Essex Boys Opening Scene Analysis

Essex Boys Opening Scene Analysis

By Jake Bromley

In Essex Boys, the first thing we see is a lockup door being opened by the protagonist to reveal the inside of the lockup containing a car and various other objects hidden in the shadows. The only light source in this image is the street light on the wall opposite the lockup and high intensity of the light utilizes the concept of chiaroscura which is present in most thriller films.

In this shot we are first introduced to the character: Jason Locke and were given a brief background on his character by the voiceover, which is narrated by the protagonist. We see this character through a dirty car windscreen and he has half his face engulfed in the shadows implying that there may be sinister qualities to his character and as explained in the voiceover we learn that his character is involved with crime and has recently been released from prison.

This shot shows a car entering a dark tunnel, the same car we saw earlier that is now containing the two characters that we were previously introduced to. This long shot shows the car from a distance giving the effect that it is small and unimportant compared to the wide tunnel, this could imply the long journey that the two characters are embarking on.

In this shot we see the protagonist and Jason sitting in the car, the lights on the roof of the tunnel are reflected on to the windscreen of the car, this image is significant because it could be foreshadowing the fates of the two characters, implying that the characters are to be involved in life of crime.

This shot shows the car emerging from the dark tunnel out into a dull and mundane atmosphere representing typical British weather, this gives the audience the impression that the tone of the film is very gritty which is shown commonly in British gangster films.

The shot here shows the brutality of the character Jason, when he mercilessly beats a man to the ground in full view of many fish market workers and gives the audience more knowledge on his character and give them a negative opinion on his character. This image also gives the impression that the film is going to contain a lot of violence steeped in crime.

This image is the first shot taken from the point of view of the protagonist, which allows the audience to identify with his character. This shows the man Jason has just beaten on his knees whilst Jason opens a container of acid as he is about to throw it in the unsuspecting man’s face.

This shot is an extreme long shot, showing a vast landscape where Jason and the protagonist have left the severely injured man. The purpose of the extreme long shot shows the insignificancy of the events that just took place. The image focuses primarily on the location which relates back to earlier views on the atmosphere showing the dullness of the weather by the grey clouds.