Essex Boys [Case Study]

A little about Essex Boys:
Directed by: Terry Winsor
Release Date: 14th July 2000
Genre: Thriller
How does Terry Winsor establish the Thriller genre within the first title sequence?
Characters:

Billy driving Jason through the tunnel.

Billy Reynolds: As the first character we are introduced to, we immediately see Billy as calm. He shows no aspects of a murdering psychopath and collectively paces the scene and starts the old run down car.Throughout the sequence he says hardly a word, but fortunately for the audience he narrates. I think this was a very clever aspect of the film because the viewers know very little about why he is there and whats actually happening so revealing his thoughts with narration gives the audience that sense of security they need. Charlie Creed-Miles gives an excellent performance assuring that he is in control of the situation and that he's not afraid, even though the viewers may well be. His costume comes across as 'ordinary'. He wears mostly black with a formal approach. From what he is wearing we establish that he has some standards, and he has decent financial stability as he wears a classy black coat. Billy is dressed as nothing extraordinary, representing his part in the film as just an regular person caught up in a mess.

Jason Locke

Jason Locke: First appearing on screen through a dirty windscreen sends a powerful message. The grime and dust surrounding his portrait shows his character, it tells viewers that this is the corrupt man Jason Locke. His posture and expression truly add to the shot. His face is saying 'I don't care' and he definitely looks like a criminal. His costume also relates to this, the use of a bright yellow patterned shirt is bold and says a lot about his character as well. It shows he isn't afraid, and he does what he wants. His essence gives a sense of detachment from emotion and reality. He says few words but every word he does is menacing or sadistic in a strong Essex accent. Sean Bean does the job of creating a disturbed: corrupt and psychotic criminal extremely well. Without anything being said the audience can tell that he means trouble.

Locations:
The first shot we see in the film is of a dark and dingy garage. The gloomy scene sets the tone for the rest of the film and sequence, as well as keep people glued to their seats right from the start. The use of lighting is minimal showing that this film is very dark, (not literally). The lack of light could also represent the lack of hope that the victim (who is introduced later) has. This scene represents the Thriller genre because it is: sunless, shadowy, dismal, dim and unwelcoming. The use of Chiaroscuro lighting which is used widely in Thriller films, sets big contrast between light and dark within the garage. A clever thing the director Terry Winsor did in these scene was place a light above the car, hinting to the audience that it is important. The use of cobwebs and dust imply a dirty and uninviting feel to the garage, as well as the rest of the film- this is clever because it keeps audiences enticed from the beginning (we want to know why the character is eager to get the car started). This location represents the thriller genre well because a garage is an enclosed space- meaning something terrible could happen and there's only one way out. Small cramped rooms like this old car port give a sense of claustrophobia which adds more fear and tension.

Scene1

scene2 the tunnel

The next location we reach is an underground passage which we see the characters drive through. The tunnel has a vanishing point and could represent the two going somewhere with no hope or going somewhere different, it could mark a stage in their journey that brings them to the next step.
The tunnel looks creepy and mysterious. Just like the whole intro to the film, it portrays exactly how the audience should be feeling at this point. Using a tunnel in a thriller film is a good way to convey slight suspense and tension-  the idea of being cut off from the world creeps in to the viewers mind- there's no light from above and no light up ahead. Perhaps Terry Winsor deliberately made the tunnel scene last a significant amount of time to show just how cut off from the world these two characters are. Another aspect of this clip that adds to the thriller seance- is that their car is the only one on the road. This makes questions spring into the mind, like: Why are they there? Where are they going? All of this continuously keeps the audience enticed, they feel like the driver as if the film is going somewhere and they know its going to be interesting.

Finally, the last location in the sequence is the most powerful. The use of ambient lighting makes the fate of Jason's victim seem more real. We reach a causeway that is desolate and empty. It shows no life at all and only incorporating colors that are very dim and dingy.

scene 4 the causeway

The brutality of the characters is truly shown here. They leave a very beaten man on this small piece of land- soon to be covered by the high tide. The causeway was a good asset to use for a thriller as it can represent time running out- creating suspense subliminally. As the audience we can assume the tide will come in and cover the track, as well as the man if he doesn't pull himself together in time. Terry Winsor creates so much suspense by doing this and he really makes the audience terrified for the characters. This title scene is superb and definitely entices you to watch more. It represents a thriller on many multiple levels. The sense of isolation and vulnerability is constantly present throughout the sequence.