CONVERSATION IN THRILLER

I analysed Alonzo and Jake's conversation from the film "Training Day".



 How is meaning created using micro-elements in this clip? (Training Day)

At the beginning of this clip, a wide shot of the city view is shown to set the scene and notify the audience that this film is set in an urban area. There is a cut after the city scene to a panning shot of the inside of a small local diner, we know that this diner is in the city because of the cut. Diegetic sound is used within the scene inside the local diner, for instance the news on television, frying egg, and the clattering sound of plates and metals. This gives a ‘home-like’ mood and atmosphere to the scene which creates a comfortable feeling for the audience.

During the conversation between Jake and Alonzo, I was able to identify the power of each character. Alonzo seems to be the ‘boss’ with more power. This was shown through the use of the low angled shot when the camera faces Alonzo compared to when the camera is facing Jake. Low camera angle suggests that he is higher in the hierarchy, and also his intimidating personality. In addition, his personality is portrayed through the use of mise en scene, in this case, his clothing. Alonzo is wearing black throughout his body, this may symbolise his inner self; being that he is a moody person, hot tempered and gets irritated easily. He is also wearing accessories such as a diamond piercing and a chain necklace. This might suggest that he is a guy who cares about his appearance. Furthermore this also represents his place in the hierarchy of the police department, in other words, he gets paid more than other workers in the police department because he is the ‘boss’. This explains the fact that he owns diamond piercing and the silver necklace.

In contrast, Jake is more of a polite guy. We know this from the way he came into the local diner with his head slightly down. This also tells us that he is not used to this environment and feels uncomfortable. He also seems to be uncomfortable during the awkward situation when Alonzo was reading the newspaper. Adding on to the fact that he was not used to this environment, I was able to notice that Jake did not know hot to act. This may suggest that he works for Alonzo and does not want to ruin his good reputation towards his boss. The close up shots of his face after Alonzo’s speech shows us his reaction which is often a frightened facial expression.