The Dark Knight analysis (thriller)

For one of my film analyses, I have chosen the popular sequel- The Dark Knight. Again I have focused on the four key areas of study.

Sound

At first, when the company logos are being presented, there is silence. This creates an eerie atmosphere and it intrigues the audience to watch on and find out what’s going to happen. Soon after, the faint sound of violin picking can be heard which gradually becomes louder creating tension and then leading into the sudden surprise of the first shot. There is quiet ambient sound which shows the audience the whereabouts of the film and this creates the feel of realism. When the characters are preparing to rob the bank, there is the kind of sound that is normally used for slow motion shots suggesting that these actions are practised and have been perfected. When the guns are shot inside the bank, the non-diegetic sound effects again create the feel of realism and tension between each character.

Mise-En-Scene

All of the robbers are dressed in normal clothing of the era suggesting that they are of normal working class and there is nothing special about them as they blend in with the surroundings at the rest of the public. However, when the camera climbs up to their faces, we can see that each of the thugs are wearing clown masks. This plays on some people’s fear of clowns suggesting that the group want to have all the power when they are robbing the bank. Plus, the masks are obviously hiding their faces suggesting their mysterious past and maybe the fact that they have something to hide. On the other hand, the business men and women are wearing suits or appropriate dressing showing their wealth and class compared to those of the public and the group of thugs. There is low-key lighting for most of the clip suggesting the evil taking over Gotham City but there is high-key lighting in the hallway of the bank showing the hope emitting from one of the key businessmen who shoots at two of the criminals.

Editing

At the beginning, before the company logo’s come on screen, there is a fade up from black again creating the feeling of mystery and tension. Also the shots are quiet and jumpy to show the intensity and when the shot changes become more common, it shows the build-up of tension and maybe giving the hint to the audience that something important is going to happen.

Cinematography

Once the shot has arrived of the building, the camera starts to zoom in, using a crane shot, into a specific window showing its importance in the first scene. Many tracking shots and crane shots are used to show the dominance of criminals in Gotham City.