Analysis of a Thriller- Catherina

Catherina

I chose to analyse the introduction to the film “Catherina” because of all the clips I watched on YouTube, this one interested me the most.

 

The first section, where the car is travelling along a road into a village, I thought to be well filmed. I thought the mise-en-scene was interesting and well thought out, with lots of small connotations. For example, the fact that the camera was attached to the car makes it clear to the audience that the vehicle is the point of interest, which also helps the audience to feel like they’re on a journey with the car and more to the point, the person in it.
I noticed the car is expensive and black, which gives the impression the driver is wealthy and, due to the colour, important. Usually in thrillers, people in black shiny cars have some high status; however it is not yet clear whether the character is good or bad so the audience is drawn into the story.
Furthermore, the car and surroundings are wet and the sky is bleak and white. This could be an example of pathetic fallacy, where the weather relates to the mood of the scene. So here, we know this intro isn’t for a happy film. The music, which is slow and eerie, also heavily contributes to this idea.

The use of cross-cutting (to the woman in the room) creates the impression it’s a hasty sequence of events, a characteristic usually found in thriller films.

The accompaniment begins to increase in intensity- a beat comes in and the tempo increases, creating a feeling of anticipation.

As the car arrives at the location, the beat stops creating an intense atmosphere and marking the moment. The beat continues to mark several key moments such as when the, now apparent, gun case is put on the bed and when the man gets out the car. As well as marking these moments, the use of music links them together.

As the woman begins to aim, the original quick beat starts again, however the visual aspects contrast with this quick beat.
In this section, the woman is filmed in slow motion aiming out the window. The contrast of the fast music and the slow motion gives the audience the impression it’s a race against time, sparking curiosity- what could spoil her plans? This intensity is continued due to the sights of her rifle being lined up with the man for 5 seconds, so the audience is anticipating the shot. I really like this section. I think the mise-en-scene is well thought out and the attention to her femininity (two flicks of her fair, red lips and red nails) makes her seem powerful and dangerous.

Then, the previous question, ‘what could spoil her plans?’ is answered when the camera view cuts to a man stealthily approaching the room.
We know he’s outside the correct room because early on in the introduction, the room number (1) is made very clear, with a high contrast shot. (The dark door and the light number)

Just as we think she’s going to go pull the trigger, the third character bursts in brandishing a hand gun and the woman reacts by quickly drawing a second weapon. She looks directly at him, which creates tension. Three lives now hang in the balance, whereas before it was only one. The situation has been taken up a level and the audience further drawn into the action.
The screen falls black and “Catherina” is displayed in the centre, a cliff hanger, typical of a thriller and very enticing.

However, I would’ve made one change to the ending.

While the title is displayed, and the music is fading out, I would have added a single gunshot sound.
This finally makes the audience jump when they’re not expecting it, however it doesn’t give anything away.
Three people were held at gunpoint, but the audience still doesn’t know who fired, if the shot was accurate or who the ‘goodie’ and the ‘baddie’ is.
As well as creating curiosity and a shock it makes the end of the ending more punchy and memorable.