CJ- Technical Analysis

Sucker Punch (2011)

The whole sequence is played in slow motion.

Shot: Pull zoom into bedroom with a girl sitting on a bed with her back to the camera.
Duration: 22 seconds.
Mise en scene: Stage, bedroom, girl, flashing lights (lightning).

Shot: Panning shot around the girl, pull zoom into MS of the girl.
Duration: 13 seconds.
Mise en scene: Bedroom, Flashing lights (lightning), rain, girl crying.

Shot: Doctor, LS.
Duration: 3 seconds.
Mise en scene: Low-key lighting, dark doorway, doctor nodding.

Shot: Small pan over the doctors shoulder tracking the girl.
Duration: 3 seconds.
Mise en scene: Bedroom, girl running in distress.

Shot: Crab left, LS of mothers bedroom.
Duration: 3 seconds.
Mise en scene: long dark hallway, girl running in distress, corpse being covered.

Shot: CU of corpse, camera raise, MS of girl.
Duration: 7 seconds.
Mise en scene: Corpse, bed, nurse, girl in distress.

Shot: CU of window, shallow focus.
Duration: 2 seconds.
Mise en scene: Window, contrast in lighting.

Shot: MS of siblings.
Duration: 1 second.
Mise en scene: Girl holding her younger sister in distress.

Shot: CU of girls legs, low camera angle, slow pull zoom.
Duration: 2 seconds.
Mise en scene: Bed, girl kneeling.

Shot: CU of hand.
Duration: 2 seconds.
Mise en scene: Bed sheets, hand squeezing.

Shot: MS of corpse.
Duration: 3 seconds.
Mise en scene: Corpse, bed, sheets being withdrawn.

Shot: CU of man, shallow focus, tracking man.
Duration: 5 seconds.
Mise en scene: Low-key lighting, man smiling showing a contrast to the moods shown by the girls and the doctor.

Shot: CU of girls face, slow pull zoom.
Duration: 3 seconds.
Mise en scene: Girl crying, high contrast in colours.

Shot: Birds eye view, spinning on axes, pull zoom.
Duration: 7 seconds.
Mise en scene: Grave, coffin, funeral, girl throwing rose, rain, black.

Shot: MS of two sisters crying next to mothers grave.
Duration: 2 seconds.
Mise en scene: Sisters, rain, crying.

Shot: MS of man standing in front of grave.
Duration: 3 seconds.
Mise en scene: Man, smiling, looking down on grave.

Shot: Low camera angle, LS.
Duration: 2 seconds.
Mise en scene: Grave, man aggressively throwing soil on grave, priest, sky, high contrast.

Shot: Black.
Duration: 1 second.
Mise en scene: Soil covering coffin (camera).

Shot: ECU of will.
Duration: 1 second.
Mise en scene: Last will and testament.

Shot: ECU of case and gun, slow pull zoom.
Duration: 2 second.
Mise en scene: Case, gun, hand reaching.

Shot: ECU of envelope.
Duration: 1 second.
Mise en scene: Envelope being opened, knife.

Shot: CU of the man reading a letter.
Duration: 2 seconds.
Mise en scene: Man reading letter.

Shot: Crab along the letter, CU.
Duration: 3 seconds.
Mise en scene: Letter, literature.

Shot: ECU of letter.
Duration: 2 seconds.
Mise en scene: Letter, literature.

Shot: LS, slow pull zoom.
Duration: 2 seconds.
Mise en scene: Study, Desk, Low-key lighting, angered man.

Shot: MS of man drinking.
Duration: 2 seconds.
Mise en scene: Man drinking alcohol.

Shot: MS of girl sleeping.
Duration: 3 seconds.
Mise en scene: Bed, little girl sleeping.

Shot: MS of older sister watching her sister sleep.
Duration: 5 seconds.
Mise en scene: Older sister, upset, bed frame, low-key lighting.


How many layers of sound are there?
At the beginning of the opening there is 2 layers of sound, narrater and soundtrack. For the rest of the sequence, studio sound is used in parallel with the action on the screen. This is played over the top of the soundtrack.

How is sound used to create dramatic tension?
The sequence shows the soundtrack playing a big part in the building of tension. An example of this is when the older sister is running towards her dead mothers bed, the soundtrack changes to a droning piano tune, signifying the depressing nature of the scene. Dialogue is also used to reinforce the tension in the scene, seen when the younger sister see's her mother dead she cries out "NO!" symbolising the great loss she's had.

What have you learnt from this technical analysis?
I have learnt a few things from the technical analysis, including sound, camera angles, movement and prop placement. The sequence shows great NVC, making it more interesting for the audience. The use of CU's builds great tension and allows the audience to use their imagination. The sequence shows subtle zooming, although not extremely noticeable, it makes a big difference to the quality of the shot.