Snatch (Guy Ritchie, 2000) is a crime comedy film featuring an ensemble cast. The film is set around the criminals in London, and contains two intertwined plots: one dealing with the search for a stolen diamond, and the other with a small-time boxing promoter who finds himself in trouble with a ruthless gangster who is ready and willing to carry out severe acts of violence. Some themes that are central around the plot of Snatch are crime, violence, gang culture and wealth. I think that the target audience for this film was aged between 25-30. This is because it is rated an 18, and so a teenage audience would not be appropriate. But, I still think the film would be effective with an audience of younger boys, as the film lacks sexual and explicit scenes which would be unsuitable content for them.
The film follows a linear, multi-strand narrative as it tells two interlinked stories of a variety of characters including Irish Traveller, Mickey O'Neil, arms-dealer Boris "The Blade", professional thief and gambling addict Franky "Four Fingers", American gangster-jeweler "Cousin Avi", and bounty hunter "Bullet-Tooth" Tony.
In the beginning of the film, all the characters are male, wearing suits and top hats. Now these costumes caught my attention to belong to the genre of Film Noir, and as these men have taken the form of a group, this could connote that they are in a gang, which also is another convention of the Noir genre as their narratives are built on crime in cities. As Neo-noir films such as Sin City have focused on one male protagonist who is usually a detective within a city but normally fighting for the love of a femme-fatal woman against the people she is in trouble with. Neo-noir films have escalated violence within the gangs, and this could potentially be due to the increase of gang violence in modern society today, and therefore this could mean that Snatch also has elements belonging to a social realism film.
In Snatch there are a lot of close-ups and mid-shots used to create a sense of claustrophobia for the audience, as in reality we are not used to viewing things so close that would cause an uncomfortable atmosphere. Contrasts between high and low angles are also used, because the audience are not viewing things at eye level, this emphasises the uncomfortable atmosphere. As the group of men walk through the narrow hallways in the building, point of view shots are used and so then it becomes obvious to the audience that these high angle shots are from a CCTV angle. I know this because the camera pans during a point of view shot, and the shot moves from one CCTV screen to another. By making the audience feel like they are watching the characters from a powerful point of view, this is effective as they feel more of a part in the film, which could increase their suspense and confusion as to what is going to happen in the film.
The props that are used within the film are conventional to the Noir genre. The use of guns throughout Snatch is conventional as conflict is a theme throughout the narrative. This contrasts with the next prop used, diamonds, as they seem to be the cause of the conflict in Snatch, as the group of men shoot the men in the office in order so they can steal the diamonds. The lighting used in Snatch is an important aspect of the film as by using low-key lighting it adds an effect to the dark and dreary atmosphere that Noir films create. Even though Snatch is filmed in colour, in some aspects the lighting is so dark the film could come across as black and white in some scenes.
The film follows a linear, multi-strand narrative as it tells two interlinked stories of a variety of characters including Irish Traveller, Mickey O'Neil, arms-dealer Boris "The Blade", professional thief and gambling addict Franky "Four Fingers", American gangster-jeweler "Cousin Avi", and bounty hunter "Bullet-Tooth" Tony.
In the beginning of the film, all the characters are male, wearing suits and top hats. Now these costumes caught my attention to belong to the genre of Film Noir, and as these men have taken the form of a group, this could connote that they are in a gang, which also is another convention of the Noir genre as their narratives are built on crime in cities. As Neo-noir films such as Sin City have focused on one male protagonist who is usually a detective within a city but normally fighting for the love of a femme-fatal woman against the people she is in trouble with. Neo-noir films have escalated violence within the gangs, and this could potentially be due to the increase of gang violence in modern society today, and therefore this could mean that Snatch also has elements belonging to a social realism film.
In Snatch there are a lot of close-ups and mid-shots used to create a sense of claustrophobia for the audience, as in reality we are not used to viewing things so close that would cause an uncomfortable atmosphere. Contrasts between high and low angles are also used, because the audience are not viewing things at eye level, this emphasises the uncomfortable atmosphere. As the group of men walk through the narrow hallways in the building, point of view shots are used and so then it becomes obvious to the audience that these high angle shots are from a CCTV angle. I know this because the camera pans during a point of view shot, and the shot moves from one CCTV screen to another. By making the audience feel like they are watching the characters from a powerful point of view, this is effective as they feel more of a part in the film, which could increase their suspense and confusion as to what is going to happen in the film.
The props that are used within the film are conventional to the Noir genre. The use of guns throughout Snatch is conventional as conflict is a theme throughout the narrative. This contrasts with the next prop used, diamonds, as they seem to be the cause of the conflict in Snatch, as the group of men shoot the men in the office in order so they can steal the diamonds. The lighting used in Snatch is an important aspect of the film as by using low-key lighting it adds an effect to the dark and dreary atmosphere that Noir films create. Even though Snatch is filmed in colour, in some aspects the lighting is so dark the film could come across as black and white in some scenes.
Chloe this is analysis that is moving in the right direction you discuss the genre, camera shots and angles and you have thought about how the Director has made choices to affect the audience. However the writing could be enhance by making it more cohesive. Have a think about how many C.C.C.E.O has been used?
ReplyDelete