Film Essay - Mystic River

                                                      Film Essay

Mystic River-

If you watch the first five minutes of the film Mystic River it doesn’t explain what the film is about or what is going on, it just introduces the characters and then one of the kids is taken by a scary looking man in his car, this made me very confused and the only enigma codes that I could spot was the drivers ring, this made me very worried and I couldn’t understand why the kid got into the car, this is why directors are very successful with creating films that make people want to carry on watching, because the suspense and cliff hangers which are built up in the first five minutes through enigma codes, character introductions and camera angles really capture you and make you think deep into the film.

Mystic river uses tension to build up characters and setting, the way they use high key lighting makes it look like it’s a bright day and makes it seem as though nothing is going to go wrong and makes you think that the kids playing in the street are safe and nothing is going to happen, then the tense music is queued and you know something is about to happen. The characters are introduced to the viewers very well, the way the three kids write their names in the pavement shows that they are rule breakers and this gives you an idea that they aren’t going to be very well behaved when they are older and will probably get into trouble later on in the film. The tall guy in a suit who turns up in a blacked out car was made to be very strong and superior by the use of low key lighting to make him look scary, and the way the director has used a high angled shot also gives the image that he is a very superior and strong character that will be a key part to this film. When the driver of the car leans over to see the young boy in the back all you get to see is the ring on his finger which has a big cross on it, this is a prop which could also be a key part of the film, and this is what is called the Mise – En – Scene. As well as the ring being a key prop the location is also important, if you watch the film closely you can see that the drain says ‘Boston’ on it which gives you the location of the film. All of these things that make up the film are connected along the storyboard by what’s called Enigma Codes. An enigma code controls what the audience sees or knows, they are basically clues throughout the film, which can be recognised by viewers, this then add thrill and suspense to the film because you’re thinking of all the different scenarios that could happen and you don’t know which one is the correct one, this is what gives a thriller its edge and makes people want to keep watching, to find out what happens.

As well as lighting, camera angles, ect, sound and music is also used to build tension, atmosphere, and mood. Music is used frequently throughout this film, this is a good technique to get the audience at the edge of their seat, for example in Mystic River when the car pulls up outside the houses music starts building, and by the time the guy has got out of the car it is at its peak point and the music just stops, this is so that when the music is building up and getting louder you are waiting for something to happen, then you see the guy in a suit and the music cuts. If the tense music isn’t bad enough, there are a lot of close ups of the guy that has just got out of the car, this shows the expression on his face which wasn’t too happy, it is very effective, also when he talks to the kids they are being filmed from a low angled shot, this is to show insecurity and vulnerability.