Empire film review: Sicario-Image analysis

Blurred silhouette could be side kick to the main protagonist or an antagonist the camera effect adds suspense to the wide angle mid shot. The light sources of the scene coming from in front of the women and behind the silhouette make this cage seem isolated and enclosed.

Facial expression and sweat conveys the character is nervous or under pressure, it is clear she is in a tense situation. We as an audience question what the character is looking at and the back story to her the setting she is in.

The women’s hair is tied back which shows she is ready for action. Highlights the fact this character is a strong independent female and she is the leading role of the film which goes against the normal conventions of the action/thriller genre having a male lead.

The body vest suggests the character is part of some sort of police special force that is likely to be in dangerous situations. This choice of costume makes the character look intimidating and cautious, being part of the FBI showing that they stand up for what is good whilst protecting the people through enforcing the law. The black colour matched with the gun colour conveys a serious tone darkness being a negative colour.

The assault rifle is a means of protection and a tool for the character to help enforce the law. Also the reader will straight away associate the gun as a prop commonly used in the ‘action’ genre of films even though this film could be described as a thriller the genres often have a lot of conventions that are shared. Automatically adding a level of suspense and caution in a scene because character’s lives are on the line.

Metal cage like walls, looking like a prison connotes as being trapped, isolated which adds an element of fear. The characters uncomforting expression adds to the consensus that this is a dangerous place

Referencing the directors previous work shows the directors experience, which suggest the director will have perfected his ‘style’ of filming and elements from his previous films could be incorporated into this one, this means readers who have seen these films will know what to expect. ‘doesn’t do moral certainty’ says a lot about the film suggesting it goes against the norm and the good doesn’t necessarily triumph over evil which adds value to a film in my opinion. Continuing this gruelling tone the reviewer continues to talk about the experience of the film saying that it is a ‘gruelling test of your sensibilities’ which is praise since he genre of the film is thriller the films purpose is to excite the viewer and entertain them with suspense and elements of fear and action. Describing the plot a ‘slow burning fuse’ is effective as it suggest it takes time to unfold but has an explosive payoff in the final act.

Social media bar encouraging readers to comment on the review or share their own views on the film this adds a personal element.

Emily Blunt’s character of Kate is described as being kept in the dark which adds a layer of suspense and also adds dramatic effect when the character makes discoveries that impact the story because the audience will connect with the character as the information is new to both character and audience. The character of Josh Brolin is described as a ‘don’t show, don’t tell kind of mentor’ which suggest this character may be reckless which is what people want from characters in this sort of film. This paragraph of the review is structured by telling the reader the leading actor’s roles in the film which is important as they are major selling points of the film. Then giving plot details in between describing characters. The reviewer makes a criticism of the screenwriter stating that the characters have some cliché dialogue but then goes on to say the leading actor’s performances and execution surpass this being a problem and make it work well in the film. This would have been a major weakness if the dialogue came across as cheesy and could completely take all the suspense and fear out of a scene.

The third paragraph guarantees the reviewers high regards for the film saying that it should be an ‘Oscar magnet’ suggesting multiple awards could potentially be won. This is a creative way of praising all elements of the film since Oscars are widely considered the highest award of film this is an ode to the films quality. The reviewer focuses on the cinematographer of the film being Roger Deakins introducing him as ’12 time nominee’ is an incredible achievement for someone working in the industry and this is good to include in the review because it will be clear that each shot of the film will be beautifully framed and aesthetically pleasing. The final paragraph simply describing a shot from a scene enticing the reader by the powerful choice of words making you want to experience this first person. The short sentence summarising the review at the bottom is effective if readers want an opinion of the film without knowing too many details.