Extract Practice- 24

        The way this extract is set up is very strategic. Everything points to the theme of distrust.
In the clip, it is clear that the man is interrogating the woman he expresses, physically and
vocally, that he does not believe her. Both the woman and man, although, are pressured under
surveillance, which just further proves the theme. There is serious acting and all the details work
to portray a suspenseful feeling on the audience. It could very well be that the director wanted
this to be considered a thriller.
In scene 1, we are presented to the main characters. We are shown a man walking into a
room with metal furniture, where a woman is seated. We are, then, shown that they are being
watched by cameras. In this scene, the director makes a point of showing his skills when it
comes to various camera angles and movements. The multiple over the shoulder shots, for
example, are strategically placed to direct the focus towards the man's analysis of her. It provides
the first example of how he acts because of the fact that he does not trust her. The use of the two-
shot when the two main characters are shown close up in the room is to build suspense. It points
to the act of interrogation and serves to be a physical example of how they are getting “closer” to
discovering her full plan. The importance of them two being the only people in the room is that
they are in isolation and the man is trying to get disclosed out of her. The use of sound in this
scene is to grab the viewers’ attention. The opening of the door is to symbolize the beginning of
the scene and of the intensity. Scene 1 was mostly to introduce the setting and set the intense
tone of the extract.
        In scene 2, the man's lack of trust in her is most intensely introduced in this part of the
extract. The constant showing of the people in the camera room is to show their nervousness and
the way everyone is on the edge of their seat. The man is seen to be aggressive towards the
woman for reasons that are slightly exposed in this scene. Also, the audience is finally able to
hear the characters converse. That is the most important use of sound in this scene, as opposed to
scene 1. Another example of the director's use of sound is the falling of the table when the man
throws it. It provides a way for the man to show his anger in a way that isn’t hurting the woman.
In this scene, the director plays around some more with different angles, one of which being the
low angle. This can be seen when the camera is pointed towards the clock. It is shown from the
point of view of the woman. That is another camera angle that adds to the meaning of the clip.
By putting the audience in the spot of the woman, nervously looking around, it allows them to
feel the tension of the scene. The ticking sound that comes from the clock when it is focused on
is to symbolize the passing of time and how they are running out of it. Their clothing suggests a
serious, dark mood because of its lack of color or specific design. This scene, in general, does a
better job at expressing the theme and mood, due to its use of sound and other mis en scene
details.
        Scene 3 starts with the woman warning the man not to hurt her and claiming that he will
lose his job if he does. Her low tone tells the audience that she is nervous and scared that he will come close to her and harm her. Another part of the mis en scene is the makeup. The actors are
made up to look natural and tired. This is to show that the man has been trying to get information
out of the woman for a long time, hence his rising levels of aggression towards her. Eventually,
he cracks under the pressure and physically attacks her. The editing used in this part is a split
screen. They simultaneously show the people in the camera room, who seem to have a level of
authority, running towards the room where the man is hurting the woman. This is used to show
the importance of the protection of the woman and how she has to remain untouched, as she said
in the beginning. Another way they played with editing that ended up affecting the scene was the
eye line match shot. It shows how the camera room people came in and saw the intensity of what
was going on in the isolated room. This adds a lot to the theme of distrust because it proves that
they both needed to be watched for a reason. The woman, being a criminal, and the man being
biased against her and her plans. Another part of the mis en scene was the setting and the
lighting. Not only does the scene take place in a dark room with cool, harsh undertones, but it is
also placed in a room that has minimal decoration and ray tones, lacking emotion. Overall, scene
3 has the most attention to detail than the other scenes and reveals the most about the other
characters.
        The director’s goal of entertaining with suspense and thriller was definitely achieved. A
theme of distrust and lack of belief pulled through with the use of camera angles, movements,
editing, and mis en scene. Everything from the sound to the setting was well planned out and added up to a well done extract.