AP Lord Of War (Andrew Niccol, 2005)

Lord Of War is a thriller about an arms dealer who struggles with the morality of his work whilst he is being chased by an International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) agent.

Sound

• The first line of the song ('There's something happening in here...') that plays over this opening sequence is perfect for a film of this thriller genre, in fact the whole song conveys an element of mystery and the unknown. However, the tone and beat of the song isn't foreboding, but quite rhythmic and peppy.    

Camera

• In this sequence, there is a track-in to the factory mechanics. Immediately this positions us with a manufactured bullet, and we continue to follow this bullet's life throughout the opening sequence. This establishes a preconception that the film is war related, this is also supported by the fact that the film is in fact called 'Lord of War'.
  

Mise-en-scene

• The prevalent location of this sequence is that of a factory that the audience establishes to specialise in making bullets. This further reinforces the idea of the film being associated with war. 
• This shot in particular shows the bullet that we are positioned with in amongst other bullets. The lighting is dark and the general tint of the factory sequence is blue and quite dark. This is typical of a thriller film, it connotes suspense and a dark, creepy undertone to the film.

• An obvious use of iconography here is the use of soldiers holding guns which moreover implies that this is a war thriller because he is a soldier and guns are typical props used in the thriller genre. In addition to this, the location has changed to what appears to be a harbour. This slightly changes the tone of mood because the bright light and blue sky contrasts with the previous darkness of the factory.

Editing

• This sequence is continuity edited and has an interesting effect on the audience as we follow the life of a bullet.