Enemy of the State

FILM DECONSTRUCTION

Music
The music is very creepy and implies Paranoia At some stages, the music sounds computerized and the film plot itself includes a lot of technology. The music quiets down and the sound of police sirens are used and cameras flashing and taking pictures.

The title introduced

The title has been introduced with interesting graphology, the font is unusual and it adds mystery because the State is looking for one man and the man (Will Smith) doesnt know. This could be some type of secret writing.

Visual images
The title sequence contains clips from the film that yet to come, however the images are kind of blurry so you may need to watch the film 2-3 times to understand. This is a clever way of introducing how the film will turn out. Some of the clips are rewound. The image below is THE most important scene in the film.

Visual images continued

The images used are mostly CCTV or onboard cameras in police cars, also there is a thermal imaging camera on a helicopter looking down to the road. There is a satellite that is tracking a preset coordinates. This is clever because the title sequence is telling a quickened version of the film, but the images are distorted because theyve used CCTV camera quality so it doesnt give too much away.
Onboard camera in police car.

Visual images continued

Thermal camera onboard a Helicopter

CCTV camera

Visual images continued

Satellite tracking coordinates

Mise-en-scene
We know the film is set in the USA because when the title is introduced, it shows the Washington Memorial also, we see the Pentagon from a Birdseye view. This indicates that the government may be involved since we are seeing the important landmarks and government buildings.

Lighting
The lighting to the opening title sequence is all naturalistic and ambient because its filmed outside most of the time. The lighting does change when the sad/dangerous/dark clips play, this darkens the mood and reinforces the mysterious feeling. It also sets the mood that the film isnt going to be a happy, jolly love story. This film falls under the Thriller/action genre. The red/orange colour in the scene where the title is introduced, indicates that the film is all about danger, because red often represents danger.

Camerawork
A wide range of camera shots are used, mostly Birdseye and extreme long shots (ELS) There is a close up shot of the Washington Memorial, this adds the effect of significance that it may hold. There is a close up of the CCTV cameras. Those are the main camera shots used in the title sequence.