BRICK Opening Title Textual Analysis Release dateRelease date: April 7, 2006 (USA) DirectorDirector: Rian Johnson Rian Johnson

MISE-EN-SCENE, CINEMATOGRAPHY, EDITING & SOUND Close up of characters face but it is hidden a lot by his glasses, hair and his hands. This could suggest that the character is a shy person hidden away from people furthermore from this it shows weakness, an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation. It also keeps the audience questioning his identity. Two shot of both characters; a girl laying dead in the water and the boy crouched down looking at her. Creates a lot of questions to the audience, like what happened to her? Who is she and why is she dead? Boy crouched down tells us that he may be distort about what he is seeing suggests that he was probably not the person who killed her, but may have been involved or known it was going to happen. Close up on the girls arm showing blue bangles, could represent her youth and innocence. It tells the audience that she must be a young girl which makes this shot much more shocking to views. Tunnel is enclosed, dark, morbid and isolated; this could reflect the films dark themes. Girl is wearing white dress which has connotations of purity and innocence. Also have connotations of heaven which suggests death. Gloomy sad incidental music is playing over these shots to add to the depressing atmosphere of the shots 1 3 2

Here we see a close up shot showing a graphic match of the same bangles that he girl who was in the tunnel was wearing this tells the audience that we have gone back in time, pervious to that tunnel scene. We see the girl putting something in a locker at school this reinforces her youth. Over the shoulder shot. Watch tells us that he's waiting for someone or something. Shows he’s punctual. Medium close up shot of someone's feet walking closer into focus. Makes the audience ask a lot of questions like – who is that? What are they doing there? Point of view shot of paper message suggests mystery hidden information only for him for see MISE-EN-SCENE, CINEMATOGRAPHY, EDITING & SOUND Incidental music of the sound of a bell creates a sound bridge into a school bell, this leads the audience into the next scene of the school. Form the sound of a school bell it straight away tells the audience where the scene is set The audience can only hear ambient sounds in these shots like the sound of his footsteps, low talking in the background. It is lighter in the school. The lighter school is used to connote a place of safety and friendliness, contrasting with the previous scene where it is dark by a tunnel De-saturated colour is used during the school scenes which is typical for thrillers

Long shot of the side of an empty road so the audience can see how empty and isolated that it is. This has connotations of danger that something bad is about to happen there's no one around to help. Establishing shot of school lockers suggest youth. Long shot of school so that the audience can see that it is empty can only see him, the colours are bright and natural. Typically schools are full of pupils and a place of saftey so from this shot if gives the audience the feeling that something isn’t quite right. Makes the audience ask questions like where is everyone? Why is it so empty? Schools typically suggest safety whereas this shot you don’t feel like he’s safe, it makes the audience feel tense and worried. Phone box rings and it’s the girl who left him the note. Again we don’t see her building up tension. From them using a phone box to talk it shows us that their conversation must be private. It also makes the audience ask a lot of questions like why couldn’t they need face to face? Or why aren’t they using their own phones? MISE-EN-SCENE, CINEMATOGRAPHY, EDITING & SOUND Girl speaking sounds distressed when talking she sounds troubled and worried as it gets towards the end of the convocation she starts to sound even more upset and starting crying. This suggests to the audience that she is must be trying to deal with something bad that has happened to her that she wants the boy to help. This could make to audience like the boy as a character and see him as a hero This creates an enigma to hook us in to the film helping to restrict the narrative Weather is overcast in these scenes which gives a slightly moody/depressed feel. It is also very typical for thrillers

The car is black, the colour black has many negative connotations such as death, mystery and evil. It also has connotations of power this could suggest that the person driving this car is powerful and has wealth. Black car drives by phone box at rapid speed. This could suggest that the driver is dangerous or reckless. MISE-EN-SCENE, CINEMATOGRAPHY, EDITING & SOUND Person driving trough's cigarette out of the window. This shows that this character is uncaring. Cigarettes have connotations of rebellious people suggesting the person driving the car is the antagonist. Cigarette suggests that the character is rebellious and bad. Font used in title is plain not giving much away, just the whole film it wanted the audience to keep guessing and creates enigmas The colours used in title have very strong connotations of good v evil or life v death. Foreshowing events later in the film