Research: Thriller Opening Analysis (Anna)

A retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris.

https://youtu.be/xe9S4HAG-4k

Information about DirectorBox Office made on TakenBudget: $25,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend: £1,165,986 (UK) (2008)Gross: $145,000,989 (USA) (2009)Awards:Pierre Morel is to be named International Director of the Year, for his film Taken, at the 2009 Cinema Expo Awards Ceremony

Date of Birth: 12 may 1964 in france

Mise en sceneIn a electronic store- this could give us an idea that he

is buying an expensive item possibly for his daughter as the opening scene included her birthday

Prop of a karaoke player- this could show the dad being more with the kids as he’s down with technology

Clothing of the man is normal- he has a baggy shirt, messy hair, like a stressed out father

Setting- his house but he’s sleeping on couch meaning that he has a lot on his mind maybe he misses his daughter as he’s on his own in the dark

Props in opening scene- colourful lots of gifts, food, like a party which creates an atmosphere of joy and love

Camera angles, shots and movementClose up on girls face when she gets

presents- she’s happy and didn’t expect to have such gifts

Extreme Close up on the newspaper- it advertises a karaoke player

Establishing shot of car- setting the scene where he’s in town with other cars around him

mid shot- of when the two men are having a conversation

Pan shot when he’s sleeping to signify his loneliness as he’s in a empty house

Sound & AtmosphereNo sound till 3o seconds in then a slow piano is playedSome sounds are amplified and added such as a swoosh

sound to create an effect of it all happening quicklyCar engine amplified when driven to show how old it isNewspaper is amplified so the crunches are louder to

show how the newspaper is tarnished No dialogue till 1 min 3o this forces the audience to

understand through looking at the film as no other ways of portraying the narrative is shown

Dialogue is him talking about his daughter creates an atmosphere of love and care as he’s proud to be her father

EditingVhs style , its edited to look like it’s viewed from an old

recording as it has the time on the top right and static lines horizontally creating an effect of the audience looking at an old video

Montage of clips combined together which speeds up the narrative showing us what has already happened which in this case is her 5th birthday

Editing of the pace the film is sped up near the end creating an illusion of the events happening a long time ago

Match on action he left a watch behind so he went back and found it in the same place which it was left at

Credits: Distribution company first “20 Century Fox” then onto “Europacorp” & “M6 Film” when character is shown then his name is mentioned “Liam Neeson” and then Lastly “Taken”