Exam (2009) 3 scene deconstruction

Scene 1 – Invigilator talking about the exam

• In this scene, the invigilator walks into the exam room where the participants are sitting to stand at the front and directly tell them exactly what, how and why this exam is happening. It gives the participants (and the audience) an insight into what the film is based on, while adding drama and seriousness to the scene.
• It also adds tension and makes the audience want to see what happens next and find out how the participants answer the question to the exam. 

Camera Angles 

• A close up shot of invigilators feet walking into the exam room creates tension and asks the question of who is this before we find out. It also suggests that this character is important and one to remember during the film.
• The trail we take in order to finally see the invigilators face creates suspense that the audience feels to find out what the character looks like. 

• Close up shots and extreme close up shots are used to show intense emotions and expressions between each characters and to involve the audience in their emotions to make them feel what the character is feeling.
• A low angle shot is used to look up to the invigilator. This shows the audience that this man has full authority in the room, even making the audience look up to him themselves.  This shot shows that this character is grand and has the most dominance in the room.

• The shot of the invigilator cuts to show the participants looking and listening to him (eye-line match shot). This shows us that there is direct contact between the invigilator and the participants. We can also see the emotions and expressions of determination clearly on the participants’ faces.

Mise en Scene

• The exam room the protagonists are in is very dull with dim lighting except for small lights against the wall and directly above the exam paper. It gives a futuristic feel to it which suggests that this is not just any exam. It contrasts from a normal exam room where the room is normally full of light so that everything is clear.
• The grey, metallic, steel-looking walls and floor give the look and feel of a prison cell in the middle of nowhere.
• The protagonists are all wearing grey and black formal suits which suggest that they are middle-class – upper-class people who are in the room for one reason – to pass the exam. They are professional and have determined expressions on their faces. 

• The invigilator is wearing a black, formal suit with a tie which suggests that he is serious and business-related.
• Black has connotations of power and dominance but also dark and something to beware of. 

Sound

• As the invigilator walks into the room, a non-diegetic, tense, eerie score music note is heard which, on its own, creates a sense of enigma asking the audience a question of what is this sound leading up to?. The sound could run parallel to the character (the invigilator) by suggesting that this character is eerie and mysterious, and should be one to be aware of.
• As the score piece is heard, subliminal sounds of the invigilators footsteps are heard which adds to the tension and enigma of who this character might be.
• The score piece, played by notes from wind instruments, is heard constantly throughout the invigilators dialogue, which tells us that what he says is important and could be fatal if not listened to.
• Diegetic dialogue of the invigilator is then heard, saying, ‘I am the invigilator. Listen carefully to every word I say, there will be no repetition.’ This opening sentence is very dramatic and, while he is talking to the participants, the audience is taking in what he is saying very carefully too, as if we were in the room as participants ourselves.
• ‘One last hurdle separates you from your goal’ – This diegetic statement is heard by the invigilator as he is walking through the exam room. This ‘last hurdle’ is the road to success or failure for the participants.
• ‘The only rules in here are our rules’. This diegetic statement coming from the invigilator adds to the fact that this character is very powerful and dominant and plays a big part in controlling the following events in the film. 

 Editing

• A tracking shot panning parallel to the direction the invigilators feet are travelling in.

• This is followed by a crane shot looking up until we see the invigilators face. This answers our question of who this character is and what he looks like. The shot adds tension therefore allowing the audience remember the face.

•       In this shot, the characters are shown in a line sitting at their desks but the front characters face is blurred out and the character closest to the camera is slightly blurred. This is to focus on the main characters so that the audience can instantly see their expressions.

    Scene 2 – Argument/rivalry between two characters taking the exam

• This scene shows tension and rivalry between each character, especially 2 specific participants known as ‘Black’ and ‘White’.

Camera Angles

• Close up shots are used to display the emotions and tension running through between each of the participants in the exam. This is shown particularly between 2 characters nick-named racist names of ‘Black’ and ‘White’. We see that ‘Black’ is very agitated by the way ‘White’ is acting and behaving. ‘White’ is very intolerant and looks like he loves to put on a dramatic show for the cameras in the room.  We can see the friction building between these two characters as the film continues which leads to a final fight at the end. 

Mise en Scene

• The character ‘White’ is wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt with a stripy blue, black and white tie.
• The innocent colour white juxtaposes/contrasts from his personality of devious and manipulative giving the sense to the audience that he is not all who he seems. 

• The character ‘Black’ is wearing a light blue long-sleeved shirt which has connotations of softness, calm and intelligence which can relate to this character when we see his behaviour during the film.
• He is wearing a black tie, which has connotations of power and formality yet evil and mystery. This could relate to this character as he is formal and calm but can turn and go against someone if he has to in order to get his point across. 

Sound

• ‘And then there were five’ and ‘I’ve just narrowed down the field, so your odds improve’ are diegetic statements heard by one of the male participants (‘White’) talking to the others about why he just forced a participant to get themselves disqualified from the ‘competition’. The manipulative sentence instantly makes the audience feel a sense of dislike to this character because of his actions and intolerant behaviour. It sounds like he wants to put on a good show whilst win the ‘competition’ and be the last man standing.
• ‘I don’t need your help. I think you’ll find that it’s you who needs my help’ – This diegetic statement is heard again, by the same male character that is very selfish and thinks he knows the question and answer. This adds to the audiences feelings of dislike towards this character and is one to be wary of in the film.
• When one of the male participants, known as ‘Black’, asks the other male participant, known as ‘White’, what the question is, ‘White’ simply says, ‘why should I?’. ‘Blacks’ response to this is ‘because if you don’t, ill beat it out of you’. This diegetic threat is said in a brutally vicious way that has an effect of worry and anticipation from the audience about this character. This also suggests that when people desperately want something, they would do anything to get it. In this case, this is fighting to survive and answer the question to get the dream job.

Editing

•  A close up shot of two other candidates looking on at the argument between ‘Black’ and ‘White’ is shown as one participant is blurred out with the other, closest to the screen, shown clearly the expressions of worry and determination on her face.

• A tracking shot is used to pan one of the main characters in the scene ‘White’ while he is talking to the other, contrasting character, ‘Black’. This shot is used so that we can always follow what the character is doing and see his reaction and response to his rival character. 

Scene 3 – Fight between last remaining candidates

Camera Angles

• A close up shot is used to identify the gun in the guard’s belt and make it the centre of attention. This is an eye-line match as we see the character ‘White’ turning his head to look at something, when we see this image of the guards gun. This shows the audience what the character is looking at and gives an insight into what he is thinking. 

• The other character ‘Black’ realises that ‘White’ is looking at the gun and knows what he’s about to do. An over-the-shoulder shot is used to show a close up of ‘Black’s’ face to show his scared and worried expression (widened eyes).

• A long shot showing both characters fighting to get the gun is shown so that the audience can get a wide view of what’s happening giving the audience a more detailed view of the pushing and hitting in order to get to the gun first. 

• This high angle shot shows one character (‘White’) being pushing down to the floor in the fight. This angle shows that he is vulnerable and the character that pushed him down is the more dominant and has control over him which proves correct as the shot cuts to one of ‘Black’ holding the gun in ‘Whites’ direction. 
• This juxtaposes from earlier on in the scene as ‘White’ seemed more powerful in that he was manipulative over other characters and claimed he knew the answer to the question. 

Mise en Scene

• We see that, during the fight scene, ‘White’s’ clothing doesn't look as smart and formal as it did earlier in the film. We see that his shirt sleeves and tie are loose, and that he has only one shoe on. This indicates how their lives and personalities are changing in this one room and how it is all turning into a mess just so they can get the job they wanted.

• As we can see, this candidate is still dressed formally and smart which juxtaposes from the other characters in the scene whose clothing is more loose and untidy. This shows that she is organised and calm throughout the entire time while others lose their sanity. 

     Sound

• Diegetic dialogue is heard from two characters. ‘White’ states that ‘This test is the question, and the answer is us. We’re the answers’, when ‘Brown’ replies ‘Answers. Plural. If I recall, the invigilator said there is 1 answer. Singular.’ ‘White’ replies, ‘That’s right. One of us.’ At this point, as ‘White’ turns his head to face the guard with the gun, a tense, eerie, score music note played by wind instruments is heard. This builds up tension and grabs the audience’s attention to lead into a finale fight scene.
• Diegetic dialogue of ‘Black’ saying ‘You wouldn’t dare’ when ‘White’ looks at the gun to use to shoot the other participants. When he says this, a score of an up-tempo, tense, drum beat is played as the participants’ race towards the gun and into a fight.
• During the fight, subliminal sounds of sound effects of thudding, punching and pushing are heard which adds to the action and anger in the scene.
•  As the two protagonists in the scene fight on the floor, the score music gets more intense and turns into a more up-tempo tribal drum beat which builds up tension and runs parallel with the action in the scene. 

Editing

• A crane shot is used to scroll down from the guards face to his belt as if we are looking through the characters eyes searching the guard for the gun. We get a characters point of view in this section of the scene and know exactly what he is thinking when looking slyly at the gun in the guard’s belt.

• A tracking shot following both participants running towards the gun in the guard’s belt is used as if we, the audience, are following them and trying the get the gun also. 

• Another tracking shot is used, but this time, in the other characters eyes as a point-of-view shot. We see this while the shot keeps cutting to shots of ‘Black’ pointing a gun at ‘White’. The audience can see what ‘Black’ is looking at and we also see clear close ups of expressions on the protagonists faces.