Here our group has analysed the opening of man on fire

1. Man on Fire (Scott, 2004)
AS Group 1 analysis

2. Man on Fire
Director
•The director of the film is Tony Scott.
•Tony Scott was a British-born film director and producer. Tony has worked five times with actor Denzel
Washington with Crimson Tide (1995), The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009), Deja Vu (2006), Man on Fire (2004)
and Scott's final film in the director's chair Unstoppable (2010).
•Tony Scott passed away at age 68 on August 19, 2012 in California, USA.
Release Date
•The film was released in April 23rd
2004 in the USA
Plot
A wave of kidnappings has swept through Mexico, feeding a growing sense of panic among its wealthier
citizens, especially parents. In one six-day period, there were twenty-four abductions, leading many to hire
bodyguards for their children. Into this world enters John Creasy, a ex-CIA operative, who has given up on life.
Creasy's friend Rayburn brings him to Mexico City to be a bodyguard to nine-year-old Pita Ramos, daughter of
industrialist Samuel Ramos and his wife Lisa. Creasy is not interested in being a bodyguard, especially to a
youngster, but for lack of something better to do, he accepts the assignment. Creasy barely tolerates the
precocious child and her pestering questions about him and his life. But slowly, she chips away at his seemingly
impenetrable exterior, his defences drop, and he opens up to her. Creasy's new-found purpose in life is
shattered when Pita is kidnapped. Despite being seriously wounded during the kidnapping, he vows to kill
anyone involved in or profiting from the kidnapping. And no one can stop him.

3. Technical Aspects
Mise-en-Scene Camera angles and
movement
Sound Editing
• Setting - A street
• Setting 2 - A forest
• Setting 3 - A living
room
• Props – Cars, phone,
• Lighting – Natural
lighting, used in each
setting
• Costume & Make up-
casual cloths, one
man wearing a suit
smartly dressed,
women with him is
wearing a dress
- She has make up
• Expression – man
and women happy,
man is scared, he is
frightened
• Expression – women
is worried
• Establishing shot -
of the city, lots of
buildings
• Two shot of the
couple
• Group shot of the
couple on the
street
• Medium shot - of
the woman
• Close up – on the
picture of the
man
• Close up – on the
mother
• Close up on – the
picture of 3 kids
• Medium shot - of
the boy, he is
blindfolded, only
wearing little
clothing
• Music - Building
up tension
• Street sounds
• Sounds of cars
• Music tension
reached at the
end.
• Editing – dissolve,
pictures on top of
each other
• Straight cut after
every scene
• Jump cut
• Sounds of cars
• Sounds - street
noise e.g.
exaggerated
footsteps.
• Black and white
scene

4. Conventions of the Thriller
• Low key lighting – shown through out the opening scene
• Quick cuts – it jumps to different scenes
• Tension music – the music builds up gradually and then the music
becomes quicker
• Tension music – suddenly becomes serious as the car pulls up and the
people grab the man and put him into their car.
• Black and white shot – Shows the woman confused and frightened

5. How effective is the opening?
• The opening is very effective as the music slowly builds up and creates
tension, It grabs the audience. Also, it gives information about
kidnappings happening in the city and gives statistics such as “one
kidnapping every 60 minutes” this intrigues the audience as it is giving
hints of the plot. The car pulling up creates a serious atmosphere as after
the car pulls up and the man is taken away.

6. How effective is the opening?
• The opening is very effective as the music slowly builds up and creates
tension, It grabs the audience. Also, it gives information about
kidnappings happening in the city and gives statistics such as “one
kidnapping every 60 minutes” this intrigues the audience as it is giving
hints of the plot. The car pulling up creates a serious atmosphere as after
the car pulls up and the man is taken away.