Film Genre Research

Leave the World Behind 

Leave the World Behind is a phycological thriller. I chose this movie to analyze because my final project is going to be a crime/thriller/horror movie and I need to know more about the genre and what is involved in the making of a good thriller movie.  

The opening scene for the movie “Leave the World Behind”, sets the tone for the rest of the film, establishing a sense of unease and mystery that grips the audience from the very beginning. It starts with an aerial shot of earth as if it's coming from a satellite, looking down upon earth. This not only foreshadows what might happen in the movie but also creates an eerie feeling with the darkness and stillness of each clip. The camera then focuses on one specific city, still with an aerial shot from over earth. The city is shown to get brighter and brighter as if it is coming alive and the city is awakening. It continues to get closer to earth as now its jump cuts to it focusing on the Newyork city skyline with the sun rising in the background. It shows the statue of liberty, which is one of Americas main symbol for freedom, foreshadowing what's to come and the restriction of their freedom. This also sets the scene for the film as it is taken place in Newyork city.  It then jumps to a low angle shot of a building making it seem grand and threatening. Finally, it goes to an establishing/medium shot of the room. This establishes the setting of where dialogue is taken place and shows the greater movements of the subjects. The gestures and emotions are visible to the viewers. It also sets up context for the scene as well as the setting, time and relationship without explicitly saying it. So, the setting starts off on a larger scale (the earth) then finally encloses into a room where the dialogue for the movie begins. This technique has a deeper meaning to it as the premise of the movie is a worldwide cyber-attack. 

During the dialogue there are a lot of close-up shots. This not only portrays emotion but also conveys information. One example of this is right before the opening credits the camera pans then zooms into the wife's face as she is talking, looking out the window. It stops at an extreme close up of her face and she turns her head to the camera and states, “I f*cking hate people”. During the film everything circles back to Amadas statement as people are defending for themselves and are put in situations where their loyalties and selfishness are put to the test.  

In the introduction to "Leave the World Behind," the editing techniques serve to establish the tone, mood, and meaning of the film right from the start. The introduction typically sets the stage for what the audience can expect throughout the rest of the movie, and the editing plays a crucial role in shaping this initial impression. One editing technique used is the use of jump cuts/standard cuts. Jump cuts is an edit to a single, sequential shot that makes the action appear to leap forward in time. After the cut, the subject appears in a different position and the camera position is slightly different. The standard cut is used most frequently throughout the introduction. It connects two scenes and in between shots within a dialogue sequence. It happens in the blink of an eye and is virtually imperceptible, contributing to the flow of the movie. The introduction also utilizes unsettling Dutch angles, which increase anxiety by tilting the camera diagonally. Combined with rotational movements, the disorienting angles emphasize the confusion about what is happening. Much of the camerawork mimics the searching motions of a satellite, which is fitting given the film's cyber warfare premise. In particular, upside-down angles symbolize the world turning upside down in uncontrollable ways. Overall, the calculated editing techniques establish an ominous mood contributing to the film's dependency on technology and the overall cyber warfare theme. 

Sound techniques are used during the beginning scene to help convey the mood, provide depth, establish characters and introduce a new scene. There is a mix of diegetic sounds and non-diegetic sounds being used. For example, there is an eerie, suspenseful soundtrack during the beginning that is only audible to the audience. This causes an uneasy, anticipatory feeling from the viewer and fosters suspense. The diegetic sounds of sirens hint at impending chaos, foreshadowing the film's events and creating a sense of mystery. After the credits, there is upbeat music conveying the characters contentment before the soundtrack shifts again to signal coming turmoil. As the camera pans from each person there is a variety of dietetic sounds. The sounds of a phone call transition to the radio sounds then to sounds of a video game, then finally to sounds of TV shows. All these diegetic sounds come from different forms of technology proving how much humans depend on it. Overall, the sounds techniques in this film greatly contribute to how the audience feels, provoking emotions as well as contributing to the theme. 

Mise-en-scene is how you tell a story by what is shown and not by what is said. The different elements such as lighting, wardrobe, make-up, and props all play a crucial role in the development of the plot/scene. The room where the dialogue of the movie starts is full of ordinary objects to make it feel lived in and welcomed. A suitcase is placed on the chair and an open suitcase is on a bench as they are packing to leave contributing to the plot. The tidy, spacious room with an open closet full of clothes and bags reveals the characters are wealthy/ have higher income. Natural light flows in through open curtains, with just one lamp illuminating the bed where the husband lies, drawing attention to him. There are props strategically placed on his side table. For example, there is a mug, clock, books, glasses, and a brochure for the place they are visiting (which is then used in a later clip). Another important detail is a picture hung on the door in the room. It looks like a child made it and shows how there are kids living in the house. The characters' neat, put-together appearance also conveys their affluence. In short, the deliberate use of lighting, props, and wardrobe visually establishes the characters' lifestyle and advances the story. 

The opening credits contain many symbols that represent what the film is about. To start off the text font for “Leave the world behind” looks like a city skyline but is also made to seem like blood is dripping down the screen. This not only foreshadows the impending doom but also signifies the death and dark atmosphere presented in the movie. The words seem to glitch as they are on the screen which also plays into the theme of cyber security and corruption as it's about a cyber-attack. The text and background changes frequently from red, black, and white. Red is not only a symbol of blood but also sacrifice and danger which leaves a negative connotation. Squares and other shapes are in the background during credits but there is a glitch causing it to morph into other objects. For example, squares and rectangles morph into guns, planes, upside down flags, boats, deer, upside down statues of liberty's, tesla cars, and satellites. These objects symbolize many of the key aspects of the movie. The upside-down flag represents grave danger and distress. Guns, planes, satellites and tesla cars are all shown at some point in the movie as they are all affected by the cyber-attack. Overall, the opening credits portray a deeper meaning than what first meets the eye. It foreshadows that cyber-attack that will soon take place and the danger that the characters will soon be in through to use of text fonts and graphics.  

Leave the World Behind has garnered much success since its release. Produced by Higher Ground Studios, which is run by Barack and Michelle Obama, Leave the World Behind is a thrilling apocalipic tale based on the  bestselling 2020 novel by Rumaan Alam. The director, Sam Esmail, is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter who runs the production company Esmail Corp. He is best known as the creator, writer, and director of the award-winning USA Network television series Mr. Robot. The movie had a $20-$25 million budget, and it brought in about $50 million at the box office. Netflix serves as the main platform for this movie, as “Leave the World Behind” gained an impressive 45 million views in just a few days of its debut on the streaming service.  

The movie Leave the World Behind was originally a book. The book was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction and was assessed by Emily Temple of Literary Hub to have been included on lists featuring the best novels of 2020. The movie got nominated for the people's choice awards favorite drama however, Oppenheimer won. Despite it not winning any awards, the movie is a masterpiece. I chose this film because I wanted to know more about thriller movies and everything that goes into filming/ editing it. Thrillers induce strong feelings of excitement, anxiety, tension, suspense, and fear. This gives me adrenaline when watching it, making it enjoyable.  

Opening Title Sequence^^^^^