Essex Boys DRAFT 1

Essex Boys, released on 14th of July 2000, directed and written by Terry Winsor alongside Jeff Pope:
"Some lines should never be crossed."

Crashed into the industry with a grittiness, darkness and a sense of uneasiness. Sean Bean, Christopher Creed-Miles and Alex Kingston star alongside many others to create the film, based on the true events of 3 killings in Essex, December 1995.


"For those who remember the actual triple murder in Essex which inspired the film, this carries an added edge of realism. The setting - the mock-tudor nouveau riche houses of the gangsters, the Southend seafront, the freezing marshes where Billy runs for his life, are as evocative, as the true-to-life performances of Sean Bean, Alex Kingston and Tom Wilkinson. It is refreshing to see a film which portrays the underworld in all its vindictive pettiness - the little slights which turn into murderous feuds - dozens poisoned by a rogue batch of E, a young girl, dead from an overdose, casually dumped at sea..."


Terry Winsor utilizes a comprehensive list of aspects of the thriller genre in this film, noticeable from the first second.


The Credits begin, and from this moment, an overwhelming chill flashes across your mind. The background is a jet black, immediately dropping the audience into the realisation that this will be dark and a film full of suspense. Non-diagetic sound of nails scratching on a chalk board enters in unison with white slashes growing across the screen, which creates a binary opposition. The noise itself is well known for running shivers down the spine, and is not a pleasant feeling, auditorally, thus leaving the audience uncomfortable, yet gripped to the screen. The visual impact is hard-hitting. It connotes the idea of desperation, for example, holding on to something and being torn away, you try so hard that your nails dig in and as you are pulled, scratch the object you are gripping, this portrays that the film will be full of this theme of desperation, which is useful because the audience will feel empathy, which is a vital factor in keeping them transfixed to the screen. Not only this but some may argue that the image could also connote the idea of a knife slashing flesh, blood dripping or possibly even tears, which although usually is connected to the horror genre, it also is a strong feature of the thriller genre, and prepares the audience for what they may expect later in the film.


The first scene is illuminated with chiaroscuro lighting and noir lighting from a single bulb in the line of the 1st 3rd of the screen (rule of 3). Billy stands just to the right of the screen, behind a car partly in light from the bulb. The mis-en-scene suggests an extreme darkness, and ominous feeling, it is an icy scene, obvious from the visible breath from billy. The audience would interpret Billy's feelings from this scene, and is clear that it is unsafe (from the strong sense of uneasiness) and uncomfortable. The car itself is old, rusty and when Billy enters it, cobwebs mask the dash board and enclose the steering wheel. Although this is quite a Gothic feature, it also emotes a claustrophobia, from the generic convention of the car itself. A voice over is then the first lines heard. It is a cultural voice, clearly Billy's, this technique is incredibly effective in putting the audience entirely within the story. It is direct and personal, highlighting that it is his story, a true life account in some respects.

The scene leads to Billy looking through the windscreen, using the windscreen wipers to clear the dirt and grime away. This in itself connotes the dirtiness and grittiness of the setting, confirming that this is unglamourous (a distinct signifier of the thriller genre). When the wipers clear away the first layer a sturdy figure is then visible, the voice-over introduces him as Jason Lock. This is a point of view shot, ingeniously putting the audience in the front seat of the car. Jason's piercing and solemn expression feels like it hits the gut, his eyes are like bullets, showing a sense of corruption, and that Billy may lead on to having this unsettled and violent future (all essential traits of a thriller). Jason is stood in chiaroscuro and noir lighting, reflecting the danger and villainous nature of himself.

The next scene follows the car along a dim bleak and wet road (also shows reflection of the car suggesting a larger vehicle, showing more power and dominance), enclosed with urban and industrial buildings. The palette shows greys (bleakness and pessimism) blacks (implies darkness, shadow and danger) and bright whites (connotes the idea of a mental institution and violent spontaneity). The scene then leads to a tunnel, enhancing the idea of claustrophobia. The tunnel itself could hold the metaphor of a barrel of a gun, the car is lead down the barrel, as if billy is being lead into a future of violence. The shot the cuts to viewing from the outside and into the car. The tunnel lights reflect on the windscreen creating thick bars down the screen, possibly connoting the image of jail bars, again highlighting what his future will lead to. Not only this but some could say the reflection creates the image of piano keys, this enhances the idea that Billy is naive and being played by Jason, and the lights are literally blinding Billy, as if he is blind to what the future will bring.
The car then travels out of the tunnel, and is greeted with an ironic sign post "welcome to Essex". This sign is depicting that this is 'Jason's land' there is no return for Billy and this is his unwelcoming destiny. Also, conventionally when you travel out of a tunnel, the idea is that you 'enter the light' and that everything is optimistic and brighter, however for Billy and Jason, it is still the monotonous grey industrial buildings, and if anything, as they enter Essex it is even darker.
Billy and Jason arrive in an enclosed fish market or factory. As the scene tracks following Jason he walks past a generic convention of a white van, often used in the thriller genre. The connotation suggests the shipment of drugs, and abduction. Aside from this, in the background there are men in white over coats with blood streaked across them. This is preparing the audience for what is about to happen. The contrast in colours make it striking and dramatic, yet cleverly they have done this subtly by there expression, getting on with their everyday job to not make it so obvious and so adds more mystery. Jason walks through the factory with a solemn expression and intensity, enhancing his control, danger and dominance. another man walks towards him and as soon as he clocks Jason, fear, disbelief rip through him, his eyes cower and his fear intensifies. With no hesitation, Jason begins a violent series of punches and kicks, roaring through the market, alerting everyone of this. Jason pulls the man to the white van and continues the violence. A classic point of view shot from Billy looking into the wing mirror is utilized. It flashes back and forth through Billy's expression and the view in the mirror. Cleverly there is no commentary from billy at this point, proving he is speechless, he cannot believe his eyes, and not only this, but you can see it has dawned on him that the man may be him in time. Jason, in a sense, uses aggression like this, as a warning, especially to Billy to make sure he never crosses him. The use of the point of view shot also puts the audience into the perspective of how Billy must feel, again we feel such empathy for the danger surrounding the two of them, and from this we can predict some goings on for the rest of the film. the man is then dragged into the van and locked away.
The two of them then drive away, neither talk in the van, which allows the atmosphere and ominous tension to grow and grow. The man in the van is desperate and bashing the barrier between them, crying out. Billy finds this awkward, and is filled with tension, thinking if he says the wrong thing, he will end up this way. They arrive in a bleak desolate scene, symbolising the emptiness and lack of emotion with in Jason. Billy gets out of the van, and hesitantly opens the back. The man immediately jumps out of the van and runs with a limp, straight for the dirty water, rolling in it almost. This connotes the idea that this man is a creature, putting in bold Jason's dominance and adding the extreme idea he is not to be messed with. They leave him there are get back into the van. The last scene looked at was a long shot of the van in the dismal part of Essex. This is a cultural signifier ( a mise-en-scene which focuses on aspects of place and social class and gender) confirming this is the mirror of Jason's character, it is his land, and that no one should cross that line.