Alex Lloyd's Textual Analysis of 'The Usual Suspects'

Task: Explain How EITHER Camera Work OR Mise En Scene OR Sound OR Editing Are Used To Establish The Situation And The Character/s In The Opening 2 Minutes Of The Thriller Film You Have Chosen. Explain How The Film Intrigues The Audience.

For this task my group and I have chosen to explain the work done in ‘The Usual Suspects’ in order to intrigue the audience and create suspension. We will study and write about different parts, this will show individuality. My job is to write about how the producers and directors of this film use Editing and Sound in order to make their thriller suspenseful and exciting.

The role of the editor of a film is to select and arrange shots in a way that conveys specific meanings to the film audience. Selecting pieces of footage to be used and selecting the types of edit between shots (known as transitions), are two jobs that are both of significant importance. It is obvious that the footage chosen was used in order to create suspension throughout the opening sequence and to also intrigue the audience. Both sound and editing enhance continuity in the film and help it to flow without any problems that could interrupt the audience or bore them. Sound does this by using ‘sound bridges’ and editing does this by using transitions, the 180 degree rule etc. Throughout the opening sequence, the only transition to be used is the most common and invisible one; the cut. They are used to retain the films reality, as they do not break the viewer’s suspension of disbelief. Editing gives the filmmaker the power to create pace in any sequence, transitions can be used to do this such as the cut being fast creating quick pace. In the opening sequence, long lasting shots are used and therefore the cuts are not noticed as much and do not create a fast pace therefore this sequence is slow, with what is seen and heard such as the footsteps, being slow helps to create suspension and can be quite thrilling.

At the beginning there is no non - diegetic music being played, it starts with the sound of matches being lit, this is of course diegetic to the characters and is loud telling the audience that the film has begun. Water dripping noises are heard in the background, diegetic also, along with the mise en scene this sound effect helps to identify the setting being set in the docks. In the next few shots, the character is seen dropping the matches creating a fire, synchronous sound is used for this to create realism. The image of fire can always create a little tension in the audience, it can make us quite anxious due to fire usually connoting and leading to explosions as well as loud noises. There is no non diegetic music heard of until the second character is seen, Keyser Soze. Background music is used to add emotion and rhythm to a film, the music used is parallel to the sequence creating a chilling atmosphere. A lot of stringed instruments are used along with a flute. The orchestra used is of high texture and plays quietly, all of this fits in well with the showing of Keyser Soze as it creates a mysterious character and intrigues the audience making us want to know who he is. The camera tilts up slowly gradually coming across a balcony, of which Keyser is standing on and urinating off of. As the camera has his feet in the centre of the shot, the music fades in, the camera continues to tilt up and then stops just before reaching the head, his face is never seen creating a lot of suspension and mystery within the audience. The notes being played in the music are long lasting and stretched out over the length of the shots, due to both lasting a long time, this also creates a chilling effect and works well together.

A little later on, dialogue is used, due to it being the first words said in the film, the audience will have their full attention to it listening out for important information. The non – diegetic music is still being played whilst they talk, as the character laying on the floor says ‘ Keyser’ quietly, the music changes tune, this tells the audience that it is of high importance and may intrigue us throughout the film. During the conversation, the 180 degree rule is used, this causes suspension as we still do not see Keyser’s face, the reaction shots of the character laying on the floor tell us that something is wrong, we know the character knows what is going to happen, but as the audience do not, this creates a lot of tension. Keyser pulls out a gun, as this happens the music becomes very quiet, this prepares us for something shocking that may occur. It fades out and is then silent for the first bullet shot sound effect to go off, this is diegetic and due to nothing else being played, it comes across as loud making the audience jump. A second bullet shot is played, as this FX is heard, the non – diegetic music carries on from where it left off playing louder and in a higher pitch. Being in a higher pitch, this can connote sadness and maybe death. There is a solo flute playing high pitched also, blending in with the rest of the music as well as thunder in the background, this is a diegetic FX that also creates a sad, lonely atmosphere.

Moving on, there is a shot of Keyser’s hand dropping his cigarette, slow motion is used watching it fall to the ground. The music builds up from where it leaves the hand using a sound bridge to create continuity moving on into the next shot of it getting closer to the ground, this creates a period of abeyance. Once it touches the ground, a symbol is introduced along with a bigger texture in orchestra with a lot of percussion and a trumpet, this all suits the character and his movement as he escapes the boat, the trumpet creates a cunning and wise personality of this character. Explosions are then heard, the first explosion is quieter than the music, a solo symbol then plays a crescendo, it builds up in volume to a bigger explosion, once this goes off, the rest of the orchestra then gets louder creating a dominant shot of the explosion. For the last few seconds, sirens are heard in the background, these are diegetic and Asynchronous sound effects, they are not matched with a visible source of the sound on screen. Such sounds are included to provide an appropriate emotional nuance, and they may also add to the realism of the film.

I think that the producers and directors of ‘The Usual Suspects’ did a great job in establishing the situation and the characters in the opening 2 minutes. They intrigued the audience very well in ways of using sound and editing.