Analysis of Layer Cake

LAYER CAKE

The movie starts with the logo of Columbia appearing, and then white text appears in front of a black background. This is so the credits stand out. The opening credits are in the following order:

• Columbia Pictures presents
• In association with MARV films
• A Mathew Vaughn Production

These credits stop then a medium close up of the rear of a grey van. The camera then starts to zoom out and an explosion blows off the rear doors of the van. Smoke makes the shot hard to see for the viewer and the camera continues to zoom out. As the camera zooms out you see two men in black jackets running towards the van. Soft background music and a narration begin which are non-diagetic sounds. The background music makes the scenes more interesting and the narration helps the viewers understand the narrative of the story and what type of person Daniel Craig’s character is.  The camera then tracks across the screen showing a man holding up a sawed-off shotgun. This makes the viewer wonder who the man is pointing the gun at, so the camera then tracks further and focuses on a woman hiding behind a vintage car, showing a close up of the woman’s face. The camera then tracks along the woman’s hair, which then makes the hair of a longhaired man smoking in a room. This is a smooth transition from the scenery of the car to the room.  The smooth transitions make the viewers understand that the scenes aren’t really linked o the narrative and let them know that the following scenes are part of a montage.

The next scene is set in the 60’s showing a man smoking with woman around him, the camera tracks a woman and then another smooth transition occurs to a prison. You know that this scene is set in the sixties because the narration lets the viewer know and also the scenery behind the man and the woman are classic of a 60’s bedroom, with flowers and cannabis plants p[painted on the walls. The camera then follows a prison officer showing all the prisoners eating and talking.

Another transition from the prison to a white room filled with FCUK products that are altered to look like regular drugs such as cocaine, LCD etc. The camera tracks along these shelves of drugs and then you see Daniel Craig looking the drugs. The drugs then one by one turn into normal chemist products such as toothpaste, cream etc.  And the white room eventually turns into an average convenience store. This is a clever transition from the white room to the convenience store. Daniel Craig’s character then walks out of the convenience store and the camera focuses on him on a medium long shot, walking down the street. The scenery behind him is classic of a British town or city because you can see pelican crossings in the background.

The camera shows Daniel Craig’s character walking into a flat but then the camera moves up and goes through the window to show a man with a mask over his mouth as a doctor would wear, then you see Daniel Craig character walk through the door that leads into the room with the man. They both start handling kilos of cocaine. The camera then backs out of the room through the window and then you hear diagetic sound coming from a police car. The camera shows a high angle shot of the police car and another transition moves the police car from England to Amsterdam. The viewers know that this new scene is set in Amsterdam because a subtitle shows this.