Don't breathe analysis

1. TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE FILM
‘DON’T BREATHE`
The film I have chosen that
will influence my production
is the film ‘don’t breathe’
because the genre of the
film is horror which is the
genre I will also be basing
my film on.
I will be analysing the
camerawork, editing, mise-
en-scene, use of sound and
the representation of the
characters in the film.

2. CAMERAWORK (DOG FIGHT SCENE)
• Mid shots are used to show the two characters opening a door
• Shot reverse shot is also used in order to show one character talking to
the other which keeps the scene looking continuous and it is used
again when the dog is chasing the girl
• A high angle is used to show the girl looking down on the boy when he
has been shot and falls to the floor
• There is a close up shot to show the girl’s emotion
• An establishing shot is used to show the location

3. EDITING
• Slow pace editing is used when the girl is running away from the dog.
This connotes tension in the scene and also creates suspense for the
audience. There is also slow pace editing when the boy is shot. This
could possibly be to enhance the tension in the scene.
• It is filmed as a continuity sequence so the audience follows the action
as it happens which helps to tell the narrative and it also improves the
verisimilitude of the horror.

4. MISE-EN-SCENE
• The scene is set in a house
• There are guns used which is a prop and the use of iconography
• The characters are wearing normal clothes to improve the verisimilitude of the
scene
• The lighting is dull to connote the dark mood of the film and also the theme The
dark lighting also helps show the genre of the film which is horror
• The framing of the characters is significant because the older man who is the
protagonist is stood by himself whereas the two other characters are stood
together
• The girl has a look of fear on her face which is an acting code

5. SOUND
• At the start there is a gunshot sound which is a sound effect used to make the
shooting seem more realistic to the audience
• Then there was also non-diegetic screechy music added whilst the boy fell in slow
motion and you could hear the girl heavily breathing which connotes the fact that
she was panicking because she was scared. This music also enhances the mood of
the film.
• There is a lot of diegetic sound used such as the gunshot and the keys rattling as he
tried to open the door
• The girl swears and screams which shows she is frustrated and could also possibly
show her social class

6. REPRESENTATION OF CHARACTERS
• The protagonist which is the older man is breaking age stereotypes because the
audience would expect an older man to be more fragile and not as smart as the
younger people however he is actually much more clever and is able to take on two
young people by himself.
• The girl seems to meet the typical gender stereotypes because she seems more
scared than the boy and she seems really frightened when she is running away
from the dog which is what the audience expects. The boy seems tougher because
he is the first one to try and fight back against the older man.
• You are able to learn a lot about the characters’ personalities by how they are
represented.