’t have a lot of editing, simply cuts to other scenes, mostly all the scenes are imagery of these two people about to go on this train so I imagine the story orbits around them.

Camera All shots are all taken on par with the shoes, so the shots are close-ups with no angles, all the shots have a tracking on them, mostly side-way following. One scene is a point of view shot of the front of a train pulling out.

Screen shots

The Departed Conventions

Mise En Scene A lot of props are used in this opening, traditional goods and shopping, cigarettes, signs, yellow buses and a lot of old fashion dressing and costumes, the setting is suggested to be Boston a few years back. The movie is set at a Historical event in the 1960’s I believe.

Sound A lot of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds, a narrator plays throughout the opening scene, while non-diegetic that later turns into diegetic sounds play in the background, diegetic sounds like cars and people chatting also plays.

Editing The edited scenes has a very rapid pace as it shows violence and historical events, mostly all the shots are cut into the next, then a background song and narrator join into the opening scene to give you a sense of the time period, back-story and characters.

Camera A couple medium shots to show events, one establishing shot to show the location and time, one side-way tracking the character who is smoking at a medium shot level with a silhouette cursed over him, this is maybe done to show that this character can’t be trustworthy.