Textual Analysis Of A Thriller: Phone Booth
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Posted by
Thibaut Nyemba
NARRATIVE
In this morality thriller we come across the character Stu Shepard. It is just a normal day for him, mistreating every one he comes across and making them feel in-superior compared to himself. It is a normal for him as he walking down the street jabbering away on his phone which his expensive suit. He comes across a ringing telephone booth and reluctantly picks up. on the other side is mysterious man. The thriller begins as soon as he picks up the phone. The concept of a phone and mystery caller is similar to my opening sequence.
CHARACTERS
There are only two clear main characters in this thriller, the protagonist Stu and the Unknown Protagonist.
The main character Stu Shepard is an arrogant self centered person who regularly rudely dismisses people around him. In this thriller he is forced to rethink how he treats people. The way Stu is dressed tells the audience that he has a high profile job. He wearing an expensive suit and at the same time speaking on his mobile loudly. This tells the audience that he has a flamboyant.
The caller's identity is a mystery through out the film as he never reveals or do we found out who he is. The only time that we catch a glimpse of him is at the end where the screen but the screen is blurred. An enormous amount of enigma is surrounded around this character. He may not physically exist in the film but the presence of his voice is enough. The tone of his voice through out is a calm as he always seems under control, except at one point when he panics when he is about to blow his cover.
ENIGMA
Enigma meaning mystery is created when Stu picks up the phone to the mystery caller. Then caller starts talking but dismissive Stu Shepard hangs up the phone. The mystery caller doesn't give up as he call again this time threatening that he'll shoot him next time he hangs up again. We do not see the mystery caller, the camera never cuts to him as it's always on Stu as if your in the caller's position watching him. The audience assume that the caller is dispatched of by the police at the end and everything is solved as their recover the body. But the twist at the end tells us that he is not dead as he approaches an unconscious
Stu. We still do not fully see his appearance as we are looking through the point of view of Stu. As Stu is under the influence of morphine in the ambulance he has blurred vision and is about to pass out. That's when the mystery antagonist shows himself we do not get a good look at him. The is not a close ending as it causes overall mystery of who he is.
LOCATION
The location of the film was set in the city of New York and is set in real time meaning the time span which the film takes place is as long as it takes to watch it. The film was actually shot in Los Angles on the other side of the country.