Cape Fear
Immediately we hear diegetic sound of running water, then calm water, the soundtrack is then played which is very dramatic and repetitive, this is contrapuntal as the water is calm. The colour of the water is green and brown which gives us the impression it is dirty. The typography is then displayed across the screen appearing in different places. The writing is in italics which gives us the impression something is not quite right. As Robert De Niro’s name appears an eagle is pictured coming towards the camera symbolising Robert’s character as a hunter. The bird of prey is hunting and foreshadows what may happen in the film, as the bird appears the music becomes lower making the bird appear more sinister and showing importance of the bird.
The title is then displayed across the centre of the screen, the music becomes louder and crescendos’ the water is related to the title. The water is Cape Fear.
An extreme close up of an eye is then shown, it appears be under the water making us believe that that person must be drowning. The pupil is also moving which makes it look like the person is scared and struggling. An extreme close up of a mouth is then pictured also beneath the water. This is showing us all the senses and giving the impression of someone being trapped or drowning.
A close up of a man’s face is then seen higher than the eye and mouth which makes it look like the man is looking into the water rather than below the water. The music in the background diminuendos but is still repetitive. As the music gets lower, the mans face disappears drawing importance to him.
A mid shot of someone’s upper body is then seen under the water. The water then from the top of the screen drips from a murky green brown colour to blood red. The colour coding of the red screen represents danger and blood.
The water is the split on screen and as it ripples it looks like a heart beat monitor and the water is red again this foreshadows that maybe someone’s going to get hurt in the water.
Above the water there is a shadow of a man the water is green again and green represents envy and jealously maybe he wants to get revenge on someone. The mans shadow then fades and in the background under the water a drop we don’t know what it is it could be a tear or blood. The screen then rips to red again making us think the drop was blood.
While the screen is still red an extreme close up of women’s eyes is shown her eyes are also red making it appear she’s a victim. Her eyes then go from red to a photo negative effect maybe what she is saying has already happened. Her dialogue “my reminiscence” backs up the idea that what she’s saying has already happened.
In the background it is raining heavily this relates back to the theme of the lake and water and also reflects the mood of the film it is scary and sad.
The camera slowly zooms out revealing the girl bit by bit this creates tension and also draws importance to her as the central character. Her white top makes us think she is innocent and young her buttons are done up all the way to make her feel secure.
The scene then cuts to a room and the camera slowly goes down revealing more of the room. The pictures on the wall are of evil dictators there is the main one of Stalin and others of superheroes around it. The man obviously idolises them and the power they had, which maybe he wants.
A close up to mid shot of a mans back shows him working out in front of the pictures which makes him look like he is bowing to them worshipping them. On his back he also has many tattoos the main one we see is the American scales of justice which makes us question if he is guilty this is then reinforced as the camera shows his books he has which are all law books. Which show us he is patriotic and searching for justice. The books are also old which show us he is intellectual.
As the camera retracts we finally see where this is set and he is in jail.
The man turns around we see more of his tattoos. He has six lightening bolts on his hips which relates back to the super hero idea and of power, and a broken heart maybe this relates back to the girl and the revenge he wants. As we see him completely turn around the music gets lower creating more suspense.
As he leaves his cell the camera follows him around and the take is a very long one building up even more suspense. He also leads the policeman around showing his position of power and also relating back to the idea of power from the pictures. He has also been in a cell on his own isolated, which again gives us an idea he is in a position of power.
He leaves the jail in old fashioned clothes again reinforcing the idea he has been imprisoned a long time. The thunder in the back ground is pathetic fallacy creating even more suspense and making him seem menacing. As he walks towards the camera the music becomes increasingly dramatic foreshadowing the idea of calm before the storm we know something bad is going to happen.
The close up of his face links back to the face we saw in the water at the beginning, we know now he has something to do with the water, we know something bad is going to happen involving him and the water.
Georgia Day
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