Brick – Opening Title Sequence

1. Brick – Opening Title Sequence Analysis

2. Mises-en-Scene: Location • It starts with the entrance to a sewer tunnel, with a girl lying dead in half the stream. This is a dimly lit area and a withdrawn place, typical of where mafia men would dump a body. This also razes enigmas like: “How did the girl die?” and “How did they know each other?” • The rest of the scenes are set in very urban environments yet are set so it seems the boy is the only one around making him seem more isolated from society .

3. Mises-en-Scene: Lighting • These Sewers are really dark and poorly exposed, with a blue tint added in. This Just shows the lack in life in this environment and that everything’s just really cold. It also makes the character seem more dull and lonely himself. • It also helps to excaudate the deadness and coldness of the dead girl showing that she really is dead.

4. Mises-en-Scene: Performance: Costume • The boy has rolled up jeans, leather shoes, glasses and his hair’s poorly maintained. This tells us that he’s a typical geeky teenager a lonely and sad person.

5. Mises-en-Scene: Performance: Costume • The dead girl on the other hand has grey cardigan and a bage dress covered in dirt. This shows that she’s been in a struggle. We can also tell that she’s only young because she’s got blue bangles on her arms, this also connotes the cold again exadurating .her state

6. Mises-en-Scene: Performance: Props • The only prop that shows in this OTS is the note that the girl pushes though the locker door. It gives us a sense of mystery, that there’s this secret meeting going on and we want to know what’s going on.

7. Mises-en-Scene: Performance: Acting • The boy keeps himself really tucked up and withdrawn staying very still and barley moving, just staring at the girl. This shows us that he knew her and felt for her. It also tells us that he’s really withdrawn and lonely from society. He keeps himself to himself and avoids other people. • Although not much happens from the girl we can tell that she's a chirpy preppy girl from the way she just smoothly and delicately posts the note through the locker.

8. Cinematography: Camera shots • We start with an extreme close up of the boys face showing us he’s both guilty and afraid of something. • It leads into an establishing shot which normally comes first. This shows us the environment he’s in as the dirty dim sewer entrance. • Another close up that exadurates the emotions is the close ups of the girls body. Each shot frames a certain body part, her dirty legs show she’s been in a struggle, her face showing she is youthful. • The bangles on her arm are used as a graphic match on the other hand. First she’s lying in the stream, next shot she’s pushing a note through a locker. This shows us that it’s the same girl.

9. Cinematography: Camera movements • The most peculiar movement is that pan across the stream to the boy. This is a hand held shot as well so it looks really strange and disorientating. Which really confuses me a bit. • The other movement in the opening title sequence is a slow zoom in on the boys face as he’s starring out at the body. This just gives us time to take it in and think about what we’re looking at.

10. Sound • In the short sequence there’s only one sound we hear and that is a non-diegetic one. This is the soundtrack and is just simple cow-bells being played to a light peaceful tune. • This gives the allusion of piece but at the same time discomfort. The lack in texture reflects on the lack of life and the isolation. Seeming quiet disturbing.

11. Summery • This title sequence doesn’t give us any real hints to the narrative of the story but does tell us some of the few concepts: • This is a story about an outsider of some sort, he in some way knew this girl to a very personal level and, thanks to the dead body, this is a crime thriller.