Film Language techniques

Cape fear:

Cady's release:

 

Todays lesson was about recognising the key Film Language techniques; Camera, Editing, Sound and Mise en Scene in film opening clips and Cady's release is a great example of how they are used in every single media text. 

Firstly the props used in the opening scene are pictures of powerful leaders and a symbol of religion is shown which is a paradox because they are both in contrast with each other. Cady's tattoos also display contrast by the use of weighing scales that show Justice and Truth. 

The setting of the clip is clearly a prison and is stereotypical because the cell shown is tight and everything looks very cramped in, this is done by the use of the camera tracking backwards. Clouds and Thunder rumbles over the prison when Cady leaves showing the dark and gloomy setting.  

The other prisoners are completely silent and stare at Cady when he's leaving which signifies he was a big figure in the prison and also shows he is centre of attention and main character instantly from the very first scene. When the security guard speaks it is one of the very few diegetic speaking moments, and from this we can take away ideas of why this is. "Its the moment you've been waiting for" the security guard says which suggest Cady has been there a long time, following this when he is asked by another security guard if he would like to take his books he replies with a no. From this as an audience we can suggest that in the prison only the security guard speak which shows the clear authority they have. Furthermore when he decides that he is not going to take his books with him, it is like he's leaving his past behind him and wants to move positively into the future which is a paradox again because his facial expressions and body language do not connote this.