Analysis of 'Peeping Tom' DVD cover

Camera

In the foreground there is a large old fashioned film projector which dominates the picture. There is a man almost hiding behind the camera in the background, we can only see his forehead and eyes as the rest of his face is obscured either by the camera or text 'Peeping Tom'. The camera and title give the effect of framing his eyes.

I think it is very significant that there are only two things in the shot: a face and a projector. It shows us exactly what the film will be about and reinforces the anchorage of the title 'Peeping Tom'- being a phrase we are all familiar with. But at the same time, is too simple for a film creating an enigma as we want to know what the twist or induviduality will be. The film projector creates themes of voyeurism as we already know it is about a peeping tom, and the fact that the man is actually physically hiding behind the camera reinforces this voyeur idea. The title and the projector together make a frame around the man's eyes reinforcing the idea that he is hiding behind something.

Mise-en-scene

All of the cover is in sepia tone, there is light in the foreground on the man's face and projector but this light fades out at the bottom and the background although still in sepia is a very dark brown. The projector and man are facing away out to the left of the shot and are coming from the right and almost dissappearing into the dark behind them. The title is straight across the front of the cover obscuring parts of the man's face and in a contrasting bright white. The font is simple and in bold capitals.

The sepia tone gives the cover a feel of the past, also given across by the old fashioned film projector. We are not sure why this theme of the past is put across but it creates enigma, is he hiding from his past? The man and projector also seem to be reaching away from behind them and looking out in front from the right to left. I think this signifies that he is hiding form his past and looking out into the future, again creating enigma as we don't know what in his past he is hiding or trying to run away from. This idea is also reinforced by the dark background compared to the foreground and the fade at the bottom. I think that the title is branded across the man's face like an accusation and feels like it should be shouted as it is accentuated by the bright white, bold and capitols.

People

There is only one person on the cover, and it is a CU of their head, the top of their hair is cut off and their neck and ear are obscured by the projector. The man's eyes are his most prominent feature and match ou own eye level as we look at the cover, however they are looking away off screen. The man is young and handsome, with a classic hollywood face.

As this man is only person on the cover we know almost 100% that he is the 'Peeping Tom' the title refers to or at least anyway that he will be central to th film. The man's eyes are framed and at our own level but looking away, this is obviously meant to draw us to his eyes signifying the fact that they are looking away, possibly to show he is ashamed or as i said earlier looking to the future away from his past. The fact that the man has a normal young handsome face shows that he is not a stereotypical killer, mass-murderer or psychopath and perhaps a soci-path showing us that anyone can be a murderer.

Thriller Summary

'Notoriously difficult to define as a genre'

From my understanding of the Thriller genre it is not a jack of all trades but rather a collection of crossovers and sub-genres.

Thus making it difficult to define as a genre. However, this is a list of things that i think are nearly always applicable to the Thriller genre.

-Thrillers are all about the construction of suspense through narration.

-Thrillers feature convoluted narratives and complexities of character.

-They often involve dark criminal worlds, seedy underworlds, conflict, ambiguity and colliding moral forces.

-They also often feature themes such as deception, treachery, corruption and murder.

-They may feature detectives or detective like characters who operate on the edge of the law.

-They can often involve clashes between: wealth and power, crime and business, law and order.

Thrillers will generally stick to stereotypical conventions of masculinity and femininity. Female characters are often only the femme fatale, the female victim or the gangster's wife. For men, they will generally be the psychopathic stranger, the victim hero, the lone detective or the gangster. This is why it is all the more interesting when films such as Alien (1979) choose to break these characteristics.

Alien- Enigma and breaking of conventions

When marketing the film Alien the producers decided that in order to make sure that people would watch a controversial thriller, you had to put it across as a sterotypical conventional thriller. To do this they create a false narrative image of the film, for example, on the poster for the film this was personified by the slogan 'In space no one can hear you scream.' This was also backed up by the graphic image of an alien egg. The narrative image connoted from this would lead you not to expect the actual plot and idea of the film centering around the heroine's sang-froid.

Enigma in Thrillers

Marketing of thrillers relies heavily on enigma. By this I mean that marketing campaigns for thrillers and even thriller titles are vague and ambiguous, leading to the audience asking questions and wanting more. This need can only be satisfied by watching the film, thereby creating a very successful advertising campaign for marketers.

Here are a list of enigmatic thriller titles:

-Rebbeca
-Seven
-The man who wasn't there
-The wrong man
-The third man
-Out of the past
-Hannibal

These titles are enigmatic as they make you question the film:

-Who is Rebbeca? and why is she the center of the film
-Seven what? deadly sins?
-Who is the man, and in what way is he 'not there'?
-What is out of the past?
-Who is Hannibal? deliberate similarity to the word cannibal?

The only way to find the answers is to watch the film. This is what the film marketers try to create, in order to stir up interest and a fan base for the film before it is released.

Iconography, Narrative, Themes and characters in Thrillers

Iconography in Thrillers:

Mise-en-scene
Lighting
Camera
Setting
Editing
Props
Colours
Dress

Narrative in Thrillers:

Plot
Structure
Events
Dialogue
SFX
Music

Themes in Thrillers:

Reactions
Responses
What the film is about
Idea that underpins narrative

Characters in Thrillers:

Roles
Types
Characteristics
Features
Behaviour
Motivation
Action

Rear Window v Disturbia

Simlilarities and differences looking at characters, themes, iconography and narrative in Rear Window and Disturbia.

Character similarities:

-Male protagonist and antagonist
-Love interest
-Antagonist = Older man
-Themes of 3 (characters)

Character differences:

-In Disturbia, the girlfriend character needs persuading
-In Disturbia, the villain is a serial killer

Narrative similarities:

-Protagonist stuck in house
-Love interest
-Protagonist sure, but doubted by friends/family
-Technical camera aspect
-Protagonist and Antagonist confrontation
-Gardening
-Police go round to investigate
-Party, acting as a distraction

Narrative differences:

-Different physical restrictions on protagonist
-Relationship established during Disturbia
-Police against him in Disturbia
-More advanced camera technology in Disturbia
-Disturbia spends much longer establishing before actual murder
-Nature of murders different
-Different noise and surroundings urban/suburban

Iconography similarities:

-Windows
-Binoculars
-Lenses
-Frame within a frame
-Dead animals
-Woman = blonde

Iconography differences:

-Pajamas in Rear Window
-Duller colours in Rear Window
-Suburban in Disturbia
-Graphic violence in Disturbia
-More technology in Disturbia

Thematic similarities:

-Spying/voyeur
-Obsession
-Murder
-Entrapment
-Suspicion
-Boredom
-Useless police

Thematic differences

-Isolation in Rear Window
-Motive for killer in Rear Window
-Comedy in Disturbia
-Family relationships in Disturbia
-Trust in Disturbia

Narritive theory - Disturbia

Levi-Strauss - Binary Opposites

Levi-Strauss said that binary opposites cause conflict during the film but are often solved by one triumphing over the other at the end of the film.

Typical opposites are:

-Good v Evil
-Adult v Youth
-Normality v Abnormality
-Society v Situation (sympathy of)
-Fear v Happiness
-Light v Dark
-Freedom v Entrapment

Some that apply to Disturbia are:

-Murderer v Kale + Mother
-Induvidual v Family + Society
-Good during day v Bad at night

Todorov - Narrative Structure

Todorov said that films will start with a certain equilibrium then to be disrupted but equalling in a final equilibrium different but comparable to the original. He also said that there will be thwarted attempts at a new equilibrium before we can settle on a final equilibrium.

In disturbia the normality at the start lies in the very natural family life shown in the film by the fishing trip/talk about life with the dad and the call home to the mum.

This is then disrupted by:
-The death of the dad
-Kale punching his teacher
-House arrest
-and Kale seeing the 'murder'

This disruption is followed by thwarted attempts to catch the Rob Turner such as telling his mum, best friend and girlfriend.

Equilibrium is finally restored by:
-The death of Rob Turner
-Release from house arrest
-and getting the little boys on his street back

Barthes - Action and Enigma codes

Barthes said that in a film significant things will happen leading to other events (action codes) and somethings will happen that will make us question why they happen and make us guess or act as a red herring (enigma codes).

Action codes in Disturbia:

Car crash --D what will happen next?
Punching of teacher --D what will it lead to?
House arrest --D what will it lead to?
Ashley sees boys spying on her --D what will that result in?
Turner sees Kale watching him --D what will he do?

Enigma codes in Disturbia:

Why does turner buy a shovel in the supermarket?
Why do we hear about past victims?
Why is Turner's car dented and scratched?

Propp - Character Types

Propp believed that in all thrillers there will always be certain character types. The following are how i applied these character types to Disturbia:

Protagonist - Kale
Antagonist - Rob Turner
Helper - Ronnie/Ashley
Princess - Mum
Donor - Dad/Mum
Dispatcher - Ashley/Dad
Father Figure - Dad/Mum
False hero - Policeman

Surprisingly i am finding this new blogging system surprisingly enjoyable, as you can see, i have customized my blog with a scary purple and groovy black theme.

I also watched a thriller the other day called 'Dead Calm'- Nicole Kidman's film that first made her famous. I have watched disturbia and rear window and and waiting for the discussion thiws next lesson before typing up my notes.