The Usual Suspects - Megans Analysis

Megan's analysis of The Usual Suspects

The non-dietetic music soundtrack helps to build tension in the piece by slowly increasing the speed and volume. This adds a more intense effect to the sequence and helps the audience to realize the building plot-line.The music is also parallel to the sequence, as when the man drops his cigarette on the oil, the music suddenly builds to a climax and a loud crashing noise is heard. This helps to create a more intense effect.

The first scene starts with the stroke of a match, which immediately grabs the audience's attention. This then carries on to a shot of the oil/petrol canisters that are leaking, from the two shots being connected together the audience is able to put the scene together even with such a small amount of information to know that something bad will occur at. s we know this will cause a fire of some sort. Both of these items are iconography to show the thriller genre as they create suspense of what will happen next to the character.

Desaturated colour is also used throughout to give the sequence a serious tone and to make the piece feel anxious. As the audience cannot see much of the frame this is called restricted narration and can cause suspense. 

All of the clothes that the characters wear seems to be plain and dark. The man who wears a black cloak uses the cloak to cover most of his body and face creating suspense and this is again restricted narration as we can’t see who it is making us feel as if he is the villain (antagonist)

The second guy that comes into the screen stands up and towers over the guy that is sitting down who we meet as the film first begins. Restricted narration is continued throughout to create enigma and suspense. The antagonist's face is never revealed which engages the audience in the film as they question who the character is. This makes them continue on watching so they can find out.

The antagonist lifts a gun slowly and two shots are made which we can guess were directed at the protagonist sitting on the floor. When the antagonist is leaving after killing the other character, he drops his cigarette that re-ignites the petrol which is on the floor. In this shot it had been edited into slow motion this emphasis it falling and the result being the petrol re-ignited to put the audience back to the beginning in knowing what is going to happen next.

After the tracking of the flame building suspense slowly to what the audience will think is the explosion but is stopped and we are then shown close up shots of the rope that keep tracking in so that we realize that the rope must have some importance in the plot line or what is about to happen .