Fly

An uptight getaway driver waiting outside a bank robbery has three nerve shredding minutes to get through before his crew returns. All he has to do is focus. (IMDB)

 Cinematography and lighting

• The camera is often moving - not especially noticeable, but often dollies/pushes in smoothly creating quite a nervous energy/ camera has quite a nervous and restless energy - further conveys the restless nature of the driver as he waits for his colleagues and encounters the fly
• The simple slow moving ‘observational’ camera
• Stylized, almost eerie ‘push’ in toward the Bank door - gives the bank quite an ominous presence, or at least emphasizes the horror of what's going on inside
• Varying and opposing angles  - conveys conflict between conflict and driver 
• Shallow focus - focuses us on facial expressions
• Close-up of the fly on his face feels very intrusive and in your face - his face dominates the frame - quite comical, displays the size comparison -a reminder that it's only a fly
• Lots of jarring, claustrophobic close-ups with things moving past the camera - quick cuts too, often from opposing angles - conveying the idea of conflict between the driver and fly
• Camera angles quite claustrophobic
• E Close - up of fly - intimidating, dominates the frame - almost comical 
• Handheld - he's lost control of the situation
• Film is a good example of show don't tell - good for low budget - no dialogue/exposition

 

 

Mise-en-scene

 

• East London/Semi industrial setting
• classic getaway car - authenticity

 

 

Narrative 

 

• Comical - The whole situation is nerve-racking yet comical at the same time - a fly is at most a minor inconvenience in our lives

He's only got to hold on and wait for his compatriots for 3 minutes, and out of all the things that could possibly go wrong with a bank robbery, a fly is the cause of their downfall

 

Performance

• He's anxious, nervous - tapping on the wheel, toothpick - the fly is a test of his control 
• Action is for the most part inside the car - he doesn't get out  until the end – makes for a more claustrophobic feel, he's trapped inside the car with this fly.
• Relies heavily physical performance, through movement, not dialogue. It’s impressive how much information is conveyed with little to no talking 
•  Jack’s little “sorry guys” look at the end was priceless- very subtle and vulnerable, yet extremely funny
• The whole situation is nerve-racking yet comical at the same time - a fly is at most a minor inconvenience in our lives - he becomes so bothered by it, even resorting to punching and shooting it - shows how anxious he is about the robbery
• Juxtaposition of the fly and the driver - the fly is passive and remains calm whereas the driver lashes out and can't control his anger, resulting in his supposed downfall - comedy created through the irony that humans are meant to be the intelligent species.

 

 

 

Editing:

• Short takes/quick cuts - conveys the restlessness of the driver and how he is becoming increasing irritable and agitated.
• Edits around piercing his lip - good technique for a low-budget film - also as if it's too gruesome to see, so we cut away

 

 

 

Sound

• The sound of the getaway driver’s colleagues at the start is pretty much all the exposition/dialogue you get, and all the exposition you need to know what’s going on 

• Noise of the car engine sounds throughout - like a nervous drone to convey the lead's anxiousness
• Sounds also important in establishing the urban/industrial environment - noise of a dog barking, of a helicopter, nearby sirens, shouts from inside the bank.
• Brilliant use of sound in terms of the actual fly - it's a noise and situation everyone can relate to - 
• The buzzes are very realistic - establish it as a character - at times it feels as if The Fly is consciously antagonizing him
• Lots of ambient diegetic sound - engine growling, helicopter - mimickery - supposed to irritate - taps in to that sense of underlying tension, we're hyper aware of our surroundings, like him - anticipation/tension - we're almost waiting for something to happen