The Machinist OpeningCinzia Labbadia

• BUDGET: $5 million• BOX OFFICE: $8,203,235

• SYNOPSIS:• The storyline of The Machinist is based on a character called

Trevor Reznik who is a machinist with insomnia which has become so severe he is emaciated (when an extreme amount of weight is lost). The film recalls the unfortunate circumstances in which Trevor has to live and the way in which he deals with the effects of his insomnia including brief flashes of images. It is this which causes Trevor to develop a paranoia and begin to suspect that he is becoming insane and increasingly distracted and alienated.

Camera• The screen starts out completely black with just the title ‘Filmax

Entertainment Presents’• The first shot is a long shot taken of a window in order to create

ambiguity since the audience are only able to view a small amount of the protagonist and some lights.

• A low angle close up of the main character is used as the character carries a body to highlight the control he has over the situation but also the struggle he is facing since we are able to see the pain he is experiences through his facial expressions.

• A long shot and pan are used as the character arrives at the coast to give the audience a view of the character struggling to continue to carry the body

• Overall, there are not many shots in the clip which I feel is to make the film extremely slow paced to highlight the lack of energy the character has and how he is struggling to function properly.

Sound• The beginning of the clip is silent and the first noise we hear is

heavy breathing and faint music• The non-diegetic music crescendos as the protagonist walks

closer to the window to heighten the suspense of seeing the full image of the protagonist

• As the clip continues, the non-diegetic music is generally louder than any diegetic music including that of the car, however, as the character is approached with the question, “Who are you?”, the non-diegetic music fades causing the sound to be focused on the crashing of waves.

Mise-en-scene• The scene starts out extremely dark causing the audience to

consider why the character is being hidden. We are able to view more of him mixed with the lights in the window screen.

• The opening is dark throughout which causes the audience to have an unclear view of the character until a close up of his face is seen in which we become aware of the scars and various marks on his skin.

• The characters facial expressions and body language throughout the opening highlight how scared he is and his struggle to cope with the situation he is in

Editing• The beginning of the clip starts black with the title fading into

the clip. After, we see a faint image of the protagonist amongst this darkness which could present his claustrophobic psychological state.

• The titles all fade in and out of the screen and are shown amongst the darkness.

• The lighting is likely to have been edited throughout the opening to make the majority of shots darker than they would appear on camera (to create mystery and ambiguity) and also to highlight aspects of the shots such as the car in the shot below on the right.