Download Hurt Locker Opening Sequence

Hurt Locker Opening Sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl_cFzTjI10
Costume
 As The Hurt Locker is an action war film the only costumes
we see are those of the US military. So all the characters are
in uniform. This tells us a bit about their personality because
to be in the army you need to be tough, brutal and physically
fit which makes them dominant and also scary. From the
costume alone you are not quite sure who is in charge,
however one of the marines is wearing a bomb disposal kit
which tells the audience what type of unit the group of men
are in and also how dangerous and tense their job is.
Lighting
 The lighting is very high key, this is because they are in a
middle eastern country during the day where it would be
very hot and bright. The lighting has a small yellow-brown
tint which creates the effect of being stuck in the middle of
the desert. The many reflections off windows and the helmet
of the bomb disposal guy are very bright which makes the
light from the sun much more intense and makes it more real
for the audience .
Actors
 The actor’s play their character’s in such a way that makes the
scene seem extremely tense and dangerous. They go this
through long pauses between conversations and nervous
jokes. When the marine starts shouting at the Arab man to
put his phone down, this creates confusion and anarchy. To
show that the actors are uncomfortable and hot they are
sweating and are making small fidgety movements while the
bomb disposal guy walks towards the bomb.
Make Up
 The only evidence of make up is the sweat on their faces to
show how nervous they are in the situation. Other than that
no make up is used because in reality marines wouldn’t be
wearing make up and so the absence of it is to keep the scene
realistic.
Setting
 The setting is very dry and sandy with blue skies with no
clouds in slight suggests they are in a middle eastern country.
The setting really gives an indication as to what the marines
are doing. This is because of the stereotype that most wars
seem to be taking place in middle eastern countries and so
this is where the whole of this film is set. The set is very big
and open which intensifies the danger element of the scene
and gives a reason for the characters to be jumpy and
nervous.
Sound
 The scene starts off with the sound of the bomb disposal guy
breathing heavily with the ambient sound of a slight wind in the
background. During the dialogue between the two marines there
is no music playing and so it makes the scene appear quiet and
deserted. However when one of the marines spots the Arab with
his phone out tense music starts playing which tells the audience
that something is wrong and that the man is a danger. As the men
start running the music gets louder and more intense until the
explosion which drowns out the sound of the music and the only
sound you can hear is the explosion.
Enigma Code
 When the Arab man appears you don’t know who he is or
what he’s doing because it looks like he’s only on his phone
which is a very common thing in the world but the reaction
of the actors tells us something else. Now we question
whether or not this man is a threat and of how much is he
capable of.
Action Code
 The action starts as soon as the marine see’s the Arab man
and this pushes the narrative forward because of the intensity
of the situation. This mixes with the enigma code because the
trigger for the action is the mystery man that the audience
know nothing about. This action keeps increasing until the
climax of the scene, which is the explosion.
Semantic Code
 This code is used a lot on the film because the audience need
to know what’s happening without being told. So they use
connotation for the marine e.g. the uniform and speech, and
also the setting which is in a middle eastern country. From
this the audience know that it’s a war film and that the
marines are fighting against the terrorists. This helps create a
basic meaning for the world and makes it believable and
allows the audience to watch without being confused as you
what is going on.
Symbolic Code
 The use of the binary opposite of the marine and the Arab man
kicks off the action and helps the narrative progress and keeps it
exciting and interesting for the audience. As you see this
particular binary opposite in the opening sequence it would be
safe to assume that this will continue throughout the whole film
and also that it is very significant to the narrative.
Cultural Code
 The war between America and the some middle eastern
countries is a current affair and is therefore a foundation of
truth in this film. The war is mainly religious based between
the locals which causes civil war and therefore forces
America to intervene. Without this knowledge people will
not understand the film and why they have gone to this
middle eastern country and caused war.
Camera Angles
 The opening sequence starts with a tilt starting at the characters feet and going
up to show the rest of his body. This creates enigma about the character. As the
bomb disposal guy picks up the bomb the shot goes from a low angle median
and then zoom’s in to a low angle close up, this creates tension and also shows
us that the bomb is very significant. When the other two marines are spread out
a high angle extreme wide is used to show their environment and to show the
audience how venerable they are to attack. When the marine is looking down
the sight of his gun a point of view shot is used to show us exactly what he can
see so we know and same amount as the marine does and realise things as the
character does.
Editing Technique
 The technique of not-crossing-the-line and matching eye line
is used during the conversation between the two marines,
they look in opposite directions and stay on their own side of
the screen, as if looking at each other. This keeps it realistic
and doesn’t confuse the audience. When one of the marines
spots the Arab man a shot/reverse shot is used to get the
reaction of the marine and to show what caused the reaction,
so the audience knows why he suddenly changed emotion.
Todorov’s Narrative
 From the opening sequence you can only see the equilibrium,
which is that a small bomb disposal unit is in a middle eastern
country and is working to clear the streets of the bombs
without getting into any combat. However the bomb going
off could possible be the disruption because it is a change of
routine although this could still be apart of the equilibrium
because a bomb going off can be very common.
Uses and Gratifications
 Mulvey’s Gaze could be applied to this is the way that it
keeps the attention of the viewer through envy. The marines
are physically fit and very strong and so the male audience
could be inspired by this and therefore want to keep
watching.
Propp’s Character Sphere
 This is an action film so there is an obvious hero(s) – bomb
disposal unit, and villain(s) - terrorists. A donor/dispatcher
is not present in the opening sequence, however we know
from previous films involving the army that they always have
a higher command on the radio giving them instructions. The
helper’s are the other marines that fight along side the main
hero unit.