We will need to use a similar effect or one that has the same clarity between past and present if our similar non-linear narrative is to be successful and understandable. This film also has the same twist of the clones/ genetically edited people ending up being in control.
They have made effective use of Mise-en-scene creating a believable office and meeting setting as well as a doctor’s theatre.
At the start of the film the use of sound, if effective in creating an enjoyable media product, the screams bring intrigue and curiosity. The telephone in the office helps infer the scene, and is stereotypical of an office setting.
The ‘office costumes’ both men are wearing suits and the layout of the table helps further clarify that it is an office.
The close up on the subject 13 document gives some insight into the narrative of the film, it starts to introduce the subject 13 character and it also give the audience some idea of what to expect from the film.
The ‘subject 13’ title and the bass like thud behind it reinforce the significance of the subject 13 character. The director has effectively showed a parallel to what is said on screen using the non linear narrative, as the ‘boss’ says ‘it will make us rich’ an image of the character ‘Pete’ flashes up with him sat in an ally way screaming. It creates curiosity as although the audience now knows that what the boss has said is not true it makes them wonder how ‘Pete’ will get to this point and it also begs the question will he recover from it.
The shot reverse shot here between the boss and Pete is an effective use of editing clarifying the convocation.
The next scene shows a camera movement revealing an audience we can tell be the setting, being a lecture theatre like room, with a white board with figures and statistics on it and by the costumes of the extras on screen being very businessman like as they are all wearing smart suits reveals that this is a business meeting, their posture, of leaning forward and looking like they are intensively listening reinforces this. This is further clarified by the lines used by ‘Pete’ e.g. ladies and gentle men.
The introduction of subject 13 is done very dramatically, the use of music, the shining light as the door opens and the way subject 13 enters the room very ‘robot like’ reinforces his importance, and also displays characteristics stereotypically associated with a robot or a clone, this is what the director is trying to achieve.
The loud thud helps signify the change in scene and it creates tension in the audience as they wonder what is happening. The deep humming noise reinforces the tension.
This shows the difference in the tone of the film alongside the music used to built tension it helps clarify the change in circumstances.
The film then cuts to the old meeting where ‘Pete’ talks about how effective subject 13 is, the music builds up to create more tension.
It then cuts back to Pete with a speeded zoom in to his face, this shows he is walking with his head bows. The audio from the meeting in the past is played over the present showing how as he describes how effect subject 13 is, and how these implications have taken effect in the future. For example as he describes their ability in ‘accounting and arithmetic’ is it shows a clone or another subject 13 working in an office .
Another example is he describes how
subject 13 can cover a lot of position in public workforce as he says this it
shows his old ‘boss being sacked’ as he throws his tie into a box full of
belongings. Throughout this entire time it has the camera angle looking up on Pete with his head bowed low. this furthers his sorrow at this point.
It later cuts back to the meeting as ‘Pete’ is asked why the subject 13 is better than a human, the camera angle used when the woman asks the questions shows her hand up in the foreground and him in the background at his lecture stand, this effectively give the audience a full view of what is going on. there is also an effect use of pulling focus here.
‘Pete then further describes the improvements of subject 13 this continues to reinforce the present scene of him walking through the office ‘like a condemned man’. As he continues to describe how greatly improved the subject 13 is it shows one of his colleagues being thrown out.
As soon as this happens it cuts to a shot with a ‘dolly zoom’ famously used in the jaws films this type of shot makes the background change as the character stays in focus and in the centre, it effectively creates a feeling of dizziness and distress.
It then goes on the scene builds are more dramatic music is played, it begins to bring together the film. As Pete continues to describe how effect and ‘better than human’ it cuts to many different shots showing the clone and the commotion and surprise of the people within the business meeting.
It also shows a shot of subject 13 on a medical table aided and stereotypically depicted by the bright overhead light, the nurses costume the heart beat and the bleeping of machines.
A this point the tension builds as it repeats the screams of Pete’s colleague.
The tension reaches its climax as the narrative draws to an end. Pete is taken into the new bossed office Pete is shown in a low camera angel showing he is inferior and new boss’s hand are only revealed showing his superiority.
Pete’s begging posture continues to infer this.
The close up on Pete’s face shows his intention emotion, something Richard dyer includes in his theory of enjoyment of films, this reveals the intensity he talks about.
The camera tilts up to show the new boss is subject 13, this reveals how the role reversal has changed and helps make clear the little hints dropped throughout the film.
The next shot showing 3 subject 13’s all stood next to each other is an effect we will be looking to recreate in our own film. The way it has been edited helps reinforce the number of subject 13’s.
The final part of the film, cuts to Pete closing the deal with the business people, and also the newly created subject 13 on the hospital table. It then finally shows us the shot of Pete weeping in the alleyway we glimpsed earlier in the film.
The titles come up using the same camera static effect used as a theme throughout the film in-between the titles.
