AS Thriller Analysis : "Delusion"

“Delusion” is characterized as a thriller by the music/sounds, the lighting, and the general way that it is filmed.

The main character (played by Adam Grant) is a man dressed in black trousers and a white button-down shirt.  Compared to the rest of the characters, he is smartly dressed.  He seems nervous, looking around as he walks down to the toilets, he feels as though everybody is watching him.  From his point of view, everybody is watching him with a cold, unfriendly stare.  He does not fit into the setting. 

The other characters are all dressed in club-style clothes.  The wide stares that they give suggest hostility/tension, as you can see the whites of their eyes very clearly.  The main character also shows the whites of his eyes a few times, showing his fear and paranoia.

The scenes are set up to alter between the main characters point of view and the general scene. The colours are dark blues and purples in the hallway, contrasted with harsh fluorescent lighting in the bathroom.

The camera work is an important factor in the thriller.  The way that the camera is placed at the end of the hall to make it look longer is mysterious, while the slower motion and slightly shaky scenes from the POV of the character adds to his uncomfortable feeling.  The sharp twist of the camera when the door in the bathroom is shutting gives a short sense of panic.  When the mirror is used for the reflection, when the main character stops to stare down another man, it keeps the viewer confused for a second, and then moves on to the next scene.

The repetitive, bass-heavy music that gives the feeling that something more is about to happen (in the song, and in the story). The music and sounds that are used in the video create a tense environment, enforced by the louder footsteps and movements, made by the main character.  He feels self-conscious and nervous, so whenever he moves or a door opens, it sounds louder. 

Although the viewer may not understand the story of the video the first time watching it, it makes no difference to the way it interests, alerts and leaves the viewer with a sense of confusion.  The video leaves off with a cliffhanger, the character walking up the stairs and out of the building.

I liked how the sounds and music were used to evoke anticipation and nervous feelings.  The mise-en-scene was visually appealing and well planned.  However, I did not know that the main character was meant to be on drugs until I read the annotations. I thought that he was just a man who got stuck in a shady part of town, which was why he was nervous. It was still interesting when I thought that was the story, but if the artists intention was for him to be on drugs that there should have been a scene of him taking the drugs. 

“Delusion” uses suspense, anticipation, and, leaves off with an unexpectedly uneventful conclusion.  The elements used to evoke these feelings are the lighting, mise-en-scene, music/sounds and camera work.