textual analysis 2- Don

Mise-en-scene:

• Title sequence= green & black- remeniscient of the Matrix

Costume:

• Kamini: low cut top, tight jeans, green contact lenses- very westernised
• Big hoop earings, fashoinable in UK in 2005/2006, burrow from western fashion- advertised in India?
• No traditional dress present in the whole film
• Don: Black leather coat: reminiscient of matrix costume
• Tie worn around neck rather than underneath collar, yet looks sophisticated- shows he's got his own style, doesn't abide by the rules
• Vijay wearing Jackie Chan t-shirt - has all the globally famous elements

Setting:

• Mostly shot in Malaysia, starts off in Paris
• Ballet studio- innocent cover for dangerous and criminal activities
• Van Gogh painting in background in secret vault- educated/internationnaly aware people will recognise it's value, also shows the gang to be operating on a global scale
• All the latest technology- Motorola V mobile, sleek sports cars, Mac laptops, thumb print system access control

Special effects:

• Abducting whole ambulance- so much more exaggerated than the original, stunts like never before in Bollywood films
• jasjit hacking into system: black clothes, opposite of climbing down building with rope, cutting glass with laser- choreography of action = very hollywood style (perhaps not even used in hollywood anymore, but still new for Indian audience). Maybe copying hollywood techniques is an easy way to Indian film makers to provide the audience with exciting stuff that's new for them, and consequently gain success.
• Car chase in streets of India- typical hollywood style, broken door, broken glass, blood on one side of face.
• Packed with pyrotechnics that actually look like a fiery explosion, not a big 'boom' sound followed by lots of smoke like in the old version

Editing/Cinematography:

• Establishing shot of central Paris, with eiffel tower in middle- overseas setting, one of the most well-known european cities, glamorous
• CU on €20 tip- shows he's rich, audience thinking where does the money come from?
• Cross-cutting; fighting and red lights on device in pocket, builds tension
• BIV and CU of hand when introducing Roma, keep audience in suspense
• CU and W/BIV shots cut together with fast continuity editing- speed (more and more importance on speed and spectacle)
• Small window on side showing Disilva taking out gun- seems to let audience play omniscient role, they know all the intenions of all characters by intermission, but shocks them at end by revealing the real Don- clever narrative structure
• Screen black-outs when disilva hit on head and fuzzy when he regains consciousness- not used in old indian films, but here camera= character sometimes to enhance character-audience relation
• swipe cuts when crossing between high buildings, shows passage of time
• CU of "Don's" face looking pointedly at disilva just before dying- audience will realise why at the end

Overall, the cinematography is very sophisticated, well thought out and effective.

Sound:

• English dialogue: Don 'Where is my money?'    TJ: 'Right here'