wallender

Mise-en-scene, sound editing and camerawork are all used in the opening of Wallender to propose questions that help intrigue the audience members in and keep them hooked so they watch the rest of the series.

firstly, the mise-en-scene one of the strongest first impressions we get as the audience is the two girls

costume as they do not have any dialogue the audience are forced to make a judgement based on appearance. The dark clothing implies a goth like nature and this is stereotyped with up to no good teenagers however the necklace the older one wears is a razor blade referencing to self harming and so we predict that these two girls might need some emotional help and are not right, it also connotes violence and so we know that she is capable of killing someone but why? Aspects such as the red streaks in her hair and the big bold apparel that they wear for style shows their rebellious attitude and these two young girls who like ready for a night out are located in the middle of nowhere which is rather strange as they are the last types of people you are likely to bump into out on a cliff in a rural location. This is one of many questions that arise from mise-en-scene. furthermore, the whole scene appears to be washed with a dark tint and low in color that emphasizes the dull atmosphere. It also adds to the lifeless feel the whole scene has which relates to the man who is laying there lifeless which with the coloring makes it look dreadful as he is dying on a freezing cold, windy day alone. more so when the two girls are in the back of the police car low key lighting is used to make the girls look evil and appear even more dangerous even though they are going to the police station which makes us think there was more to it than just money.

Finally, the prop of a knife is used to show the danger within and surrounding the girls but its not exactly the biggest baddest knife which leaves imagination open to the brutality that happened, in addition to the blood that is used shows how the two girls do not care and make the mans life seem like an animal slaughter house.

The opening shot is a drone Ariel establishing shot which tells the audience the location is an rural cliff side and it is a rather chilling day with no one around. This wide shot feels so isolated however as a result of the 'nothingness' that is the countryside. there is a focus pull when Wallender arrives in his car which tells us that this man is of high importance and all our attention is directed to him. additionally his importance is backed up by the close up of his face showing his emotions towards the situation which is comparative to the audiences who are shocked after seeing the crime scene however to Wallender it seems to be another day at work with slight disgust to the reasoning behind the attack, this tells the audience that he is very professional at his job and has been doing it for many years. we are then put into his shoes by the use of a POV shot which is focused on the two girls and is very daunting as their emotions do not change almost creating them to be a threat. To conclude camerawork, the use of the extreme close up on the police officer shows he was brutally attacked and he is barely moving and struggling for life. This shot forces the audience to see the damaged the girls caused and how relentless they were. This shot is surrounded by other close ups showing that he was a family man and a innocent guy.

The first way editing is used to generate meaning is when the scene in weaved in by the fade which has the effect on the audience of a eire and gloomy atmosphere. It also sets the slow pace of the scene which is done purposely to allow the audience to get out what they put in and so own judgments are again made or alternatively keeps the audience locked as they wait for the pace to build up and for something to happen. The long takes and linking of shots together in specific orders for example we see the knife after we see the man lying in the car with blood all over him which creates a shocking realization and the long edits allow for the audience to piece together what they are immediately faced with and absorb the impact. Secondly the eye line match from Wallender to the girls helps show whose the protagonist as we are in his shoes and we are seeing what he is seeing and so we know that he is serious about his job.

Finally, the sound is very effective as the hyperbolic wind sound creates that glum air and cold weather which turns the mood down and also creates a grim feel to the audience as they wish not to be there. It also creates realism and the audience can relate back to a time when the wind has been that sharp on shore breeze that bites at your face. A climax is also built up to a quiet track and contrasting music which confuses the audience as they wonder why they have just witnessed what they have and also tells the message of somethings are sugar coated and in quite a sick way humerus as it questions their views as how can light be shed on an assault? The soundtrack is very depressing and yet calm which confuses the audience even more of what they should be feeling. But mystery is still in the air even though we know the girls did the assault and yet when its the two shot of the girls there is a lack of sound which further emphasizes the creepiness of the messed up children!