Textual analysis

IMAN ELMI

Title: Walking among the tombstones

Date of release: September 19, 2014
Director: Scott Frank
Genre/sub-genre: crime drama-thriller

Walking among the Tombstone was written and directed by Scott Frank. The movie
synopsis is about a former NYPD called Matt Scudder who now works an unlicensed
detective who is hired by a drug trafficker Kenny Kristo to track down who kidnaped
and killed his wife. The Todorov equilibrium model can be applied to the storyline.
This theory basically states that most stories or plot lines follow the same pattern or
path. There are 5 steps the equilibrium, disruption,
realization, restored order and new equilibrium. The
equilibrium would be the Detective Scudder who is
a former NYPD and alcoholic attending an AA
meeting for recovering alcoholics where he shares
his story. He is later approached by a member of
the same meeting Peter Kristo. He says that hes
brother would like to meet him regarding a job. The disruption
occurs when Detective Scudder realizes that the murder of his
wife wasnt just randomly. As detective gathers information he
finds out he is dealing with sadistic killers warning other drug
dealers that they are being targeted for money. The killers manage
to kidnap a 14yr old girl belonging to the Russian drug mafia. Detective Scudder
negotiates with the two kidnappers to let her go in return for $1million dollars.
The realization occurs when Detective Scudder plans to bring the girl to safety. They
meet up in a cemetery to do the exchange when gunfires are exchange leading to
Peter Kristo being shot. One of two kidnappers are shot, they escape. Detective
Scudder drives to the house they lived in to find out that the one of kidnappers
dead and the other calmly eating. Kenny Kristo the husband of the wife murdered
seeks revenge and ask detective to leave him with the kidnapper. The detective
does and so he leaves hearing gun shots he returns to find Kenny dead. The second
kidnapper pounces on Scudder they have a huge altercation leading to the
kidnapper being shot. The new equilibrium is that Detective Scudder, returns to his
house and cleans up. Hes later seen looking at a drawing his young associate TJ
drew him and then the movie ends.
Levi Strauss produced the theory binary opposites. Examples Binary opposites are
very frequently used in films, especially in the horror genre, many of the films
include binary oppositions in their plots. The understanding of the work villain

depends on the difference between that word and the opposing word hero. Good
and evil is the most common binary opposite shown to the public through the media
field on different platforms. Sane and insane, rational and irrational and human and
supernatural are also common binary opposites known of the public for example
Detective Scudder would play the Hero and the two kidnappers would be play the
Villains.
Open narrative has no sense of ending for example EastEnders & Coronation Street,
meaning the show could go on forever. There many characters who constantly
shifting back to front bringing new characters or former characters. There are also
many story lines which take place all at the same time. Closed Narrative is most
commonly found in movies. As mentioned before, movies generally exist as one
unique story, and contain a beginning, middle and an ending. A story is unraveled
before an audience, and then ultimately brought to a conclusion. A closed narrative
in a movie does not necessarily mean no sequels can be made. Walking among the
tombstone would be closed narrative as there is no sequel. It simply has an
equilibrium a disruption and then ends with a new equilibrium.
Narrative can be broken down to restricted and omniscient. Restricted narrative is
the audience know as much as the characters use this could be a good effect when
storylines add a twist in. Restricted narrative is used in some part of Walking among
the tombstone when the main character Detective Matt Scudder finds out more
about the case finding out that the predators where not picking out by random, the
storyline turns into twist as the audience didnt know about the new information
until detective did. Omniscient narrative is when the audience knows more the
character this creates suspense rather than
mystery, this can described as as god view.
This is shown in the film when the detective is
seen walking down the street and a white van
is seen following him but the audience can see
but the detective is unaware. Walking among
the tombstone would be a restricted narrative
as the audience know just as much as the
character does.
The genre of the film chosen is a crime thriller
drama the typical convention of this genre is
quick cuts, low key lighting, mostly the
protagonist has mercy on the antagonist and have
some sort of diegetic sounds of breathing. Crime Thrillers often highlight the life of a
crime figure or a crime's victim(s). Or the rise and fall of a particular criminals,
gang, bank robber, murderer or lawbreakers in personal power struggles or conflict
with law and order figures. This can relate to detective scudder who works a private
detective who has struggles following the rule and often take things into the matter
of his own hands. Codes found in a crime thriller are close ups to show the emotion
of the main character and long shots to establish the settings and what the
character is doing. Fast would be a typical code of a crime thriller as its used to

create suspense and effects to certain scenes. Typical iconography you would see in
crime thriller are claustrophobic spaces, guns and car chases.
The settings in crime thriller is very important as it almost plays an extra character.
Settings of crime thriller are mostly set in large crowded cities to provide a view of
the secret world of the criminal e.g. Dark nightclubs or streets with lurid neon signs,
fast cars, and piles of cash, sleazy bars and contraband. Crime plots also include
questions such as how the criminal will be apprehended by police, private eyes,
special agents or lawful authorities, or mysteries such as who stole the valued
object. However in this case Detective scudder is a former police officer turns
private agent.
The extent to which the characters are typical of
genre in terms of facial expression would be
startled looks when something has been
revealed or disrupted the equilibrium. Behavior
shown in crime thrillers would be secretive and
mysterious these