Red Dragon - Thriller Analysis

Red Dragon

At the beginning of the sequence, an orchestra is playing. This is a diegetic sound, which means that the music is part of the film and all the characters can hear it. The lighting is very bright on the orchestra showing that they are the main object of the night but it dims when you see the main character in the audience suggesting he is a dark character and that he is evil. The setting of the orchestra concert shows the audience that all of the audience, including the main character, are very wealthy and in the upper class

A close up of the main character Lecter shows that he is almost wincing at the music being played by a musician which could suggest he is a very judgemental character and isn’t very friendly. This shows his annoyance with this musician, immediately saying he doesn't like him. The scene fades in from black after the credit titles and an establishing shot can be seen to show the audience where the opening scene is set.

The pace of the camera shots is quite fast when watching the orchestra play because it matches the fast pace of the music and the movements of the orchestra. But when it zooms from in front of the conductor and behind him to a specific person in the audience the pace is very slow.

This is to emphasise the characters importance in the film and almost compares him to an animal. When an animal is hunting for its prey, its slow and steady like its waiting for the right moment. This suggests that Lecter is doing the same thing – that he is checking out what to have next and is thoughtful about how to carry out his plan.

When the scene changes to the big house, the orchestral music stops completely to show that the show has ended and you can hear Lecter talking very calmly before you see the inside of the house. This is where the dialogue starts between the characters who are all sitting around a dinner table suggesting it is in the evening.

The costumes the characters are wearing connote that the characters are wealthy and like to afford nice things.The golden lighting of the dining room also connotes wealth and royalty and the flames around and on the table could connote evil. The change of scene from the theatre to the house is very fast paced, it happens almost suddenly to show the quick change and how quickly the characters are moving on.

Lecter is shown as the dominant character as he is standing up around the dining table whereas the rest of the characters are sitting down.  The camera follows Lecter around the table while he is pouring the wine and goes over the 180 degree line to the other side while following him.