A discussion of British gangster film conventions: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

British gangster film isn’t a genre but a sun genre of gangster films. The difference is in the mise en scene. British gangster films will show typically British associated items such as red double Decker busses and small cultural shops for example a grocery shop or vegetable stand. Lock Stock uses these patriotic symbols combined with accents to heavily emphasis the idea of being in Britain.

This screen shot introduces us to the first character of the film, instantly we get introduced to cultural behaviour, the character is trying to sell knock of jewellery a common site in British marketplaces. Roadside or street side pops up stands are also frequently seen in British cities and towns. Another aspect of the mise en scene is the costume, the characters clothing suggests the weather is cold. Everything in the frame is also very dull and grey commonly associated with the English weather.

In this screen shot we see the first character is now handing out goods to a small crowd of people and they are handing him money, we get the impression this is illegal as they all seem to be in a rush and hastily hand over the money which is all in cash. The products the character is handing out aren’t wrapped or packaged professionally emphasising the idea that this is an illegal practice.

Our original suspicions of the illegal trade become clear when a traditional British police officer sees them and the characters quickly take the goods and run. British gangster films heavily feature drugs and illegal practices. This is a prime example of law breaking activity as the characters are falsely selling goods to the public. In the mise en scene in this frame the buildings in the background are all painted in British racing green.

Gangster films commonly use small dinghy alley ways and dark areas of big cities to create a dark and unsettling feel. This uses the convention of claustrophobia and darkness to connote the idea of getting caught or trapped by the police. The character throws his belongings everywhere as he jumps a stair case showing that they are worthless or disposable to him, this creates the idea that perhaps this character does more than sell cheap jewellery.

This frame suggests no illegal or criminal activity but only continues to strengthen the British feel of the film. The small shop selling vegetables and other necessities is a regular site when walking through a British city. This image introduces a new character who doesn’t appear to be submerged in criminal behaviour.

This image instantly suggests criminal activity and is very suspicious. Two characters appear to be exchanging money for goods obviously this isn’t legitimate as the lighting is poor and the shelves are all stacked up with cardboard boxes of all sizes. The British culture is cleverly portrayed through props; the small red telephone box suggests British society. The characters all look very shady and uneasy; this image is the traditional idea of a ‘drug deal’ or the exchange of an illegal product.

This image shows us two of the characters exchanging money. We get the impression this is illegal due to the sheer amount of money each man has in their hands. The large wads of money suggest success and power in the criminal world, as success is determined by materialistic items. The facial expression of the character on the right side of the frame suggests the character is reluctant to hand over money to the other character.

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels uses gangster film conventions and also adds its own British twist to the film. I have used the opening to describe the conventions and briefly describe the action included in the films opening. British gangster is a sub genre but uses the same conventions as gangster films; however the British culture is commonly featured and made subtly obvious.

Describe the use of binary opposites

Film noir along with L.A. noir frequently use binary opposites to show conflict or a challenge either mentally or physically. The idea of binary opposites is simple to grasp, basically a binary opposite is when things come in pairs but are the total opposite of the latter, for example the use of black and white or good and evil. Binary opposites are used in Film Noir because they set up obvious incompatibility and create tension between characters and make the film more entertaining and interactive.




The Black Dahlia is a prime example of an L.A. noir film which heavily uses binary opposites

This is a screen print of the title screen, this image features binary opposites and combined with the shot and camera angle produces a very successful image. This scene is very violent and shows police fighting with the navy. The navy are dressed in pure white clothing head to toe and the police are dressed in black, this is two binary opposites the first is the colours and secondarily the white represents cleanliness and purity but the characters wearing white are being violent and fighting in comparison too the police who are wearing black which connotes evilness and corruption which conflicts the idea of keeping peace and serving justice.

This image is a continuation of the violent opening scene however this image shows the police in a different light. In this image the police choose not to fight and mix with the riot instead they stand at the side laughing and jeering at the navy workers. One police officer has stolen a cadet’s hat. The binary opposites used in this scene are the colours and the lighting the police are covered in darkness and shadow making them appears powerful and mysterious. However the few outlaws are well lit and are clearly visible the lighting contrasts with the action as you would presume the trouble makers would try and hide their identity.

In this image the two main characters both sit around a table smoking. The table looks formal and creates the idea of an office or a police station. Smoking is a common occurrence in film noir and L.A. noir so it is no surprise to see the characters smoking. The lighting has a significant role in this image. The lighting is non ambient and a dull beam of light is send through the window. The window has blinds down this creates shadows which divide the shot. Blinds are often used in film noir to connote ideas of good and evil. In this image the blinds create an eerie atmosphere and create tension between the two characters. The use of light and shadow is a binary opposite and is very effective in this particular scene.

This scene is set in a police office and uses binary opposites once again to help set the story and connote ideas and themes. This police station is very messy and unorganized with people standing everywhere this is the opposite of what a police station should be to function correctly. This shot tells us that the police are unorganized or unstable. The high angle or aerial shot makes the police station seem insignificant. The lighting is non ambient and strong beams of light cascade through the windows. The strong lighting from the windows contrasts with the left side of the shot where there is very little light.

This image is very interesting. A new character is introduced dressed in a formal suit a woman with blonde hair and bright red lips. This character fits the usual style of the Femme Fatale; the red lips imply a seductress. The woman is very attractive in comparison to the man standing next to her who fits the specifications for a film noir hero/villain. These two characters are binary opposites of one another because the women is short blonde and dressed in a light coloured suit where as the male characters is tall and dressed in a dark suit which connotes corruption or moral ambiguity. The lighting in this occasion suits the mood of the image which is unusual for an L.A noir.



In conclusion Binary opposites are items or elements in the mise en scene they can be anything from lighting contrasts to contrasting themes or ideas such as a corrupt police officer. Binary opposites are a reoccurring theme in L.A. noir and film noir because it is very successful at creating ideas of conflict and quickly and successfully set up tension and enigma to hold the audiences attention.

Chiaroscuro Lighting

Chiaroscuro lighting is a term to describe the contrast between light and dark it was originally a term used to describe art, however the developing media world transformed this and began using chiaroscuro lighting in film. This was the idea of using strong light and dark shadows to create a contrast. The third man uses the method of chiaroscuro lighting to create a dark feel and make the film more eerie. Frank millers Sin City also used this idea or dark and light. Chiaroscuro lighting can also be used to connote good and evil through lighting different objects or characters in either shadow or light. Chiaroscuro lighting is frequently used in film noir because it is very effective in monochrome film, this is because obviously colours cant be used to highlight good and evil for example an evil character dressed in black or a seductress dressed in red, through using chiaroscuro lighting characters can be defined without colours making it very popular in film noir. To improve the effectiveness of chiaroscuro lighting it is often combined with wet streets or in raining scenes because the water reflects the light and casts interesting shadows which can be used to symbolise corruption or unpredictability of either the characters or the plot line. Not only is water added to increase the effectiveness of the lighting but smoke is commonly used because bright light can be cast onto the smoke making it appear white which increases the contrast between the shadows and the light.

This is a screen shot from ‘double indemnity’This is a perfect example of chiaroscuro lighting as it features dark shadows and an extremely bright Smokey background which connotes the ideas of confliction between good and evil. The strong silhouettes of the two characters create enigma and mystery and get the audience to question who the characters are and what their relationship is. All of this affects are created by chiaroscuro lighting which is very commonly used in film noir because of the results achieved.

Describe the role of heroes in film Noir

Film noir features many different types of characters however some styles of characters are more common than others, these are the characters you are most likely to encounter whilst watching a film noir. Heroes (or anti-heroes), corrupt characters and villains included down-and-out, conflicted hard-boiled detectives or private eyes, cops, gangsters, government agents, a lone wolf, socio-paths or killers, crooks, war veterans, politicians, petty criminals, murderers, or just plain Joes. These protagonists were often morally-ambiguous low-life from the dark and gloomy underworld of violent crime and corruption. Distinctively, they were cynical, tarnished, obsessive (sexual or otherwise), brooding, menacing, sinister, sardonic, disillusioned, frightened and insecure loners (usually men), struggling to survive - and in the end, ultimately losing.
Film noir will always have a hero because it gives the film strength and a character to attach to. A hero will often be flawed or corrupted in some way or another to make his journey more difficult and show character building. Noir heroes are often alienated or isolated making them seem more rugged and independent. Heroes in Film noir are constantly smoking this connotes their one comfort or security. Their cigarettes are the only certainty they have. The heroes will often have a run in or romantic affair with the femme fatale character, the idea behind this is create a deeper plot line and link sequential stories together to make a more interesting plot line.

Thriller Planing: Plot Line

Our thriller plot is very basic and easily understandable. The story shows a young teenage girl arriving at a train station and boarding a train, this young girl then reveals her past by using jump cuts to her telling it to a physiatrist. The girl talks about her father and we learn that he is a gangster with a corrupt mind and no sense of justice. The girl is running away from her father after accidently witnessing him murder someone. We are going to use long shots to establish the idea of isolation and use jump cuts to show her state of mind. These ideas are influenced by various thrillers: Se7en gave us the inspiration for using the jump cuts to establish an unstable state of mind. Homme Du Train heavily features trains and connotes the idea of running away which we thought was very successful. Homme Du Train also uses random shots of scenery and noise clips to set up the scene which we aim to use. Strangers on a train is another thriller which we found closely related to ours, I liked the idea of randomly meeting a stranger on a train and then conducting a plan. I also like the way Strangers on a train creates characters and introduces them.

Audience research: interview results

Results for audience research interview
Interviewee: Katie Watts

What do you expect from a thriller opening?

Ermm I expect a fast paced exciting opening which creates a mystery and makes me guess and ask questions about the film to come. I like the use of soundtracks as they make it more exciting and effective.

What would you find the scariest opening?

I really don’t like torture so I think that would be incredibly scary I also find jump cuts of eerie images scary and when combined with a sinister soundtrack I can become very frightened and involved with a thriller opening.

What would you say is an ideal location for a thriller opening?

Personally I think anywhere can be a good location depending on the lighting, because I find the lighting is what makes or breaks a scene. The darker the better I also like when strong beams of light are used.

Should the opening be graphic?

Sometimes I think a graphic or gory opening is brilliant depending on the films theme and plot, but a slow suspense building opening can be just as effective if done properly. I personally don’t think an opening should be too graphic as it might turn away audience members.

Do you think the opening should create enigma?

Yes I think this is a very important aspect of a thriller film, enigma engages me as an audience member and makes me feel like I am a part of the action itself. Enigma is also a clever hook to keep me watching.

From this interview I have gained more understanding of what the end viewer prefers and expects from a thriller opening. These results will be used when planning my thriller opening because I need to understand what the audience wants to create the best suited opening.

Thriller film audience research

What I want to find out:
1. What the audience expects from a thriller
2. What is the scariest opening?
3. What is an ideal location for an opening?
4. Should the opening be graphic?
5. Should the opening create enigma?

How am I going to find out?
I am going to find the results through a quick interview.

What I expect to find out:
1. I think that the audience will expect an exciting film opening that will have them on the edge of their seat, making them want to find out what happens.
2. I presume that the audience will either say; torture, rape, car chase or robbery.
3. I’m expecting the interviewee to say either a train station or a large bridge.
4. I am very curious as to what this answer will be but I think it may be that the audience don’t want the opening to be too graphic to aid suspense or the opposite and let the audience know what is going to happen.
5. The audience will either want the opening to create enigma or start all guns blazing and let the audience what is in stall.