Essex Boys intro

Essex Boys was written by Jeff Pope and Terry Winsor whom also directed the film, 2000. The film is classified an 18 and is in the crime and thriller genre. I especially looked out for any thriller signifiers, how they were used and why the director chose to use certain things.
The credits of Essex Boys were scratched lines whilst the film started and we were introduced to the first scene.
The first thriller signifiers that I noticed were chiaroscuro lighting which helped cast shadows and created mystery. The shot is of a garage which seems very claustrophobic and is a classic shot to use. The garage is very dim lit with only street lamps casting light into the garage and onto the car. The shot shows how the garage appears neglected and the car inside looks old and not used that much. There were also spider webs hanging down from the garage door and around the room. This gives it a gothic feel.
The young man in the shot appears to be the main character as he is the voice over and therefore we see the film in his perspective. The director could have done this because he would have wanted to show how the young man is getting into something dangerous; showing his innocent and naive understanding. The young man also seems to be doing it for the money despite not having any guilty conscience about what the boss is doing or plans to do.

The mise-en-scene makes the film seem obviously British because of the following. The recognizable British cockney accent was one of the most noticeable. There was a voice over, non- deigetic which helped the audience get an idea of who's perspective the narrative would be told in. Following the story, we find that we do not see what goes on with the boss unless the main character is taken along with them. At the start, he is the driver who takes them to places the boss wishes to go. I have seen many thrillers where there have been shots taken in a car, so you see different characters at the same time. It is a clever way to see what they discuss on the way to somewhere, what they are planning and so on. Another example of recognizable British mise-en-scene is the left side of the road in which the characters drive on. In foreign countries, drivers drive on the right side of the road.

The location of the film is in Essex and the mise-en-scene consists of thriller signifiers as there are wet streets, there is a shot taken through a tunnel, the location is urban city landscape which looks incredibly unglamorous. More locations in the film include a warehouse/factory building which is dull and bleak. Another location used, is a vast open beach. The men drive into nearer the city centre at night, which adds mystery and intrigue. The young man takes them to clubs, which have neon lights and typical clubbing appearances. There is young people around and going into the club- unaware of what the men are going to do. The music is non- diegetic which makes the film more realistic and it seems like we are there. As we are with the young man, we see how he waits for the men, quite anxious and cautious, as he looks around the road. The audience feel quite sorry for him as we know that it is going to end bad if he does not stop working for his boss. Even more, we see how nervous and worried his girlfriend is getting as he flaunts his mysterious money around in front of her. He ensures her that he will only do it for a little while longer but this does not reassure her.

The shots in the film look almost to be monochromatic as the shots are black and white, and a lot of the mise-en-scene is depressing and dreary. There are places where it looks increasingly miserable, the tunnel which they drive through, which could connote a barrel of a gun. There is also reflections cast on the windscreen from the ceiling of the tunnel, which look like bars of a prison cell. This could connote how the men may get caught and sent to jail for their actions. Furthermore, the tunnel is almost a spiral which is a common thriller signifier, the idea of the narrative being turned and played around with is created.

The music in Essex Boys that makes the most impact is the string music used. This created a menacing atmosphere and sounds perhaps sinister. It creates tension which could be linked to what the men are going to do.