Group analysis of "The Thin Red Line"

Group analysis - Group 3 The sequence begins with an establishing point of view shot of the surroundings from the position of the soldiers walking through it, showing the position they are in, diegetic sound is used at this point to show the wildlife around the area, as sounds of crickets are heard alongside wind and rustling of grass, this shows how quiet the location is, and connotes the fact it may be isolated, invoking danger of the soldiers in the next shot. There is then a straight cut to a backwards tracking mid-shot, revealing the position of the soldiers, alongside there expressions. The soldier at the front is more in focus, and attention is drawn to the mise-en-scene, particularly regarding his uniform and weapons, as well as the concentration on his face. This helps to create the war-like atmosphere of the sequence, as the isolation of the environment and the nature of the people walking through it hints that there is a war going on at that time. At this point the sequence is very slow paced, with non diegetic music added over the top, as well as the long takes used in this part of the sequence, this makes the mood more relaxed, however slow tension is building up as the shots begin to get quicker, showing the danger that is going to come later in the sequence. There is then a straight cut to a long shot of a change of scenery, therefore matching on action is used to create continuity between the two settings. The mew area is more claustrophobic, and low-key lighting is used to create more of a suspicious atmosphere of where the characters have moved to. This long shot shows how the surroundings overwhelm the soldiers, and how they are vulnerable, the camera slowly pans across the scene from left to right, further emphasising the density of the forest they are in. A straight cut is then use to a close up of a statue of a monkey, this close up tells us that this is an important part of the sequence, and that it is symbolic, low-key lighting is still used at this point, showing the fear and mystery behind the statue, it also further explains the location, as it shows they are not as isolated as previously thought, as there must be some form of civilisation in order for a statue to be placed there originally. The camera pans to the right of this statue slowly, showing more detail of it and showing even more that it is significant to the plot of the sequence through use of a long pan shot. After the shot of the statue there is a straight cut to a long shot of the surroundings, the camera slowly tilts upwards showing the trees, alonside the light coming through it in contrast to the lowkey lighting the soldiers are experiencing, this shows how the forest continues to isolate them, as it manages to block everything including light from it, there is a non diegetic narrative in the point of view of the soldier at this point, providing some exposition to the story and telling why they are in the sitation. There is then a straight cut to an extreme close up of a parrot, this backs up the location, showing that they are in a wild tropical location where wildlife is abundant, again adding to the idea of how isolated they are and how this is a threat to them, the camera slowly begins to tilt upwards, showing another parrot in the shot, again emphasising this idea of wildlife. The next shot begins with a long shot of some the forest, before tilting down to show a longshot of the soldiers, this shows how much the mass of foliage overwhelms them, and after panning from left to right, there is a close up focus of bamboo canes, showing how claustrophobic the area is and how trapped they are, despite being in such a massive area, this shows that they are lost and unable to find a way out, yet the size of the forest is still able to show there insignificance compared to the mass of the location around them. The next transiton used is a cross dissolve, giving a slow pace to the sequence, this gives the idea that a long amount of time has passed, and puts the point across that the soldiers must be working hard and travelling far to get what they are after and what is happening, the camera pans to the left as the characters walk, drawing attention to a one character, there is a straight cut to a close up of his face, showing his tired and fearful expression, making adamant this point about there effort filled travels through this setting. Another straight cut is used to show the expression of another soldier, this expression is similar, showing the lack of morale the group have at the time and the pain they are going through in there efforts. There is then a straight cut to a close up shot of a woman, the attention is drawn to her hands holding the other characters, giving a theme of romance during the flashback, the camera tilts back up to her face, showing them kiss, and the shot is then repeated in a similar way, showing there hands holding in the same take, this shows the significance of the romance and how the soldier is remembering the past, it also tells us what he has to lose while at war, and gives a feeling of fear and empathy on the audience due to the fact he could lose somebody close to him. There is then a cross dissolve, showing that the flashback is over, and giving a longshot of the forest and soldiers beneath the trees, this longshot emphasises the distance between home and where they are, and how far they must go in order to reach there goals, The camera tilts upwards, showing a large mountain and a higher number of soldiers marching over it, the feeling of the sequence grows more serious and tense at this point, as you begin to realise the amount of troops needed for whatever is going on and the danger implied by this.