1 Day analysis

The clip I am analysing is the opening sequence of the film 1 Day ( Directed by penny wool cock and released on the 6Th November 2009) this is a socially realist/urban film set in the inner cities of Birmingham telling the lives of two gangs and the troubles money, drugs and guns can put you in to and also mainly a day in the life of a hustler.

The establishing shot shows the Gang leader (Angel) coming into the prison canteen. The scene opens with a mid shot of the two major prisoners sitting down at the table playing chess, straight away a pan is used to show the character Angel coming to join them at the table. As Angel confesses that he is given an early release he is offered a deal with the big prisoner to do a major crime involving money. The film uses alot of different ways in which it portrays the different gang members for example an over the shoulder shot is used when the deal between angel and the big prisoner was happening telling us that angel cannot say anything back to him due to fear also it gives the audience an insight of the importantance of the conversation.

Flash being the main actor of the film is going through a big struggle as he owes angel alot of money, as everything is pilling up in his hustling life things start to get abit wierd for flash. we see this by the amount of close ups that the director has used to show flashes facial expression and how worried he is at every problem that piles up in his so called 'shotting life'. This shows the different characteristics by using various shots such as high angle and low angle these angle shots show the difference between every gang member that flash associates with and the opposition side also.

Mise en scene plays a very important part of the film for example the props used in the film creates verisimilitude in the film, Guns,bandanna's and also flashy cars these are all real life situation's in a hustlers life stereotypically seeing things. The Clothing used in the extract matches the clothing of a typical so called gang member; the typical American style caps, bandanna's etc. The reason these clothing were used because it shows a real scenario obviously someone who grew up around all of this would not go for a smart look, these aspects of mise en scene create a sense of realism and trueness.

There are many diegitic and non diegitic sounds used in the opening scene, one example of the diegitic sound is when the prison guard opens the door for angel we see it happen and also hear it at the same time. An example of non diegitic sound used was when flash is being called from the cell by angel and his ring tone goes off we cannot see his phone go off we only hear it. Many sound bridges were used a steady beat was being played from scene to scene showing flash driving about going to his other vehicles to pull out some money making items.

I reckon so far this is the best social realist/urban film i have watched so far maybe because i am attached to the street life and surrounded by it all the time. This film in general would help our film extract alot as it would be based on a similar sort of theme. Our movie will be based on the stereotypical views of street life.

by Shihab Miah