Faster is a crime/drama/action film made in 2010. The film is about a bank robber who was just released from prison that goes on a rampage to avenge his dead brothers death and is later on pursued by two relentless police officers and an eccentric hit man.
In the first two minutes we are firstly introduced with the films production company which is Tri-Star (picture top right). This gives the audience a rough guide of what the film will be like, as they are known for although making a variety of films, mostly making films of the genre action comedy. We are then shown the logo of Castle Rock Entertainment which is another production company. As shown just seconds after this we are told through these logos that this film has three production companies involved, one of which is CBS which is not only a film production company but also a distribution company which suggests this film might have a big audience but also may have high box office figures, as it might be very successful due to the combination of contributors.
We firstly see a man walking back and forth through a doors glass window. The man we see appears to be a very intimidating and strong character. Through what we see, the audience can come to a conclusion that this character is in a building that is not necessarily run down but one which its tenants may not care all that much about the appearance. Something for example like a government/council estate.
We then see this man walking back and forth from a birds eye angle. The confine space, the fact that this man is in a room which has a bed and a metallic toilet in one space suggest he is in a prison. (picture on the right). The actions this character is doing seem to be placed in order to make him seem worried about something perhaps for his safety as at one point we see scars on this characters body. His prison cell seems isolated in the sense that it appears he doesn't have many personal belongings linking to the idea that prisoners don't give too much away about themselves in order not to appear weak.
The man then suddenly stops and stares at something. The main focus, however is not on what he is looking at, but him. What he is looking at is blurry, suggesting that it is important to him as he may be focusing on it with a lot of emotion. The focus is mainly of him standing there looking at what we can make out to be a photograph. The thing that stands out most in this precise scene is the scar on the characters back, this prisoner appears very strong and muscular yet this scar seems to appear very big across his wide back although it is actually small in size. The scar gives emphasis to the fact that this character may not have had an easy time in prison suggesting that he may have been in brutal situations. Furthermore, the scar appears to be old but very deep connoting that it was very painful.
We are then revealed what the character was looking at. A photograph which has him and another man together, through this picture we can come to the conclusion that the person in the picture is perhaps a family relative of the main character, as their body language suggests that they are very close. The way we are presented with this scene suggests that this person had/has great significance to this man. In addition, this gives it away as we see that this photograph in the only thing that appears to be in this characters cell that may have personal value to him and that may give something way about him. We are presented the picture with the way that this character sees it; we see the picture from a shot that has been taken over his shoulder, the part of the man that is visible is blurry yet the picture is very bright in comparison to the rest of the setting in this scene suggesting that he is looking at it with a lot of emotion.
The next shot is one which is zoomed in of just his eyes. Through this we see that this man is indeed looking at this photograph with a lot of emotions as although we can't see his whole face we can see his eyes. In this scene the main character looks content looking at the photograph, but then seems very angry.when we are introduced to him as the 'driver' , he has a very angry look on his face. Only half of his face is visible as it is bright from sunlight. The light could symbolize that this is a very important day for the Driver in some sort of way as we then see that the prison guards approach him to take him somewhere which is not clear to us yet. From the beginning of the scene until this part the music is very upbeat and has a fast pace suggesting that this is a very adrenaline full movie. When this character is outside of his cell and is walking in-between the two officers the music continues however, the music becomes quieter while the sound of other prisoners, one by one shout while he walks across their cells. Each time the Driver walks past a cell the prisoners become even more aggressive towards him.
This tells us that he might have lost this person through a possibly horrible even and is distraught about it however, the memory of this person seems to keep him determined.
Cinematography & plot:
I chose other scenes from the first five minutes of the film that I thought were very interesting and we could possibly use certain camera, plot and sound techniques for the two minute opening of our own film. The picture on the right is of the scene after where the guards are taking him somewhere. While they are walking the music and aggressive sounds seem to fade away and become a part of the background, as the voice of the man becomes louder and louder as if he is narrating a story whereas he is talking to the Driver where their conversation actually takes place in the scene where they are sitting in this man's office. ( the screen grab Day 1).
I liked this angle used in these scene for screen grab 1 because it is as though we are walking and seeing what the main character is going through which results in us empathising with him. Furthermore, I think it gives us a clear image of a sense of authority within the prison as it appears that this man has a higher authority to than the main character. I like how they used inter titles, for example labelling it 'day 1' showing that this character has a long journey ahead of him but still remains optimistic about the situation and is very focused.
Furthermore, I like the next scene because while they are in the office and the man is talking to the Driver, we are again placed in his situation, making the older man's speach and image slow down and appear out of focus while the main focus is on the clock which is in his office suggesting that time is an essential factor to his plan. In this scene there is no use of music however, they want to show the importance of sound as the only thing we can clearly hear is the sound of the clock ticking and his heart beating faster possibly because he might be nervous for what follows after his release.
In addition, I chose this scene because I like how as the main character is running it looks like every other five strides he makes another inter title appears with credits and the names of the actors in this film. Similarly, I like how it is a focused/ zoomed in shot of his feet while he is running and looks a bit blurry to match his speed and pace of how fast he is running or how he is feeling. Furthermore, I like how in the scene where the film title appears, the main character is shot at from a wide angle behind him, the background and surroundings look very isolated suggesting that the movie is action packed but the main focus is of him and what he is trying to accomplish when he is released from prison.
Lastly, I really the editing in the scene that I screen grabbed in the picture on the left. I really like how you can see him driving from within the car and can see him very determined. The thing I liked the most and am hoping we will be able to use or replicate in the two minute opening of our film is how they made it seem that the speedometer is third dimensional. Through this scene we can assume that the speed may suggest the pace of which he taking things and is trying to accomplish his plans.
As explained above, I feel like there are a lot of techniques used in the two minute opening of the film Faster that would be very effective if we used in our film as it is a film within the genre similar to what we would like to make it. Throughout the two minute opening, I believe that it manages to capture the audiences interest and make them want to watch the rest of the film as it gives them enough detail yet doesn't give too much away.
