In this essay I will be researching cinematography and how its effects a thriller scene. My research will be surrounding the cinematography in varies of clips taken from the film The Purge (2013). Cinematography is the use of camera angles and shots to create certain moods and atmospheres within a film. Cinematography is also the act of capturing photographic images in space through the use of a number of controllable elements. These include the quality of the film stock, the manipulation of the camera lens, framing, scale and movement.
A man hiding behind the brick wall
At 0:23:50 , the cinematographer zooms in onto the CCTV footage, as in the screen theres a man who runs and hides behind a wall outside the house. This creates suspicion as it focuses on the man who is hiding, suggesting that he is running away from something in particular and is afraid of it as he is hiding. The zooming in technique used shows the man is hurt as his body language is not stable as he tries to run. Also implies that the man hiding behind the wall is someone important in the film as they draw the audiences attention onto him to build a closer relationship. Furthermore, this is conventional in a thriller as an protagonist usually hides from the killer, so this suggests that the man is innocent which makes us sympathise him and weary for his safety out there.
Group of people walking towards house
A long shot is used at 0:31:40 when a group of people walk towards the Sandin's house. The use of this shot creates suspense and tension in the audience as this is they're first time seeing these people, so it makes them question who are they? and what do they want with the Sandin's. Moreover the group are holding hands which gives the impression that they're are all united and seek the same motive with each other, also some of the members are holding weapons such as a machete which suggests that these people are dangerous and are not welcomed by the family creating a threatening image towards the house and the audience. This makes a distant relationship with the audience as it is the purge night and these people are randomly turning up to the Sandin's house equipped with dangerous gear, so the audience feel tensed and curious of what they're going to do. A long shot is conventional to a thriller as it allows to show every character in the shot as well as the background, this gives the audience an insight of what is going on and also foreshadows what may happen e.g in my screen shot , the group of people may want to kill the Sandin's as it is Purge night.
polite leader smiling
In the scene at 0:45:16 theres a close up onto the ' Polite Leaders' face on an eye level. This shows the audience he's facial expressions as he's smiling whilst James is explaining why they have the bloody stranger is in his home. The close up clarifies that the ' Polite Leader ' is the antagonist in the film as his sarcasm through his smiling looks quite threatening towards James. The use of this close up shot is conventional to a thriller as it shows the audience the characters facial expressions making them feel nervous and anxious of what that character is going to do or what they are in possession with. This eye level shot is also a point of view shot from James perspective looking through the gap at the antagonist. Knowing that this is from the protagonist point of view, this shot automatically places the audience into James position, making them feel tensed and suspicious like he is. The technique helps create a closer relationship with James and a distant relationship with the polite leader as his facial expressions lead both James and the audience to not trust him. This is conventional for the thriller genre as it places the audience into the victims position which creates enigma to what is going to happen next as they don't have control on what to look at.
James hurt and looking up to antagonist
The Cinematographer uses a low-angle at 1:06:18 when the ' Polite Leader ' daggers a knife into James stomach and lowers him down onto the floor. This shows that even though both men were the dominate leaders in their groups ( James & his family , Polite Leader with his group), James is no longer dominate as the polite leader is the one who's taking control of the power by setting him on the ground. The low-angle emphasises James vulnerability in this situation as he has no control of his body, This makes the audience sympathise him even more because he was a fighter of the family and now the antagonist has taken his position away. A low angle is conventional to a thriller and is often used on the protagonist when defeated by the killer to show their lack of power in the situation making the audience build a relationship with the victim. It also allows the audience to see a characters facial expression and in the screen shot we can see that James is distressed and tired from his battle against the antagonist, this makes the audience feel sympathetic for the character as his the victim.
Antagonists armed with axes
In this clip from 1:07:11 till 1:07:23 the cinematographer uses handheld camera movement when the two masked men are smashing their axes onto the walls and breaking pictures along in the hallway. This shows that they're are the antagonists as their trashing up the place, making a statement that they don't care they'll do and hurt whatever they want. The use of this technique is that it creates tension which makes the audience more engaged and curious about what they're going to do next in the scene. Also because of the jerkiness of the screen it makes the audience create a more distant relationship with the characters in this scene because the unsteadiness creates suspicion and weariness which makes the audience not trust the characters in the scene. Moreover, the handheld shot could represent the protagonist running away from the characters holding the axes, which makes the audience feel involved with the scene as it unsteadily follows where the antagonists are heading. A handheld camera is conventional to a thriller as it makes the screen jerky and unsteady making the audience feel on edge as the movements including on the screen are not clear so the audience are anxious about what is going to happen.
In conclusion, I have learnt that cinematography is very important as it is a combination of camera shots,angles and techniques that influence the affect on the film and how the audience feels about the characters and the atmosphere they're in. I believe that this research will help with my own thriller sequence as I've gathered various of information about cinematography and how it should be used in certain situations. I will definitely consider using this technique because it helps build a connection with the characters in the film and also gives the audience an understanding on whats happening. The cinematography used in The Purge was conventional to a thriller because it helped build the story and create suspense and tension throughout. When creating my own thriller, I will use many camera shots to help the audience evaluate what is going on e.g use a hand held camera when the protagonist is running away from the antagonist. I think the technique will be effective as it shows the unsteadiness of the girl running away and will help build a sense of urgency creating suspense within the audience. Another technique that ill be inspired to include in my thriller is a low angle, this will be used when the victim is in danger and the antagonist is looking down on her. This will be essential as it will portray the different types of position they both share, e.g antagonist and victim. Overall, this post has taught me and gave me more on understanding of camera shots used within a thriller.
Mise-en-scene is the french term meaning of the arrangement of everything that appears in the framing.In simple terms miss-en-scene is everything the audience sees, there are five elements setting & iconography ,costume (hair and makeup), colour & lighting and body language & facial expressions.
The film I'll be exploring Mise-en-scene is 'The Woman In Black' Opening scene
Setting & Iconography
The children's bedroom
Firstly, setting and iconography are the first parts of mise-en-scene. In the film The woman in black opening scene the setting is in a children's bedroom where the children play with their toys. As the bedroom in this particular scene is used as the setting, it shows privacy and could represent the characters mindset, as a room is somewhere you feel comfortable in to do anything you want. But however privacy can always be broken, so this foreshadows that theres going to be some kind of threat that's going to happen. This is conventional to a thriller as the antagonist always breaks the victims privacy i.e killing them at their homes or where they are at. Also it is conventional as privacy is when you isolate yourself, so this could represent the children's isolation from the world and the woman in black demands this as they are possessed. The audience can relate to the characters and connect with them as they are vulnerable children having fun in their bedroom but this creates suspense as something could happen to the innocent children. Furthermore, the use of this isolated setting when the antagonist kills the children could mirror her feeling alone when she was alive. And could create sympathy for the women in the black as she has always felt alone. Moreover it foreshadows her past which is revealed later in the film, when her son is taken away from her, and the location of her house was cut off from the marshes where her son died as well. Usually as child the colours of the room would be bright and vibrant to show life but however the colour of the walls in this scene look like a mouldy green, which could represent that death is closing in on the young girls in the middle. Furthermore, the colour of the wall juxtaposes the norm of the girls that are sitting down playing with their toys as they're having fun but it looks like death is taking over them. Foreshadowing that they're lives may be taken soon, making the audience feel tensed as they watch which is conventional to a thriller.
The girls playing with the dolls
In this scene the iconography used are normal child's bedroom properties such as bed,tables, toys. However in this scene the girls are playing with their dolls having a tea party, this represents their vulnerability in the scene as they're getting on with what is seen to be what normal children do. Furthermore the focus on the little girls playing with the dolls shows that they are in control of moving the dolls, this foreshadows on whats going to happen to them, as the woman in black likes to control children to kill themselves. Also implies that the antagonist, focuses on all children and doesn't only target one, this is conventional to a thriller as the antagonist usually has more than one person planned to kill. Making the audience start to wonder what is going to happen to the possible victims in the rest of the film and why the antagonist goes after them.
ribbons in their hair
Costumes (Hair and makeup)
The children are wearing old Victorian like dresses, this can represent that their from quite a wealthy background. Also all of their hairstyles are down, with pink ribbons in them, this exaggerates their innocence as ribbons are often used to show 'cuteness'. Thrillers sometimes often use children in their films as it is conventional because it makes the audience connect with them even more as they are young, making them want to protect them. Also because this film is rated 12A, the target audience who are the parents that are watching the film with their child will feel on edge as they would want to protect their children.
Facial Expressions, Body Language & Positioning
The girls smiling
In this scene we see two different facial expressions from the characters. The first facial expression we see is when the girls are smiling in their natural state whilst playing with their dolls.This builds a closer relationship with them as it shows that they are having fun and enjoying themselves and not being worried about what might happen to them. This makes the audience feel warmth inside but because this is a thriller film, it makes them suspicious and worried about what could possibly happen to the innocent, happy girls.
Girls looking at the window
However, in contrast it all changes after the girls look across the other side of the room, looking at something in the corner. The smiling turns into a serious facial expression as they look at the corner then to the window, this indicates that someone is in the room with them. The straight faces, makes the audience feel curious on why they have suddenly changed the way they look as they were having fun a moment ago. This facial expression from children is conventional to a thriller as it takes the key element away of children being happy and playful and shows them being serious which makes the audience feel uncomfortable and intrigued to see what will happen to them.
Girls looking outside the window
Also, as the girls look over to the window they are in a fixed position whilst standing up, their body language suggests that they were being possessed or controlled when they walk over to the window. This implies that they're not in control of their bodies, emphasising their vulnerability in the situation also makes the audience curious and worried on whats going to happen next. This is conventional to a thriller as children are usually always made to do something odd, as this makes the audience sympathise them because they are young. Also the girls are positioned in the middle which is conventional to a thriller as it draws the audiences attention straight at them as they're in a neutral position in the frame. This makes the audience feel tensed and suspicious as thats the only thing that they're focusing on at the moment.
In this shot, there is a black woman figure positioned in the corner just standing over looking at the room after the girls have jumped out of the window. The high angle implies that the figure is the antagonist because her identity is hidden and most antagonist's hide their identity which is conventional to a thriller as it states that the figure is powerful and threatening to the children as it appears after the little girls jump out the window. Thrillers often place the antagonist in a high angle to show that their more powerful in the situation than their victims and that they're the ones that are in control and dominant. When the audience see the dark figure, it actually makes them jump because the screen zooms out and then you see it. This creates tension and suspicion in the audience as they do not know who this person is and how they got inside the girls bedroom.
Colour & Lighting
The colours used often in this scene are, black, grey and a muddy green which stay the same through out the whole scene creating a gloomy atmosphere. Dark colours are conventional to a thriller as it makes the audience and protagonist not see clearly of the surroundings making them feel tensed and on edge on what is about to happen. The Key light in this shot, is coming from the window which shines on the three girls whilst they stand in front on it. This highlights the fact that they're little girls but also it may suggest that something is going to happen to them as it makes the audience focus on them as they are the clearest. This makes the audience create a closer relationship with them as they're young and it makes the them feel anxious on what is going to happen so the audience would want someone or themselves to protect them from what is going to occur. A key light is conventional to a thriller as it highlights whats in danger or a certain object making the audience think what is going to happen to it, which created enigma and suspense in the audience.
The back light light in this shot, comes from the door. This sharpens the subjects in the room and shows a black figure at the back of the room. This makes the audience curious on what the figure is and engages them making them question the girls safety building a closer relationship with them. As you cannot see the figures facial expressions, the audience feel unease because of the hidden identity which implies that the dark figure is not safe to be around with.
Finally the filler light is from the walls as it removes the sharpness of the objects in the bedroom. This eliminates the objects in the room making the audience suspicious on whats going to happen because they were used to seeing the children's toys. The contrast of the wall from when they were playing toys to the girls walking towards the window, makes the audience feel anxious in their surroundings as it is quite dark at home so they may think the same thing may happen to them. The use of this is conventional to a thriller as the filler lights highlight whats in danger or who is dangerous in the scene. So it makes the audience feel alert and suspicious on whats going to happen to the highlighted object shown. In conclusion, i have learnt that mise-en-scene is all of the visual aspects to help convey the story, the elements help set the mood,environment and create relationships with the characters. It also makes the audience have more understanding of the film,and more interesting so they will engage into it. Mise-en-scene clarifies every ones position in the film for example, the girls are the protagonists and the black figure is the antagonist in this film. Also the way they were positioned, as the woman in black was standing over where the girls were places before , showing that she's the antagonist and is powerful. Furthermore, the use of hidden identity will be used in my thriller as well as it was in this opening scene for the antagonist, so that it creates enigma and suspicion within the audience.With the woman in black the mise-en-scene used were quite simple, this will help me with my thriller as it inspired me to use less as it builds up more tension because the audience expect more. I will definitely refer back to my Mise-en-scene research when I'm creating my own thriller because it will help and give me ideas on what I should include in my piece to connect with the audience.
Thriller is a genre of literature,film and television programming that uses its main elements suspense, tension and excitement. People often get confused about thrillers and horrors but they are very different, a Thriller is more interested in suspense, putting you "on the edge of your seat" or making you nervous for the fate of the characters. However in a Horror movie it wants to make you fear for your personal safety, to make you afraid that what happened to the characters may happen to you even when you've left the theatre.
1940s In the 1940s , films in this time were in black and white and most thrillers depended a on psychological effect by using sound and editing to give suspense and thrill. The film Gaslight was directed by George Cukor, 1994, is about a girl, Alice who is found by her niece, Paula murdered in her home. Police fail to find the killer, and Paula is sent away to school. Ten years later, Paula returns to London with her new husband and take up residence in her aunt's house, which she has inherited. However, her husband has a secret that he will do anything to protect, even if it means driving his wife insane. This psychological concept was very appreciated by audiences as the husband keeping secrets and driving his wife insane was quite intriguing to watch. The film earned $2,263,000 in the US and Canada and $2,350,00 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $941,000. It was praised for the actors as Bosley Crowther stated " And with Mr. Boyer doing the driving in his best dead-pan hypnotic style, while the games flicker strangely in the gas jets and the mood music bongs with heavy threats, it is no wonder that Miss Bergman goes to pieces in a most distressing way. Both of these popular performers play their role right to the hilt. Nice little personality vignettes are interestingly contributed,too, by Joseph Cotten as a stubborn detective, Dame May Whitty and Angela Lansbury as a maid". The film was successful for is use of popular actors which grabbed the audiences to come watch it.
1960s:
the protagonist point of view
One thriller genius who was an expert of making amazing thrillers in the 40s was Alfred Hitchcock. He was an English film-maker/director known as the " Master of suspense thrillers" and he's work has helped to shape the modern thriller genre. In the 60s it was Alfred Hitchcock's years, as he created the " mother" of all modern thriller suspense films with Psycho. This was about a Phoenix secretary who steals $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother. Although it's one of the most frightening films ever made, it has all the elements of very dark, black comedy. This film wasn't clearly understood by its critics when released. Hitchcock admitted that Henri-Georges Clouzot's influential thriller LesDiaboliques (1955, Fr.) inspired his film. In the shower scene, it broke the 180 rule; where a line drawn is in the middle to distinguish where the camera should remain to shoot what is in front of them. This is broken because when the disguised women is stabbing the victim in the show, the camera shoots this
the antagonist point of view
shot from the position of where the protagonist is standing. However when it shows the victims emotional state and her getting stabbed the shot is taken from behind the bath to show her actually getting killed. This was used to obviously show both of the characters point of view in the scene and also their emotional state and body language to convey how they were feeling at the time of the situation. Even though the film was filmed in black and white, the use of the blood indicates that she is hurt and going to die. As we cannot see the actual colour of the blood which is red, this would be a disadvantage of those times thrillers because colour is very essential as it helps convey the atmosphere, feelings and mood of the film. However not seeing the colour red of the blood made the film slightly unrealistic so the audience wouldn't be able to relate to her as the blood would be red and not black. Within this scene, sound effects and the timing of shots were added to provoke and show the suspense and tensity which makes the film a successful thriller as editing techniques were quite simple at the time.
1980s In this period of time films were no longer in black and white and After Hitchcock's success with his thriller Psycho, many thrillers were influenced by the film and focused on the physiological aspect including camera angles & sound to create suspense.Fatal Attraction (1987), directed by Andrian Lyne is about a married man's one night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family.This type of thriller would not be your typical thriller due to its lack of thriller conventions but the narrative does build suspense and tension within the film, this was why it was voted best psychological thriller at the time. In the scene of the bathroom brawl were the man and the antagonist who's is carrying a knife are having a fight, theres shot which is taken from under water.
Knife
Although time has changed , the conventional murder weapon, a knife was still used in this film. This shows that the film has kept the basics of a thriller to make it conventional and suit to its genre. This proves that the technology has improved in this era as now they used water proof cameras to capture shots like this under water. As films this time were mostly no longer in black and white, the colour would portray a more realistic scenario for then the audience can relate and bond with the characters. Psychological thrillers developed within this era and were mostly made as it allowed the audience to explore the character more in depth.
2000s - Present Nowadays films and television are more advanced due to technology.The use of cinematography used to make viewers frightened. Thrillers now have sound effects, Colour and Camera movements which have all increased and improved as the years go on. The Cell (2000) starring Jennifer Lopez is about an FBI agent who persuades a social worker, who is an expert on new experimental technology, to enter the mind of comatose serial killer in order to learn where he has hidden his latest kidnap victim. On the list below, this film was ranked number 10, I believe this was because of its use of characters. As Jennifer Lopez is quite known already through the media with her music. The audience were probably drawn to see her in this thriller, also whilst watching the gut wrenching scenes where Jennifer's characters faced in, the audience would build a closer relationship and sympathise her. Its lifetime gross of $61,334,059 was probably successful due to its use of a known actor, Jennifer Lopez entering the minds of her patients. The plot itself is very interesting as it is through the protagonists perspective and of her entering this serial killers mind to find out where his victims are. As this is a thriller, the serial killer would obviously not be nice and kindly let her into his mind so whilst she's in there there are scenes where his twisted personality puts her into danger in the film.
BOX OFFICE
Hannibal is based on a 1996 novel by Thomas Harris, The reason why i think that Hannibal is the most successful thriller on this list is because of its idea of the character eating his victims are disturbing. The film is about the aftermath of Hannibal attack on three people in the film " The Silence of the Lambs , Hannibal tries to get in contact from exile with disgrace FBI agent Clarice Sterling He also find himself as a target of revenge from a wealthy survivor of one of his attacks, Mason Veger, Hannibal had left him horribly disfigured after a therapy session. Also the theme of cannibalism exploited in this film would attract the audience due to the disturbing unusual nature of it. This makes the audience intrigued to watch the film as the mentality of the weird antagonist and narrative is so strange so they would want to know why he does what he does. As this film was a follow up to The Silence of the Lambs, its success of becoming number 1 on the list proves that this type of movie is very successful to make.
However, The Cell which was placed 10th on the chart shown earned $61,334,059 and was released a year before Hannibal, was also a psychological thriller. Even though this was the similarity between the two films, I think that Hannibal's use of cannibalism in the narrative made the film more interesting for the audience to watch thats why it was placed at the top of the list. In The Cell the protagonist enters the antagonists mind to find where his victims are hidden, even though this is also un usual to do and is quite weird. Hannibal was on top because Cannibalism is basically eating your own, human eats human, so the strangeness of the narrative shocked the audience and made them fear themselves as it could happen to them. However entering someones mind is not something you can do everyday, so thats why i think Hannibal was more successful than The Cell.
Red Dragon is the third novel and prequel to The Silence Of the Lambs and Hannibal. The American crime thriller was released in 2002 and at the opening it grossed $13,478,355 and $36,540,945 on its opening weekend. Many said online that the Red Dragon was better due to its character development however it didn't show the character Lector, who is a very known popular character for the wide audience. It landed on the 5th spot on the list and this may have been because it was sequel of the top rated film Hannibal and not many of the audience went to see it which resulted to Hannibal making better profit.
In conclusion, exploring the history of thriller films was very helpful, as it gave me an introduction to the genre. I have learnt how thrillers have developed over time through this research and thought about how ill use it in my own thriller sequence. When doing my own thriller sequence i will refer back to this post as it will influence my choice on what to do in a thriller and how to make it appropriate for my target audience.
BBFC stands for the British Board of Film Classification which is an independent, non-gonvermental body which has classified cinema films since it was setup in 1912 and videos/DVDs since the video recordings Act was passed in 1984. What do they do? The BBFC was set up in 1912 by the film industry as an independent body to classify films nationally. They regulate film and videos, providing age ratings such as U,PG and 12A, they have the legal powers to rate,and sometimes cut or even reject works. Their decisions are based on public consultation and guidelines, which forms contact between the public and the film industry. BBFC's aim is to ensure that the public, especially children are protected from content which may raise potential risks of harm and illegal material and they can make informed decisions about their viewing choice.
Age Ratings
U
This age rating is suitable for ages four and over but the U symbolises for Universal.
Bad language in a U film is infrequent and very mild e.g 'damn' and 'hell'. U works may have characters seen kissing or cuddling and there may be references to sexual behaviour but children would be accepted to see these at home so it isn't much of a problem, moreover there is no certain focus on sexual behaviour nor language. Violence & threat are generally permitted very mild in a U film. There may be scenes which include brief fighting or moments where the character is in danger however they shouldn't be too strong that children could pick up and copy the actions. The Villains may carry or use weapons, but theres no exaggeration onto how they use them and why. Themes in a U rating have to be suitable for the younger audiences, but a wide range of themes that are used in U films result into happy endings and connote a positive message to the audience.
The Lego Movie
An example of a U rated film is 'The Lego Movie'. As the toy Lego's are very common and known in the child population, this used in a film is very efficient as children will know what they're going to watch. This film is about "An ordinary Lego construction worker, thought to be the prophesied '
Antagonist - Lord Business
special', is recruit to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from flying the Lego universe into eternal stasis". It includes very mild fantasy violence for example fight scenes between Lego characters including punching and flipping, this is thought to have no effect on children as it is meant to have a cartoonish feel. As this a universal film it uses very mild language that is suitable for young children for example in the film theres name-calling (Hippy dippy baloney, ding dong , dorky). This film covers all the conventions that should be in a U film, meaning that is suitable for ages to watch as a whole.
PG
Films rated PG stands for parental guidance which means that the film is suitable for general viewing. However, its is named PG rather than U rating because films PG advise parents to accompany their children if they're the age under eight years old as some themes may be unsettling for them to watch. Films rated PG may have sexual references but these are not focused in detail nor used frequently e.g brief kissing between a couple. Violent scenes are minimal but may have blood shown but its not graphic as children that are young may copy certain aspects of what they're viewing. Usually PG classified films have issues like bullying, racism and deaths in them but this wouldn't be unsuitable for a child as it doesn't elaborate too much on them and plus children may come across these things in a time of their lives.
Frozen
Olaf removing his head
Frozen is PG film that was released in 2013, the film is about"a Snow Queen who exiles herself because everything she touches turns into ice. Nevertheless, her sister, a mountain man, a living snowman and a reindeer set our to find the queen and bring her back to the kingdom. They must battle monsters and an evil prince before convincing the queen to return". The reason this film is a PG because there is discreet kissing e.g A woman and man kiss briefly and several pairs of tolls kiss. Violence in this film may be disturbing for children under the age of 8 as the snowman, Olaf sometimes removes his head which may make the children feel uncomfortable. Also there are fighting scenes between the guards, monsters and main characters e.g Elsa makes an ice blade go up to some mans neck. In this film there isn't much strong language, as the language used is mild i.e butt. This film is about emotions, family, relationships, magic , acceptance , courage, taking risks which gives the audience a clear message that "emotions and talents are magic that can create incredible beauty". Therefore, the classification given applies to the film as it covers all the aims that a PG would have, and gives the parent the option to come with their child to watch it as small themes such as kissing and mild violence may be slightly inappropriate for their child if they were under the age of 8.
12 This age rating is a 12 were films are not suitable for children under the age of 12. The reason for this is because strong language (e.g f-ck) is permitted in a 12 depending on the manner its used in and who is using the language. There may be moderate strong language such as "bitch and twat" used in a 12 and 12A but when used aggressively this should be placed in a 15 rated film as children watching could imitate the use of language if theres no clear message discouraging the use of strong language. Furthermore, themes of discrimination are rarely allowed in films rated under a 15 but if there are theres usually a positive lesson learnt from it. Nudity is very discreet and sexual references and nature are allowed if they're not explicit and into deep detail as it wouldn't be suitable for anyone under the age of 12. The use of violent iconography such as weapons for a villain or hero are approved in a fighting scene but it should not be glamorised so that the children learn that its wrong to use weapons.
The Amazing Spider Man 2
Spider man vs Green Goblin
The amazing spider man 2 is an American comic-book action movie that is rated a 12. The reasons why it is rated this age classification because it includes a huge amount of violence as it is about spider man and his battles with the villains. The most intense scene in this film has to be the final showdown where Harry (The green Goblin ) learns his friend Peter Parker who is Spider Man lied to him about helping him get better. This battle includes a load of explosions and minor quick injuries that may not be suitable for children under the age of 12 as it is a bit gory.
Gwen falling down
Also at the end of the battle scene, Gwen has a terrible fall which leaves her to snap her neck causing her death, this may be a bit too graphic for viewers if they were younger than 12. Furthermore, there is very mild use of strong language, such as " Damn , Piss and Crap ". 12A A 12A film simply means that a child under 12 can watch the film as long at they're accompanied with an adult. This allows parents the freedom of choice within the law to decide whether they think the film is suitable for their child to watch. The reason why there is a 12A because things in a 12 might upset a child who is under the age of 12 e.g dark themes, deaths. Even though children start to learn about sex this age, most things that are accepted in a 12 for example strong language and sexual references are very vague and has small focuses on it .
Pacific Rim
Gypsy chasing after sea monster
Pacific rim is 2013 American science fiction monster film directed by Guillermo del Toro. It is about a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures that has been going on for a long time. A former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse. The reason i think this film is rated a 12A is because of its use of fictional sea monsters, as children may admire them as they may be interesting to look at. This film has absolutely no sex and nudity, so children under 12 could watch it, however there are scenes where two of the main characters kiss briefly. There are multiple of scenes where giant robots face off against giant monster, mostly are bloodless although the pilot will be wounded and have minor blood stains. The robots will stab, shoot and decapitate the monsters as well as hit them with objects in their surroundings. This is not too graphic for children as they may see it as cool and not scary. There are minimal uses of very strong languages such as 'bitch, bastard and shit'. 15 15 rated films are only suitable and available to rent or buy at shops from children 15 and above, this is because some of the themes may be unsettling and too disturbing for a child to watch who's under 15. Films at this age classification are a huge step from a 12 as they are allow to show strong violence, frequent strong language and portrayals of sexual activities, nudity and verbal sexual references. As long as it is not encouraged, discriminatory language such as racism or homophobic language may occur in 15 rated films. There should be no focus on sexualised threat but other threats and horror is allowed.
Grown Ups
Four year old being breast fed
An example of a 15 age rated film is Grown Ups which is about a high school basketball coach passes away which leads five good friends who come together and reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend. As this film is a drama, comedy it has alot of subjects that aren't suitable for anyone under the age of 15. There are sexual references made throughout the whole film, which is used to add humour to the film e.g a four year old boy is breastfed on occasions even though we do not see him , references are that he is too old to be breastfeeding. Violence is permitted in this film because it is comical violence where the audience would probably laugh at it. For example a man on a zip line slams onto a building and then later seen in a full body cast. Theres very limited frightening scenes as it is a comedy and nothing should make the audience feel scared anyways. However in a short scene a man throws an arrow onto someones foot causing it to bleed which may make younger audience feel uncomfortable as its abit gory.
18 No one the age under 18 is permitted to watch an 18 classified film at cinema nor buy and rent on DVD. This is because 18 rated films are made for adults and are not suitable for children. All the themes are permitted in an 18 as long as the context is not illegal or harmful. 18's usually contain very strong frequent language, portrayals of sexual activity, sexual violence, horror & gore and discriminatory language and behaviour.
Scary Movie (2000)
Brenda getting her throat slit by an old woman at the cinemas
Scary movie is about a group of teenagers that accidentally had disposed a body that they killed a year ago, that are now being stalked by a serial killer. This film is rated an 18 as it is a parody of common horror films, and horror films are normally this age classification. Even though it is a comedy, there are certain themes that aren't suitable for people under the age of 18 to watch. There is alot of sexual activity and nudity in this film, as expected because it is based around teenagers and at their age they start to experience alot of sexual activities. As it is a parody of horrors, there are scenes of violence and gore as the antagonist is a serial killer that comes after the teenager. A gory scene in this film would be where several people kick, stab and punch a girl and there is some visible blood shown. There is a lot of strong language , name calling , discriminatory and religious profanities used in this film which wouldn't be suitable for ages under 18 to watch and learn. This research has helped me learn about the different types of age classifications from the BBFC. I have learnt that certain themes may be accepted in a 12 but not in a 15 as it may not be suitable for the younger audience. This will help me decide whether my opening thriller sequence would be a 12A or 15 because i do not want to make the audience feel too frightened to watch it, but i would like create suspense for them to carry on watching the film. Unlike horrors in a 18 they often have disturbing themes and their opening sequences usually start gory, this would not be my aim as i am making a thriller and thrillers are all about creating suspense and shock to the audience not making them very scared.
