24 Extract

Component II-Question I

In the extract from “24”, an intense interrogation took place. In the extract, the interrogator wants answers and will not allow himself to be manipulated. The woman being interrogated will not budge and so the interrogator takes matters into his own hands. The director wanted to portray an intense and suspense-filled scene to show the severity of the issue being discussed.

Almost immediately the first scene is set by the set design and the over the shoulder shot. The set design of the table, chair, handcuffs, and papers were used to show it was an FBI/police interrogation. This type of set design is common in shows and movies that are about the police or government when they have an interrogation or questioning. The over the shoulder shot is commonly used to film interrogations. In this extract, it was used to enhance the interrogation.   The incidental music in the first scene plays at the beginning of the interrogation to build up suspense and intensity before beginning the dialogue. 

The dialogue in the third scene is used to discuss the bomb and the plans to stop it. The dialogue shows the severity of the issue at hand. The lighting design of the dim light around everything, but their faces in this scene was used to set the mood of intensity. The dutch angle used when the interrogator flipped over the table, leaving the woman there just sitting her chair, was used to portray the scene as extreme. The actions that took place and the dutch angle used to film it take place showed how the interrogator did not like that the woman was not giving him what he wanted. 

In scene six the director used a shot-reverse-shot when he finally sat down after flipping the table to build up suspense as he seemed to become angrier with the woman. Shot reverse shots are also commonly used when filming questions. In this case, it was used to enhance the interrogation. Immediately after this build-up the interrogator violently attacks the woman.

In scene seven you see the reaction to this violence. The use of a reaction shot to the interrogator getting violently aggressive showed the extreme moment taking place.

You can see through that director’s choices of camera angles, shots, and movements, along with the sound, editing, and mis en scenes used that he wanted the audience to see the seriousness of the scenes. Each aspect had either or all intensity, severity, suspense, and/or extremity to it. The issue of the bomb itself was serious. So it was clear that the director wanted to portray that.