Ella: Thriller Opening Analysis - 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed'

At the start of the sequence, as two male characters are stealing a van the music builds up in speed and volume which suggests they are building up to a climatic moment. The music is still consistent when they have broken into the van connoting this isn't the end to their criminal activities. The camera isn’t fully focused on the van as it tracks passed them; this may suggest that they were unnoticed and will be successful in their crime. 

  

We then see shots in the supermarket mainly from a low angle which conveying that they are the ones in power and the antagonists. They select various props such as a drill and a saw. These are generic conventions of the thriller genre and this implies to the audience that they are dangerous characters with weaponry.

We see various shots of a flat then them enter the flat with the items they have just purchased. Theres a shot of a kitchen, the kitchen’s mise en scene suggests that this is a normal household. However Compared with a pan shot of the bedroom’s decor straight after, it emphasises the bedroom making it appear suspicious, run down and evil. The camera slowly panning around the different areas of the flat suggests that it will become of importance to the film. We see the two male characters preparing the bedroom, they sound  proof the walls and block up the windows, creating an enigma as the spectator would wonder why they are doing this?

The camera tracks down a line of props, it implies to the spectator that a kidnapping may occur as the props included, hand cuffs, balaclava, duct tape and a bag etc typical of a film kidnap/crime kit. The props are again generic conventions of the thriller genre, the gun included.  

The male characters appear mechanical, they are doing everything precisely and calmly which appears disturbing for the spectator. They even stop for lunch. We see one male help the other with this tie, this small action portrays to the audience that this is the dominant male, also suggested by his general behaviour.  He is always leading whilst the other male  follows. For example when they buy the foam for the walls, we see the older more dominant male do it first then the younger male does the same. Both their facial expressions are very serious and plain throughout the sequence, showing no emotion and there is no dialogue between them, just body language interaction. 

Theres a wide variety of shots used in this opening, as it includes a lot of pans and tracking shots its moving around which could suggest that the spectator is looking into a subjective window, showing only props and objects which may play importance. 

The opening of ‘The Disappearance Of Alice Creed’ definitely uses Todorov's theory where the scene starts out with a sense of realism as the setting looks normal and the characters seem to be only petty criminals however as it unravels the disruption is they are going to commit a kidnapping which they have planned out over some time. The opening creates lots of enigmas inciting the spectator to finish the film as it gives little answers. The reasoning behind why they are committing the kidnapping isn't clear but their intentions to kidnap are. There are a lot of signs that this is a thriller by mainly using Mise En Scene such as dark lighting, generic props such as guns and moody serious antagonist performances. Also sound climatic dramatic atmosphere music.