Soundtrack Analysis – Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

In the opening sequence of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the soundtrack is revealed to the audience. Non-diegetic music instigates the scene, in which involves solo electric guitars and this is typical of this genre of film (gangster). This is used to build up the suspense and anxiety, and to inform the audience that something hectic may be about to happen, which is embedded in the Barthes – Enigma Code Theory. The audience is led to anticipate certain things to happen and this is what gives the gangster genre the realisation it has gained today. This helps the target audience to understand the piece much more clearly and distinctly, and with the introduction of a noteworthy soundtrack, the message can be inferred much more rapidly.

As Eddie (who takes the role of the protagonist in this opening scene) states that the ‘cossers’ (police) are here, the antagonist then proceeds to running away from the police into the dilapidated scene (which is an abandoned warehouse). This instigates a high angle close-up shot of the goods being thrown into a suitcase, as a point of view shot. These types of camera-works are significant to the entire film as the audience gets a clench of the desired mise-en-scene early on. In addition to this, the indistinct lighting and use of shadows which was included by the editors in the warehouse, justify the dejected and eerie vibe that we obtain from this scene. Contrariwise, the soundtrack used could be seen as a conflicting characteristic as it is jittery and it is synchronised with the stride of the characters. This is seen as part of the Levi-Strauss – Binary Opposition Theory, where the contrast between these two elements encourages the audience to grab more connotations from the opening scene. An illustration of a possible connotation would be the theme of Good vs. Bad later on in the film, as we already observe a glimpse of this from the commencing chapter. The director purposely uses alternative music to engage the audience, and to add to the mise-en-scene; it stands out in the genre. At approximately 1:30 minutes into the scene, the music becomes more concentrated and the police come into the frame, just after the ‘bad’ characters vacate it. The use of a ‘sound bridge’ is comprised as the sound is used from one location (the streets) to the other (inside the abandoned warehouse). Stemming from this, a ‘sting’ is also used as the soundtrack is used as a form of punctuation as the motion of the shot starts to slow down. This relates to the film very well as the opening sequence involves a superficially illegal operation, which involves the buying of illegal goods. The lyrics which are part of the soundtrack aid to get across an ‘exclamation mark’ to the audience, and this is significant to the film because it warns the audience that a disruption has befallen.

Furthermore, the soundtrack is used as a narrative alongside a piece of commentary which follows up. The soundtrack helps to enhance the narrative by offering a summary to the audience of what to expect throughout the film. The element of rock within the soundtrack injects the Hyperdermic Needle Theory into the heads of the viewers, which clarifies that a lot more illegal acts are going to follow this opening scene. Also, as the music continues, the editing becomes much more hurried to perceptibly build exhilaration and excitement, which

is emblematic to the gangster genre. I will include this aspect as part of my soundtrack as it has proved to be powerful for the representation of the film as a whole.