Action Movie Analysis - Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace- Movie Analysis

The opening starts with several well known movie production companies such as Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and Columbia. This instantly tells the audience that this movie is a high budget movie as large companies have helped to make it. An establishing shot of a mountain side near water with fast pace music denotes to show that this movie is an action film as the camera also pans across the water towards the mountain. Several fast shots of speeding cars are shown to add excitement to the scene and make the audience very excited as action is instantly shown.  

Close ups of the cars connotes to suggest that they are very expensive and that the owners of the cars are very wealthy. It makes the audience wonder who is driving these expensive cars so recklessly. An extreme close up of one of the characters eyes shows how intense and focused this person is on driving the car and not crashing. This also adds to the intense atmosphere of the scene by making the audience feel the tension. 

Diegetic sounds of the cars speeding down these tunnels, crashing into other vehicles and gunshots adds to the exciting atmosphere being created. All the editing of the car chase scenes are fast past and quick and are action packed scenes. These types of shots are a common convention of action films as it keeps the story interesting and exciting. 

Point of view shots (P.O.V) of the characters driving the car add to the intensity of the scene as it connotes to show what the characters are seeing and how extreme the situation they are in really is. Long shots of cars rolling down hills after being pushed off the edge of the road are often shown to add to the dramatic atmosphere being created. Glass shatters from broken windows in front of the main character and connotes to suggest that this person lives in a very shattered world like glass, it is very easily broken. 

Another establishing shot and high angle shot of the main characters car is shown driving through the city of Siena, Italy. This establishes where the past couple of scenes were shot and where the movie is set.  The city looks very old and is sun drenched while an expensive looking car (although now wrecked with gunshot holes and broken windows) drives through it shows that the main character has wealth and is not afraid to show it. A P.O.V shot of the car travelling through a brightly lit tunnel is shown next which connotes to add a sense of mystery to the scene. When the main character steps out of his car and opens the boot, a man is seen tied up. The first bit of dialogue in English is heard between the main character and the man in the boot of the car. This connotes to add mystery to the scene. It makes the audience ask questions about the movie such as who the man is and why he is tied up? 

The opening credits are then shown through a cartoons and with fast paced music. This denotes to show the audience what the movie is called and what the main characters are called and who played them. This connotes to show that the movie is an action film and is actually part of the James Bond films. 

This film would have a good influence on my own work because it is an action film with lots of types of shots- from establishing shots that show the audience the setting, to quicker close up shots that create tension.  This movie also uses lots of different angles to give the audience a view from high places and from lower places. I could use this in my film to create a sense of dominance or power. Then again this film wouldn't be a good influence on my work because it has lots of high speed car chase scenes which I wouldn't be able to replicate as it would cost to much and is to expensive to do anyway. Also the props used are far to complex to use in my own movie and wouldn't really 'fit' into the setting of my work.