1. Units 25,26
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Lauren Rosenfeld
Training Day Analysis
Training Day (2001) is a crime/thriller hybrid (combination of both genres) which was
directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer. It is about a veteran officer
who escorts a rookie on his first day with the LAPD's
tough inner-city narcotics unit. The scene I am
analysing shows Alonzo Harris played by Denzel
Washington (the antagonist) and Jake Hoyt played by
Ethan Hawke (the protagonist) raiding a house and
uncovering a stash of cash. Also in the scene are
Paul, Tim, Mark and Jeff, who are on Alonzo’s
narcotics team. I will be analysing different elements
of the clip, including camerawork, sound, editing and
mise en scene.
The film has a linear narrative, meaning the scenes
and events that occur are in chronological order. It
follows a linear narrative because the film follows
Jake Hoyt’s first 24 hours on the job, and thus would be confusing and disorientating
for the audience to keep on switching between different times. The film is also closed
ended, as the film has come to a conclusion with Alonzo dieing, as the audience are
not left with any further questions. It is also a multi stranded storyline, as we follow
several different plot lines in the movie. With the main plot following Jake Hoyt’s
training day and the subplots following other characters, such as Alonzo.
Camerawork:
The camerawork plays a crucial role in illustrating character emotions, expressions
and body language. The scene begins
with a fast paced mid tracking shot of
Jake running stealthily, to join Tim and
Paul, who are about to break into house.
There are several fast paced cuts and
panning, ranging from longshots to close
ups. Some shots linger on Alonzo,
showing him walking casually behind the
other guys, connoting that he is in power
and has others to do the dirty work. The
camera is unsteady, which perhaps
implies that they are about to do
something bad, and reflects the viewer being in that location and a situation which is
not calm, thus no still shots are used. The long shots also provide the audience with
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the body language and clothing of the
characters, specifically Jake, Paul and
Tim, who appear to be decked out with
gear from guns to bulletproof vests,
whilst Alonzo hangs back and doesn’t
appear to be carrying any weapons
visibly. There are also tracking shots of
Jeff, who sneaks around to the other side of the house, which provide the audience
with inside information. This is dramatic irony, where the audience know what's going
to happen but Roger does not. There are mid close ups of Alonzo, and the camera is
steady, connoting that he is calm and
relaxed about the upcoming situation.
The camera is steady from here on,
showing that the characters are well
prepared for what is about to happen.
From this mid long shot, we can also see
that Jake is behind both Tim and Paul,
which again may imply that he is not as
confident. This is also a slight low angle,
which suggests that they are in power.
However, from this shot we also see that
the men turn around to wait for Alonzo's
signal, which is shown through a close
up, which implies they are in not as
much power as suggested. There are
then two mid long shots from inside of
the men entering, showing the force they
are using, which is juxtaposed when it
appears that the man is Roger. When Roger appears, he is at a low angle, which
suggests he is in power despite the situation, and is used as an introduction. He may
be at this angle because he believes that it is a mistake, and the angle only changes
when he realises that Alonzo has set him up. The low angle perspective shifts and
focuses to Jake who also realises it has been a setup. Now Jake has the authority,
power and domination.
There is a tracking long shot, which
shows the audience the full scope of the
situation of all the men aiming at Roger.
Roger appears at a high angle, showing
his weakness, now that the audience
and him have realised that he has been
set up by Alonzo. We see Jakes
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perspective, and are at a level of power,
however Jake is not comfortable in this
position and appears awkward. Paul,
Tim and Jake appear as over the
shoulder of Roger, however, we are on
the side of Roger, putting us the
audience into his perspective of being
talked down to. Alonzo appears through
a mid shot, coming out of the darkness,
as a gradual realisation to Roger that
Alonzo has turned on him. A close up of
Roger then resumes to show his reaction
as shocked, and he realises that it is not a mistake, and he is no longer in power. We
track Alonzo, as he walks around casually, which is juxtaposed by his team and Jake
still aiming at Roger. The use of close ups build tension throughout, specifically
Rogers which is one of confusion.
There are several mid over the shoulder
shots of Roger and Alonzo, as they have
a heated exchange and this creates
tension, as Roger appears defeated and
vulnerable, Alonzo remains stern and
serious. There are many low angles of
Alonzo, whilst we are at Rogers height,
which places the audience on the same
side as him. A low angle shows Alonzo
and a tilt down to his foot, which again
provides him with power, especially as
we see other men move furniture around
for him and do other work such as cut
open the floor, connoting that he has
other men under his control. There is
another low angle of Alonzo's foot, as he
puts out several cigarettes, showing that
time has passed and he is
impatient/tense to see what's in the box,
which is juxtaposed with his team who
are busy either aiming at Roger or
cutting open the floor. The camera also
tilts down to show Jake digging, and
once again showing other people doing work for Alonzo. A crane shot is used to
show the depth of the hole and signify how important and valuable the item is, it also
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puts the shows the characters in awe of the box, again stating how much they want
what's inside. Once the box has been revealed and pulled out of the ground, there is
an aerial high angle shot, with even Alonzo in it, which connotes that he is weak for
the money, this becomes clearer as he starts to do some work, and even gets down
on his knees to cut open the bag containing money. The reason for his actions
become clearer at the end of the film, when we discover he needs the money to
survive.
The next part of the scene begins with a
mid wide shot, which establishes the
characters in the scene and the location. It
is also an over the shoulder shot of one of
the officers, with him, and therefore us in
the darkness. Providing the audience with
the idea that there is something mysterious going on. However, as this is an over the
shoulder shot, it also puts us the audience on the side of the corrupt cops, looking in
on the characters particularly Jake, and
perhaps highlighting the protagonist Jake,
who appears in the light. This is followed
by an extreme close up of the lock being
taken off, which increases the intensity of
the scene and makes the audience more
interested in what's inside the box. It also
emphasises how valuable the item inside
is. It is also struck off by Jake, which
possibly implies he is the one in power. It
also helps the audience establish a
significant prop within the scene - the
money. The camera then tracks upward,
as the lid of the box rises, which reveals to
the audience the money, and puts the
audience in the position of the characters, getting closer to the money. As we are in
the characters position, the shot looks at the money very favourably, especially as
the camera lingers on the money for a significant amount of time, despite it being
dirty. We then return to the previous first
shot, in which we still appear to be in the
dark (similar to Jake) and are still on the
side of the corrupt cops, seemingly looking
down on Jake, as they appear to be higher
up than him, this also represents Jake’s
vulnerability within the scene. When the
money is being thrown around, there are close ups to see everyone's reaction to
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almost test their ethics when presented with a large amount of money. It appears
that Jake is the only one with ethics. This also emphasises the tension.
There is then a mid-close up of Jeff, who
the audience have been behind. The focus
is on him, showing his facial expressions
as stern and serious, and little of his
surrounding are revealed, again connoting
that he is dodgy to the audience. Then
there are several mid close ups of Jake
and Alonzo, during shot reverse shots. It
provides continuity in the conversation,
and immerses the audiences in the
dialogue, and thus the story. There is a
clear juxtaposition, with Jake appearing
almost fully in the light, signifying his
innocence, Alonzo appears half shaded in
the dark, which connotes his corruption. It
is also a low angle of Jake, whilst Alonzo
appears at eye level, which connotes that
Jake is in power, despite the herd mentality that is appearing. Once this mentality
begins, the perspective of the audience shifts, and we are suddenly in an over the
shoulder shot of Jake, showing that we are now on his side. The same mid wide shot
appears, showing to the audience the cops pressuring Jake, however, now we are
on the side of Jake, with Jake appearing in
the good light. In the last shot, the
perspective shifts again, with the other
cops and Alonzo standing up appearing as
taller, and thus bigger than Jake and the
audience. This connotes that Jake is
alone, and weaker than the others, as he
does not share the same belief about the money, but when he too stands, he
appears on the same level as the other cops, showing him regaining power.
From here, there are several extreme long
shots, which show the atmosphere is
tense, we also see that Alonzo is still
holding the gun, which connotes that he
may be doing some of the work now and
is in power. There are close ups of Jake,
Alonzo and Roger as they have an
exchange, they all appear to be laughing, which lightens the mood, which only adds
6. Units 25,26
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more effect to the next scene where
Alonzo shoots Roger, and serves to shock
the audience. The close ups show the
characters experiencing varying emotions,
with Jake nervous, and Alonzo and Roger
more confident/serious. Alonzo appears
through close ups, with only his eyes
visible, connoting evilness and slowly
through another tilt down the gun is
revealed, which shocks the audience.
There is a slow track forward to Roger
once he has been shot, which shows the
effect of what has happened. Whilst Jake
is visibly startled and shocked, Alonzo
seems to be taking pleasure out of it. An
extreme close up of Jake is used, as he
begins to realise that Alonzo is framing
Roger, and presumes to aim the shotgun
at Alonzo. Now, Alonzo appears at a high angle, connoting that he is powerless and
vulnerable as Jake is not complying with the plan. Whilst Jake is at a low angle,
showing he is now in power, as he has the gun and control over the fate of Alonzo.
We see that Alonzo is not comfortable not being in control, seen through his nervous
laughing, and Jake is not comfortable either with the power.
Several quick close ups of Paul, Tim and Jeff
create a heated atmosphere, whilst a vulnerable
Alonzo (shown through an extreme close up)
tries to diffuse the situation, and side with Jake to
calm him. There is an over the shoulder shot of
Jake, showing that us, the audience are on his
side. After Jake discovers that Alonzo has been
planning the day, Tim and Mark also appear at
low angles as they have power over Jake, in that
they knew the plan and willingly partake in illegal
acts. Once Jake hands back the shotgun to Alonzo, he appears back at eye level
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connoting that his power in the situation is gone as he has agreed to go along with
Alonzo's plan.
Sound:
The scene begins with slow non diegetic
tense music, creating a tense atmosphere,
combined with diegetic rustling of bushes
and weapons hitting against clothing
connotes to the audience that the
characters are about to raid somewhere.
There are slow cuts to match the music.
This low music continues to build an uneasy ambience, as the audience are
uncertain about what's happening, gradually the music volume increases as the
scene gets progressively more tense. There is diegetic synchronous sound when
they enter the house, which provides the audience with realism and helps to put
them into the same perspective as the characters. Much of the language use is
aggressive imperatives, which helps to put the audience in Rogers position as being
ganged up on by the other men.
There is more diegetic synchronous sound
through the door creaking and shutting,
which emphasises that they are now
trapped in with each other, specifically
Roger and Jake. More diegetic
synchronous sound comes from Alonzo
putting the paper on the table, sitting down
on the couch, Alonzo pouring himself a
drink, and the shotgun which all add to the
realism of the scene and verisimilitude.
Another prominent diegetic synchronous
sound is the chainsaw cutting through the
floor, which connotes danger and curiosity
in the audience. For the majority of the film,
Alonzo uses instructive language, the only
time he was vulnerable was when Jake
aims the shotgun as him, and here he used
more seductive language as his life was on the line. Alonzo also uses slang and
swears throughout, even calling the gun a ‘bitch’. As the floor is being cut open, the
music is reflective of a heartbeat, specifically Alonzo, as he is stressed to see what’s
going to happen.
8. Units 25,26
Task 1
Lauren Rosenfeld
At the start of the briefcase scene, there is use of non diegetic sound, with a low
hum, which gradually gets louder, as the
money is revealed, which builds tension
within the scene, as the audience and
characters are not entirely sure what's in
the box. This low sound continues for the
most of the scene, although at a lower
volume, which adds to the tension
surrounding Jake. However, the hum stops when Jake begins to get uncomfortable,
highlighting his awkwardness within the scene, and showing a contrast between him
and the other cops. This non diegetic music is also used to show the audience that
drama is building.
There is use of diegetic synchronous sound when Jake knocks off the lock, the lid is
lifted, clapping from Alonzo, money being caught, bag being zipped up and the box
being closed, which all provide a sense of verisimilitude for the audience, and helps
the audience to relate to characters specifically Jake within the scene, who is
uncomfortable. There is an informal mode of address between the other cops and
Alonzo, which connotes to the audience that they are familiar with each other and
friends. Whilst when Alonzo uses this language with Jake, he appears to be
awkward. Alonzo is relaxed in his language use, seen by his use of expletives
“motherfucker” and instructive language. However, Jake uses tag questions such as
“right?”, combined with nervous laughing, which provide the audience with the idea
he is uncertain and uncomfortable around Alonzo and the other cops.
There is also asynchronous sound of birds tweeting, which juxtapose what is
happening inside with Roger being threatened with a shotgun. However, it adds to
the verisimilitude of the scene, implying they are in a rural location where nobody will
hear the events that will occur. The tone
of the conversation changes from
aggressive at the start to more jokey
and informal, which creates a more light
hearted atmosphere, which only serves
to shock the audience more later in the
scene when Roger is shot and the
atmosphere changes back to tense. Much of the gun sounds are edited in post
production to increase volume. Alonzo’s gun is the loudest, and thus the most
powerful.
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Editing:
At the start of the scene, there is high
paced editing, with the shots matching
the quiet music. Many of the shots look
faster paced due to the music, when in
reality they are lengthy and along with
the music create suspense. Once the
team break in the shots are quicker, however they slow down again when Alonzo
talks to Roger and the suspense music comes back, with several slow zooms in to
Alonzo's face to express his concern and anxiousness. Some pan shots establish
the actions of characters, with some aiming at Roger, and others going upstairs/
There is match on action when the door
opens, with a view from outside and
inside the house. There are also several
shot reverse shots, when Roger talks to
Alonzo and when Alonzo takes the
shotgun. This was again used when
Jake aims the gun at Alonzo, to show
their reactions towards each other. There are many slow cuts at the beginning of the
scene to go with the pace of the scene, to build the tension, and for the audience to
fully grasp the character emotions. There are limited fast cuts within the scene, but
when they occur such as when the door
gets kicked open in the beginning or
when the gun goes off, the action is fast.
An ellipsis was used when the hole in
the floor was being dug, in order to
convey to the audience that a lot of time
has passed, which is why Alonzo is
tense. Some cutaways are used to show
what is going on around the subject, with everyone on Alonzo’s side apart from Jake.
There is use of match on action, when the lock is being knocked off, this continues
continuity for the audience, and helps them to establish the scene, putting them into
the point of view of Jake. It also creates
some suspense and panic, as neither
the audience or character know whats
inside. The cuts are quite lengthy for the
beginning of the scene, combined with
the low hum background music, helps to
builds tension between the characters.
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The pace of shots pick up after the money has been revealed, with shot reverse
shots. These continue continuity and gives the audience a sense of continuous
action, making it seem as though the scene they're watching is happening linearly in
real time. The cutaways to other characters surrounding Jake are quick, which build
tension, in the sense that it feels as if they disapprove of him being there.
The music cuts out after the money is found, which adds to the mystery and puts the
audience into the same perspective of the
characters, who are anxious to find out
what's inside. There are many shadowed
shots, which imply different things about
characters, and there is an unnatural
lighting in the kitchen to create suspense.
Some shots track characters walking, and
the depth of field is altered, which create an
unknowing atmosphere for both the characters and audience, as they are in a
strangers house. At the end of the scene when Jake aims at Alonzo, the shots are
very long, which helps to express Alonzo's fear and Jakes unwanted power. The last
shot is match on action, when Jake punches Paul, and there is a pan towards him to
show his anger.
Mise en scene:
The location of Rogers house is sub urban,
it is quiet desolate, secret and run down, in
order to not draw attention to himself. The
blinds are closed and it is dark inside, which
also shows that he doesn't want to show
anybody he's there. Around Rogers house,
there are books and he is reading a
newspaper, which suggests he is
knowledgeable and wide. This is also
shown through his grey hair, clothing and
classes which show he is intelligent. Further
into the scene, we see that Roger has a
gun in his newspaper, which again shows
how smart he is, that he also expects
something to happen and still takes extra
precautions. Much of the furniture is old
fashioned, and there seems to be few
electronics around, which again shows him not drawing attention to himself, and he
doesn’t spend his money, as he would get found out easier. The only expensive item
in his house is the whiskey, showing he has class and knowledge but can still enjoy
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his life. There is hardly any lighting, except from in the kitchen which is deceptive,
and also possibly the reason he hid the money in there, as it is a cover up and not
many people would suspect it to be there, apart from Alonzo. However, there may
also be a lot of lighting in the kitchen, as it is where a prominent scene takes place,
and the audience need to see it be revealed.
The other cops in the scene, including
Jake are wearing bullet proof vests, which
suggest there is a potential for danger,
apart from Alonzo. Alonzo is wearing
casual clothes connoting that the other
men are going to do the dirty work for him,
and he is in charge (untouchable). He also
wears an oversized coat, to make him
bigger and suggests he thinks he’s bigger
than he really is. Alonzo wears all black,
which symbolise evilness/corruption and
we don’t know if their intentions are good.
He also wears a large cross around his neck, wearing it for show, and showing his
hypocrisy. Alonzo is clean cut in order for his public image and to gain respect from
others. Tim wears a hawaiian shirt, jeans,
and has messy hair, which connotes he is
rebellious. Paul wears all black, connoting
he has a darkness to him, which is seen in
the film that he has a temper to him and is
quite tense. Mark wears a red shirt and
has slicked back hair, connoting he is a
womanizer of sorts. Whereas, Jake wears earthy colours such as brown, green and
white, which establishes his innocence and genuineness. Alonzo and the other cops
appear in darkness in the scene, with barely any light on them, which establishes to
the audience that they are corrupt/bad.
Regarding lighting on Alonzo, due to the
shutters being closed, the light cuts half of
his face, which creates mystery and
connotes his bad soul. Whereas Jake is in
the light, almost over exposed, which
again connotes his innocence/purity. They
also have relaxed body language, whereas Jake appears as timid. Alonzo also
wears a cross around his neck, there is a juxtaposition, as he wants to be seen as a
‘man of god’, however partakes in illegal acts and has become corrupted. One
important prop within the scene is the briefcase of cash, which appears to be dusty,
symbolising that it is ‘dirty money’. The men also throw the money around with no
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respect. Another important prop are guns. It appears that the other cops including
Jake have guns on them apart from Alonzo, which implies that he expects others to
do any work for him. Also, one of the cops appears to hold the gun to his face, which
appears as intimidating to a nervous Jake. The location appears to be a house,
which normally creates a comfortable atmosphere for the audience, however now an
uneasy atmosphere is created due to the crime which has taken place.
The guns also connote protection, status, power and authority. Alonzo has the
biggest gun, however, he gives it to Jake to test his loyalty and see if Jake can
handle the power. Alonzo calls the gun a ‘bitch’, showing that he has no respect for
it. Many of the props are tools of power, such as the chainsaw and shovel, implying
the dangerous nature of the job. Alonzo smoking several cigarettes, showing how
stressed he is and his impatience to see what's in the box.
Alonzo appears in the dark/half shaded, which implies that he was good but has now
become corrupted, whilst Jake is fully in the light all the time, which shows he is still
innocent. In the kitchen, it is light, as we see that the ‘secret’ is coming to light for
both the audience and Jake.
Encoding and decoding (1973):
Stuart Hall argued that audiences actively read media texts and don’t just accept
them passively. They interpret the media text according to their own cultural
background and life experiences. Encoding is the act of embedding a message into
a piece of text. Then decoding takes place, whereby audiences read the message
and take one of three stances. There is the dominant reading (reader fully accepts),
negotiated reading (reader partly believes code) and the oppositional reading
(rejection).
I believe the message of the film is that corruption exists in the police force. Through
watching the movie, I have a negotiated reading, it is gathered through the language
use and mise en scene, that some of the cops are corrupt during the clip. After
watching the full film, I am also at a negotiated reading, that there may be some
corruption, but not to the extent shown in the film. The message can also not be fully
trusted due to the film being fiction, meaning that some parts may be exaggerated
and not entirely reflective of the police forces.
Other audience members may take the preferred reading of the text, in that they
agree with the message. These people may be more inclined to believe the message
if they have had bad experiences with police officers. They may also be from a
similar background to those in the film and experience similar scenarios, meaning
they can relate to the scenes in the film and thus take on a preferred reading.
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Whereas, some audiences may take on an oppositional reading where they disagree
with the message. These people are more likely upper class and American, due to
where the film is set, who have not been in trouble with the police. They may also
disagree with some of the points made in the film and believe they have been
exaggerated for entertainment purposes and thus oppose the message.
Uses and gratification (1974):
The Uses and Gratifications Theory by Blumler and Katz, suggests there are certain
reasons why an audience responds to different media texts. These include
entertainment and diversion, information and education, social interaction and
personal identity. I believe that audiences will watch Training Day for diversion,
personal identity and surveillance.
Diversion is where audiences consume media texts to escape from their everyday
lives. They choose entertaining texts that allow them to divert their attention from the
real world, and escape into another world.
Personal identity is where audiences watch or read media texts because they can
compare their life experiences with those represented in it. Audience pleasure
comes from empathising and identifying with characters. For instance, they may
relate to Jake who is an innocent victim.
Surveillance is gratifying the need for a constant stream of information regarding
current ongoings in the world. For instance, audiences around the world may be
interested in knowing what it’s like in Los Angeles. More specifically it may
interesting for audiences to see what it’s like in the police force in the US.
