2. • The scene opens with an extreme close-up
of her eye. This immediately
disorientates the audience as we cannot
see anything about the location or what is
happening in the scene.
• Soft focus is used to blur the images
created and again create confusion about
the mise-en-scene.
• The camera moves frequently, panning
and tilting to show how small the space
she’s trapped in is. It also follows her
movements during her frantic attempts at
escape.
• Close-ups are used throughout to
highlight her emotions. These are
interspersed with wider shots that make
her seem isolated within the scene.
Central framing also helps this, with her
being the central thing in the frame,
surrounded by space that feels like it’s
pressing in, trapping her.
4. • The lighting at first is very dark, to the point
where it’s difficult to actually see what is
going on. This is intentional as it forces the
audience to experience the confusion and
fear that the character is feeling by not
revealing where she is.
• The contrast when the bright lights
suddenly come on is very disorientating –
again the lighting aims to create confusion
and fear.
• The scene begins and ends in darkness,
creating a cycle effect that implies the
situation is inescapable.
• The single source of light for most of the
scene – the small window – highlights only
small sections at once, making the
darkness surrounding her seem
dangerous.
• The location itself is a small, enclosed
space. It’s very claustrophobic which is
typical of the genre’s conventional mise-en-
scene.
5. • Dressing of the location is minimal, bare walls etc., with a focus on significant props
like the two buckets she is provided with. This adds to the mystery and confusion of
the scene as there are not many clues given to the audience about where exactly
she is.
• There’s a lack of colour throughout, which is again conventional. Predominantly grey
I used and a green overtone added for the first half of the scene.
• The actress wears a fairly ‘ordinary’ costume to create realism. Again it enforces this
idea that what’s happening to her could happen to anyone and therefore makes it
more tense for the audience. Details like her dishevelled hair and bloody nose stand
out, demonstrating the distress and danger she is in. Blood is also a conventional
aspect of make-up within Scandinavian thrillers.
7. • As is typical of this genre and style, continuity editing is used to
create realism.
• The use of soft focus seems to have been aided in post-production;
the shots have been blurred so that they become
indistinct and build suspense.
• The shot lengths are fairly long, particularly towards the end of
the scene. This is especially effective when the shot shows her
attempting to escape – instead of quick cutting, the long shot
seems relentless, which makes her escape then seem
completely futile.
9. • The scene opens with the asynchronous sound of a heavy door slamming shut,
effectively setting the scene and implying she is trapped.
• Non-diegetic music and ambient sound is used throughout to create an eerie,
uncomfortable atmosphere that reflects what’s happening in the plot.
• Silence is emphasised, as it often is in Scandinavian thrillers, to build suspense
and then broken by loud noises such as her banging on the walls. This has a
very jumpy effect, making the audience uneasy.
• Many of the sound effects echo which again adds to the mysterious and tense
atmosphere.
• Dialogue features more heavily in the second half of the scene. The raised
volume of her voice compared to the man’s monotone clearly shows her panic
and desperation.
• Asynchronous sound is used really effectively when we can hear her captor
speaking but not see him on screen. The audience is once again put in the
position of the character, knowing no more than she does, which helps to build
tension.
• When he raises the pressure in the chamber at the end a high pitched noise like
microphone feedback is used. This is uncomfortable to listen to and so forces
the audience to experience the distress that the character is in.
• Conventional thriller sounds are used such as her screaming.
• All of the sound – music, ambient, sound effects, her screaming etc. – build to a
crescendo at the end, forming a climactic point at the end of the scene and also
creating quite an overwhelming effect.
10. NARRATIVE AND THEMES
• This scene deals with disturbing subject material –
kidnap and what is essentially torture. This is
conventional of thrillers and of Scandinavian cinema
too.
• The theme of power and control is very evident as
obviously she is completely at her captor’s mercy with
no chance of escape. It’s a well-known story of cat and
mouse with a clear victim and villain.
• The way that it is not revealed specifically what’s
happening or why is typical of thrillers, encouraging the
audience to try and work it out themselves.
