'Buried' - Weekly Film Analysis By: Unknown No comments

RELEASED IN: 2010

TYPE: Feature

GENRE: Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Crime, Drama

CERTIFICATE: 15

RUNNING TIME: 95 mins

FILMING LOCATION: Spain/USA

LANGUAGE: English

DIRECTED BY: Rodrigo Cortez

PRODUCED BY: Adrian Guerra and Peter Safran

WRITTEN BY: Chris Sparling

PRODUCTION COMPANY: The Safran Company, Versus Entertainment, Dark Trick Films

DISTRIBUTED BY: Lionsgate

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Eduard Grau

EDITING: Rodrigo Cortes

MUSIC BY: Victor Reyes

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Ryan Reynolds

AWARDS: Won the 'Best European Film of the Year' award at the Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival in September 2010.

BUDGET: $2,000,000

BOX OFFICE: $19,100,000

THEMES: Death, struggle, pain, endurance, loss, horror

NARRATIVE: It is told with a real - time linear structure with one moment of an almost dream-like sequence where the protagonist, Paul Conroy is imagining being rescued, it then flashes back to the harsh and brutal reality of his situation; he is never getting out. This dream sequence is the first time where light/whitish tones are used, this is because this sequence is the first glimpse of positivity or happiness within the film, which is ironic since it is the only bit that’s not real, both of which are connotations of such light colours. In the rest of the film however, the tones used are predominantly dark/black and orange/red tones, both of which connote negativity, anger, danger, horror and death.

‘Buried’ is a single set production which means the whole film is set in one pitch black coffin buried underground, potentially making it very difficult to keep an audience engaged for a full 95 minutes. However, through the use of microfeatures, the filmmakers clearly do manage to keep an audience entertained as we can see from the high number of good reviews critics have given it.

One of the main micro features which keeps the audience engaged and creates meaning within the film is sound. This is because, since the entirety of the film is shot in one set, and uses little to no light or colour, sound is a very important part of the film. From his heavy breathing, shouting and crying, to the sound of the kidnapper and rescuer over the phone, the use of sound is vital in the characterisation of Paul and the other characters, and in telling the story to and engaging the audience.

KEY SCENES:

• Where he first wakes up in the coffin. For this sets the scene and helps the audience understand where he is and what’s happening.
• When he makes his first few calls and everyone he manages to get hold of is no help to him. Because this creates an increasing sense of hopelessness and terror.
• When the snake enters the coffin and the sand begins to pour in. As this adds yet another sense of horror to the scene.
• When the kidnapper asks him to film a video of him cutting off his finger. For Paul’s compliance shows the audience how desperate he has become.
• When Dan tells him they’re going to save him so he calls his wife and tells her he’s coming home. Because this gives the audience a much wanted wanted sense of hope and happiness.
• When Dan calls to say he’s sorry but they got the wrong location. As we now know Paul is doomed for his death.

COMPARABLES:

Although this is a very unusual premise for a film, and the narrative of the film is unlike anything I have seen before, the in terms of the plot there is one film I have seen which is based around a similar idea. This film is George Sluizer’s 1990‘ The Vanishing’.

The similarities between the two films include the fact that both films include someone being buried alive and waking up in a coffin, doomed to their death. However, there are some major differences between them. First of all, ‘The Vanishing’ has several settings including that of a petrol station, car and many others and therefore includes several other on set characters that the audience can see. However, ‘Buried’ which is set in just one place and therefore all characters except the protagonist are only heard, never seen throughout the film. Furthermore, the colour tones within ‘The Vanishing’ vary throughout in order to represent different emotions and points in time, whereas in ‘Buried’ the whole film is shot with black, and occasionally orange, colour tones.

Overall, both films are equally as effective in creating a scary and sinister mood, relevant to the thriller genre, they just do this through two rather different narratives.

OTHER:

It is interesting to note that Alfred Hitchcock’s films Rope (1948) and Lifeboat (1944) were an inspiration to Rodrigo Cortes when making ‘Buried’ and that the entire film was shot in one studio in 17 days.