ACTION ADVENTURE TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Today we work through the June 2010 exam extract: The Bourne Identity (Director: Doug Liman, 2002, Universal Studios)
In point: 38 minutes 28 seconds into the DVD version of The Bourne Identity. Jason and Marie are exploring his flat in Paris. ‘Any Clues?’ Out point: 42 minutes 59 seconds. An assassin has burst through the window and fights Jason, while Marie looks on frightened. The assassin pulls out a knife. ‘Jason!’
Note: we focus on the point up to the phone call.

EXAM QUESTION:

• Explain two ways in which the people or events in the trailer fit the action adventure genre (10 marks)
• Explain how each of the following is used to create effects: the soundtrack, camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene (20 marks)
• Discuss the ways in which people are represented. Make reference to stereotypes (20 marks)

PREP for tonight: update your Production Log

CLASSWORK ANALYSIS:
Events: the quest
The events in this extract conform to the AA genre as Jason Bourne is searching for something – his identity. This generic convention it features in AA films: the character starts at the beginning of the film searching for something and undergoes many adventures searching for it. He pursues his quest, meeting obstacles and challenges. Here, the quest is seen in the phone call Jason makes, which fits the AA genre because of its type (investigative questions about a missing person) and its worrying outcome (the disappearance of a man called Kane); the phone call is accompanied by many typical AA codes such as Jason emptying onto the table a bag full of different passports in Kane's name. This is suspicious because it points to illegal activity, as do the wads of paper currency notes.
Clearly the assassin's violent attack is also typical of AA narrative, with the dangerous weapon and the intention to kill.
People: strong male lead
Another way in which this extract conforms to the genre is by having a dominating male as the protagonist; this is typical of the AA genre as it focuses on leading male characters. Jason is constructed as the action hero as he is the protagonist who acts with lightning speed, mental dexterity and physical courage. He is attractive, fit and determined. Marie is positioned as the female foil who does not take the lead physically.Bourne is very dominating as Marie asks him whether to use the bathroom and is in control throughout the scene; Marie asks him for his help when the water is cold, demonstrating how he takes the lead. 
Soundtrack There is little music in this extract as this heightens the suspense but high pitch pans banging together start during the tense moments in the scene, acting as a warning bell to Jason Bourne’s shock discovery whilst on the phone. When action is building it is typical for an action adventure film to start to play music as it creates more tension. There is a lot of use of non diagetic sounds as well such as the dialling of his phone and the running of water – adding to the realistic atmosphere of the scene.
Camerawork The narrative is driven by Jason Bourne as he is central in most frames and the many point of view shots from Bourne’s perspective enable the viewer to 
 they used that shot when Bourne was searching for his passport, drawing the audience in to the scene as though they are the character. There is also a long shot of Bourne which shows him by the white light of a window highlighting one contrast between his dark clothes and the sun outside to demonstrate he is trapped and a slightly dark character. Lastly after Bourne has received the news, a panning shot around his face reveals his emotion: he is shaken but trying to control the concern that the information has caused.
Editing At the beginning of the scene there is very slow paced editing to draw out the suspense and keep the audience on the edge of their seat but as Bourne soon realises whilst on the phone that someone may be in the flat, there are two jump cuts of other areas in the house suggesting they might not be alone creating suspense and dramatic tension as Bourne and the audience know but Marie is unaware. They also show Marie in the bathroom after the shot of Bourne searching through the money and for the passports to highlight the differences between their characters.
Mise-en-scene Bourne’s costume in this extract is dark, plain and rather anonymous, the outfit of someone who does not want to draw attention to himself; Marie’s outfit is casual. Bourne is very dismissive whereas Marie was very cheerful and happy. They use natural lighting of the flat but show Bourne standing against the white light of a window – contrasting the colour of his dark clothes to show his dark personality and his reaction to the news. The setting is very relatable to audiences and this the action adventure genre as it is a flat in an urban area creating sounds such as traffic and alarms from outside highlighting the silence in the flat.