Summer Project 2014

Jacob Harrey Summer Task

Casino Royales opening scene fits perfectly with the film Noire genre, using the common black and white filter that is normally accociated with film Noire and classic Bond films.  Halfway through the clip (roughly 2 minutes in) we begin to hear a fast paced sound that is more relatable to the action genres. However, this music also fits very well with the black and white filter. The camerawork used in this clip also works well with the film noire genre. For example, when the villain takes the lift, the camera shot jerks up in an odd angle making the viewer’s vision almost distorted and leaves them feeling quite disorientated. This is also often used in thriller films because it gives the sense on not knowing to the audience.  The close up shots used on Bond when he is talking to the villain, gives us the impression that he is the main character of the film. This is because it shows us more detail to the features of his face and persona as well as the lack of emotion he shows towards his victims after killing them.

 La Noire also fits in very well with the  genre, taking place in America in the 1950s, this clip uses everything film noire apart from the use of a black and white filter like Casino Royale. The music is a jazz piece that is common to the genre, and is very similar to such films as Taxi Driver (1976). The speaking over the top of this scene gives us the feeling that the story is going to be dark and gritty, with lots of mystery that all good film noire and thrillers have.  Even though this clip is from a game, it still uses effective camera angles to set up the games style. The camera always seems to pan out, showing the surrounding environment and showing us the vast city where the story is set. Zoom outs take place as the actor on the horse is doing a take for his film. The start of this shot makes you think that he is actually in the Wild West, but then the zoom out reveals the set with the camera crew. This links in well with the Film Noire genre, showing us that things aren’t always what they seem.

Both of these clips are very different to each other when we want to talk about the main character of the two films. Casino Royale jumps straight into it, showing a brutal action scene that lets us know that James Bond is ruthless yet smart. La Noire is very different however because it does not show the main character, but he is the narrator of the clip. This makes us feel that he will be a mysterious person. It also shows us that he will not be the centre of attention throughout the story, whereas bond will be. The reason behind this is because films and games always like to put a name and a face to a character, even in trailers. This extract however gives us no clue on who is speaking, letting us determine whether we will be playing as the good guy, or the bad guy from just his accent and his narrative alone.   Bond is shown to be the main character due to his iconic name in the franchise, as well as his look.

The clothing that bond wears is very black, showing connotations of darkness and mystery. The villain in the fight scene is wearing white, which is very odd because normally white shows connotations of purity. This gives us the feeling that Bond is darker and more ruthless than his foe, and that he can also be shown as being slightly evil. In LA Noire, the characters wondering around are all wearing stereotypical 1950s clothes, fitting with the genre and time in which the game is set. The suits show us that the 50s was a time where people wanted to look sophisticated, and this makes it harder to spot the antagonist.