Thriller Genre post

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE

The narrative follow a man who is in what looks like a hotel room, you can tell this by the minimal items in there and the fact there is a door that leads directly outside the bedroom. The man seems to be burying a mysterious object which is inside of a bag. He goes through such an extent to do this that he pulls up the floorboards to make sure it is completely hidden. The rest of the film could be about someone trying to find what he had buried as it seems to be quite important because the man is killed shortly after burying it. Therefore, I would say that the target audience is older as there is use of gun violence which would not be suitable for younger audiences. 

I would also say the genre of the film is thriller. Firstly because of the mature themes and, because of the mystery behind it. What is he burying? To add to the mystery, the lighting is quite dim, and something does not seem right. We are introduced to two characters in the opening scene; the one burying the bag, and the one that shoots him at the end. Both characters seem to be quite ‘shady,’ as the item they are associating themselves with seems quite precious and someone would be willing to kill for it. A normal, kind person would most likely not kill someone. This character that kills the man is wearing a black coat and hat to hide their identity, further showing that they are up to no good.

The camera is positioned in the same place throughout the opening sequence. It is place in the centre of the room on what seems to be a wall, as the man never walks past the camera. It makes us feel detached and as if we were observing the man’s actions from a distance.

In the section when the man is burying the bag, the camera stays in the same place, whilst he moves the furniture. His actions are done in a synchronous way to the music he has put on the radio. This also includes the sound effects of him pulling up and hammering the floorboards. This reflects how he is experienced and has planned out his mission.

It could also show, how he uses the music to cover the noise he is make by re-arranging the room, so the people who are in the hotel do get suspicious. The editing helps to make the film duration line up with the music. It is also a good way of making time pass quickly without things seeming too rushed almost like it is a montage. The lighting also helps with this. This is because as time passes, the lighting outside gets dimmer and makes us feel more uneasy as we associate darkness with the unknown.

Another key scene is when he us walking towards the camera. This breaks the fourth wall, as he is looking directly into the lens and it feel quite confrontational. 

He is positioned right in the middle of the frame, so it is symmetrical, and he is also positioned in the centre of the frame, making this part seem important and making him the sole focus. He starts doing tasks such as putting on his tie and shirt and shaving his beard. This implies that he is actually looking at a mirror and not breaking the fourth wall.  Once again, the actions are done in a synchronous style. The music throughout the opening scene has been happy and positive, and the theme has not been too dark thus far. 

However, in another part of the scene, the final part, he is waiting around for something or someone, and then when he walks to the door, he is holding a gun. This has negative connotations and implies that what the man is doing is dangerous and is why he is carrying a gun, for protection.

The lighting is completely dark now, except for three lamps inside of the hotel room which dimly light the set, once again, making us feel unsafe. The man is greeted by the second character who, when the mans back is turned, shoots him.

 

After the loud and quick jolting sound effect of the gun the music stops suddenly, and we are left with a dark and unsettling image and the blood had splattered over the screen, once again furthering the idea that we are in the POV of a mirror. The scene ends with the ambient sound of rain in the background, and then it cuts to the title screen ‘Bad Times at the El Royale.’

Overall, I think this opening scene was effective. This is because the sudden turn of events shocked the audience, and would make them want to keep watching, as they want to know why the man was killed and what is so significant about the bag that was hidden. It also sets the tone and genre of the film while not giving too much away.