Essex Boys Shot Analysis

The sharp white lines in the black background could connote knife slashes, giving a sense of foreboding as to what is to come. These slashes also immediately establish the genre of the film as they are quite chilling and strike fear into the audience.

The non-diegetic soundtrack that plays alongside the opening credits also helps to build suspense and tension with subtle instruments that create chilling sounds. Scraping sounds can also be heard which help to reinforce the idea of the slits in the titles being knife scratches, especially as the noises heard are quite metallic.

Another interpretation to the white scratches could be someone's nails snatching or grasping against the screen, perhaps connoting desperation and struggle to try and find a way out, which appears later in the film (especially the end)

The white font on the black background also pays tribute to classic noir thrillers and chiaroscuro lighting, and with these comes a sinister feeling to the opening of the film.

Non-ambient lighting is used to dimly light the garage up, this allows the audience to see what is going on but there is still an atmosphere and a presence of gloominess, especially towards the back of the garage as it is shrouded by contrasting shadows. This lighting can often be seen in thrillers, especially noir thrillers therefore Windsor is using generic conventions to establish genre within the first minute of the film.

Windsor uses the garage because it is a generic convention of thriller, the enclosed claustrophobic environment creates an unpleasant and undesirable space. Claustrophobic spaces can be used to make the audience feel the characters vulnerability as there is no escape, it also intrigues the audience as they wouldnt want to be in this space themselves.

The character visible in the shot begins by introducing himself to the audience (non-diegetic narration). His accent reinforces the title and the geographical whereabouts of which the film is set and the narration helps the audience see a different perspective whilst making the events easier to understand. The voice over also helps the audience to appreciate the feelings/mood of the character. A similar kind of voice over is used in American History X

The camera angle used is a POV (point of view) shot and it helps to place the audience within the mise en scene, effectively making them as though they are in the film themselves. Its an interesting shot as it feels as though the audience are peering out at the character from behind something and he doesnt know of their presence.

The character goes from one claustrophobic environment to another, this time it is much more enclosed and feels as though the idea of escape are even less as there are no visible punctures in the interior. This sort of spaces are generic conventions and signify the type of genre this film belongs to

The dust covering every window of the vehicle makes Billy seem separate from the world and detached from his emotions. It is also quite dirty and so it acts as a sense of foreboding as to what sort of activities Billy will end up getting in to. The cobwebs also show that the car has not been used in a very long time and could perhaps connote a warning to the character to stop what he is doing

The mid shot is used effectively here, giving the audience an insight into Billys appearance and his body language. It also helps to establish the location in which Billy is enclosed in.

The use of non-ambient lighting creates a classic noir feel, especially when noting the reflection of light off of the grained black leather seats. This is a prime example of chiaroscuro lighting (light on dark) and helps to signify the thriller genre.

The dirt is wiped off of the windscreen and the audience catch the first glimpse of the hardman Jason. The way that he appears behind the dirt, some of it still left on the screen, shows the audience that he is not a pleasant character. The dirt connotes a dark personality along with the feeling that Jason is dangerous and filthy, perhaps because of his stretch in prison and his brash actions.

A low angle POV shot is used to create an impression of power and control, these attributes belonging to Jason. On the other end of this shot is the audience who are made to feel insignificant and vulnerable when presented with Jason, this essential to thrillers because it gives the element of fear and drives home the idea that these events can and did happen in real life.

The glass in between Billy and Jason (or the audience and Jason) shows Jasons detachment from emotions, from his surroundings and other people, it paints him as cold and primeval as his actions are motivated by his instincts instead of his morality. It immediately marks him out as a bad guy.

A generic convention often used in thrillers is the vanishing point, as can be seen here towards the end of the tunnel. Tunnels are also fairly common in noir films, for example in the famous The Third Man. The tunnel could represent looking down the barrel of a gun, the audience are willing Billy not to drive down it as its almost like a one way ticket to a life of crime, all because of the influence of Jason.

Guns are a generic convention of thrillers and are often used to kill the victims, the tunnel connotes the gun and therefore Windsor has used this to signify the genre and foreshadow later events.

The Third Man (1949)

The tunnel could connote the moral darkness of the events that are to come.

Once again a claustrophobic environment is created helping to further symbolise the idea that Billy is driving down a one way road, there is no redemption past this point. The tunnel only has two exits, meaning that escape will be very difficult, this not only makes the characters seem trapped but also makes the audience feel as though they are following them down into the rabbit hole

A POV shot is used once again to place the audience within the shoes of the characters, making it seem as though they are driving into the tunnel themselves. This helps to engage the audience and add depth to the mise en scene. In contrast to the despair of the tunnel the green tones inside could connote ambition, protection and jealousy.

The position of Jason and his body language reeks of his confidence, showing traditional male instincts that he has to prove to others that he is powerful and higher up than those who surround him. Another point that proves this is that he has hired Billy to drive him around when he is perfectly capable of doing so himself, this is a symbol of his self-imposed status. This could show a different side to Jason as it seems he likes being cared for.

Once again Jason appear behind the glass, showing he is detached from the world and has an isolated personality. This is enforced by him being alone in the back seats of the car, he appears lonely but doesnt need other people around him.

Jason is framed by the silver trim of the car door, this makes sure that the audience are focusing on him and nothing else. It also adds to the idea that Jason is confident and has a bling appearance.

Jasons costume tells the audience that he is a bit of a wideboy (a ladies man who likes the party lifestyle, into a few dodgy dealings) this is because of the extravagant shirt he is wearing, it shows that he likes to be the center of attention and cares about his appearance. In other words he wants to appear to have the bling lifestyle in order to show his advance over his peers.

This is a very interesting use of non-ambient lighting, it is being projected on to the windscreen creating bars of light. These bars could connote the bars on a prison cell and act as a visual metaphor for prison itself. This develops a sense of foreboding, especially for Billy because he does eventually end up going to prison, it also represents the idea that Jason has just come out of prison and both are driving right back into it again. The bars show that there is no escape for Billy as he is now working for Jason who has devious plans of his own.

The way that Billy is in sharp focus and Jason is blurred out means that this scene is all about the way Billy is feeling in his current situation, having just met Jason and knowing his past. From the facial expressions of Billy it seems as though he does not particularly want to be driving for such a dodgy character but he also isnt morally strong enough to say what he feels or wants and therefore continues to go against his judgment.

The bleak location is a generic convention of thrillers, signifying the genre of the film. A good example of this is the British thriller Harry Brown which was set mainly around Heygate estate in London. These cities often act as dystopian locations where all manor of crime happens and they are generally unpleasant and undesirable. Crime doesnt just happen in film though, consider the recent London riots that started amongst these kind of locations.

Heygate estate, London

Another generic convention that Windsor has used to his advantage is the gleaming roads, using the chiaroscuro lighting to signify the genre. This adds to the bleakness of the location as it is generally dull and miserable weather.

The Essex Marshes are different from the generic claustrophobic locations usually seen in thrillers but it still delivers the same sort of effect. The marshes are open but extremely isolated and detached from the rest of the world, these could be seen to represent Jasons detached personality.

The way that the land merges into the sea reinforces the idea of isolation as the audience are unable to see anything distinguishable for miles, the only thing visible is the horizon. This a chilling location because there is no where to hide, it is completely open showing that there really is no escape from the predator. The location is shouting to the audience danger! Jason appears to have a strong presence here, like this is his wrecking ground, he belongs here. This can be shown by his stance and powerful outline against the pale background, in addition to the defenseless man that Jason easily beat up. This can be delineated by the idea that once you enter the marshes you are on Jasons territory.

The bleakness of the land scape connotes the morality of Jason. The fact that the land stretches on for miles shows that Jason has no moral boundaries and the lines between right and wrong will often become blurred. This could also be represented by the danger of sinking into the marshes, Jason is the marshes and the sinking is his moral spontaneous tendencies.

The marshes appear to be primeval (prehistoric, pristine, original, basic, primitive) and this reflects Jasons character because he is controlled by primitive instincts, he is uncivilized and wreckless.