2. Conventions It does break convention in one way – in the beginning it does not open with any music at all, whereas normally there would be a string instrument accompaniment to the titles. This makes it feel more realistic – as if you’re not watching a movie but something that really happened (which as the titles show later, is the case as the film is based on a true story). Typical of a crime thriller, within the opening two minutes there is a kill and a gun as well as a knife is seen and used. The killing is at night, which is another convention. It builds suspense causing the audience to wonder what the noise is, fooling them so they are shocked to discover that in fact it is the gangsters who are indirectly the cause of it – it is no flat tire, as Henry suggests. There is tension then as the audience wonders what exactly will happen to the man in the trunk, and why he appears to have been kidnapped (again another common feature in crime thrillers).
3. Sound ‘What the f*** is that?’ The strong language is used casually, informal – they are among friends. There is a strange thumping, clattering noise that indicates something is wrong, out of place amongst the usual sounds of the motorway and it’s nearby – then it’s found out the sound is coming from the trunk. The man who already looks half dead speaks in a voice which matches his beaten appearance, hoarse and quiet, scratchy as he is begging for his life ‘No, no, no Tom, please’. ‘Still alive, f***ing piece of shit’ – Tommy’s tone shows that he is hostile towards him, aggressive and the ‘still’ indicates that he may have had something to do with the man already being so beaten. ‘DIE, DIE, DIE’ – it is repeated, intensifying the hatred behind the words and the audience can actually hear the sound of the knife sliding in and out of flesh, the squelch of blood against the skin and muscle. Four gun shots ring out one after the other, adding the impression of extreme violence as this feels unnecessary after Tommy’s repeated stabbing of the man in the trunk. Then the voiceover: ‘As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster’. This has nothing in particular to do with what has just happened, trivialising the matter and placing the focus on Henry Hill. There is no talk about life or death, the first thing mentioned here and so considered more important is the self indulgence of remembering, memory, nostalgia, his own self and his own desires. Following that voiceover is at last, some music but not the typical action music that you might expect – this sounds much more like a show tune, something to dance to, jive-like and upbeat. The drama of the situation has been belittled to something like off of a TV show, stripping the people of reality, distancing from it and making everything feel more like just a story you’re telling for entertainment value. Their accents are Brooklyn, a typically working class area of New York associated with gangsters in literature and films – this is in contrast to the expensive look they’re wearing (see mise en scene) which makes the origin of their riches suspect; this plants the seed of suspicion within the audience’s head that maybe these people too are gangsters.
4. Use of Titles There is no music played in conjunction with the titles as there would be usually. There are only the sounds of the motorway, each time the sound of a car driving past played the same time as a name appears on screen, the word looking like a driving car itself as it speeds past the screen in a blur then settles for a moment in the centre so you can read it before the next name comes. It’s as if the names are trying to escape, and they’re on the run. The font is simple, classic capitals white on black. The titles are cut in between the footage of the film, giving director name and then a couple facts: ‘This film is based on a true story’ – and then ‘New York 1970’. These help set the scene and add to making the film feel like reality, like the lack of music in the beginning.
5. Camera Techniques There is a panning shot of the car which has been placed centre frame, telling that the people in there shall be central to the film. There is a medium shot of the car’s three inmates. The most prominently placed is the driver Henry, then Jimmy who is dozing beside him and lastly Tommy who is out of focus in the back seat – perhaps he is not so important as the other two. Then again this also seems slightly sinister, his being out of focus meaning the clarity of his appearance is reduced as will possibly his actions later on. When the men get out of the car, the camera shoots a low angle of them in side profile looking down warily at the trunk. The audience is looking up to them, seeing that they are in a position of power. There is a close up zooming in on the trunk, the focal point of interest and then a cut to a close up which then zooms in on Jimmy. He is carrying a shovel, which brings to mind what could he need to bury as there are no flowers or gardening seeds around – foreshadowing death. Tommy has one hand in his blazer in the classic pose of reaching for a gun and you wait to see what he pulls out, but instead surprisingly it’s a kitchen knife and the tension builds up. The camera pans to Henry who the other two are looking at – he is the decision maker here, and then there is a close up on him opening the trunk so at last the audience shall see what was there making that noise. A medium shot is taken to reveal that it is a man, bloody and beaten. There is no close up, so we feel a slight distance from him. Cut to Tommy, and pan in the same medium shot as he lunges forward to violently stab at the man emphasising how eager and forward he is to carry out a kill. The camera then zooms out on Jimmy, and doesn’t stay on him for very long as he shoots before cutting quickly to a close up of the bloody man – but not of his face, all we see is the bloody sheet. This dehumanises him, as we are no longer putting a face to the man, and at the same time shows subtly that he is finally dead; the sheet is no longer moving. It also shows from the zoom out on Jimmy that he too is distancing himself from the violence and his actions, as if taking less responsibility for it somehow, and isn’t thinking about it for very long either. It all happens very quick.
6. Mise en Scene All of them are wearing clean cut, smart looking ironed suits. This suggests that they are businessmen, at work although it is night which is an odd time to work in a white collar job particularly if they’re outside. They’re neat, the shirts tucked in with a casual air as their shirts are open necked – apart from Tommy’s which has a buttoned up high collar. Maybe he is more highly strung than the others, less able to relax. Henry is also wearing an expensive looking watch, again showing that they have money. Tommy is carrying around a knife, but who goes around carrying a knife? Not even a switchblade, but a kitchen knife? Jimmy too carries a gun. The last piece of the puzzle which clicks for the audience (along with the complete lack of surprise in the actors facial expressions at seeing a man in the car trunk) is when they see that already there is a shovel in Jimmy’s hand. Shovels aren’t often just left lying around, and the way he is holding it is practiced – this was prepared for. This is the moment when you realise that they must be gangsters, and Jimmy is getting ready to bury him. The lighting is low key around the trio, heightening the disaffected feeling of the three who don’t appear to care very much about the man they just killed though he appears to have been on a first name basis with one of them (Tom). It suits the time which is at night, which is when bad things often happen to people in the movies and they’re also in a forest clearing which is favourite of horror-thriller films. Tommy’s face during the stabbing is mainly cast in shadow as he kills – there is no clarity, implying that he himself is not thinking clearly when he is carrying out the murder and all you can tell of his emotions while he is doing it is from what he’s saying and how he’s moving. He’s moving restlessly, erratic and brutal in his stabbing. His words are angry, and almost childish in the way he repeatedly says ‘DIE, DIE, DIE’ – immature, unintelligent even. Jimmy’s face on the other hand is stony. He is calm, his movements careful and measured as he pulls out the gun and shoots. He knows what he is doing, and we can see him perfectly though not for very long. Henry is the only one who does not take part in the kill. He only watches, observant. When he speaks in the beginning he seems fairly easygoing, even while discussing what the strange noise could be, only curious. They look to him before carrying anything out, waiting for him to open the car trunk. He is the one with the access, with the key, the one who seems like he has the ultimate power here – maybe he is the one who is really in control here.
