Evaluation activity 1

The title of the film is CRUEL, it is called CRUEL because its meant to give the audience an idea of what the film is going to be about. Cruel means causing pain to others or not helping someone in need of help. CRUEL is a one worded thriller the same as Insomnia and Memento these two titles give the audience a feel of what to expect because in Memento Guy Pears can't remember things because he suffers from amnesia so he takes pictures of subjects/things to remember, the word Memento means an object that reminds of a person or event, so the title of the film has a meaning towards the film. In Insomnia the character of Al Pacino suffers insomnia which means he isn't able to sleep or failing to stay asleep and that's what insomnia means, both titles of the films have a meaning within their film.


The setting and location of the film is North London and the settings are poor area and alleyways. The location and the setting of the film are conventional because thrillers are usually dark, realistic, rural area and tough areas. We focused on filming in corners of alley ways because they fit into the stereotype and they also create other stereotypes. The opening of this film is filmed in two different alley's and the characters house, the alley's make the audience suspicious that something is going to happen so they create stereotypes for example they might think a drug deal is happening. The settings help the plot because it fits into the stereotype. The setting and location of the opening of CRUEL is very typical for a thriller because it shows the real world and its realistic, no special effects were used which is also typical for a thriller. The opening of Harry Brown is similar to CRUEL because Harry Brown starts with a gang in an underpass which looks abandoned and it shows the audience what's happening in dark places where no one goes which also fits the stereotypes. The gang is using drugs and weapons are also visible, the opening shows the rural area. The setting and location of Harry Brown is a dark under pass without lights.

The costume and props in this film are used to make some of the characters look like drug dealers and another to look like a drug addict also the drug dealers are meant to look stereotypical by wearing hoodies and tracksuit. The first character in the film (Mario) whom is wearing a grey tracksuit and a grey hoody, this outfit shows that his hiding from some, he doesn't want to be seen or his hiding something or hiding from someone, he is also on his phone and when the character of Rosie walks past he calls her over, he was using the phone as a disguise so someone doesn't find him suspicious. The character of Rosie is wearing more casual clothes everyone wouldn't think she is a drug addict, she is also using her clothes as a disguise. The other drug dealer (Dawain) is also using his phone whilst waiting for Rosie also like the previous character he is using his phone as a disguise because he is obviously doing something illegal. Theses characters fit into the thriller conventions because they all have something to hide, their costumes make the film more realistic.

The camera work and editing in this opening. Jumps cuts are used to cut out any walking from one location to another because there's a lot of walking from the main character Rosie, the jump cuts allows the audience to stop worrying of  how the character is going to the other location. Motivated cuts are also used to, they're used when something gets the characters attention or looks somewhere and then the camera changes to what the character was looking at, this allows the audience to see what the character is seeing. In thrillers there's usually an item where the camera is focusing on something and that thing comes on later on in the film. Close ups are also used to show something significant or and action for example opening a door and there's a close up of the characters hand and the door handle.

The title font and style of the film is kept simple so that the audience can see them clearly, also the font isn't big, so that the audience focus on watching the film, the credits start after the first scene which is different to thrillers because they usually start slowly with not much action going on. The title of the film CRUEL stands out because we want the audience to know the films name. Like other thrillers the titles of the films stand out for example in Memento the credits have a black background however as soon as the title is about to come on the screen changes to the film and the title stands out.

The story and how the opening sets it up. The opening of the film has a lot of action which is unusual for a thriller because they usually start slow without a lot of action. The opening raises a lot of question which is typical for a thriller for example in the opening scene of Memento Guy Pears takes pictures so he remembers things also the picture is of a man shot in the head so the audience ask themselves "why is he shot?". The question the audience that the audience will ask themselves after the opening of CRUEL  is "what are the staff?", "why does the character of Mario want the staff from her?" and etc. The opening is meant to raise questions and then get answered in a twist.

The characters in CRUEL are introduced by giving them a certain image by the way they act and the things they wear. The introduction of Mario and Rosie was obvious to the audience because they were in the first scene. The introduction of the third character is not expected to the audience because he just appears in the next scene.