Film Language test learner response

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30/48 - C
WWW: Some clear, focused writing, using theory/terminology
EBI: Re-do Q2

Camerawork 

Camerawork plays a vital role in introducing the audience to the two characters in the opening scene.

The use of a high angle on Keaton emphasises his powerlessness and foreshadows his death, and suggests to the audience that Keaton is of a lower status compared to the antagonist, who is represented as much more superior. High angles are often used to make a victim look more vulnerable, which is successful in this case as the audience are able to decode who is in power and who isn't in this scene immediately. In contrast to the high angle, a low angle shot of killer is used throughout the scene, this emphasises his power and control in the scene compared to Keaton who is inferior. 

The vulnerability of Keaton is emphasised as the audience are on level with him through the medium close up shots. This allows an emotional connection to be created for Keaton where the audience sympathise for him.  The medium close up also allows the audience to clearly view his bruises as Keaton is made up to look defeated and beaten up. The framing of the scene shows the dominance of the killer as he is visible in all the shots with the gun while Keaton is sitting down. This gives the audience the reminder of who is in power as this framing creates a threatening presence.

Throughout the scene the killer’s face is not shown as it is always cut out of the shot which makes the killer unidentifiable, and instead the audience get close-ups on his shoes, lighter and gun. The close ups of the gun create action codes which signal of what may come next, death. This emphasises on the danger of the scene. The close ups introduce the audience to the antagonist as someone who prefers to remain unknown, as we don't get a single shot of his face, probably due the crimes that he has committed. The fact that the killer is undentifiable also suggests that the killer always manages to get away with the crimes he commits. This engages the audience even more as enigma codes are present, making the audience want to know who the villain is. This can be successfully applied to Propp's theory of stock characters in narratives, as the villain is usually represented as sly.

Overall, the use of camerawork helps to introduce thee two characters and immediately shows who is more superior and who is inferior.