The document analyzes several shots from the film Taken that build suspense and convey the emotions of the characters. A medium close-up of the main character on the phone shows his apprehension and confusion in trying to help his daughter. Close-ups of the daughter by the window show her looking scared and then surprised. A wide shot from her viewpoint shows two men in another area of the hotel, indicating something bad will happen. Extreme close-ups of her fearful face and frantic movements show she is helpless as the men kidnap her outside the window. Quick successive shots create a sense of emergency.

1. Film: Taken
Genre:Action, Thriller
A medium close-up is used to show the main protagonist’s facial expressions and
body language. For example, the character turns his head around the room
repetitively whilst talking to his daughter on the phone; this shows that the
character is apprehensive and rather confused about how to help his daughter. As
this scene is the bridge between the equilibrium and the main plot of the film, these
shots show the audience that the character is desperate to help his daughter.
A close-up of the daughter looking out of the window shows that she is scared and
‘lost’. When her expression changes during the same shot, we see how the character
is surprised to see something unexpected. Two shots later, a medium shot shows the
character’s surprise and cautiousness as we she her whole body suddenly move
away from the wall she was originally rested upon. This makes us aware that she is
worried and likely to make a move soon.
Between the two shots mentioned above, a wide shot of two men moving around in
another part of the hotel. We know that the girl can see these people because the
shot is taken form her point of view (apparent through the window frame in the
foreground of the shot.) This makes the audience aware that something drastic is
going to happen…
A few shots later we see the girl’s expressions of fear through an extreme close-up of
he face. We also know that she is helpless because she moves franticly and shakes
her head as if she is in denial. Similar shots are integrated into a selection of wide
shots of the two men on the other side of the window kidnapping a young girl and
the main protagonist hastily preparing several devices (such as a brief case with
passports and some sort of electrical device). These shots are show in quick
succession creating a sense of emergency and fear; this could foreshadow the idea
that everything is happing so fast for the girl. By showing the audience this, we
experience her emotions but are also drawn by this technique used to generate
suspense.A shot of the approaching men from the waist down is used to create a

2. sense of suspense. This shot also highlights for the audience how the character
moves with purpose and in a dominant manor. This makes the audience feel
negative emotions towards the man and also fear for the girl. This shot also give the
character more involvement in the scene whist keeping their identity hidden from
the audience.