28 Days Later

One of the first scenes:
Directed By: Danny Boyle

I chose this clip to analyse as I thought it was a very effective opening to a film. This is because the director builds up the pace of this scene extremely quickly but smoothly, immediately getting the audience’s full attention, and jumping straight into the storyline.

Summary
Late one night Animal activists break into a research centre to free the Chimpanzees from being used in medical research. Although the scientist warns them that the chimps have been infected with a ‘rage virus’, the activists do not believe him and let a chimp free. It immediately attacks both the activists and scientist. This virus then spreads throughout London causing people to turn mindless and kill everything around them.

Analysis

I thought this scene was particularly effective in building up tension through its pacing. The first 24 seconds begin quite slowly as the scientist says ‘I know who you are’ however the pace builds up quickly as the friction between the two characters increases. The director gets this feeling of tension building across through his use of shot-reverse-shot, moving forward and back quite quickly. Another technique I noticed that adds to the growing tension is that along with the increasing pace the shots also go from MS to MCU and finally as the activist shouts ‘Infected with what?’ a CU shot is used. This takes the audience closer and closer in making them feel involved as well as making them want to pull back. However, this type of fear is part of the emotional pleasure you receive from horror films. The low-key lighting also creates a very serious and tense situation. The little lighting allows the audience to just focus on the actors’ facial expression only, which is portraying great concern. The scientist’s hand gestures show us that he is trying to explain something whilst the activist’s face reveals his anger. We can also hear his rage through the increasing volume of his voice. The laboratory setting however is established through the off-screen diegetic sound of chimps creating that 3D world, as well as through the costume (i.e. scientist’s white lab coat). Here, the director purposefully does not establish the scene straightaway to keep the audience in suspense for a while.

The editing is very simple but choppy until it reaches a 3 second pause before the camera cuts to a High angle VLS. This slight pause makes the audience very anxious and edgy as to what is going to follow, only to be shocked by the abrupt cut from CU to VLS. This is another good technique of slowing the pace down and then suddenly jumping to a different extreme shot-type, provoking the intended reactions from your audience.

The mis-en-scene in the next shot all fit the general grim and serious theme as we are able to see the dull and dark laboratory packed with animal cages. The camera then cuts to an MS of the activist trying to push the scientist away, followed by a match on action. Here the pace is building up again. The female activist then motivates the next cut in which the director takes the audience right in to the chimp’s cage with a CU shot. Involving the audience in the action itself is another pace increasing technique as they feel as if they are moving along with the fast movements of the camera. Here it feels as if the chimp is coming towards the audience and the slight low angle makes it look quite powerful and daunting. We then cut to a reverse-shot of the aggressive two men and then again cut to a CU shot of the female activist’s profile. This choppy editing again builds up the tension.

Within the space of the last 4 seconds, the director has used about six shots. One of his techniques is to keep reversing back to the two men, which increases our anticipation as to what is happening on the other side. Throughout their arguing you can here the off-screen diegetic sound of an unlocking cage which would make the audience nervous as they hear the scientists warning ‘It’s contagious’. It then cuts to a Low angle CU of the second scientist opening the cage door. This gives the audience a sense of entrapment as it cuts to the next shot from inside the glass cage itself. The colour scheme of greys and blacks gives it a cold and eerie feel. The feeling of being inside the actual cage also makes you feel slightly claustrophobic and distressed. Here the director places us in the chimp’s point of view. The female activist then opens the cage door and we see a red light flashing at the end of the glass cuboid. Here the red connotes danger, warning and death.

I think that the last few shots are the most effective. An extremely quick pan down into the cage is used from where the chimp seems to run out from nowhere, making the audience jump. The director has also made nice use of the steel frame within the frame although it is quite quick to notice. Following this comes the match on action where we see the chimp from in front. A quick pan and zoom follow which again place us in the chimps position. It seems extremely chaotic and the change in perspectives may also confuse the audience. The characters expression here clearly depicts her panic and alarm. The red flashing light adds to the drama and the pace of the scene. Finally, there is a low angle shot of the chimp leaping out, which after the whole build up seems absolutely terrifying.

If this scene was edited differently for example:
-Establishing the scene
-The two men arguing
-The female activist opening the cage
-The Chimp leaping out

…it would not have the same effect of the building tension, as the quick cuts back and forth, and shots from different angles and perspectives do. I particularly like the way the director has shot form inside the cage so the audience can experience the action. This particular scene is used near the start of the film and I think that jumping straight into the action is an effective way of getting the audience totally engrossed.