Case Study: Jackie Brown

How Quentin Tarantino

establishes the thriller

genre.

By Nature Wesby

Opening Sequence

The film begins with a medium

close up of Jackie’s confident

posture, and intimidating facial

expression. It establishes as the

center of attention not just for the

audience but for everyone around

her. The abnormally long tracking

shot of 3:40 reveals her

professional attire and shows

that she is a serious business

woman. The continuous subject

of Jackie passing the changing

colours of the background is not

only interesting, but since the

colours are pale, Jackie’s bright

blue suit stands out even more.

In this shot, Jackie is racing against time. The plane passing her is another

example of a generic thriller convention because the characters seem to always

be on a mission, or just on the move (whether it’s running, speed walking,

driving a vehicle, etc.) Although this screenshot only lasts for a couple of

seconds, it’s a small trigger that hints at this movie being a thriller. Jackie

appears vulnerable here because she quickens her pace and that suggests that

she is no longer in complete control. It’s a slight contrast from her previous

confident strut.

Contrast

The first picture is from Jackie Brown, where Ordell and Louis are watching something directed to men, and the second picture is from Animal Kingdom, where Joshua is watching a more family aimed show. What they’re watching reveals the type of characters they are straight away. Because of what Ordell and Louis are watching, one could assume that they could be typical, immature, egotistical, ignorant guys who objectify women. What Joshua is watching doesn’t shout too much other than that he could be a typical mainstream teenager.

Ordell and Louis are comfortably watching tv, which the audience can see in their casual attire and their setting of a basic house in California. Whereas Joshua and his mother appear relaxed in a similar setting except in Australia, but actually Joshua’s mother is dead so he seems uncomfortable and tense.

Unlike directly showing Jackie, Melanie is presented very subtly which suggests that she has a minor role and is unimportant. Melanie’s feet are shown, then her hands, her back, and her face is last. Jackie had a long detailed introduction in the opening of the film, and Melanie is barely seen. That is ironic because woman weren’t usually main characters, and even if they were, they were not biracial. Although Melanie fits the generic conventions of being a woman, Jackie subverts them.

These shots mirror each other with effective generic thriller non ambient lighting, un glamorous location, and a character coming to get another character. Ordell arrives with style in all black, which hints at possibly doing some dirty work, with the intention of being deceitful. Although Joshua’s grandmother deceives him towards the end of Animal Kingdom, she is dressed in a less intimidating light blue, and her intention is more genuine in this shot.

These two shots mirror each other once again with the resemblance of bars from a jail cell and hinting at future imprisonment. The first shot shows Ordell infront because he’s dominant and Beaumont follows behind him just like Billy follows behind Jason in Essex Boys. In the second shot Billy is infront, but in this case, Jason being in the back is more powerful because it is clear that he has control over Billy. Beaumont is not as intimidating as Ordell because he has on a lighter color, which could also be assumed with Billy and Jason.