The Hurt Locker - Jonah

Thriller openings

The Hurt Locker

Mise en scene

·         The setting is rural, easily identified as a country in the Middle East, which signals the viewer that there will be danger.

·         The men are easily identified as US soldiers, wearing modern combat gear and carrying guns, this keeps the audience aware of the consistent danger the soldiers are in.

·         High key lighting is used to create the sense of intensity and pressure, this reflects what the characters and experiencing.

·         Although the weather is real to the setting, it could also create a slight pathetic fallacy as the sun is intense and suffocating, and the soldiers are under high pressure at all times which would become suffocating over time.

·         The outfits create realism as they are easily recognizable from TV and the internet, the audience know what is going on and that they are in control.

·         Their body language shows the audience they are tense but confident, military like. 

  

Sound

·         A non-diegetic soundtrack is played for the first minute or so as the scene is being established by ELS’s and LS’s, the music is minimalistic and long high notes being played which is creating tension, the soundtrack is parallel to enhance vision of what’s going on. This creates a thrilling atmosphere and adds to the suspense.

·         As the scene is being established dialogue is used sparingly and in a different language, the dialogue in the first minute and a half is mainly screaming and commands being shouted, and a man calling in Arabic which makes for a strange mood as it is unfamiliar to the viewer. 

Editing      

·         Continuity editing is used for flow and realism and to follow the soldiers on their mission. The opening plays out in chronological order and keeps the viewer engaged to what is going on screen.

·         Discontinuity editing is use used to shock the viewer and establish were the scene is set by jumping to shots of towns folk and high angles from building.

Camera work

·         POV (voyeurism) shots are used to bring the viewer on the journey of the little robot and experience the disruption and pace of the scene.

·         Handheld cameras are used to create suspense and disruption on the first minute to shock the audience into engaging the scene.

·         The handheld camera use zooming in and out, this creates the feeling of the soldiers being watch and adds to the suspense and tension of the scene as this could be in danger.