- One star cast of the movie which is Ryan Reynolds
Opening scene
Narrative
In this scene we see what we can expect to be the main character inside a coffin. He wakes up from darkness and finds he had been gagged and he is trapped inside a coffin underground. It can be assumed that he was caught by a gang or someone as he has a gag (cloth). It is there to silence his voice so no one hears him. It can be assumed that the kidnapper/ capture was in a rush/ didn't know what they were doing as he was still left with a lighter. In the narrative the audience can assume that the movie will be about the main character trying to escape the coffin and going through all the problems to solve to get out. We might get to see a flashback to how he got into this situation and why he is in this situation.
Target audience
As the movie is in the genre of thriller we can expect to see the movie being targeted towards people who enjoy thriller movies. Buried is targeted towards an audience who are over the age of 14 (15+). We can see this due to the rating on the film being a 15. This means that the movie is targeted to people who are over the age of 14 and are a thriller movie enthusiast. We know that this movie is targeted towards thriller movie fans due to it having a gripping first scene and having a tense situation happening from the start. The first scene has no gore in it as well as there is not much being said, especially no swear words. This allows the studio to market the film as being a 15 and opening a wider audience range to the studio.
Characters
There is only one person in the first scene. This person can be assumed to be the main character of the narrative and we will be following him throughout the movie. The gag he has can symbolise his innocence. White is a colour which connotes peace, innocence and purity. The use of the gag being a white connotation of him being innocent and he wasn't supposed to be the one trapped underground. He is the wrong person and got mistaken for someone else. We can assume that we might see in the movie him being mistaken for the wrong person by a gang/ person and we will see who actually was supposed to be buried in a coffin. The man not giving up and accepting defeat and thinking he will just die shows that he has courage and is strong minded. The fact that he doesn't just lie back down and wait for himself to die shows that he has courage and that he has a strong mind which makes him try whatever he can do to try to escape. We can assume in the narrative he will stay trying to do whatever he can do to get out the coffin.
Genre and tone
The genre of thriller and tones of discomfort, distress and anger are displayed throughout this opening scene. The conventions of thrillers are shown throughout this scene. The convention of good guy bad guy is sort of shown in this scene. We can see in this scene what we can assume to be the good guy (the main character) who has been put in a coffin and buried underground by the bad guy (the gang/person). This bad guy, good guy concept is a big idea used in thriller movies. Crime is also shown in this scene due to the main character illegally buried alive by a bad person/ gang. There is also suspense in this scene as we don't know what is going to happen to him. Is he going to die. Is he going to survive? Is someone going to find him? Is he going to be able to escape before it's too late? discomfort is shown in this scene by the main character being trapped in a coffin which the audience would assume to be a very uncomfortable and confined space to be in. Distress is shown in this scene by the main character shouting and looking visibly scared/ distressed and thinking on how he will escape.
Camera used
The use of the extreme close-up shot of the man's eye helps to show his emotions. Seeing his eye, we can read his emotions as being scared and worried about the place he is in and the fact that he is disorientated. The lack of camera movement shows how it is impossible to move in a coffin and you are restricted to
one position. The metaphor used helps to emphasise the situation the man is in and helps to give the audience the kind of experience the man is in. The camera composition used on the man is constantly in the middle of the shot. This is due to being in such a small cramped space he is always in the centre of the shot. Being in the centre of the shot, even though he is the only character there, connotes his importance and suggests he is the main character of the story.
Sound used
The pleonastic diegetic sound effect of the lighter lighting up (the clicking sound when you turn on a lighter) connotes hope for the man to be able to escape.The lighter that he has can be suggested as being the light that will carry him though this bad situation. Light is good and the man wants to get out of the coffin and go back to where it is good. This lighter's light symbolises that he still has that little bit of hope that he will end up escaping the coffin.
Mise-en-scene used
The character positioning of the man lying down helps to emphasise the danger he is in. Lying down is one of the most vulnerable positions you can be in. In the wild with animals when an animal sleeps/ lies down it is easier for a predator to catch and kill it. The fact that the man is lying down emphasises him being in a very vulnerable and dangerous situation. Even though the only thing you can do in a coffin is lie down the character positioning can still connote aspects.
Editing used
The use of the cuts from black to light on his face then back to black when turning on the lighter simulates turning on a lighter. It can also show that the lighter could be the item that saves him. It is physically and symbolically the light in the situation and narrative. It can be implied that the character will use this lighter to save himself. The black screen shows the darkness and emptiness of the situation he is in. If he stays in that situation he will die and not get to see light again.
ConclusionI believe that this opening scene was very successful in showing what the narrative of the movie would be without spoiling the story to the audience. The "storyline" in the opening scene is very engaging and gripping to the audience and wants to make the viewer carry on the movie. The scene had the right conventions used which helped to make the opening scene fit into the genre of thriller. This is good for thriller enthusiasts as it is the kind of movie they would want to watch and enjoy. The tones used in this opening scene also add to the thriller atmosphere.
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