Script for recording video analysing ‘Detour’

Clip 1- subject titles, fonts & opening effects

In the opening credits of Detour the name of the film is instantly given to the audience. The name Detour is large in the mise-en-scene and is in a italic curly font. The font fits convention of film noir films in the time there were produced. This film was produced in 1945. The text has a drop shadow and fades in and out as a transition between each title. The alignment of the text varies between shots and following conventions of films the significant actors or main producer’s directors names are larger on the screen than less important figures involved with the film. The name detour instantly connotes a change in path, a journey and already embeds questions in the audiences mind.

Behind the credits an establishing landscape shot is presented of a road within countryside. The camera is moving backwards in a dolly camera movement. This shot creates the idea of someone sitting in the back of a car watching the road behind them so it could be described as a point of view shot.

The road in this shot looks very empty with no cars or people in sight the landscape looks isolated and lonely foreboding of events that will occur later in the film.

The non diagetic score in the opening of detour is an orchestra musical score by Leo Erody. It creates an ambient background that sounds menacing in minor tones at parts of the score and in other parts it sounds more cheerful and optimistic. Perhaps this could have been used to mirror the highs and lows of the films. In the opening of the film Al Roberts is optimistic and happy at the prospect of following his girlfriend Sue to Hollywood however as soon as he begins his journey events go terribly wrong which leads to his tragic fall mirrored in the low minor parts of the score.

There is a high pitch ringing towards the end of the credit which begins the film as the last credit fades into black.

Clip 2- Opening Scene, Flashback, and Enigma Code-

The opening scene is very ominous being very darkly lit; most the mise-en-scene is black apart from a male figure that can faintly be seen walking. The shot is lit by a car coming past its lights acting like spotlights and this tells the audience he is trying to hitch a ride. This creates an enigma code to the audience as they consider where he is walking, how he ended up here and where is he trying to go?

The score from the credits continue however the volume is reduced and less orchestral instruments can be heard. It is simpler leaving more interest on the narrative.

In a medium close up the male protagonist is first scene. Although his attire is difficult to see in such dark lighting used to create a dark, dismal setting he appears initially to look smart in a suit however looking closer his tie is undone he looks messy and very unhappy.

The shot of the male protagonist Al cross fades into a wide shot of him in a car with a man. This is a flashback that refers to events that happen later in the narrative. Detour is a film noir film that helped set many conventions for the film noir genre. Flashbacks and a non linear storyline is a convention that Detour uses. The use of flashback here feeds the earlier enigma code of if he would be able to get a ride. But it also creates a new enigma code. As the camera slowly zooms into a medium close up of Al the audience sees his facial expressions for the first time which appear to be dismal and sad. Here is presented as an Anti Hero and the audience by this representation is engaged and curious to find out more about this character.

Clip 3- Diner scene- Voiceover- Character Development

A new setting is then presented which is a diner. The lighting here is much brighter and within the mise-en-scene the setting appears more cheerful, the music appears to be coming from the duxe box and is more upbeat creating a happier setting In this scene the character of Al is developed by dialogue between other characters. Through his dialogue he appears to be cenacle, rude and agitated. When he here’s a piece of music played on the juxe box he becomes extremely agitated and desperately wants it turned off. A straight cut and close up shows this his disgust at the music by a close up shot. The mise-en-scene and placing of actors is effective here and is this wide shot Al appears to be stuck in between two male characters. The bar man is in the forefront of the shot, Al in the middle and then the man at the bar is in the back. This blocking of characters portrays Al’s frustration and how he feels so stuck.

Another key convention and techniques of Film noir film making is used in this first scene. The camera pans into a close up of shot of Al’s face. The lighting then turns very dark and changes into high contrast lighting or low key lighting where parts of his face are dark with little light contrasted by one beam of light that reveals his forehead and eyes which reveal a lot about his emotions. This change of lighting signifies a change in the narrative as a non diagetic narration begins. It is used to show his inner thoughts and feelings and to offer more narrative and back-story to

the audience. His dialogue is very ominous and is initially quite vague. It is used to flash back to the start of the narrative. The music works as a device to go back into the past.

Clip 4- setting, weather, lighting- its effect - This scene is one which presents a classic Film Noir feature. Clever lighting and effects have been used to create a misty, foggy, smoky setting which embeds a dark eerie tone in the scene. In the scene the camera pans with the characters in a medium close. From the dialogue the audience finds out Sue wants go to Hollywood.

Clip 5-change in protagonist, phone call to Sue, camera angles

A shot reverse shot shows the telephone conversation between Al and Sue. This scene is key to the narrative as it begins Al’s journey travelling to Hollywood. When this scene is contrasted to the latter scenes a binary opposition can b e noted as Al’s whole appearance and happy, optimistic representation is never to be seen again.

Clip 6-Al starts his journey, editing effects, animation, transitions

Firstly a low angle shot pointed upwards shows Al trying to hitch a ride. In these shots editing effects and animation is used to show a map with a walking shadow. This creates the idea of Al walking & travelling to Hollywood. A narration from Al is also layered over this animation illustrating his anxiety from travelling and his feelings towards money.

Clip 7-gets a ride, key part, of narrative, lighting

When Al says ‘if only I knew what I was getting into that day’ this tells the audience something bad is about to happen. As we see Al running into a car that’s pulled up the pace of the score drastically increased mirroring his excitement this has the effect of creating tension.

Clip 8-kills man, tension building, music, lighting, disequriblirum, twist in the narrative

So Al catches a ride with a man named Charles Haskell. Many off the shots are travelling shot showing the car in the mise-en-scene are wide shots showing the car from the back. In the wind mirror a reflection of Al can be seen which is another film noir technique of using reflections to show emotions of characters. In this dark shot the lighting is extremely dark and uses high contrast lighting to show its night time and create a menacing foreboding tone. A false sense of hope is created through a narration of Al but as soon as the awful, dangerous weather appears the narrative takes a turn for the worst. The weather & setting

used in the mise-en-scene sets a tone that makes the audience predict something bad to happen. A close up shot shows Haskell’s head fall onto the rock so the audience can Cleary see his death is an accident and not murder. Foley sound effects of rain are layered over the music to create realism of the setting and heighten the effect of the weather. This scene then f straight cuts to a flashback of at the diner which appears at the start and at the very end of the narrative.

Clip 10- femme fatale character introduced, camera movements, connotes danger, music

Once Al decides he will impersonate Haskell to get to Hollywood he meets Vera. The initial shots of Vera could be described as male gaze shots from laura Mlvuys male gaze theory as the camera slowly zooms out encouraging the audience to look her up and down and create first impressions of her character. In the side profile shot she looks innocent, peaceful and beautiful which is developed through Al’s narration as he thinks of what kind of beauty she is. However when she sharply turns to face Al it almost shocks the audience as she looks fierce and dangerous with wide eyes and pursed lips.

Clip 11- Vera changes tone, music dramatises scene, shot types, unfortunate meet

When Vera begins to sharply question Al on his murder she starts to be represented and portrayed as a Femme Fatale character. She is manipulative, sharp and strongly contrasts the previous female representation of Sue. The pace of Vera’s dialogue with the music of three major keys it creates suspense and highlights the truth being told.

Clip 12- Vera presents femme fatale role, seductive, manipulative, headstrong women, has power over Al

These short clips of Vera in there room present her strongly as a femme fatale character. She tries to seduce Al by using by being manipulative and using her sexuality. The soft editing highlights this change in her tone however she quickly turns back to her sour, horrific self. In the mise-en-scene props of cigarettes and alcohol are seen which a conventional props in film noir movies.

Clip 14-Murder of Vera, shot types, music, tragic ending

Over the shoulder shot reveals a close up shot of Vera her emotions look upset and she connotes danger.

The murder of Vera similarly to Haskell is an accident. She is drunk & irresponsible and Al accidently murders her through breaking the telephone line electrocuting her. Through many elements in the mise-

en-scene and filming music, lighting, dialogue and shot types work together to build tension and heighten the action in this final tragic scene. A medium close up of Al’s hands about to snap the wire builds up tension to the audience and embeds fear in the audience. The music score builds up in major tones. When we realise Vera is dead the music mirrors this by the pace decreasing and slow wind orchestra instruments can be heard. The convention of using mirrors to reflect a character is used again here. Vera is cleverly framed in the reflection of the mirror emphasising the fact she is dead in a stylised and sympathetic way. When Al’s narration returns the camera pans around the room and uses depth of focus to blur and distort the mise-en-scene and then focus on objects and props of Veras. This pan is a point of view through the eyes of Al creating the allusion he is frantically looking around the room and knows that there are so many traces of him and Vera that the Police would find. His narration shows his guilty conscious.

The final shots of Detour are very darkly lit and use high contrast lighting reflecting Al’s guilt and shady behaviour of hiding and running away from what he has committed. The last shot of Al walking is the same scene as played at the beginning of the narrative and what happens to Al and if he is caught is left for the audience to decide leaving the film on a cliff-hanger.