Taken Film Analysis

Taken is a popular crime thriller that also includes the plot of kidnapping.

This is the first image we see as the films begins. The shot is of the production company of the film and is the infamous 20^th century fox. This particular studio is known for its successful films so viewers will expect to see  a well produced film. The angle that we see the logo from is a low angle which connotes that 20^th century fox is a superior  film studios and are the very best and the use of dim lighting also connotes that there is still mystery involved in their films. The use of spotlights highlights to the audience that this is a conventional Hollywood film and Hollywood films are often associated with Syd Field’s 3 act plot structure.

 This is a big close up of a dominant party hat which says happy birthday which highlights that it is somebodies birthday, more specifically a child. The bright colours from the balloon and the hat connotes that this is a happy and enthusiastic time for the individual as birthdays are meant to be enjoyable occasions. The lighting is dim but this is not shown clearly as the frame stock is slightly fuzzy which underlines that this is a video which has been pre-recorded and from a previous time, for example a family film. This connotes that a person is reminiscing back to a time which is a happy time for them.

The quick cut then introduces more characters in this deep shot which shows to characters and an object. The character resembles and mother and daughter due to how the characters are positioned which connotes that there is a strong family link in the film. Furthermore the dominant figure in this show is also the horse which was gift opened up by the young girl connoting her innocence and showing the viewers her interests. This highlights that horses mat reoccur in the film and symbolise innocence and childhood. The lighting in this shot is high key lighting, however the grainy stock connotes that this is a home video of some sort. The text on this screen is positioned so that the focus still remains on the character.

 The shot then quickly cuts to this with a man sleeping which signifies that the grainy affect film clip was in fact him dreaming. This causes tension as the audience do not know how the girl or women is related to the man as he was not seen in the previous clip. The low key lighting doesn’t allow the audience to see much of the characters surroundings which leave the audience with unease and the sense of awareness. Low key lighting and shadows (as seen reflecting on the wall) are conventions of crime thriller films.

 The film continues and see’s him waking up. This long wide shot establishes the setting the character is in. the take away boxes on the table underline to the audience that he is living alone and the empty hallway and living room also show no sign of any other characters which highlights that he Is living alone. The high contrast lighting supported by the lamp connotes that there is a good and bad side to this setting or for the character themselves. The text on the screen says Liam Neeson making viewers aware of the actor who is famous for playing previous heroic roles In action/thriller films which symbolises that Liam Neeson will again be the hero in this film.

This wide shot show the character concentrated on reading the flyer in his hand. This flyer may represent something special or important in the storyline. Furthermore the high contrast lighting focuses the audience on the character in the shot and not anything in the surrounding  highlighting that this character is a ray of home compared to the dull surroundings. The light which is shone on the character allows us to see the colour that he is wearing which is a light grey. Often this colour is associated with boring and old which could signify the characters personality, dated and boring which connotes to the audience the dull person that he is.

 This shot is very important. The image in the photo frame is the dominant in this shot as it allows us to see a young girl riding on the horse. This shows us that the younger child from the character’s dream is this girl and to support this there is also a horse. This underlines that the character may be her father and also has significant role in the whole of the film. The high key lighting allows the audience to clearly see this image and acknowledge the relationship between the father and character. The title also appears in this shot. The simple and bold title efficiently connotes to the audience that somebody is ‘taken’ and with the girl being beside this title connotes to the audience that it may be the girl who gets taken.  

 This close up clearly shows the upper half of the character face. The high key ambience in the shot allows us to see the colour that the character is wearing. Again this is a dark grey which symbolises to the audience the dull and boring person that he is considering that he is also a father. This shot gives a clear idea of how the character looks and we can see that he is happy which highlights that he is enjoying a conversation. Also the lighting highlights the wrinkles on his face representing his age and tiredness.

This shot is a deep shot as it allows the audience to see significant items in the background of the shot as well as the character themselves in the front of the shot. We can see the strained expression of the character with the parcel he is wrapping up connoting to the audience that the character has a history of being a perfectionist. It can also suggest that the gift is important to he so he has to ensure that it is perfect. The object in the background is his suit which connotes to the audience that he is attending a formal event which is why he is making sure the parcel is wrapped appropriately.