micro elements

Question 1

cinematography - opening

Answer 1

• shaky camera
• unclear robot footage
• handheld camera
• crash zooms - close ups
• fast, unsteady movements with unclear zooms
• whip pans

Question 2

cinematography - james and sanborn

Answer 2

• close ups - zooms
• handheld, shaky camera as if viewers are in the car
• shot reverse shot - opposing emotions/opinions

Question 3

cinematography - shops

Answer 3

• extreme long shot in cereal isle - looks lost
• deep depth of field
• close ups
• film james’s reflection in fridge windows - dosen’t feel himself
• filmed on a slight tilt - discomfort

Question 4

editing - opening

Answer 4

• fast cuts
• jump cuts in the rover
• disorientating static
• eyeline matches from Thompson who is looking at Iraqi women and children

Question 5

editing - james and sanborn

Answer 5

cut between shot reverse shot - disconnection

Question 6

editing - shops

Answer 6

• slomo of rain falling - time moves slower in america
• less cuts - less exciting
• match cuts walking into war

Question 7

performance - jeremy renner

Answer 7

• naturalistic acting
• restrained expressions
• subtle body language - psychological toll of war
• naturalism - THL claim being based on naturalistic events
• initially played with intensity (car bomb)
• ‘alpha male’
• near the end he seems confused: unanwered questions, incomplete sentences, silence
• non-professional actors (Iraq) add to realism

Question 8

mise-en-scene - opening

Answer 8

• lots of rubbish
• lots of military equipment/soldiers
• dirty and ruined environment
• dry environment

Question 9

mise-en-scene - james and sanborn

Answer 9

• lowkey lighting - shadows
• dirty environment - graffiti, abandoned buildings/cars

Question 10

mise-en-scene - shops

Answer 10

• capitalism - an abundance of choice of cereal - contrast iraq
• harsh, white lighting

Question 11

sound - opening

Answer 11

• call to prayer can be heard
• sound bridge - title card to chaos
• soundscape involving:
• ringing
• tense string
• heartbeat
• electronic rover sound
• rolling ground
• talking people
• children

Question 12

sound - james and sanborn

Answer 12

“do you know why i am the way i am?” / “no, i don’t” - with no follow up question

Question 13

sound - shops

Answer 13

• muzak: capitalist music
• sound bridge: from talking to son, to helicopter, to war - war starts at home
• rock track: alpha guitars, macho track to represent masculinity

Question 14

overall - messages about conflict

Answer 14

• conflict is destructive
• james gets addicted to war
• PTSD
• fragile masculinity
• ‘war is a drug’

Question 15

overall - eldridge PTSD

Answer 15

• crash zooms
• handheld camera
• lowkey lighting
• close up
• “mr be all you can be” - ironic
• shot reverse shot when talking - not on same page
• fast cuts when eldridge picks up the gun - escalating situation

Question 16

overall - bonding room scene

Answer 16

• lowkey lighting
• cannot fully see their faces
• close ups
• crash zooms
• handheld cameras
• no background music - cannot read emotions
• shot reverse shot between james and sanborn
• fighting escalates the situation