The Production logo, however, changes from colour to black and white which creates an element of surprise and mystery as the audience would realise that perhaps this movie isn't what they originally thought it would be about. It instantly becomes much darker which follows the conventions of thriller movies as they usually follow a darker theme e.g. A crime or a murder, so by making the logo change suddenly it adds the idea that something is going to also change during the movie.
This is the opening medium shot with the man walking across the scene holding a letter. The whole movie opening is shot in black and white which adds mystery as well as an old fashioned noir atmosphere. The 'P's on the title are in the colour red which represents love ( like the love the protagonist ( Roseanne) has for her parents) and death ( due to the parents being murdered suddenly). The stone wall suggests that there are unanswered questions that Roseanne has- she has stonewalled queries about her parents death, the stone wall is 'blocking' her from the "Truth" (hence the name of the film) However the man is walking along the stonewall, that implies that he is going to 'break down' the wall and give Roseanne answers. There is non-diegetic sounds ( the sound of general traffic)in this shot, which shows that this is an exterior setting. This gives the shot a natural feel to it and the audience would wonder what this man is doing on the streets (as it is not clear to the audience at this point).During this scene when the man walks past the titles start to disappear which shows that he has more power over the titles. Whilst in other Film Noir movies such as in 'Walk on the Wild Side' the titles are over the top of the walking cat in the opening credits which shows that the cat is only a minor character and is most likely just a symbol to suggest the 'wild' side as stated in the movie title. By having the titles in my movie fade away as the man walks by challenges the conventions of Film Noir style titles which usually overlap the background and are more dominant in the scene.
This is a high angle shot which shows the man turning the corner and walking up the stone steps. Dead leaves are scattered at the bottom and represent sadness and death again. The man has posh shoes on which suggests that he is an upper class person but still little is known about him as the audience doesn't get to see his face clearly. The non-diegetic sounds are the same as before as it shows he is near a street. The steps are made of stone which shows could also be referred as "stepping stones" as he is advancing on his way to deliver the letter to Roseanne which holds important information.
This is a medium long shot of the main character, Roseanne, sitting at her desk. This shot helps establish the type of character she is to the audience. Her desk contains some general office type supplies ( the pot of pens, paperclips, notebook etc.) which suggests that this is her office space and the area where this character spends most of her time. This implies that she is quite an independent person as well as someone who could be classed as a "workaholic". On the desk there are some more sentimental things such as the small chest, the old books and the photograph on the end of the table. These create an old feeling and add to the atmosphere of the house she lives in. The books also suggests that this character is very knowledgeable and wise for her young age. However the stereo and laptop contradict the old feeling and create a more modern atmosphere to this shot. This links to the Neo Noir theme as modern elements (technology) are used with black and white effects. The photograph is barely visible to the audience but is facing Roseanne which shows that this character likes the photograph to face her so that she can look at it regularly due to the fact she has an emotional attachment to it.
The incense burner creates a smoke effect which I've used as a convention of Film Noir, due to the fact it creates a sense of danger which would be a key element later on in the movie. Also Jazz music can be heard from this scene which is a convention of Film Noirs and help build the story and can add tension to the scene. It also shows the type of music Roseanne likes to listen to and therefore it also develops her character and makes the audience connect to her more as they know more about the sort of person she is.
This is an 'Over the shoulder' shot taken over the shoulder of the Grandmother. It shows the audience that the letter, which she is holding, is addressed to Roseanne. It is handwritten which makes it more personal and suggests that whoever sent her the letter, has some connection to her. On the letter, one half is covered in light and the other in shadow which supports the idea of the 'grey area'. The 'grey area' suggests that the letter could hold good information (light side) but it could also be bad information (dark side) so it creates a enigma for the audience. This agrees with Film Noir conventions of lighting because low key lighting and shadows create mystery. Also the voice over of Roseanne giving the audience more backstory starts here. This is again using a convention of voice over to explain more of the story.
This is a high angle shot of the Grandmother walking up the stairs to give the letter to Roseanne. She holds onto the banister which shows her age-she needs support getting up the stairs.This could also suggest her mental state as she needs support to do a simple task ( e.g- walking up the stairs) as she is grieving still from the tragedy of loss of her daughter and son-in-law (Roseanne's parents).
This is a low angle shot of the Grandmother at the top of the stairs. As she is higher than the camera, it shows her status within the family and within society. She is a wealthy woman who is respected by all. She wears formal clothes to suggest that she always look smart even in the comfort of her own home. She appears quite cold due to the way she turns away from the camera and her face is not shown very clearly so the audience is unable to connect properly to her.This also develops the convention of age in Film Noirs. Older women are stereotyped as wise and fragile but to bring my movie into the modern era, the Grandmother looks more independent and formal ( although as stated before this character does need support due to her mental state).
In this medium long shot, the Grandmother is in the foreground and is the more dominant character in this shot, due to her status and respect she gets from Roseanne. Whilst in the background, Roseanne is seated still at her desk. She turns down the stereo so that her Grandmother can speak and it's her way of showing respect. The curtains behind Roseanne shed light onto her which shows the audience that she's a good character whilst at this point in the time, the lighting surrounding the Grandmother is much darker, which makes the audience weary of the type of person the Grandmother is.
This is another over the shoulder shot, where the Grandmother is giving the letter to Roseanne. Roseanne keeps constant eye contact with the Grandmother when she hands her the letter which suggests that she believes it is more important to respect her Grandmother then it is to stare at the letter. This could be because she has been raised to show respect to her elders or it could be because she is dismissing the letter as it is not of a high importance to her at this moment of time. Roseanne's hair is covering one side of her face, the left side, towards the dark shadow area whilst her face is clearing seen on the right side where the light is coming from the window and onto the desk. This implies that she has two sides to her personality. The side covered suggests she is very secretive and hides things e,g- her true feelings, whilst the uncovered side is the way she is shown to other characters.
This is a low angle shot of the Grandmother looking at the photograph. Her face doesn't just show sorrow and grief but also longing for the people in the photograph. She has turned away from the desk so that Roseanne can't see her face which shows that she pretends to be emotionally stronger for her, as she doesn't want Roseanne to see her in a weakened state. This is one of the first shots that the Grandmothers face is shown for a long time, this helps the audience establish the type of person she really is. As before she seemed much colder, she now appears to much more fragile and defenceless which creates sympathy for this character. Her brooch and jewellery show her wealth and social class as she is able to afford a massive house and expensive items however her expressions suggest she is a mournful person and that to her money is less important than family is.
This is a close up shot of the photograph on Roseanne's desk. The parents are behind Roseanne and have placed a loving hand on her shoulder which suggests that she is their 'pride and joy'. In the photograph, Roseanne looks younger and is smiling for the camera, this suggests that this photograph has many special memories of happier times behind it. On the desk it faces Roseanne so she can see her and her parents smiling faces; she has an emotional bond to the photograph and only she can see it, hence why the audience is unable to see it clearly from other shots.
These shots are extreme closes up of Roseanne's eyes and certain important words in the letter she reads. The extreme close up of the eyes and adds a dramatic effect to the shot. It shows how Roseanne is feeling at this point in the movie, as her eyes move quickly it shows that she is eager to find out what the letter reads and that she also has an aspect of shock because the letter is revealing information about her parents death. The extreme close up of the words, let the audience have an idea of what Roseanne is reading. The letter includes the 'hook' for the audience as it adds mystery to the movie. The font of the letter is very formal which implies that a the sender comes from a high class background and due to it being personally addressed to Roseanne, they may also know her but this is not made clear to the audience and therefore creates an enigma.
This shot included a dolly tracking shot of Roseanne getting up, putting her coat on and walking out of shot. The camera moves closer to Roseanne which adds tension to the shot as it makes the audience feel as if they are moving when Roseanne gets up and therefore makes the audience feel part of the scene. Another way I have challenged the classic conventions of Film Noir is by making the protagonist a female instead of her being the 'Femme Fatale' or the weaker female of the movie. This can help develop conventions of Film Noir by having more female protagonist rather then them being seen as someone who would be the downfall of themselves and the main protagonist.
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