Analysis of Opening to 'Brick' (Johnson, 2005, US)

In Brick cinematography is used to create many different meanings. For example an extreme long shot of when the boy is in his school and is at his locker showing the corridor and all of the lockers is used to create a meaning of isolation but also to show us who he is but none of his details so what his face looks like. this creates this meaning of isolation because in a school you would expect to see many students going around the place, looking in there lockers and getting ready for class, but all you see is this one boy surrounded by emptiness, this is loose framing. This creates the isolation meaning because the fact that you see no one means that he is not a very popular kid, he may be different and that people try and avoid him. This makes the audience ask questions like, 'why is he on his own?' 'Why is no one there with him?'

In Brick Mise-en-Scene is used to create many different meanings. For example the costume the boy is wearing is has black shoes on which creates a meaning that he is smart. this creates the meaning that he is smart because black shoes are generally worn by people in suits and that is normally seen as smart and this would make the audience ask, since he is smart he surely wouldn't have the ability or thought process to kill someone so why is he looking and staring at a dead person. Also the costume of him wearing circular glasses creates a meaning that he is a 'geek' and this would make the audience think since he is a 'geek' he would not be able to kill someone because they are week and always in fear.

In Brick, Sound is used to create many different meanings. For example only the hyperbolic sound being heard of the note being dropped and being opened creates a meaning of uncertainty and also it creates tension. This hyperbolic sound creates this meaning of uncertainty because since it is the only sound being heard it makes the audience feel that this note is really important and makes them ask 'what does this note say?' also it creates tension because it makes the audience feel that this note must be influential to the rest of this film because it is the only thing being heard.

In Brick, editing is used to create many different meanings. For example the slow paced editing at the very beginning when the young boy is being shown to us and the situation is being shown to us creates meaning of uncertainty and make it seem they are trying to hide the boys identity. the slow paced editing creates this meaning of uncertainty because it makes the audience wonder what is going on and what has happened for this boy to be staring like that. Also it creates tension by hiding his face because not showing the persons face makes the audience feel uneasy because they don't know what this person looks like or who he is.