1. The Book of Eli (2009)<br />-15240-2540<br />-21710654742180Even before the first scene appears on the screen the film creates a sense of isolation. This is induced by the sound of the howling wind. The sound of the wind is cold, lonely, calm and prepares the audience for the storm that is soon to follow. Plus I believe that by only having the sense of sound present the audience feels anticipation.The first seen emerges in a flash to unveil a misty wood. The fact that you cannot see anything adds to the sense of isolation. The trees in the wood are bare and dead with few (if any) branches and leaves. This gives a sense of vulnerability to the viewer. This is also enhanced by the vast amount of shadow in the wood, a common feature in thriller movies. The audience feels bare and open to attack, there is no where to hide or escape to. The tree's resemble bars which gives a sense of being trapped or in a place that you shouldn't be, e.g in a cage.The camera view pans across the ground to show an empty revolver. This immediately tells the audience that someone or something has been shot. The panning shot continues without pause to reveal the corpse of a man. The view however is then obstructed by a tree. This gives the audience a sense that they are there in that scene creeping about or suggests that we are looking through someone else's eyes. On the other side of the tree there is a cat walking towards the victim. Cats in my opinion are a predator, vigilant and attentive, so when the cat appeared in the scene I was lured into a false sense of security for a moment as I assumed the feline would have been aware of any danger. However the camera continues to pan round. The background music slowly increases in volume to produce a feeling of suspense. The camera is then faced with a masked person holding the string of a large crossbow. The sound of the breathing is key in creating the tense atmosphere. The breathing is slow steady and controlled suggesting that the person in the mask knows what they are doing. As the person draws back their crossbow the intensity of the music increases, heightening the audiences anticipation.Once the arrow is fired the film cuts to a shot of the arrow piercing through a falling leaf in slow motion as it travels towards the cat. This slow motion clip alone gives the audience an idea of the precision used by the killer and makes it obvious that it is someone to be feared, this is no ordinary killer. The slow motion effect also heightens the intensity of the moment.Brick (2006)<br />The music at the beginning of 'Brick' is very different to 'The Book of Eli'. The music is slow and emotional to symbolise/emphasise the characters grieving in the scene. Although he is in the presence of a dead body the audience is left unsure of his relation to the victim, did he know her?, did he kill her? The running water represents blood and is a common feature in thriller movie's. The dead body is also pointing away from the dark tunnel. This suggests she may have been trying to escape from something or someone. This scene ends with a shot of the girls blue bracelet before fading out. This bracelet is important because it enables the viewer to identify the girl in the next sequence and adds to the mysteriousness.The beginning of the next scene is set '2 days previous'. This scene shows that there is some kind of relationship between the characters. The girl is seen here slipping a note into the man's locker.The third scene is set at the destination written on the note. The main character is sitting on the pavement of a deserted road next to a telephone box. This shot emphasises his isolation, so far he has not been seen interacting with any other person. The telephone box begins to ring and the main character is alerted. Calling a telephone box suggests that the girl is a fugitive and does not want to be caught, or she does not want to get the guy involved in the situation. The girls voice is distressed, this adds to the seriousness of the conversation. She says 'you look good' which tells the audience and the character that he is being watched. Being watched or followed is common in thriller movies. The conversation also brings the first mention of 'the brick'.The conversation is brought to a close by the girls voice becoming increasingly distressed and panicked as a car in the distance draws near. The car is black (a colour often used by the 'bad guys'), is travelling at speed (insinuates a chase). The car is also a 'muscle' car which has connotations of power, aggression and strength. The driver of the car flicks a cigarette out of his window. There is a close up camera shot of this cigarette, this may be significant in identifying the driver and maybe killer later on in the film. This is much like how we identify the girl by her bracelet in the opening sequences.Gothika (2003)<br />-4953031115<br /> 'Gothika' is setting a creepy scene right from the beginning. The first few shots are of a interview between what seems a psychiatrist and someone who needs psychiatric help. The point of view (POV) shots involve the audience and put them inside the cage in which they are sitting. The metal grills that form the cage suggest that they are trying to keep people in or out. This idea is also supported by the fact that the windows are very narrow and high up, maybe to stop people looking in. It also tells us something about the people inside this place, they are dangerous. The guards and locked doors also insinuate that the inhabitants of this place are potentially dangerous.Like 'The book of Eli' this film uses shadow a lot to create a creepy or fearful scene. 'Gothika' also uses a similar camera pan where the camera travels behind an object to give a sense that the viewer is there peering in on the action.<br />