Crash Paragraph Task

‘Analyse how language features were used to create a powerful emotional response in the audience.’

During the scene of confrontation between Middle-Eastern shopkeeper Farhad and Latino locksmith Daniel, director Haggis uses language features such as camera angles and soundtrack to influence the emotional response of the viewer. Farhad, caught in a misunderstanding, believes that Daniel is at fault for his shop being broken into, and he decides to get revenge. As Farhad steps out of his car, a low camera angle points up at him which makes him seem powerful and intimidating. Haggis does this to make us see how Farhad views himself as being dominant and justified in his actions, but the blinding light from the sun behind him washes out the frame and shows how he isn’t thinking clearly. Combined with diegetic sound that has been used in previous scenes of conflict, we as viewers are positioned by Haggis to have a growing sense of apprehension for what is to come. A close up of his gun as he walks over to Daniel adds to the suspense. Moments later, Daniel’s daughter Lara runs out of the house and jumps into Daniel’s arms; simultaneously Farhad shoots his gun which is pointed at Daniel’s chest. Haggis utilises our position of suspense and uses various cinematography techniques to enhance our state of shock as we believe Lara has been shot dead. While music plays in the background, the sound of the gunshot is enhanced and all other sounds, such as Daniel’s scream of anguish, are silenced. This dramatic use of sound causes the gunshot to physically shock us and then leaves us to focus on Daniel’s facial expressions, which are shown to us in a close-up camera shot. His emotion is projected onto the audience as we see Daniel’s anguish over the events. These language features enhance how we engage with Daniel’s devastation and this positions us to feel anger towards Farhad for the pain he has caused Daniel and his family, which confronts us with the realisation of how much our actions can affect others. As Daniel realises Lara is safe, he takes her inside and shuts the door, leaving Farhad standing on the footpath. A high camera angle looks down on him and makes him seem small and powerless, showing us as viewers how ashamed Farhad is of his actions and how he knows that he made the wrong choice. The intentional lack of diegetic sound leaves this moment open for reflection in the audience. As we see Farhad standing alone on the footpath, holding his gun away from him, we consider how not only can our actions have consequences to other people but also for ourselves. Farhad’s irrational actions caused a huge amount of pain for Daniel’s family that will stay with them for a long, long time, and Farhad’s reaction to his own actions shows that he never really intended to hurt someone in this way, but this realisation of the weight of his actions came too late. Haggis’ use of language features enhances our perception of the shame that Farhad feels, which makes us feel sorry for him despite what he has done. This also reveals to us how we are all human and we all make mistakes, but those mistakes can have serious implications on the lives of others and just because we are human it doesn’t excuse our actions.

Second paragraph (Ms Bagley you don’t have to read this one, I’m just practicing :D)

Haggis also furthers his use of language techniques in the scene with Officer Ryan and Christine in the burning car. He utilises these language techniques to influence our emotional response which forces us to once again consider how we treat people and how our actions can have serious implications in the lives of others, even if we deem them to be insignificant. This scene begins with Officer John Ryan and his partner in the LAPD arriving at the scene of a car crash. Officer Ryan runs over to an upturned car, and discovers Christine who he had encountered last night and sexually assaulted her in front of her husband. Understandably, Christine is extremely afraid of Officer Ryan and at first refuses to let him help her. The irony of Officer Ryan and Christine meeting again in a position where Christine must allow herself to be vulnerable and allow him to help her causes a huge emotional response in the audience. Dialogue and close-up camera angles are used to show Christine’s fear of Officer Ryan and what he might do, as she cries “Not you! Anyone but you, please!” This once again causes us to consider how much of an influence our actions can have on another person’s life. Officer Ryan was not really affected himself by what he did to Christine, apart from the fact that his initial police partner asked to be reassigned. However, Christine now has had any scrap of faith in the police and the justice system completely undermined by what Ryan did, and she now has newfound fear in the lack of truth in the justice system. The tension increases as Christine must allow Officer Ryan to lean over her in order to release her seatbelt and pull her out of the car. Close up camera angles show the emotion on Christine’s face, and non-diegetic sound is used to increase this suspense. Music with a strong pulse plays to make this scene more stressful as we realise that gasoline is dripping and is about to light the car on fire. This creates a sense of urgency as