Thriller Opening 4- The Invasion

Film Title: The Invasion
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel

Technique Effect (Analysis)
Camera – distance, angle, movement…
Camera switches to close up of a light flickering, then pans along the lights. Close-up of a characters eye between varieties of shots. Long shot of medicines and the character goes to get some pills. Close ups of variety of medicines. POV of the character- things wobble and shake. Close up of a door and the lock moving. Camera tracks as the rocket explodes into pieces. Birds eye view above Earth and the pieces of rocket falling. View from a camera. Mid shots of characters speaking about the rocket, via the news. Shots of the authority- long and mid shots. Camera tracks a character to the scene. POV shot through the magnifying glass of the organism. Close up of the characters finger as he gets cut by a piece of the explosion- contamination- music changes. Close up of a map. Camera watches as he walks into his home.

The shots of the light flickering tell the audience that there has been some disturbance and the unknown. The close up of a characters eye also shows that someone has been effected and links in with the pace. The character is then introduced and the long shot of medicines show that she has been physically affected, but the isolation of where she is shows that she only has herself and what is around her to help. The POV reinforces why she needs the medicine. The close up of the door and its lock show that people are inside the room, but as they are locked in leaves the audience guessing as to why they are in there and why the character fears what is behind the door. Then, out of the supermarket, the camera follows a rocket exploding, this is strange to the audience but may be a justification of why she was behaving the way she was and the reasons for what was just seen. The birds eye view of the pieces of rocket exploding over Earth connect with the audience and show the damage that could be done. The news then plays a role, the rocket exploding has caused a lot of controversy, and the shots of civilians speaking about show their expression and fear towards what has happened. Furthermore, as they are civilians of all ages it shows that everyone has been affected by the accident. The POV through the magnifying glass emphasises the organism and extent of damage that could be caused if used irresponsibly. Then a close up of a characters finger as he is cut shows the fear towards the effect.

Editing – speed, style…
Pace very fast- links in with the panic tone of a character that can be heard- not seen. Pace becomes even quicker. Very quick shot of an unknown character- looks inhumane.

The pace throughout is very fast and this links in with the tone of panic and chaos. Also, the character (at the beginning) cannot be seen but can be heard, this creates more tension and questions as to what is happening. As more panic occurs, the pace quickens and there are a variety of cuts to other shots, such as a close up of an unknown character, which looks quite inhumane. This creates more tension and leaves the audience still unaware of why things are occurring.

Sound – effects, musical score…
Non- diegetic technology sound. Diegetic sound of the lights and someone speaking (quite dream like). Diegetic sound (dialogue) “I can’t stay awake”- reason why she gets the pills. Dialogue however is not spoken out loud- it is in the character’s thoughts. Thoughts are spoken very quickly- reinforcing panic and desperation. Dialogue from inside a room. “Please stay awake. Yes you can, you can”- character reassuring herself and panic is becoming more evident. News reporter speaking. Diegetic sound of the rocket. One reporter says “make sure nobody touches it or runs off with it”- suggests danger. “Contaminated”. Music quite tense. When the character gets cut the music changes to reinforce danger.

There is a variety of non diegetic and diegetic sound. There is quite a lot of dialogue, which all reinforce the panic and chaos of the characters. The woman shown has her thoughts spoken, which allows the audience to know what is going on inside her head and her emotions. Desperation is also created through her thoughts. The non diegetic music is tense and reinforces danger and links in with the pace.

Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour…
Character introduced very quickly. Facial expression difficult to read- out of breath and shocked when she discovers where she is (supermarket). Supermarket destroyed- products lying around everywhere (chaos). Facial expression changes as she looks at the door; looks scared and resistant towards what is behind the door. ‘NASA’ clothing- special suits- again suggests danger and safety. Worried facial expression when cut. Dog reacts differently when he returns home.

The character is introduced very quickly to keep the audience engaged; the pace is very quickly. Her facial expression is difficult to read at the beginning, but she appears out of breath and shocked when she discovers where she is. She is in a supermarket, which has been destroyed, this connects the audience as a supermarket is something used by everyone. As it becomes apparent that there are other characters in the supermarket, her expression changes- she looks scared and resistant towards the characters screaming and this creates confusion and panic within the room. When the rocket explodes, it is clear that what has been left is contaminated, the ‘NASA’ clothing represents danger and safety precautions and the facial expressions through show the severity of the effects this could have.

Special Effects – CGI, animation…
Warner Bros. Pictures. Screen flickers as if it is about to break or turn off- suggests narrative. Technology appears to breaking. Everything wobbles on screen. Rocket flies through and a clip of the Earth. Rocket then explodes whilst going onto Earth. Real news programmes featured.

The most significant special effects are the rocket. The rocket explodes in space and this creates realism to the audience.

Titles – font, colour, placement, over black / over clip…
Dark colouring. ‘The Invasion’ appears in white, spaced out font, centred over a clip of the lighting and the over the sky- stars.

The dark colouring links in with the tone and as the title is centred over dark clips there are little distractions, and an insight into the narrative.