Snatch

The mise en scene in the snatch trailer consists of many settings that could be associated with Britain and gangsters such as the pub is something associated with the British, we see people playing cards and gambling which is a wellknown American convention. We see other locations such as caravans which show the travellers which is something that are common in Britain. The lighting is low level and sets a cold mood and is very common in gangster films as it adds suspense also its fitting with the greyscale colour scheme. There are many props in this opening that fit with the conventions such as playing cards, guns, gold, cigars and other weapons. All of these feature in many gangster films especially weapons as they show power and they represent violence. Cigars are also a common prop because they show wealth and sophistication. The diamond is very significant in this film as it is what they all seem to be after, this is usually the case in gangster films they are all after one thing. The costumes in British gangster consist of long beige coats which I think originated from America as in American gangster movies they wear long coats of similar style but in black, but British seem to always wear beige. We see a lot of jeans and smart trousers so it shows the difference in class such as the ones in jeans are dressed more casually but the others wearing more items associated with smart look slightly more powerful and richer which is important seeing as wealth is a big part of gangster films. Through the film they use some makeup such as blood and scars as there is a lot of violence in gangster films. The colour of this opening is quite greyscale as that is also quite common as they wear very dark costumes they dont dress vibrantly so the colour of everything else reflects this. The film gives of a very traditional representation of men which is very common in gangster films as men usually play the main gangsters and are mad to look powerful and brave. Throughout the majority of the opening there is non diegetic music which is quite fast paced which we often see in gangster films as there is a lot of action and suspense. We hear some police sirens in part of the opening which also shows that they have done something bad, also police are usually common in gangster films. The editing is quite repetitive such as the titles are all changed into the same effect and are not very long to keep up with the rest of the editing which is fast paced throughout. They use a lot of cuts to keep up the pace which is a very common convention in gangster films. They use a lot of mid shots and close ups to show the character and who the actors are, they look more intimidating when close up accompanied with a low angle shot this I a very common shot type in the gangster genre. Low angle is key when making someone look powerful as if feels like whoever is being spoken too is weaker. They do many close ups of significant object such as guns as they show power and represent violence which are common conventions within gangster movies . They do a lot of high angle shots of people on the floor to show that they are weaker.

Lock Stock and two smoking barrels

The starting set of the opening is a back street alley were they are selling stolen jewellery these are things we would associate with gangster behaviour and the setting makes it feel slightly dodgy. They then are filmed running down a road away from the police, the police are a common convention in gangster films as they are a binary opposite for gangsters. The dark stairway is also another setting that is slightly mysterious as it is dark and you dont really know where it leads. The lighting is fairly low level as it complements the on edge setting as it makes the audience feel some suspense and that something is about to happen. This is common in most gangster movies as it adds tension. The main prop that we notice is the stolen jewellery this is an important prop as stolen things is something we associate with the representation of a gangster. We also see some money which seems to be a thing gangsters aspire to have. The costumes are similar to other British gangsters as they are wearing the long coats and its an overall smart/casual look that this genre seems to go for but some characters wear more smart or more casual to show hierarchy and wealth. The colour in this opening is quite dark as there is a lot of blacks, greys and some beige. This is similar in snatch so it seems to be something that Guy Ritchie feels is effective. The main actor in this film is Jason Statham who is an actor that is definitely well know from being in gangster films he also has all the conventions of a main character in a British gangster he uses a lot of humour and he also comes across very brave and has a big impact on the audience. In this opening we see Jason leading a backstreet stolen goods sale he's being very dominant and comedic towards the other characters which shows off a traditional representation of men as he is how as strong and a leader. This is the way all men are usually represented in gangster films unless directors deliberately want to challenge the representations of a male gangster. We have a sound bridge of dialogue at the start that finishes when some non diegetic fast paced music comes on which accompanies some fast paced editing to create suspense and a theme of danger. This is something we tend to see in the openings of British gangsters they like to use fast music that builds tension. The editing is mainly cuts as it adds pace and creates a more continues effect which allows it to flow much better, we tend to see little fancy transitions in British gangster. They use slow motion on a particular shot so that they can add in a voiceover who tells you about the characters in the shot and after they then sped it up which allow the pace to carry on as it was. They use many mid shots and close up as I think they want you to feel like youre part of the first scene. They use many arc movements and pans to track the characters movement and follow the scene this is a common thing as they like to follow the actors so the viewers can follow the action.

Rock n Rolla
The opening starts in a rundown house it is very dark and mysterious we then move to a bar where the main actor is drinking which is a typical association with gangsters. He is also shot with a woman in a toilet, this is another thing we would associate with a gangster as getting all the women as they are represented as brave and powerful. The lighting is very dark which portrays a tense mood and makes the character mysterious as he also has sunglasses on in the dark which helps creates a mysterious character. There are quite a few props in this opening such as a gun which we see a lot from gangsters as it represents violence and danger which is what gangsters are all about. He is also using drugs in the opening which is another thing we associate with gangster as it isn't legal and it fits in with their rebellious lifestyle. The costume of the main character is different to other films he is wearing no shirt I think theyve done this to show his strength and he is also wearing sunglasses which means he wants to look mysterious. Other men are wearing suits which usually represent power and sophistication, the woman is wearing a dress and is looking very traditional. This is a very dark opening as it made it very tense which is something directors of British gangsters tend to do. They use an orange cartoon effect on the titles though which we also see done in snatch. We see a man that is strong and looks powerful holding a gun and this is a traditional representation of men as he is portrayed as strong and brave. There is a woman who is in a dress and looks very done up, this is a traditional representation of women as she is taking care of her appearance. There is non diegetic music throughout the opening that gets quieter as there is a voiceover then when it stops the music gets a lot faster to accompany parts of the editing, we see a change of pace a lot in gangster films. There are many cuts just like the other gangster films, they use a cartoon effect when doing various titles similar to the ones in snatch so clearly its something that Guy Ritchie thinks is effective. There is a few pans just to follow on to the next characters and there is a zoom into the main actor at the start. There seems to be many mid shots and close ups which are very common as they want you to feel close to the actors and it allows you to get behind the characters more being closer to the action.

Sexy beast
The opening of sexy beast begins in a nice house out in the sun this is not usually what we see in an opening but to me because of the house it makes ray look very rich. The light is also different to the others as it is very bright due to the location but I think the director is trying to convey different conventions than the other, the natural light also gives it a warm feel and allows you to understand the atmosphere. He has a few props such as sun lotion which also fits with the setting but again not really a convention that you notice in other films but I think he may be the boss of a gang and this is because theyve shown his big house in the sun so you get the idea he has history. Its quite a colourful opening which is also different to the other films, personally I think that this is because the other three I have analysed are by Guy Ritchie so he clearly has a style of directing. The things he says are very commanding and because of who the actor is I would say they have gone for a traditional representation of men as he seems very dominant towards the other character, but in comparison the other films were using suits and smarter costumes but I think the costume chosen in this film is fitting with the scenery. He is wearing speedos which match with the scenery because of the swimming pool and adds to the relaxation theme coming through he looks slightly old so you get the feeling he may be retired. We notice that Ray Winston is the main actor in the film and we associate him with action films and gangsters he is well known for violence and intimidation which are two things very important to a successful gangster film. The music is non diegetic and goes on for a while then stops while Ray exchanges diegetic dialogue with the small boy who works for him. The music was not very fast but was very fitting to the scenery and what is going on. There are a variety of shots such as a long shot at the beginning that shows some of his possessions so you get an understanding of what he is doing. They used close ups to show his facial expressions and so we see who it is because the actor is so well known. There is also a two shot so we can see the relationship between the two characters in the scene by this particular shot and dialogue we get the idea that ray is the dominant figure and the young boy is represented in modern way and is shown to be fairly weak. The editing is all cuts once again and they have put in some pink titles but no major effects. I think this film opening shows that different directors have particular ways of doing things as we can see a pattern within Guy Ritchie's movies but this one for me doesnt look as influential as lock stock for example, due to location and other aspects of mise en scene it feels like an American gangster as the main character reminds me of the big boss in the departed because of the way he acts towards the other characters and is very commanding.

Layer cake
The start of the opening is set in a dark alley and is quite mysterious then I cuts to the same alley just in the light the setting then changes as they follow the car into the country where they end up at a large mansion, they are meeting other people there we dont know what for but the big sophisticated house tells us they are very wealthy. The light starts at low level to make the scenery even more mysterious but then brightens up as it goes through this could be to change the mood as there is nothing out of the ordinary about to happen. The only prop I noticed was the briefcase and within the genre we would expect them to be carrying something classified such as money or drugs, the briefcase is often used as it lets the audience think about what the character may be carrying. The two initial characters are dressed quite smartly and the rest of the surroundings fit with the costumes as it creates a sophisticated look and power. The suit is a well known power symbol and is used on men in these types of film to show there authority. The colour also changes with the lighting and the setting to help intensify the mood and portray different possibilities to the audience so they can interpret each part of it differently. The main actor we notice is Daniel Craig who is very well known for his action films such as James Bond and being the main character, he is usually portrayed as very strong and brave which is traditional. The main character of a British gangster usually has to have the same conventions to keep up with the representations, as all the main characters of the films I have analysed have the same traditional representation. The sound begins with a voiceover to give the element of mystery to the dark alley scene then when the mood changes we hear quite a fast paced but up beat song as they are not trying to create any tension at this point. The music then finish as they enter the mansion and the characters exchange diegetic speech. Just like the other films the editing is the same just all cuts to keep up the tempo and allow it to flow smoothly, we also see some added titles in throughout the opening. There are quite a lot of camera movements in this they like to use the pan is it allowed them to track the character in and out of his house this makes it feel like he's being followed. Then they use a high angle track which may be attached to a helicopter as they were following a car but it allows you to see where the car is going because of the amount of background we get to see. They then use an establishing shot of a huge mansion showing that the theme of the scene may be to do with wealth as whoever they are visiting clearly have a lot of money, money is a key feature in gangster films as I've notice money seems to be the aim for most gangsters within the film and theyll do anything to get it. They also use a two shot to show the relationsh ip between the two characters theyve followed, there are usually two characters introduced in the openings as the films are usually about more than one gangster its about companionship as well as they work within a gang, but it depends what type of gangster the director wants convey. They use many mid shots just like the other film as it allows the audience to feel close to the action.

Editing Actors
Setting and lighting

Costume

Props

Screenshot comparison