No County For Old Men - Mrs Frisendar

No Country for Old Men

There are many codes and conventions within the opening scene of ‘No Country for Old Men’ which relates to a typical thriller film. One of them being the isolated setting. The fact that the location is abandoned proves that there is no escape if something horrific was to happen. An abandoned setting is conventional to a thriller film as it makes the audience feel alone and shows that if a victim was to fall into danger, then there would be no one to save them and no where to escape. The use of camera work also emphasises this point. Throughout the first few seconds of the scene a series of establishing shots are used. These establishing shots emphasise how deserted the location is and makes the area seem quite intimidating. 

The pace of the editing at the beginning of the scene  is very slow. The slow pace creates intensity. This is conventional to a thriller film as it increases the audience's anxiety and makes them nervous for what could happen next. However during the first killing, the pace of the editing quickens. This fast pace creates a more chaotic atmosphere. A mid shot is used to show the villain's facial expression which is very aggressive and psychopathic. This proves that the villain is a very cruel and dispassionate killer. This increases the audience's fear and dislike for the villain. The transitions are basic straight-cuts which is conventional as they make the story line feel more realistic and have a larger psychological impact on the audience.

The costume design has a large impact on the scene. The villain is seen wearing all black which reflects on his personality and function. The victim's are also wearing bright colours which emphasises the character of the villain. This contrast in colour is conventional to a thriller film as it makes it clear to the audience who is the antagonist and who is the villain. The positioning of the characters is also very important when the victim is being murdered. The villain and victim are on the floor, however the villain is placed higher than the victim. This represents the large amount power, strength and importance that the villain has compared to the victim. This kind of positioning is conventional to a thriller film as it makes the audience feel more fear towards the villain because of his higher status.
               The use of dialogue is also a key element to the scene. Just before the second killing, the villain asks the victim 'Can you step out of the car please?' He says this in a very calm and polite manner. This is not conventional to a thriller film as the audience wouldn't expect a villain to talk that way, however it is very effective. The politeness of the villain adds 'creepiness' to the character and the scene and it also shocks the audience even more when he kills the second victim. This is important as 'shock' is one of the main emotions that is expected from the audience when watching a thriller film.

The order of events is not conventional to a thriller. During the beginning of the scene you see the antagonist's identity and you see him being arrested. This is not conventional as a thriller usually consists of an unidentifiable villain who is revealed nearer the end of the film. However in 'No Country for Old Men' the villain is revealed immediately. This causes the audience to build an immediate dislike for the character and also makes them wonder why he is being arrested. This consequently influences the audience to continue watching the film in order to find out the background and the function of the villain.