Anaylsis Of Panic Room

Go on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THCSP7Xz_sU&feature=related for the part one.

Panic Room's introduction to the film is quite slow in terms of a thriller all though most of the well known thrillers like "Silence of the Lambs." Panic Room conventions shows a lot of traits just like in any conventional/traditional film.

At the start of the film panic room it is a bird’s eye view with an image of the area which is rotating in a motion. The Panic Rooms subtitles of the film like the director’s, the actors and actresses etc. The font used is in block capitals in steel. This could be foreboding the future of the amount of steel between the criminals and the innocent characters Meg (Jodie Foster) and Sarah Altman (Kristen Stewart). Just like in a conventional thriller film there is an urban landscape.

Mise-En-Scene

• It is a sunny morning as you see the urban landscape and a tall thin woman is walking quite quickly to another house saying "There is nothing like this on the market. Its more than you could ever want and more
• Then the characters Meg and Sarah are introduced
• Meg- is a young mother that is wearing glasses (looks intellectual and looks quite smart), a black suit (looks like a business woman), Meg is portrayed as trying to get somewhere quite quickly this suggests that something has happened to her and she's trying to escape it, Meg is also holding a brief case (this supports the business woman stereotype)and Meg is seen to be asking a lot of questions (this also supports the business stereotype as she knows what she wants and is seen as determined to get it)
• Sarah- is a young teenager who likes to go everywhere with her skate board. Sarah is wearing casual clothing and has a back pack (this shows that she is a typical teenager), Sarah is also seen as not listening to her mother Meg (this also supports the typical teenager stereotype and Sarah also has a blank look to her face.
• The Real Estate Agent- is wearing big glasses and has tidy hair with a big fur coat this suggests that she is quite wealthy as she can afford to wear big expensive coats. The real estate agent also does a lot of talking therefore creating a false illusion that she could be a main character. The real estate agent seems to be in control of everyone as she can order Sarah around and control her even though her mother can't. The real estate agent is cheery and in a happy mood.
• The man Alvin- is seen as impatient and is waiting to go some where as he is in a hurry to lock up the house. Alvin is wearing a white suit and is well groomed with his combed hair.
• In the mise-en-scene the setting is in an urban busy estate with a big house. The big house could signify the emptiness of the house and the emptiness of the characters. Meg is quite curious and quite questionable as she questions everyone as to show that she has to question as she could be hurt emotionally from the divorse and unable to trust anyone.
• Sarah is amused, wants the bedroom with the panic room. Meg is quite questionable as she says it’s a hazard.
• The door to the panic room shuts and Meg is stood looking at her reflection. This could suggest that Meg is reflecting her life and how it has come to this.
• When inside the panic room, the lighting seems to be a bit fluorescent -a light blue glow
  

Sound

• There is an ambient sound as it has cars laughter and people playing in the park.
• Panic Room uses a lot of sound bridges to add tension
• The ambient sound of rain drops on the glass dome above could suggest that the day is going to end in tears and coldness- shows a sense of foreboding.
• The sound is used to add tension.
• Towards the night, the sound is lowered to show that the sound is creating a mystery in the darkness.
• The sound at the start of the opening is very slow and deep as it begins to get a faster pace with ticking sound this could show a clock counting down this makes the audience feel unsure and more aware than usual.
  

Camera Shots

• As the titles come up on to the screen, the establishing shot shows the urban setting used throughout the film. There is a sequence of shots linked to the establishing shots showing the area as well.
• The next shots are of Meg (Foster) and Sarah (Stewart) following them as they are rushed down the street towards a house. (A tracking shot)
• Long shot -Alvin is at the door. Meg looking small in the background this could show her vulnerability.
• The next shot is of Alvin looking down upon Meg as to show authority and superiority using a low angle shot.
• Then a medium-close up shot is used to show Meg's face and emotion of the potential house.
• Afterwards a tracking shot is used to show Sarah on her scooter and ignoring her mother.
• A shot of Sarahs face is used to show the disappointment on her face of the "garden- sotta"
• Shot-reverse-shot of Meg and the estate agent talking showing the emotions of desperation and anxiety.
• High angle shot from down the stairs. This shows that the power balence has switched to know that Meg is in control rather than Alvin.
• Tracking shot of Meg walking in the panic room. Also a reaction shot is used to show Megs uncomfertable look on her face in despair of the panic room
• There is a pain of the panic room showing all of the esentials in there.
  

Editing

• Cut-in shot of Alvin's hand blocking the door
• Eye-line match from Sarah looking at Meg
  

Panic Room follows some conventions like having a mainly male dominated cast, a twist a the end of the film etc. Panic Room however doesn't follow the convention of the use of flash backs.

Background Information

The second film I am researching in to is called ‘Panic Room.’ Panic Room was made in 2002 and released on the 3rd of May. The director of the film is David Fincher. The genre is definitely a thriller. The tagline is ‘It was the supposed to be the safest room in the house. The characters in the film are played by Jodie Foster as Meg, Kristen Stewart as Sarah, Forest Whitaker as Burham (one of the criminals), Dwight Yoakam as Raoul (one of the criminals) and Jared Leto as Junior (one of the criminals). The film focuses on a panic room, a safe shelter usually located inside a residence. The panic room in this film is protected by a four-inch-thick steel door and an impressive security system, and features a phone line not connected to the residence.. Following the owner's death (disabled reclusive millionaire), the house was bought by Meg Altman (Foster) a week before the house was meant to be sold. On the night the two move into the home, it is broken into by Junior (Leto), the grandson of the previous owner, and Burnham (Whitaker). After discovering that the Altmans have moved into the home one week before they anticipated, the burglars decide to go on as planned with the heist. However, Meg wakes up and discovers the intruders from the CCTV monitors in the panic room when she wanted to switch off its glaring light. Before the three can stop her, she runs to Sarah, wakes her by pouring water onto her face, and together they escape to the panic room. The owners make a number of attempts to call for help though it is helpless.
The film “Panic Room” won one award and was nominated seven times. Panic Room is defiantly a thriller and just like in any conventional thrillers, it has a number of twists along the plot and is only understood at the end of the film. The cover to the film of Panic Room again shows a conventional black background with white and red writing to suggest blood and innocents. There is the main character in focus at the bottom of the picture with a man standing in the door way out of focus. The DVD case for Panic Room uses the rule of three. As there is a third of the DVD cover in the middle that has the image of the main female blonde character (that fits the stereotype) with the out of focus image of a man and on both of the sides of the image is a black background. This could suggest that just like in conventional thrillers you are only given the full picture at the end.