Compare + Contrast: Narc Opening

Narrative
Similarities
The majority of the opening to Narc is a flashback so just like my thriller it is used to give some background to the film. They both also include chase sequences which are full of suspense. In both openings the person who is chasing wins and the person being chased is killed.

Differences
Although the fact that Narc’s opening is a flashback is a difference as well because it means it is set in 2 different time frames. The people around them in Narcget dragged into what’s going on – including getting injured. In Narc it is the person being chased who is the evil one (he is drug user) where as in my film it is the innocent who is being chased.

Iconography
Similarities
They both use handheld camerawork and diegetic sound to create atmosphere and get the audience more involved and to help suspend their disbelief. They are bother set in the day time, and they have similar lighting and colour – lots of blue and grey tones showing coldness.

Differences
Narc is a lot ‘gory-er’ and violent than my film is, in Narc 2 people are killed and another is shot and you see all of it, where as in mine one person is killed and this is only implied. Narc is also in a much more public setting where as the Anaesthetist has a huge sense of isolation.

Character
Similarities
Much like with Scream and The Anaesthetist both of the people being chased are very determined about getting away. This is shown in my film through he fact that she is clearly intoxicated but still trying her best to get away, it is shown in Narc by the fact that the criminal killed someone in the hope that it would slow the policeman down.

Differences
The character’s reactions to the events are very different; in Narc the main character shows clear remorse for his actions (the stray bullet hitting the pregnant woman) as he is thinking back over it (the flashback). Where as in the Anaesthetist he has done it so many times it’s clear that he does it for enjoyment.

Themes
Similarities
Drugs
Corruption of Innocence
Chaser has a weapon
Police involvement
2 different locations

Differences
Realism – Narc
Drugs are recreational - Narc

Compare + Contrast: Scream Opening

Iconography

Similiarities

Both of the settings have the idea of isolation, there is one shot in scream which establishes that the house is close to a forest with no others around and in mine it is clear that no one else is around. The costumes of the characters are very similiar, they use black and white to connote innocence and evil/corrupt.

Differences

The camera work is used to different effects, in The Anaesthetist we used a wide variety of shots to make the woods look interesting and quite weird where as in Scream the camera merely shows what is going on it doesn't give any impressions. Scream is during the night time where as mine is during the day - making mine seem a little less isolated but the contrast makes the forest look more menacing. Scream also looks like a normal setting - i.e. a house - where as the contrast and shots used in mine make the woods seem very evil and not so indifferent.

Narrative

Similiarities
The main similarity between my opening sequence and Scream is the actual narrative events - this is the death of a false-heroine. In both the first girl we see is set up to be the heroine - blonde hair, white clothing - connoting innocence, and quite attractive yet they are both killed. This keeps the audience on their toes as they realise they must expect the unexpected (which is especially true of scream considering the maor plot twists at the end), it also gives the audience information on the murderer (i.e. his killing style). I think that this concept is always an effective opening as it is more interesting than going straight into slow starting background events tc.

Obviously they also both include a chase which is another large similarity, they are both used to create suspense and lots of action codes - e.g. she has fallen over will he catch her now? They both use the idea of something happening to you without your knowledge - i.e. someone watching you and planning something, they tap into society's current fears.

Differences
My opening sequence is very fast in starting and although it is filled with suspense i think it is more effective in scream when it is dragged out more by building up the suspense slower.
I think that Scream's opening gives a lot less information away than mine does, all it shows is the killer's costume, weapon - i.e. brutal killing style, where as mine gives away all of that and the news report which says quite a lot - the location, how many times he has killed before, the police are very involved etc.

The chase in Scream is incredibly physical with her escaping and him recapturing her numerous times where as in ours he grabs her once and clearly she doesn't escape. The Anaesthetist also doesn't show the murder like Scream does, i think that this is more effective because if we had shown the murder it would have looked incredibly amateur.

Character

Similarities

Both of the victim's are courageous and are trying to fight and get away despite obvious difficulty - both very determined. Both of the Villain's clearly like to be in control, in Scream he forces her to answer questions and play games and my villain has drugged her to keep her under control. The villain is male in both and the victim female, i think that we decided to be conventional with this because the only time a role reversal works is in films such as Elektra where the woman is an assassin - but we didn't like this idea at all.

Differences

In Scream the villain hides and is almost nervous, where as the Anaesthetist's villain is very confident and wuite clearly striding out in the day time. You find out very little about the characters in my opening as there is no speech where as we find out lots about Scream's - for exmaple that she has a boyfriend, personally i think that opening's have more impact when there is no speech. There are many more characters introduce din scream's opening - her parents and boyfriend where as the Anaesthetist only slightly introduces his new victim via a photo.

Themes

Similarities

Chasing
Innocence
Isolation
Following/Watching
Psychotic

Differences

The idea of playing games - Scream
Concealing identity - Scream
Brutal/Gorey murder - Scream
Previous victims - The Anaesthetist
Police/Authority involvement - The Anaesthetist
Other characters - Scream has her parents and boyfriend.

Disturbia vs Rear Window

Rear window has been used and remade so many times and Disturbia is the most recent of these (released: 14th September). Here is an in depth comparison of the 2, similarities + differences:

Characters

Similarities
Look/Dress: The male lead is quite scruffy and messy, and very unconcerned with his appearance, where as the girl is glamorous/sexy/proud of her appearance.
Roles/Types: Male leads - attractive but the outsider type The female lead is quite brave + active, she is not the typical 'damsel in distress' despite needing saving in both at some point The main character has a sidekick type person
Behaviours: All the characters seem quite courageous - particularly villains who realise they are being watched and come straight round to the other house
Characteristics: The sidekicks are very chatty and quite dopey

Differences
Look/Dress: The films are obvioulsy from different time periods so there is different meaning to glamorous for example.
Roles/Types: In disturbia the sidekick is his best friend, where as in rear window it is his cleaner each has a diff type of victim, disturbia has many good looking females, and rear window has one bed-ridden wife the villain in disturbia is charming + we know lots about him, but in rear window we know hardly anything
Behaviours: In disturbia the girl is encouraging the spying with ' a steak out', where as in rear window the girl discourages it In Rear Window the girl does the snooping, where as it is his friend in Disturbia
Characteristics: In rear window the main character has to prove his ideas, but in disturbia his friends believe straight away - trust issues in rear window (possibly teenagers want to believe it more - scandal?)

Iconography

Similarities
Setting/Lighting: Normal on the outside mostly natural, majority is in day time, then important/scarier scenes in the night
Mise-en-scene: fashionable clothing for that time average setting - just normal houses
Props: knives/saws lenses - cameras/binoculars technology(for that time period) - computers/flash bulbs
Camera: Frames within frames - binoculars/windows/ computer screens ALOT of p.o.v. shots - through the windows and binoculars etc - all from protagonists, NEVER from villain - makes them seem more mysterious
Colours: n/a - rear window is black and white

Differences
Setting/Lighting: Rear window has an urban setting where as Disturbia has a rural setting Disturbia is set in a big house with lots of rooms where as Rear window is small flat with one multi-functional room
Mise-en-Scene: Rear window also has quite an urban/city lifestyle to it - glamorous dresses etc, where as Disturbia is centered around a quiet rural life - kids playing in the street, big family cars etc Dress codes are very different because of the different time period, and the large age gao in the characters
Camera: I think Disturbia has less p.o.v. shots because there are more scenes going on outside the house, and Rear Window is centered entirely in one room so he has nothign to do except look through binoculars every single shot is from one room in Rear window - expect at end when he falls out of window
Props: More modern in Disturbia - Xbox 360, mobiles, computers, video cameras
Colours: n/a - rear window is black and white

Narratives

Similiarities
Point of view: Always the point of view of male lead (most of time quite literally with camera shots) - so we know as much as the characters no, not much more
Structure: It takes a lot of time for the film to get properly started - lots of background/watching etc
Dialogue: Mostly character driven although some events are crucial (about 60/40)
Events: Mistaken identity seen as proof of identity (girl leaves - him in wig, wife leaves - another woman instead) There is a party in both - distraction use of technocolgy as a defence (camera flash + live video camera for help) Villains kill animals - show they will stop at nothing someone breaks into house on mission
Enigma: We only know what the characters know so it's only a slow release of information as they disciver things, until the end
Storyline: Live close to murderers suspect and watch them women die villains discover they are watching villains are caught

Differences
Point of view:
Structure: There is more build up in Disturbia (entire scenes outside of house)
Dialogue: Much more dialogue (as there is more characters) in Disturbia
Events: In Disturbia you see some background etc as to reasons for himin house they all go into villains house in Disturbia
Storyline: Only one suspected murder in Rear window, but a suspected serial killer in Disturbia

Themes

Similiarities
House arrest
Suspense + Fear
Law + Order
Right + Wrong
Suspicion
Useless police involvement
Voyeurism
Spying / Watching
Technology (for that time period)
Sexual Attraction

Differences
Death of a parent - Disturbia
Mother + Son relationship - Disturbia
Trust - in Disturbia his friends believe him straight away, in Rear Window he has to prove it

Summary
- Convention don't change over time because directors know what works/sells
- Genres are very repetitive
- Remakes are updated for new audiences - creates more empathy e.g. single parent
- Remakes also flatter people who know about films - they can discuss/compare them
- People who have seen the orginal can see the changes/moderinastion of it - which is interesting

Rating
Disturbia: ****
Rear Window: **