The film Essex Boys is based on the true 1995 murders of two drug dealers and their driver in Essex. It uses chiaroscuro lighting and locations like marshes and a warehouse to establish a film noir atmosphere and portray the criminal underworld. Point-of-view shots are used to build tension around the character of Jason, while long shots create a sense of the unknown. Costumes distinguish the characters of Jason, in loud colors, and Billy, in black, seeking to blend in.

1. Essex Boys
Directed by Terry Winsor
Released 14 July 2000
The film is based loosely around events in December 1995 that culminated in the murders
of two top drug barons and their driver. On 6 December 1995, Patrick Tate, Craig Rolfe and
Tony Tucker, three drug dealers well known to the police, were lured to Workhouse Lane,
Rettendon on the pretext of a lucrative drug deal: they were killed by shotgun blasts to the
head while sitting in their Range Rover and their bodies were found the following morning.
“For those who remember the actual triple murder in Essex which inspired the film, this carries
an added edge of realism. The setting (the mock-Tudor nouveau riche houses of the gangsters,
the Southend seafront, the freezing marshes where Billy runs for his life) are as evocative as the
true-to-life performances of Sean Bean, Alex Kingston and Tom Wilkinson. It is refreshing to see
a film which portrays the underworld in all its vindictive pettiness - the little slights which turn
into murderous feuds... The Hollywood view of Gangland England has been too long focused on
the East End when real Londoners know the East End's good for curry houses, and the gangsters
headed out to the Home counties years ago.” – IMDb Reviews

2. Essex Boys Case Study | Lighting and Location
In the film ‘Essex Boys’ (2000), the director Terry Winsor uses chiaroscuro lighting to create a film noir atmosphere; this is clearly seen
in the opening of the thriller when the character of Billy opens the warehouse door to reveal a dark, shadowy room, illuminated only
by a light outside the door; the shadows connote mystery and suggest that there is more to the story that meets the eye, which links
to later on in the film when we learn about Jason’s dark past. As Billy is only a driver for Jason, the fact that he is only a silhouette in
the opening shot could symbolise that he has no identity and no face as he is of no importance; this contrasts with the opening shot
of Jason as his face is immediately illuminated, which could suggest that his face is of great importance, emphasising his high status.
Lighting is also used to effect in the scene in the Dartford Tunnel. The lights from the tunnel come across the screen in stripes, which
could be seen to represent jail bars; this is the signature of Jason, as he has just been released from prison, so it could suggest that
his mind is still on his jail sentence, while also reminding the audience of his ex-prison status and that he is a dark, dangerous
character who is not to be trusted. The barred lighting could also be seen as foreshadowing, anticipating the future and Billy’s fate.
Chiaroscuro lighting, silhouetted Billy, illuminated Jason and jail bars
The location is also important in ‘Essex Boys’. The desolate, no boundaries, predatory landscape of the marshes where Jason leaves
the body is almost primeval, which reinforces his high status and that he is ‘top of the food chain’; it could also be seen as a metaphor
for Jason as it is wild and has no limits, a reflection of his character, while also having nowhere to hide, which could suggest that he is
running away from something but he cannot escape it forever. The dark, dusty and abandoned warehouse location used in the film’s
opening is a convention seen in many thriller films, such as ‘Reservoir Dogs’, due to its claustrophobic, enclosed space which leaves
the character nowhere to run or hide. The contrast between the claustrophobic, derelict garage and the predatory, primeval Marshes
creates visual pleasure for the audience through the use of binary opposites; the contrast is so different that it is almost unsettling,
while it also could be seen to be highlight the dangerous mood swings of Jason. Another thriller convention featured in the film is a
rainy street, seen during the car journey during the opening, which connote bleakness and no hope. The puddles create reflections
which could suggest that there is a hidden meaning behind Jason’s upcoming actions, and that the audience are not being told the
whole story, especially as this features at the beginning of the film. Finally, the Dartford Tunnel is a suitable location for the film as it
looks like the barrel of a gun, establishing the dark and dangerous nature of the film, while also personifying the character of Jason.
The Marshes, warehouse (‘Essex Boys’ and ‘Reservoir Dogs’), rainy streets, the Dartford Tunnel

3. Essex Boys Case Study | Camera Shots and Costume
In ‘Essex Boys’, the camera shots are important in establishing the genre as well as building the tension and atmosphere. For example,
the opening shot of Jason through the dusty cobwebs on the windscreen is a point-of-view shot from Billy; the fact that we are seeing
him through the eyes of another person makes Jason’s entrance even more dynamic and powerful as the audience, too, are seeing
him for the first time. This idea of seeing through the eyes of Billy continues throughout the film as many point-of-view shots are
used when observing Jason; for example, when Billy is watching him beat up a man through the wing mirror, the audience is also
shocked at his violent actions, just like Billy, and are also just as powerless to do anything. The fact that at the beginning of the film
we often view Jason through something, such as a mirror or windscreen, could suggest that the director, Terry Winsor, is trying to
make us uncomfortable and unsure around him as we never seem to look him directly in the eye; this could also emphasise his high
status as a criminal and that we should know our place around him, like Billy experiences during the film.
POV shots through the windscreen and a POV shot through the wing mirror
Long shots feature in the film, as seen during the scene when they are driving through the Dartford Tunnel. These long shots create
vanishing points, a signifier of film noir due to their connotations of ‘fear of the unknown’; these are seen in noir films, such as ‘The
Third Man’ and ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’, as the audience does not know what to expect as anything could be at the end of
the shot, therefore increasing the tension and the suspense. In ‘Essex Boys’ the long point of view shot in the tunnel could also signify
that Billy is driving from one world to another: his seemingly dull and normal life to Jason’s chaotic, corruptive and dangerous world.
Long Shots (‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’, ‘The Third Man’, ‘Essex Boys’)
Costume is important in order to establish the personality of each character. For example, in the film Jason’s loud colourful shirt
connotes confidence, brashness while also highlighting his working class roots, so the audience can identify with his character. This is
very different to the character of Billy who is in all black, the binary opposite to Jason’s loud outfit; this suggests he wants to blend in
to the crowd and not stand out, linking back to the fact he is the mere driver of Jason’s operations. Both characters have Essex
accents, which again link back to their working class routes. Finally, the workers at the warehouse they drive to are all in the same
colour – white – which creates a sense of facelessness and shared identity as they all work in the same uninspiring job.

4. Essex Boys Case Study | Linear Narrative, Cultural Signifiers and Intertextuality
The narrative of ‘Essex Boys’ is linear, which means all the event occur in order, unlike the complex narrative seen in the opening to
‘Once Upon a Time in America’ that moves between real time and past events, using sound bridges to signal a flashback. I believe
that the complex narrative style is the most appealing as it makes the film more exciting and dynamic, as well as also allowing the
director to explore characters pasts and become more daring in their film narratives; audiences can become more emotionally
involved in each characters stories as they become more aware of their reasoning for certain actions, while also watching the
character grow and change, be it for the better or worse. However, Terry Winsor makes the linear narrative more interesting for the
viewer in ‘Essex Boys’ by having Billy narrate the story; this allows the audience to connect more with him as they understand his inner
thoughts and feelings, while also feeling more involved with the unfolding plotline.
Cultural signifiers are seen throughout ‘Essex Boys’, such as through the strong Essex accents of both Billy and Jason and the white
van, which links to the stereotype of the “white van man”. These are significant as they allow the audience to identify with the location
and the characters of the film, which therefore makes the events of the film more realistic. The accents link in with the title of the film
– Essex accents in ‘Essex Boys’ – while “white van men” are stereotypically selfish, working class and aggressive, which link to the
characters who feature in the film, especially Jason. Through the inclusion of famous Essex locations, such as the marshes and the
Dartford Tunnel (both cultural signifiers) and the fact neither are seen as especially glamourous, a negative image is created in the
audience’s mind; this links back to the theme of crime and unlawfulness seen throughout the film and the fact that the film is based
on the true story of the murder of two Essex drug barons, which makes the film seem raw and gritty, adding to its overall effect.
Cultural signifiers: sign for Essex, Dartford Tunnel and the white van
‘Essex Boys’ could be seen to contain an intertextual reference to ‘Once Upon a Time in America’. The opening credits of ‘Essex Boys’
are white on black, so that the black establishes the film noir genre as it symbolises the shadows and chiaroscuro lighting of the
genre. Also, the opening shot is of Billy pushing open the door to a warehouse, but is edited as though he is opening the door onto
the credits; this is similar to the opening of ‘Once Upon a Time in America’, where the opening shot is of Eve opening the door into
the apartment. Director Sergio Leone edits it so that it looks as though the door has opened in order to end the credit sequence.
Similarities in the openings of ‘Essex Boys’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in America’