In Ocean’s eleven the use of setting portrays that the mise en scene is set at many famous places, it shows Atlantic city, the first scene is at the casino and then there is a exterior shot of Hollywood’s sky scrapper this conveys that this film is set in Hollywood. The use of sound conveys what type of mood the scene is, at the start of ocean’s eleven you hear prison cells closing which depicts that the first scene is in prison also there is non diegetic sounds of cards being shuffled and played which evokes that this part of the game is very tense. These effects of the device tell us what is happening. The effects of the device lighting and colour portrays what type of day it is and how a room is described as, when ocean is released from jail it is frosty and brightly lit which signifies that ocean has a fresh start on life. The first character
introduced in the film is ocean that is the main character and is played by George clooney, he looks mischievous. The audience sympathy along with clooney as a major star in the film. Then Frank is introduced and with his gaze he connotes that he has done something and has ran away, he is African American, later on rusty is introduced, he is played by Brad Pitt and looks like a guy who takes no nonsense, he is eating chicken which connotes working background as shifty, enigmatic, stylish and confident. The stars in the film are played as criminals.
The effect used on the device of film grammar is that there is a mid shot of the prison cell, which establishes settings, Oceans past and the crime genre. Then there is a mid shot of the casino with croupier and ocean which establishes setting and conveys characters actions and the world of gambling, it also connotes that ocean is a risk taker, there is an external long shot were the camera tracks the night time landscape which connotes glamour wealth and sophistication and creates a stylish/backdrop for films narrative, there is many editing each camera shot lasts for a fairly short amount of time, from a matter of seconds to approximately 1 minute, this helps to create fast pace considering how this pace links.
In the bone collector the use of settings used in this film portrays a urban landscape in New York, also they show the airport. The genre and narrative is conveyed through this setting, cities are popular locations for the crime genre. The use of sound shows what type of mood the film is in the bone collector there is mournful strings used to signify the thriller genre, which is linked with death/Murder. The lighting and colour what type of day it is and many other stuff in bone collector there is flashing stroke lights, New York streets and Darkly lit still and moving images connotes the genre and tells us of dark nature of crime. The characters are solitary males at the start, which are still drawn images this signifies the thriller element and creates enigma. The photo of Rhyme and his partner dressed in tuxedos with champagne suggests they are both good cops also there is a single photo of rhyme in uniform which signifies his role as a good cop. Rhyme dressed in blue police overalls connotes his investigation of crime/ accident also the cab driver with the woolly hat and hides his hair creates enigma. The film grammar in the bone collector is a mid shot and close ups of still images of crime scenes which signifies the genre and narrative, the mid shot of person putting on surgical gloves suggests serial killer also the grim monkey with noose hangs from cab rear view mirror which creates iconography. The title sequence lasts for 1 to 5 seconds this is because it reveals a significant part of the narrative. This editing creates a fast paste and builds tension and confusion.
These films are similar because both films use sounds to show what type of mood it is in the films, they are also similar because they both have the same genre which is the crime genre, both films are high concept films with big stars the difference between the film is that in one film every one are going with their typecasting and the other film a star is going against its typecasting.
In Oceans eleven
The narrative stage is depicted by a prison setting which connotes that it is a crime film also the unshaven convict connotes to us that he is a mischievous man whom is a crook, also the single window sheds dim lights connotes that it is a room where people get interrogated. Through aural signifiers the prison doors closing connote someone is locked up has something to do with jail. The producers have attempted to complicate the basic narrative structure by adding another story in it makes it complicated by having Oceans love triangle between Ocean, his ex wife and the casino boss.
The disturbance stage is introduced by all the criminals that are involved in it, playing cards in a dark room this creates tension because they are all in one room in the dark playing illegal gambling, which shows that they are criminals.
The director manages to inform audience of plot through use of linear structure. This makes it easy to create tension. Tension and interest is maintained through plot devices and key characters. When ocean is reading the newspaper there is a close up shot of a casino, which creates tension.
In The bone collector the narrative stage is depicted by the bone collector being introduced with a disturbance in the title sequence, the disturbance is created by use of illustration, crime scenes and surgical gloves. The thriller element is conveyed by using a disturbance at the opening scene. However when the first scene opens,
equilibrium is established as the audience are introduced to Lincoln Rhyme and the setting.
As the film progresses the disturbance stage is reached when the couple get into the taxi. The director creates tension by using narrative enigma, the cab driver is looking through his rear view mirror and you can only see his eyes. The lighting creates tension because it is dark in the cab also the mournful strings played creates tension. This is different to Oceans Eleven because the narrative stage in ocean is less thrill and the sound when tension is created is more live and upbeat.
The Producer of the film Ocean Eleven is Stephen Soferbergh he produced mostly crime films the producer of the bone collector is Phillip Noyce he produced mainly Thriller/Crime films , this links to the heist sub genre because the two films are all about a complication or disturbance, Major theft or a group of criminals.
Both films have high production values. This is shown by the characters used are big main stars the studios that have produced the two films are big, the two films studios are Warner home videos and universal studio who are big in the movie industry. There are expensive sets and expensive gadgets.
Oceans Eleven is the more successive in introducing genre and narrative, we know this because at the start of the film is a signifier by it being in a prison.
I personally enjoyed The Bone collector because it had a appeal for me even though I am in to the mainstream appeal, but the way the film started of made me like the bone collector but Oceans eleven took long to start.
