The usual suspects - Meg

opening sequence


Camerawork
-the camera is always positioned so that we never see the mans face. If it was of his face however, they would be medium close ups or close ups of him. 

-The camera is at a very low angle when the man looks up at the other man who is urinating. You still don't see his face though.
-When he is urinating on the fire, the camera tracks up to the source, and you get the shot ---->

Mise En Scene
-You never see the mans face, so it makes you question who he is and what he looks like. The composition in the frame is done especially to conceal his image and we don't get to see from the shoulders up.

-Low key lighting is used to show the eeriness of the film and make it seem more tense and mysterious. This effect creates shadows and darkness to the sequence.
-The kaiser (man without the head shown) has cool and confident body language. He acts casual and relaxed. His body language of how he works the lighter is confident and makes him look more important than the other character.

Editing
-The cuts are slow paced because it isn't action packed and full of lots explosions etc, even though the action is important and surprising.

-the beginning title says 'SAN PEDRO' in capitals at the bottom of the screen. This is to set the scene for us and give us an idea of the type of film it is.
-When the Kaiser drops his fag, they use slow motion to intensify the action and make it stand out because it is key to the scene. This is effective because it highlights this main point and how the boat then sets on fire.

Sound
-at first, the music is quite peaceful and quiet because nothing has really happened yet. 

-Diegetic sounds of the lighter and the petrol pouring are part of the diegetic world and make it more realistic and interesting. Without this, the action wouldn't be as believeable.
-an example of off screen sound is when the gun is fired, you don't see the action, but you hear it when the camera is focusing on the side of the boat. The gun fires twice and we hear but dont see it both times.
-There's a short amound of dialogue in the sequence but doesn't take up most of the two minutes. Here, we hear both men talking and their emotion in their voices.
-Foley sounds are used to convey the sound of the petrol coming out and dripping onto the boat. This is made louder to create more of an affect on the spectator.