The film Phone Booth is a morality thriller directed by Joel Schumacher who is also a screenwriter and film producer. The film was scheduled to be released on the 15th November 2002 however, due to the Beltway sniper attacks it was delayed to the 4th April 2003. The key actors of the film are Collin Farrell, who plays Stu Shepard, Kiefer Sutherland, who plays the caller, Forest Whitaker, who plays Captain Ed Ramey, Radha Mitchell, who plays Kelly Shepard and Katie Holmes, who plays Pamela McFadden. The film was written by Larry Cohen. Phone Booth is in ‘real time’ which is very unusual. The whole film is based around a phone booth in which Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is trapped in by a sniper. This makes it very hard for the film to build up any tension because it is set in just one location. Moreover, there are a limited number of characters which makes it even harder. Phone Booth is a very low budget film but Larry Cohen bid for Hollywood actors.
The opening of the film uses some very clever media techniques. There is a crash zoom right at the start of film showing a phone call being transmitted up into a satellite in space and then being sent back down to earth to another phone. This emphasizes what happens when a phone call is made and what is going on when a phone call is going on. Furthermore, it is a very interesting way to start a film so it would make the viewer intrigued and they would want to see what is going to happen. The music which is accompanying the opening is non-diegetic, however, when the phone call is sent back to earth, the music then becomes diegetic because there is a gospel choir singing that song on the street. The images introduce the idea of a mad city, where everyone is running around and on the ph...
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...still at large out there and could do absolutely anything. The values and ideology that the film Phone Booth promotes are to be honest with everybody, be loyal and most importantly be true to yourself.
Overall, I feel that the director was very successful in sustaining tension throughout the whole film because when I was watching it I was on the edge of my sit as I didn’t know what was going to happen. I also thought that the ending was done very cleverly with ‘The Caller’ coming back at the end because I wasn’t expecting that to happen. The film was released later than it was mean to be because of the Beltway sniper attacks and the director (Joel Schumacher) didn’t think it was the right time for the film to be released. I feel that the film did create the right amount of tension however, I would’ve liked the film last longer because I really enjoyed it.
This film unlike most others on the same topic had no real event to focus on. There was not just one climax or specific scene that the others built up to or supported. I cannot say that I enjoyed it but I do feel it has to a great extent affected me. The only reason I feel that this film is one worth watching is because of the latent message it holds. It very successfully exposes authority and bureaucracy in society. The characters in this film portray people that are either convinced or have been convinced that are crazy.
Aside from the opening credits, the very first piece of textual evidence displayed is “Detroit Michigan, USA.” Soon after this, the audience is able to see a city being drawn in the background with the date 1968 displayed. This piece of information and artistic aesthetic give the viewer a time and place to anticipate. Also, while there is diegetic music being played, the title and date of the song is displayed on screen. For example, during one of Rodriguez’s song being played diegetically, the title “Crucify Your Mind (1970)” is displayed on the screen.
In the film the music is very important. At the beginning it is set at
I think the performance delivered the message and intent perfect. I was not once confused, but it is that which starts out some what at the end and uses flashbacks to tell the full story.
First of all, diegetic sounds and ambient sound effects are integral in creating tension and apprehension in the film, as “ …sound plays a critical role in determining how audiences react to images.” (p.234) At the background of the opening shot the audience hears the distant roll of thunder; gradually its sound increases and reaches its maximum, causing fear of impending jeopardy. As the tension escalates, the volume of the sound rises, we hear the roaring of dancers’ drums, and its sound is intentionally exaggerated, the tempo of music speeds up as well as the dance of the indigenous performers of the ritual sacrifice to gods. The alteration of volume and tempo of the sound heightens suspense and makes the audience anticipate with anxiety the forthcoming shots.
make the sets look in such a way that the audience were on edge from
shots in the film was the extreme close up of Bates eye when he was
The screenwriter chose an effective way of illustrating the point of attack, establishing the setting and handling of exposition. The first scene of the film was a black screen which had audio of a man and a woman having a conversation. After, the film switches to a grainy video of men being detained by police. The video clip manages to bring the dramatic tension to all time high because an unidentified character is shot by the police. Therefore, this left a sense of uneasiness and tension throughout the whole film. The beginning of the film also did a wonderful job of establishing the setting. The scene of the grainy video clip had a caption box stating it was “Fruitvale BART Station 2:15AM New Year’s Day 2009”. The film then introduces the
At the start of the film, Marker put in this familiar noises of the planes to tell us that it was situated at the airport. Without the use of the sound in this particular scene, it would be just a photo montage whereby the viewers wouldn't probably feel the present of planes. Music helps to establish a sense of the pace at each of the accompanying scene and sometimes overlap voice-over musical score. At the beginning of the film, the images of the war torn Paris was accompanied by some sort of choir music that sounded very depressing and melancholic which then adds to the atmosphere. With the film starting off with this eerie atmosphere could also foreshadow a depressing storyline later on, that the protagonist meets his own death. Furthermore with the deliberate use of music in various part of the film, it kind of foreshadow the tragic ending whereby the fixated image of him as a child watching someone die at the
The directing in this movie, however, was really poor. The props, murders, and camera direction left much to be desired. The director Dario Argento was highly decorated throughout the 1960s, but he really showed his bad side of directing. This movie had such high potential but he really destroyed that potential.
In the opening scene of the movie we see Frank’s character played by Denzel Washington. Right away we are shocked by his violence and see his power. This is the first motif we are introduced to. We see Frank stand tall over his victim, and the dark shadowing we see on his face and body show his dominance. Another motif we are introduced to is how real this film is setup to be. The car headlights that setup the background and introduce where we the setting is as well as motivate lights. They have a purpose in the film in promoting its authenticity. We also hear the all the sounds in the forefront. When hear the sounds up close it dramatic for us as viewers. We hear every 7drop of gasoline that is poured on the man’s body and we even hear the flick of the lighter as Frank sets the man on fire. This is the director Scott Ridley’s way of saying to the audience I want to fool you, and I want you to feel like you were there and what you are watching in front of you is real.
I feel that the movie has no weaknesses. This is because even though I had a few things I didn’t like such as the anonymity given, I realised that there was a reason for this which I explained in my strengths of the movie below.
Overall, the score was beautiful and appropriate, adding suspense and mystery at all the right times. The sound effects added psychological flavor to the story without drawing too much attention to it.
The book and the movie were both very good. The book took time to explain things like setting, people’s emotions, people’s traits, and important background information. There was no time for these explanations the movie. The book, however, had parts in the beginning where some readers could become flustered.
The opening credit sequence is a beautiful montage of all the great sights of the city and its people, giving us a real sense of the metropolis. From the rich neighborhoods to the slums, from the working class to the homeless sleeping on the streets – it all plays wonderfully as we witness many of them waving to the camera, all from different backgrounds, cultures and races, and all very proud to be Philadelphians. To me, it’s one of the best opening credit sequences in recent memory. Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” plays over it all and it’s still as emotionally involving as it was back when it was ruling the airwaves in ‘93.