The Hurt Locker fits the action adventure genre as all characters carry violent weapons e.g. guns, explosives, these are common elements of an action adventure film - this is shown when all soldiers are heavily armed when they see the man approaching with his hands in the air showing that danger is involved in the film. The fact that every character is a soldier shows they are in the middle of war and are in the act of trying to save people this is also relevant to the action adventure genre as the protagonist in the typical action film always saves people from the antagonist - this is what's happening in this clip. Although there is not shown an actual antagonist in the clip we can imply that the suicide bomber that approaches the group of soldiers has an ulterior motive and it's the soldiers job to protect the people in the surrounding area - that's what the sergeants job is to do, diffuse the bomb.
Q2. Explain how each of the following is used to create effects: (30 marks)
- Soundtrack
- Camerawork
- Mise-en-scene
- Editing
A hand-held camera is used throughout the clip and is probably the most used in this scene, by having this it makes the audience aware of the situation and how serious it is. As well as using the hand-held camera they are also using a point-of-view shot this is showing everything form the sergeants point of view - by having a shaky effect on it the audience see how fast paced everything is and how the soldiers are trying to diffuse the situation quickly - this makes the audience feel involved in the film and builds tension. When characters are having a conversation about the situation about the suicide bomber there is an over the shoulder shot this is to show the two people conversing and makes the audience feel apart of the conversation and aware of everything that's going on at the same time - this keeps them interested. An establishing shot is used frequently to set the scene, this shot is used a lot at the start at the clip when the audience can see the distance between the suicide bomber and the soldiers but also their surroundings - this makes the audience connect with the storyline and gives them time to understand what is happening before something else happens.
Editing
Fast paced editing is used a lot throughout this clip, this is to show the amount of things that are happening in the same scene. This also builds tension as due to the clips being quick they are able to see how quick the characters, e.g. soldiers, are working this makes the audience question what may happen and keep them interested due to the action happening quick. CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) is also used at the end of the clip when the suicide bomber's bomb goes off and there is an explosion. The CGI is used so the film is realistic and believable - this is important in this type of action adventure film as it's based on war, if the audience don't believe it then they will not be interested in the storyline. This type of editing means they are able to show more action effects e.g. explosions which means it keeps the storyline interesting and builds suspense. Some slow motion editing has been used at the end of the clip when the bomb goes off, this makes the audience aware what is happening and is able to see how the character feels e.g. when the bomb is going off you can see that the sergeant is feeling disorientated and shows the devastation of the bomb and the death that follows.
Mise-en-scene
The props and costumes used are to show that the film is based in war and that the characters are soldiers e.g. guns, uniform. The amount of weaponry used, the uniforms and the positions of the characters connotates to the audience that this is an action adventure film, the fact that all the characters are holding weapons signifies that they are in the middle of war and are there to protect the people and may be violent. The lighting used is bright to show the contrast between being inside and outside and that the characters are outside in the daylight. The setting in this clip shows that they are in a poor country/area due to it being dusty, lack of security and lack of clean buildings - this again signifies the middle of war due to the lack of people around.
Sound
Synchronous sound is used throughout the whole clip as the sounds are relevant to the scene e.g. shouting commands, heavy breathing and weapons being armed. This means the audience is able to follow the storyline and understand more about what is happening. There is no soundtrack during this scene this is too show the seriousness of the situation and build more tension for the audience, if there was soundtrack it would lose the importance of the scene and wouldn't have the same dramatic effect. Diegetic sound is used also, as there is no soundtrack the only sound you can really hear is dialogue whether its from the soldiers or the suicide bomber - this is how the audience is able to understand fully about the situation that the characters are in e.g. the sergeant is talking to another uniformed character about whether to shoot the suicide bomber or not.
Q3. Discuss the ways in which people are represented in the extract. Refer to stereotypes in your answer. Use examples from the extract. (20 marks)
The main character, the sergeant who has to diffuse the bomb, is represented as the protagonist. This is because when the suicide bomber first comes walking in the soldiers are all tense and unsure of what to do, as soon as the sergeant arrives they are less tense knowing that someone is in charge and knows what they are doing. The audience are able to tell this character is in charge as everyone listens to what he has to say and does whatever he tells them to do - this shows there is an amount of trust between this character and the soldiers and respect. The character who translates what the suicide bomber is saying for the sergeant is the stereotypical character that cares for other people and likes to help people when they need it. This is shown when the sergeant and another soldier are talking about whether they can shoot the suicide bomber safely and the translator explain that the men means no harms and just wants help.
