Research Task - No Country For Old Men, Title Analysis 2/3 by Maria Beardall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eZ6EACDKiE

While out hunting, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) finds the grisly aftermath of a drug deal. Though he knows better, he cannot resist the cash left behind and takes it with him. The hunter becomes the hunted when a merciless killer named Chigurh (Javier Bardem) picks up his trail. Also looking for Moss is Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), an aging lawman who reflects on a changing world and a dark secret of his own, as he tries to find and protect Moss.

1.The name of the film (the film title):  How does it suggest the Thriller genre, connect with the audience, create interest or anticipation for the target audience?

The film title is 'No Country For Old Men', which suggests to the potential audience that the film is so desolate that it is hazardous for the characters, therefore intriguing and interesting to watch. It, in this way, creates interest as the audience will begin to question why as the title is quite enigmatised and also follows with anticipation as the audience want to understand and know what the title is in reference to. It however is an older film and quite simple, therefore I believe it is for an older demographic of possibly 25-50 year olds, it doesn't seem as new and upcoming as most films are nowadays to target the proposed audience, yet the simplicity is still effective for all ages, just not as attention drawing as others.

2. Consider how the film title design might further communicate meaning to the audience about genre, meaning or story. (Colour, font, animation, size, background etc).

The film title design can further communication of the film to its tone of the film - it's serious as the font is sans serif and the titling is simplistic. It had a black background and white font, which seems rather large, yet only takes up 20% of the frame, to not seem too 'in the audiences faces'. It's centred in the middle of the frame to draw people to look at it and show that it is a straightforward, intense and serious film. It looks as though it's written for a newspaper with the font and can connote newspaper headlines - bold and dramatised, yet serious to the situation.

3. What institutional info is included?

There are three parts of institutional information included, one of which is the film company, 'Miramax'. The second is the name of Paramount's 'daughter' company, 'Paramount Vantage'. They use well known companies and put the official titles of their company before the titles officially begin to show that the film is of the upmost importance and is professionally shot, edited and generally created for the audience's viewing pleasure. This will create an almost synthetic relationship of trust with the audience as they at well known and will believe the film is curated for them personally, by seeing it in the titles. There is then a shot with a black background and white font in sans serif to show a seriousness and official presentation in line with the title to follow - it is very similar and deliberately so to make the film look composed and have a continuous feel to it.

4. Is additional story info included - eg date or location of story? If so, why?

There is no additional story information included, presumably as the introduction is to give away as little as possible and keep the audience guessing; therefore making them tense and apprehensive as to what will happen and leaves them to ponder what the title means as the story unfolds, it keeps them actively viewing the film.

There was however a voiceover, which begins the start of the film in an mysterious, slow way (without seeing the voiceover's face) to make the audience question more than they actually know.

5. Are actors included? How are they introduced in the title sequence?

There are no actors included in the titles, a regular tradition nowadays as most actors names are left to the credits of the films, yet the main character is introduced with a voice over of him speaking whilst the black screen fades to a sunset and slow shots of fields to dramatise and make the wait much more intense as the audience will be slightly confused but also impatient to know what happens - tension will build.

6. For the sequence as a whole - consider the relationship between title and credit information and the background for that frame (onto black, a still image or moving image of the actual film). Suggest reasons for it being effective as part of the Thriller opening.

The title is very much a sequence of its own as there is no super imposed image and titles together, it is black and white and very simplistic. My reasoning is the film company wanted to make the film atmospheric in the way that there is a sense of mystery and generic danger as it looks dramatised and the very seperate titles give the audience more running time of the film where they don't understand what is going on, making them question the little information they have and sending the audience's brains into an almost detective-like mode. The audience will have their own theories and this will make it more dramatic if they have guessed inaccurately.

The title sequence is quite very simplistic and minimal, and achingly slow. In the storyline the audience will know next to nothing and this will keep them on edge and very cautious - meaning that a build up can be created in a true generic style to shock or surprise the audience, it is very slow deliberately to create a dramatic effect and give away as little as possible in an also serious tone too.

7. Is the sound diegetic or non diegetic - how is the title and credit sequence edited to the music? Are sound bridges used?

The sound in the titles is diegetic, it's of wind which starts to pick up near the end of the short but slow title sequence, and creates a feeling of worry or a slight pathetic fallacy of assumption of the film. It starts off slow and morbid and the wind also creates the feeling of an empty mise en scene for the audience. When it picks up it cues up the voice over to start, showing that a disruption by the voice over has been caused - mirroring the film in an odd prologue used to begin the film. The sound is diegetic but of course off screen to cause confusion and perplex the audience even more.

8. Study carefully the relationship between moving image segments of the film (the start of the plot) and the introduction of titles. What is the order in which they are introduced? Why do you think this is?

The titles are all faded in and out first to show that it begins quite peacefully yet mysteriously, and this correlates with diegetic sound as it is all slow and calm. Both the moving image and start of the titles fade on, but the title is first to be seen to create a dramatic and sullen entrance of the title, yet there is a juxta position of calm and the viewer's minds of chaotic wonder to what will happen next. The moving image is seen next, and has been edited into a very slow pace also, to promote a dangerous and dark time, and the tension begins to build as the audience know the danger and fright is building up in a disequilibrium.

All the titles fade to and from black and have black backgrounds and the wind sound together with the titles reminds me, personally, of a funeral and gives a very dark and dismal beginning. The voiceover mirrors this tone, which is still mysterious.

I believe they are done in this way deliberately so to set a tone and uphold it in the beginning of the film and also to make the viewer question what they are watching.

I think from this we, as film makers, can relate as we also have a voiceover and want to create a set mood and tone for our piece and this introduction can give us many ideas and one way of ideally titling our work.