High Noon
High Noon is a film focused on the sheriff of a small town, Will Kane, who learns that an old enemy, Frank Miller, will be returning home after serving his prison sentence. This terrifies Kane who has just been wed to his Quaker wife, and should be turning in his badge and hanging up his holster the very same day. His wife threatens to leave him if he stays to fight Miller, however Kane knows he has to protect his town, and so begins to attempt to assemble a fighting crew of acting-deputies in order to resist the oncoming torment of Miller and his cronies.
Title
The title cards themselves are quite different from those normally used in a film of the Western genre in that instead of using a detailed serif font, they feature a simple white sans-serif font. This could emphasize and subconsciously prepare the audience for a film that does not exactly follow the codes and conventions of a typical Western.
Music
One of my favourite things about the opening sequence of High Noon is the music. It not only serves as an accompaniment to the visuals, but it serves to explain the premise of the film, and is quite catchy to boot. Whilst some might find this annoying, I enjoyed the idea of utilizing music at a much more practical level than what it is normally used for in film-making.
Shot Types
At the very beginning of the opening sequence, we get a long shot of a field with an unknown figure standing on the horizon. The music is an intriguing yet simple thumping rhythm which further fascinates the audience as to who this figure might be.
This is followed by a shot where the unknown figure walks up to the camera and causes a close up. This perhaps symbolises how he controls the camera, not the other way round as per usual. Immediately the audience are thinking that this man is a dangerous one and that he wields the power in this scene.
The atmosphere of intrigue is further reinforced as yet another unknown character approaches. We catch sight of him in a long shot, which eventually pans. However, it cuts back to our main character midway through, as if the camera is afraid to be away from him for too long, as if he demands to be seen, which paints his character in a powerful, if negative, way.
The use of long-shots is characteristic of Westerns, particularly in their openings, as we are invited to bask in the natural beauty of the surroundings.
Eventually, these two characters meet up and the strategic use of a two-shot introduces and allows the audience to distinguish these two men apart, and also to compare them in their mannerisms, dress style etc.
The main character moves away from the camera first - he initiates the movement of the camera, which again reinforces the idea that he is in control and even the camera must follow him.
As yet another, third character approaches, the repeated use of close ups on the two characters already established creates a tonal shift to one of urgency - the audience are told that the arrival of this third character signifies the time to leave, regardless of whether he is friend or foe.
Mise-En-Scene
The setting of the title credits of High Noon show Frank Miller meeting up with his accomplices. They meet in a desolate, abandoned field in the middle of nowhere, before heading into town to cause trouble. The fact they meet in a field could perhaps represent the lonesome life each character leads, particularly the troubled outlaw Frank Miller who seems to drift from town to town wreaking havoc and occasionally getting caught.
The costume worn by the first character we are introduced to is ragged, torn in places and generally disheveled, which notates his personality - he is a ragtag man who is not caught up in personal appearance. He is rough and ready at all times. His dual holster with his bandoleer creates the idea of a dangerous character and immediately the audience can identify that he is not only a villain, but he is the main villain of the film. The other characters are just as rough and so the audience can identify these characters as the main antagonistic group.
Finally, as they are riding their horses towards the town, the knelling of church bells can be heard in the distance. This offers an ominous warning to the characters, and hence is extended to the audience - the group is perhaps riding towards their doom.
Does this film conform to Codes and Conventions of the Genre?
In many ways, it does conform to the codes and conventions of the Western genre, for example, in the camera with the long shots and pans as well as in the mise-en-scene of the costume and setting of the film.
However, the fact that the title cards are written in a way that is unconventional for the genre hints at the audience that perhaps this is not a simple Western tale.
Music
One of my favourite things about the opening sequence of High Noon is the music. It not only serves as an accompaniment to the visuals, but it serves to explain the premise of the film, and is quite catchy to boot. Whilst some might find this annoying, I enjoyed the idea of utilizing music at a much more practical level than what it is normally used for in film-making.
Shot Types
At the very beginning of the opening sequence, we get a long shot of a field with an unknown figure standing on the horizon. The music is an intriguing yet simple thumping rhythm which further fascinates the audience as to who this figure might be.
This is followed by a shot where the unknown figure walks up to the camera and causes a close up. This perhaps symbolises how he controls the camera, not the other way round as per usual. Immediately the audience are thinking that this man is a dangerous one and that he wields the power in this scene.
The atmosphere of intrigue is further reinforced as yet another unknown character approaches. We catch sight of him in a long shot, which eventually pans. However, it cuts back to our main character midway through, as if the camera is afraid to be away from him for too long, as if he demands to be seen, which paints his character in a powerful, if negative, way.
The use of long-shots is characteristic of Westerns, particularly in their openings, as we are invited to bask in the natural beauty of the surroundings.
Eventually, these two characters meet up and the strategic use of a two-shot introduces and allows the audience to distinguish these two men apart, and also to compare them in their mannerisms, dress style etc.
The main character moves away from the camera first - he initiates the movement of the camera, which again reinforces the idea that he is in control and even the camera must follow him.
As yet another, third character approaches, the repeated use of close ups on the two characters already established creates a tonal shift to one of urgency - the audience are told that the arrival of this third character signifies the time to leave, regardless of whether he is friend or foe.
Mise-En-Scene
The setting of the title credits of High Noon show Frank Miller meeting up with his accomplices. They meet in a desolate, abandoned field in the middle of nowhere, before heading into town to cause trouble. The fact they meet in a field could perhaps represent the lonesome life each character leads, particularly the troubled outlaw Frank Miller who seems to drift from town to town wreaking havoc and occasionally getting caught.
The costume worn by the first character we are introduced to is ragged, torn in places and generally disheveled, which notates his personality - he is a ragtag man who is not caught up in personal appearance. He is rough and ready at all times. His dual holster with his bandoleer creates the idea of a dangerous character and immediately the audience can identify that he is not only a villain, but he is the main villain of the film. The other characters are just as rough and so the audience can identify these characters as the main antagonistic group.
Finally, as they are riding their horses towards the town, the knelling of church bells can be heard in the distance. This offers an ominous warning to the characters, and hence is extended to the audience - the group is perhaps riding towards their doom.
Does this film conform to Codes and Conventions of the Genre?
In many ways, it does conform to the codes and conventions of the Western genre, for example, in the camera with the long shots and pans as well as in the mise-en-scene of the costume and setting of the film.
However, the fact that the title cards are written in a way that is unconventional for the genre hints at the audience that perhaps this is not a simple Western tale.
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