Salazar_No Country for Old Men
Film Research
This is the opening shot of the film. Setting the location of it and also sets the mood or the feeling of the film. Almost a modern day western film with old men, hence the name of the title.
The introduction of the antagonist named Anton Chigurh who is an assassin. This shot shows the characteristics of the character and how he preferably likes to murder his subjects. He is a complete psychopath and follow his own ideas and morals.
Llewelyn Moss is the so called protagonist of the film. He is a Texan native who's background in war at Vietnam and not much is said more about his personal job.
Llewelyn finds himself in the aftermath of a shoot out between drug dealers and suppliers in the middle of the mountains. He come up with a briefcase full of money worth $1.2 million dollars and takes it without caring whose money it is. This is the point where film presents itself with the plot, which has Anton chasing Llewelyn for the money.
Moss now is on the run from people that are after him for the money. It turns out the money belonged to the Mexican cartel. He plans to run away with his wife, but for the mean time he is trying to hide out so he won't be killed or his family killed.
The introduction of the police and the character played by Tommy Lee Jones, Ed Tom Bell. He is also following Llewelyn and Anton, but he is mostly interested in Anton because he has had multiple connected murders in the film. Throughout the film he is two steps behind both of them, which makes his character question if he still has the ability to continue being a sheriff.
LLewelyn finds out that Anton is chasing him by GPS. In this scene we have the first interaction between the protagonist and antagonist. Both characters aren't scared of each other because they both know how it will end. It makes one think more about the meaning of the title and the fact that all the characters are older men circling around death.
He is preparing for the gun fight.
Anton gets more personal in this scene at the same hotel Llewelyn is in. Instead he kills people from the cartel that is also after the money. This scene shows the mentality of him and his disregard to life when it comes to morals.
The shoot out between the main characters. Particularly interesting about this action sequence scene is the fact how they both won't give up on killing each other at all cost.
Anton is severly injured by the shoot out. Another intense scene for Anton because he purposely explodes a car by a pharmacy as a diversion to get medicine. An insight on his psychopathic actions and
An introduction of a private investigator looking to turn in Anton. He isn't important to the story, but important to giving Anton's character more credibility for his characteristics.
Ed is picking up the pace between him and Anton, but realizes that this would be his last run as a sheriff. After the fact he finds the protagonist dead and retires after failing to keep his promise to his wife.
The last action scene between Llewelyn and the cartel in which he dies and Anton comes after the fact. Llewelyn dies and Anton lives. It makes the story open to the fact that the protagonist died but the antagonist lives and wonders what Anton will do next.
One of the last scene in the film shows the year the events took place. Its sort of strange that towards the end of the film we get the complete setting. But it left the viewer figuring out the setting based on the films environment.
Essay
No Country for Old Men is a modern day western, to an extent. The film takes place in Texas during the 80's but its not hard to miss that with fashion of the main characters and old style duty pick up tracks. The plot of the story is about our protagonist Llewelyn Moss finding a briefcase full of money and being chased by our antagonist Anton Chigurh. Also, having Tommy Lee Jones as the sheriff trying to catch Anton for a connection with some murders. In the film, we are shown three different perspectives to tell the story, the narrative of Moss trying to scramble and hide from Anton, the narrative of Anton trying to catch Moss but also looking into his psychopathic ways on how and why he kills people for a living and the sheriff's perspective on trying to catch both.
One thing that I will say about the film that I really enjoyed was the camera movement. I thought it was executed in away that didn't seem forced but had you on the edge of your seat anticipating the next move of Llewelyn or Anton. To compliment the action parts of the film, there were smooth transitions and angles when it came to scenes with the aftermath of the intense action and when the camera was focused on the sheriff. With that type of balance, the movie did feel like its title. A group of old men dealing with serious problems but trying to solve them with ease. Basically having the mindset of "a man got to do what a man has to do". Its an old gritty story set in a western style setting that reflects each individuals characteristics.
Words to Idea + Thesis Statement
5 words: Gritty, Intense, Dry, Smooth, Thriller
After a drug deal gone array, a hunter comes across a lot of money. Later hunted down by a hired psychopath killer with the intention of taking him down by his own terms.
Visual Research (Inspiration Board/Collection)
Exploration/Formulation (Style Board/Examples/Studies)
Exploration/Formulation (Motion Tests)
Story Board
The words will fade in and then fade out moderately for the next frame.
Each dot will appear rapidly and individually. The dots are on a grid of other hidden dots. In this case the type will move horizontally from opposite ends and meet together.
Here the type will move vertically from the top of the frame. It will move at the same time dots appear around the frame.
The type will move from the bottom of the frame until it reaches inside the frame,
Here the word will move horizontal from the left into the frame. But as it moves the opacity will improve.
These last two frames with different type will move and behave like the first frame with introduction of the dots.
