Analysis of The Brick, Johnson, 2005, US.

Analysis of 'The Brick'.

Johnson, 2005, US. 

The opening of brick uses numerous camera shots, techniques and different meanings to each scene and moment that is performed. Just by watching the opening, the film already makes the audience want to ask questions. The audience feel continuously intrigued by what is happening and constantly engaged to see what is about to happen next, or the reasons behind why something may have occurred. in the opening scene, different media techniques are used such as mise en scene, editing, sound and cinemaphotography. Furthermore, the opening scene is successful because the camera shots used, are used for certain reasons, and the audience can already gain an understanding and ideas what might happen and develop later on within the film. An example of this is, when the female hand enters the locker and then later on within the film opening, the boys' hand enters the locker. This already informs the audience that the boy and girl that are focused on in the beginning hold a close relationship, and that there is a form of trust that exists because of the girl entering a note in to the boys locker which can count for one of his personal belongings. 

'The brick' use a different range of sound in the opening scene. Sound is used effectively to communicate a meaning to the audience, as well as set an atmosphere. One moment, where sound is used effectively is when it's in the opening scene and the young girls' hand is positioned opened up, and a soundtrack is used. The soundtrack, has a medium pace to it and slow violin-like strings being played. This already communicates to the audience the feeling of death, loss and pain and that there is a peaceful atmosphere. This piece of music that is combined with the current scene that is being displayed has been well constructed. For instance, the slow paced music communicates the idea of a loss of someone, and at this moment there is a young aged girl that is laying across the hard textured pavement as well as her face positioned looking down in to the water. This then informs the audience that she is dead, as well as weak and makes the audience question why she is dead and what happened to her. The music used, has been used for a meaning, this meaning is that they want to communicate that she was a precious friend and relative to someone, and the loss of her has potentially made an impact on to someones life and this is a huge loss of someone special and that is loved and cherished by several people. 

Setting is used effectively within the opening scene  because only a couple of locations are used within the opening scene. As an audience member myself, i receive the idea that these settings have been used for specific and precise meanings. For instance, in the opening scene, the location where there is a shallow river and hard textured pavement is a location that is used often in the opening scene. One meaning could be that, this river is an important place as it is already where the young girl character has lost her life potentially in a terrible and horrendous way. The use of water being in the setting, holds the meaning that the girl is now weak and has lost her life, and also because of the water flowing. This could also symbolize the idea of her life gently and slowly flowing away from her soul. This is effective because the setting has also been used to convey that is separated from the area and what it is surrounding, this could potentially communicate the idea that she might of have not been a well known girl, yet the people she held friendship and relationships with where ones that were cherished and close to her heart. 

The opening scene, wanted to make the audience already want to ask loads of questions. For instance, when the scene is of the girl dead laying and positioned in the river, it makes the audience feel intrigued and wanting to know several questions relating to what they can see. Some of these questions could be the following:

• How did she die?
• Why is she in this location?
• Did she want to die?
• How old is she?
• Who is she?
• What was the meaning behind her death, if there was any intention behind this, what was it?
• Does she have family?
• Why did she die?
• Will someone find her?
• Who was the cause of this death?
• What is going to happen next?
• How does this moment relate to the meaning or moral of the film?

The opening scene itself, is constantly withholding information, the different scenes and aspects used drip-feeds the audience clues but never in a moment fully reveals them to its full meaning or the answer to why?. This is a technique used within the film, which makes the audience intrigued to continue watching, assuming that their questions are going to be answered and so that they can get a developed understanding along the way of watching it. As an audience member myself, watching the scene and moment where the camera conveys to the audience the scene of where the girl is dead, there is different clues drip feeded to us so that we can then discover the meaning behind of this moment. Some of the clues involved are, that the hand is positioned in her personal space but stretched across the surface that she has been placed on. This intrigues the audience, but also has them guessing things like, was she asking for help? was she trying to escape?.