Wallander

Wallander
Firewall, 7th December 2008, BBC 1

All the way through the opening sequence there are many parts which make the audience ask questions, as well as gain clues.

An example of this is the first shot, the audience could ask, why are we here? or whats happened here?

Another example of where the audience are made to ask questions is here where there are two characters walking away from the car. this could make us ask what the relation is between them, or why are walking away, and what are they walking away from.


Sound

The first sound we hear is of a windy, eery soundtrack, this might of been used to add to the emptiness location of the scene as well as to create create tension. The sound of the wind is then exaggerated as we get closer to the car, this reinforces the situation and makes the audience question what has happened. This soundtrack is then suddenly broken when we hear a sort of knife slicing, this is a foreshadow. when sound then suddenly stops it destroys all the tension and surprises the audience.

Additionally the use of digetic sound adds to the eery atmosphere. An example is the cars communication radio. This is significant as it reinforces the remote location of the crime and shows that all the communication was lost when the attack happened.

Editing

There are many different techniques used but a common one was a quick cut. This was particularly used when it was cutting between the taxi drivers different possessions. The cuts where used to show to the audience more information about what happened to the taxi driver, and show some aspects of his personal life. The cuts are also quick and uncover short duration shots, this again reinforces to the audience the possible quick attach to the character.


As well as uncovering different objects of the taxi driver, it also cuts to the two girls walking away from the car. This was used to show a link between them and the crime, but as the audience we are still asking questions about what happened and the girls part in that scene.

Cinematography 

The first shot we see is a helicopter track, this was used to give a high angle look at the scene, additionally the track draws the audience into the scene and makes us want to watch on. Also this camera use is effective as it gives a large scale view of the area
reinforcing the empty, wilderness atmosphere, where some people would not expect a crime to happen.

Another camera angle used was this long shot, it was taken from inside the taxi, this links the two characters to the taxi, which when the audience watch on shows the taxi driver murdered. Therefore this shot instantly links the characters to the crime scene, making the audience want to find out why and what actually happened.

Also the directors used an establishing shot to show where the scene happened. This again is reinforcing the sound and showing an empty, wilderness location, not somewhere you would expect a crime to happen.


Mise- En- Scene 

A prop the character used was a razor blade, seen hanging around her neck, this show that she is a violent, aggressive person. Again reinforcing to the audience they are probably the ones responsible for the murder of the taxi driver.
Additionally the Taxi in the background is clean and white, this colour often symbolises peace, this is then contrasted to the black clothing of the two girls, possibly suggesting they are the murders and again making the audience predict who is responsible for the murder.

Also the character has red in her hair, this again reinforces she is an aggressive character as the colour often represents blood and death, instantly making the audience link the character to the crime in the taxi.