Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Thriller Codes and Conventions.

 

Girl with the dragon tattoo was adapted to the big screen from a novel that tells the story of a disgraces journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who is hired to investigate the disappearance of a wealthy patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. Joining him is a top computer hacker, Lisbest Salander, however as they dive deeper into their investigation horrid corruption starts to emerge beyond their imagining.

 

In this shot you can see that the camera movements are in first person, moving in the same pace as well as direction of the protagonist so we are in his exact situation. This could show the uncertainty of how the protagonist is feeling as he is in uncharted territory, not knowing what could be around the next corner.  By seeing exactly what he sees the audience as well is on the edge of their seat and as puzzled. further more the contrast of white all around shows how pure and untouched this place is however clashes with the eeriness of the dull lightning giving off an over all mysterious vibe to the audience.  

Here is another example of the first person prospective in the car also mimicking how the protagonist could feel. The long path ahead, shrouded in the mist seems to go on forever which could symbolise the fact that this investigation he is on may never end. It could also mirror that there is only one way to go for him whether it is good or bad. This further more puts the audience on edge because of the lack and sees no light at the end of the road showing that there is no way out for him. Also the way the bare trees are set out in a lattice give a sinister and threatening vibe making the audience feel as though wherever this path may lead, it can’t be good. 

In this image you can easily see a major contrast in shade, showing the protagonist in black cloths as well as in a shadowed place, could symbolise that he is in danger or foreshadowing that something bad may happen .Furthermore when he closes the door to Matins house it blocks off all sound from the outside leaving the characters and audience to dwell in an eerie silence. This could also lead to isolation and imprisonment as the audience is helpless to see what will happen next as well as the characters. 

As you can see in this image the protagonist and antagonist are dressed in similar cloths which could hint a conflict between the two or that they are both equals. Also if you look closely in the reflection of the window that acts as a mirror then you can see the reflection of Martin which actually looks as if he has surrounded the protagonist showing the vulnerability of him; this also shows something to the audience that he cannot see emphasising that the protagonist is unaware of what is about to happen or what kind of danger he is really in.  

In this camera shot it closes up on the knife that the protagonist has just put down further emphasising how vulnerable and defenceless he is against what the antagonist has planned. This plants a bad feeling in the mind of the audience as we know something is about to happen. 

As you can see here there is an extreme contrast in colours with the only light coming from the top of the stair case and the dark all around which could symbolise that they’re going down into danger .Also the fact that the protagonist is first, at the lower end of the stairs, and the antagonist last, at the higher end of the stairs, shows a power struggle where the antagonist has charge of the situation and what is about to happen. Because of the lack of light in this scene the audience is permitted to see so little giving them an even more uncertain feeling as to where this may be going and what is to come. 

The effect of colour contrast is further more expressed as the protagonist is seen walking into a pitch black door and with the audience not being able to see what he may be walking into it created tension of the unknown. The way that his clothes almost blend in with the blackness of the door could show that he is already slipping to evil clutches. 

In one of the final scenes the clash of the protagonist and antagonist finally comes as the colour contrast and scenery are balanced with the protagonist in the light and the antagonist in the darkness. However here we almost go into the eyes of the antagonist as the camera is positioned over his shoulder showing that the tables have turned in terms of who we are not watching. This could almost give the audience a false ending showing that the antagonist has one and now with the protagonist gone we are now watching through the eyes of him.