Enemy of the state analysis

1. The film opens with a black background, with Greek styled lettering appearing onscreen. By using the Greek lettering, it has links to sorority or fraternity houses in America. This gives a sense of unity and tight-knit bonds to reflect how the characters work as a team. Also, the font has associations with Greek mythology and legends, and so it is possible that the storyline will be very stereotypical (the protagonist will be heroic by killing the criminals). Sound is then introduced, a fairly loud heartbeat. This implies that the characters that we are about to see are nervous, however we do not know why. A low monotone humming sound is also layered on top of the heartbeat, adding to the sense of threat and danger. Violins are used here in a fairly high pitch, which gives the impression of anxiety and so the film is likely to begin with a significant event. Not only that, but a twinkling sound is used, like chimes in the wind. The sound is very high in pitch, it seems to be a warning sign that something is unsettling about the film already. The background changes to the establishing shot of a car, pulling up by a scenic lake and nature surrounding. This contrasts with the music heard, and so it gives mixed messages to the audience. However, the music continues as so we understand that something in the scene is not quite right. Enemy of the state analysis

2. The font changes at this point to one that is similar to a science fiction film, square lettering that appears as if it is being typed. By doing this it indicates that the film could be based around technology. Not only that, but it also looks like a surveillance camera. Because it is shown to us, it implies that we are spying on the car, and so we are distant from the characters shown. The text that is shown sets the scene as it is bold in style and the title effect is prominent so that we pay attention to it. The time in the film is “6:45am”, obviously an early time of the morning. People are unlikely to be outside at this time in the morning which suggests how illegal actions are going to take place, when nobody else is around to witness it. Also, as the setting demonstrates it is a fresh start to the day, like nature and life begins when the sun rises. Although the audience does not know yet, this is ironic in the sense that the man in the car will shortly be killed and so the audience should not be deceived by comforting surroundings. It then cuts to a mid-shot of a man sat on a bench, holding a newspaper. The cut from nature to the man is that it is suggesting how the comforts of nature are false, the man is now in power of the situation. He is to the right of the frame, indicating that he may be involved in the following sequence but is not overly important. The choice of costume used for him is black and formal. As he is holding a newspaper (and combined with the choice of clothing), we get the impression he is a man of politics, democracy or business. The newspaper happens to be in the centre of the shot, implying to us that politics/business is a dominant theme in the film. The ironic aspect of this shot is that he is mostly lit by the sun, which confuses the audience on his intentions in the situation. He appears to be the only part of the shot in focus, the lake behind him is blurred. Because of this, it indicates that nature is not important in the film. Not only that, but the lake takes up a large proportion of the frame, which is foreshadowing the death of the man in the car.

3. A matched cut reveals a mid-shot of another man, rubbing his hands together to stay warm. The cut indicates that he is perhaps working alongside the man previously shown. He is portrayed in dark clothing, black leather gloves and an ear piece. The dark clothing suggests that he has ominous intentions (such as crime) in the film. By having an earpiece, it becomes apparent that he is doing business, most likely a spy or a government member. Also, the ear piece demonstrates that he is being told what to do by someone else, implying that he is reliant on other people to direct him. He has his back to the sun, and so it suggests how he is a mysterious and untrustworthy character. The background behind him is even more blurred than the man who was sat on the bench. Because of this, it gives the impression that he is even more likely to disturb nature. The action of rubbing his hands together suggests that he has been waiting for a while, he almost looks miserable. The use of this implies that he does not particularly want to be there, but has to due to business. Another interpretation is that the rubbing of hands has similarities to villains who are plotting malicious schemes, perhaps he is enjoying the thought of committing a crime. Both men are portrayed as looking at an old man who is getting out of the car. This is hinting to the audience that the old man is of some significance to the men, almost like he is being ganged up on. Not only that, but the cut from the men to the old man also adds to the effect of him being cornered. The shot of the old man is a long shot, however we seem to be closer to the cars than previously, which implies that we are getting emotionally closer to him. He appears to be slightly above us as a lower angle is used, and so he is superior to us. Although he seems more powerful, we immediately do not sense he is power abusive- we should respect him. The old man opens the back door, to let out his dog. The dog is a golden retriever, they are known for being loyal and friendly. Now that the audience knows that he has a dog, we make the assumption that he is a single man with his pet for company. However, it could also be presumed that because families typically have dogs for pets, so he may be a loving husband figure.

4. The next shot is of the man, throwing a tennis ball for his dog to fetch. Behind the old man are unfocused trees in vivid shades of green. His intentions seem to be to enjoy a walk with his dog, and so he enjoys nature. His clothing consists of a smart tie and shirt, with a beige coat. By doing this, we see that he is part of a business also, but the neutral, earthly shade of his coat implies that he is at one with nature. The actor chosen is one above his sixties and he has a friendly face that seems to be full of wisdom. Because of this, we are more likely to have a connection with him, but we respect him at the same time. As he is of an older age, it also makes him appear more vulnerable and targetable by others, which foreshadows that he is prone to danger. Since the old man became present in the film, the cuts have increased in pace. This suggests that he is a key character in the scene, a catalyst for the action to begin. A mid shot then displays the old man with his back to us, as the dog chases after the tennis ball. It could be to indicate that we as the audience are a supporting role for him, and so we understand the love and attention he is giving to his dog. On the other hand, he is turned away and so it creates distance between him and us. The camera cuts to a close-up shadowed man, sat in the back of the other car talking on a phone. The car window is half open, which automatically separates him from us. As part of the dialogue, the old man says “oh, god dammit.” Because of his age, we do not expect him to say this but as an audience it is humourous, as if we agree with what he is saying. The camera tracks the old man in the form of a mid-shot as he walks towards the car window. The old man is in the foreground, he appears to be the dominant figure out of the two characters.

5. The man is then filmed getting out of his car, revealing his clothing properly for the first time. His costume consists of a formal black suit, which gives the impression of mourning or funerals, perhaps to hint that somebody will die shortly. Not only that, but he also has reading glasses on. The glasses could be seen as a mask, he does not want people to see him for who he truly is. However, a simpler interpretation is that it could imply that he is a man of intelligence. It then cuts back to a close up of the older man, yet the man with the glasses progressively moves into the shot as well. By doing this, it is indicating that the man with the glasses is somewhat invasive and is perhaps willing to challenge people who stand in his way. By cutting back and forward between the men it suggests that The next shot includes both men in a mid-shot. The camera is at eye level with the older man, subtly hinting that we should be making more of a connection with him. The man with the glasses appears physically larger in the frame, with his back to the camera. This reinforces the fact that he is not a welcoming character, and we should trust the older man only. As they seem to be sharing the shot, it suggests that they may work in the same establishment. As the conversation continues, the following shot is of the two men by the water at a great distance from the camera. As we are not physically close enough to be part of the scene, it implies that we as the audience are spying on them. The camera then gets closer to them in the form of a mid-shot. The man with the glasses offers coffee to the older man, who refuses. To the audience, this is slightly confusing as he is trying to be friendly, making the older man appear miserable and stubborn. Because of the natural light on the men, we then realize that the man with the glasses is also wearing a red scarf. Red has connotations of blood, perhaps he is going to partake in a murder. To add to this idea, the colour red also suggests danger and warning, indicating to the audience that the older man should not get involved with him. This shot of the conversation carries on for a considerable length of time with no cuts or editing. By continuing the shot for so long, it reflects the characters’ lack of emotion around the situation. The irony of the conversation is that they are talking about a law of privacy involving telecommunications. We as the audience seem to be prying on their conversation and so we are therefore being invasive. The older man turns more into the sunlight as a close up is used of him. The man in the glasses is trying to persuade him to agree to a law of having surveillance cameras everywhere in public, the older man is refusing. This suggests that he is standing for the nation’s privacy, people should be able to live their lives without being watched. . As he is turning towards the light, it gives the impression that his intentions are positive for the welfare of America.

6. A matched is used to show the close ups of both men as they respond to each other, unlike earlier the man with the glasses is now facing the camera. Because of this, he looks more acknowledging and approachable. The older man is still rejecting the ideas from him, and so it makes him seem unwilling and unreasonable. He then throws the tennis ball again for his dog, in the direction of the car. Because it is thrown towards the car, we are drawn to look at it. The film makers might be trying to subtly forewarn the audience that the car is in some way important. As the men walk by the lake, the camera tracks them both equally, suggesting that we are part of their conversation. Also, as they are tracked equally as each other, the film makers are indicating that they are equal in power. Behind them the lake is still, giving the setting a relaxing quality. The effect on the audience is that it leads us into a false sense of security, and that nothing is going to be disrupted. The camera then tracks the man in the glasses only, perhaps his viewpoint is stronger and so he has more power over the older man. A long shot shows the older man sitting down on a bench, the camera is at eye level with him. The other man still remains standing, and so he is higher than us making him more superior than us and the older man. It then cuts back into close-ups of both characters’ viewpoints as they carry on with their discussion. The shots of both men last for a reasonable amount of time, which slows down the pace of the film. Because of this, we get the impression that the conversation is not making significant progress, they do not seem to be finding a solution to the argument. As the camera is on the man in the glasses, the camera tilts downwards to follow him as he lowers himself to the man’s level. This has similarities to an adult trying to reason with a child. Because the man on the bench is clearly older and probably wiser, the man with the glasses at this point comes across as being quite patronizing. The next shot shows the older man face on, with the other man’s shoulder in the frame. He is apparently looking at the older man, waiting for a response. Because he is now appearing in the frame more so, it is as if the men are competing with each other for power. The next shot portrays the man with the glasses, his face half lit. The choice of lighting gives the impression that he is a very two faced character, he has a dark quality about him that is not at first noticeable. The camera cuts back to the old man, with the lake behind him. Again, this is foreshadowing his death, the film makers are trying to delicately show a link between him and the water. The older man seems to be angry at what the man is saying, and so stands up in resignation. A quick motivated cut displays the man with the glasses’ hand, abruptly grabbing hold of his arm. The hand is very close up in the frame, suggesting that he has power and confidence to act on his instincts. The music at this point is low and threatening, it wavers slightly in tone. Because of this, it could be to imply that the man sat down is nervous on how quickly he reacted, or even how the older man is now panicked at the urgency of the grab.

7. The man sat down then has the line of “I beg of you, Phil. Please don’t.” This is an unusual choice of dialogue as we expect him to say something more threatening. Later on in the scene, we find out that the man ends up being part of the older man’s murder, it is like he is begging him not to push him to do it. Because of this interpretation, we maybe feel that the man in the glasses does not enjoy what he is doing but will kill him nonetheless due to disagreements. The next shot is a mid-shot of the older man from a side view, and the other man also. Neither of them are in centre frame, the unfocused nature setting is centred. This shot makes it seem like the audience is in between the men, they are equally as powerful as each other and at this point we are not biased to either of them. The music alters to becoming high pitched, like cymbals. It immediately gives the sense of threat, especially as the man in the glasses is blackmailing him at that place in the conversation. The man in the glasses then says “I’m sorry…” at which point soothing violin music is introduced. The effect of this new music is that it is reflecting the emotions of the man speaking, he is already feeling regretful that he has to kill him colleague. In a sense, it is as if he is already mourning his death, mentally preparing himself for what he is about to be involved in. The shot of the man in the glasses is used as a non-diagetic sound of a heartbeat is heard. This demonstrates that he is nervous for some reason, or even that adrenaline is kicking in and so he more likely to act on impulses. It cuts back to a close-up of the older man, the camera circles around his face (but only 180 degrees). The device of circling indicates his sudden realisation of being in danger, we are tracking his thoughts. As the shot is at eye level with him, it is like we should be having the same manic thoughts as he is, the sinking feeling that he is not safe.

8. The older man is disgusted at the attempt of blackmail, part of the dialogue describes the man as being a “shit”, at which time the shot cuts back to the other man. By having it cut at this particular moment, it is emphasizing how vile and malicious the man in the glasses really is. The man in the glasses then responds, the camera goes back to the older man as he says the words “you’re a good man…”. However, it is like he is stating the positives and then to say “but…”. We are almost waiting for him to follow on with negative and threatening points. The old man has finally had enough of the conversation, and walks away from man on the bench with his dog. A long shot used shows the old man walking towards his car in the centre of the shot. Three other security men are also heading towards the centre of the frame from different directions. Therefore, it looks as if he is being surrounded and cornered by the guards and so we suspect that he at risk. One of the men comes up behind him as he tries to get in his car. The subsequent shots are extreme close ups, and so it is unclear to the audience as what is actually happening. Because we only see parts of what it happening, it reflects how the government are devious in hiding what they are doing. Strong beats of a drum are played with the shot, which gives the impression of being in battle or fights (as the two men are in). Another way of perceiving it is that it is similar to that of an execution, which also slots into the film as the older man is being injected in the neck with a sedative. Not only that, but gentle violins are also played during the shots. They sound mournful, which suggests that although the men feel obliged to kill the man, they secretly feel ashamed and sad about what they are doing. The dog is also heard barking. As dogs are animals and part of nature, this clearly shows that he senses trouble. Therefore, the men becoming murderers are going against nature. During the quick shot sequence, the cuts became faster than any other part of the scene, but the rhythm of the cuts stayed constant. Because of this, we get the impression that the men planned the murder to perfection so that they remained in control of the situation. As one of the men is dealing with the older man, the others are shown in the form of reaction shots. The man in the glasses ironically has his back to the camera, and so it is apparent that he did not wish to watch. This implies that he although he played a part in the murder, he feels guilty as he knew the man well. The light is directly on his front, creating an outline of light around him, like an angelic figure. This is even more ironic as he is anything but saintly, he knew that his colleague was going to be murdered. Another aspect of this shot is that he looks very similar to a priest, the delicate body language and glasses especially. Because of this, it is also ironic as he is obviously not a religious man, religions forbid murder.

9. Another of the men is also portrayed in the form of a reaction shot, looking down at the ground. He does not appear satisfied, and so it is possible that he is silently regretting the actions that were just taken. The old man is then thrown in the back of his car, a close up of his face. His glazed eyes are blankly staring straight into the camera, the audience appears to be in the car with him. Because he is looking at us, we feel guilty about what has happened, almost as if he is blaming us. The man with the glasses then has a close up of his face, which is fully lit. Perhaps because the older man is now in the car and out of view, the man feels better about the situation already. However, the man in the glasses is not in centre frame. Because of this we sense that even though he has killed his competition, he is still not as powerful. The next shot is a close up of the man’s gloved hand tipping pills next to the older man in the car. To accompany the shot, high pitched music is used. It seems to reflect the automatic realisation of the man of how he is going to hide the evidence and cover his tracks. The shot is from the older man’s point of view, the effect of it is that we feel like we are in his position. Although he is only unconscious, we can only watch and nothing can be done to save him. Another close up is used, of the man now pulling the gear stick in the car with his gloved hands. The glove is white, almost like those that nurses wear in hospitals. Again, this is ironic as he is doing everything but caring for the man, but killing and dumping him. Also, as the gloves are white, white has connotations of purity and innocence. The man obviously not pure or innocent, he is partaking in a murder of a member of the government. The car begins to roll forwards in the direction of the lake, the camera tracks it as it does so. By doing this, it is like we are chasing after the car in despair but we cannot save him. The even worse part is that the man who injected him and covered up the evidence now gives the car a forceful push, like he cannot wait to be rid of him. The violins increase in volume and in pitch, reflecting the audience’s reaction to the car rolling away, we can only watch. As the car splashes into the water, the splash is now louder than the violins, implying that nature is having the final say, his death is the conclusion to the scene. The camera angle is higher than the car, ironic in the sense that our physical superiority contrasts to our powerlessness. As we are witnessing a murder, the high angle could reflect the high hopes in that we hope that we can bring justice. A mid shot of the car is used, as it sinks and gurgles into the lake. By doing this, it is reflecting the audience’s despair and sinking feelings as the man is dying.

10. A mid shot of the dog is used, he is mostly in shadow but outlined in sunlight. The shot cuts to the dog instead of the other men because we feel guiltier as he is now alone. The old man stood for privacy rights and now has gone, like all hope is lost for the privacy of America. The dog is heard whimpering and pining for his owner, which makes us feel even sorrier for him.