Independent Vs. Hollywood

The two films I have selected are Harry Brown and The Mechanic, they are both action based films, The Mechanic is made and funded by Americans and Harry Brown is a British film.


Actors/Characters
Although The Mechanic is an American film the main character is Jason Statham who is British and  well-known for all Transporter films and many other action packed films. Harry Brown again also features a well- known character, Micheal caine who has featured in some of the biggest films such as Batman. The audience for both of these films are similar as they include lots of violence and are for people who are adrenaline junkies. I would say that this film is aimed at male teenagers who enjoy a fast paced film with huge explosions. The uses of these films would be for entertainment, could possibly be used for information as Harry Brown portrays how gangs are percieved in britain. I also think that Harry Brown is specifically aimed at a more active audience who are able to interpret the story in their own way and come to their own conclusions.


Sound/Dialogue
The Mechanic music features a lot of FX sounds that enhance the atmosphere of some of the scenes. the use of synthesisers and drums and crash cymbals and the effects such as, reverb echos and the panning from left to right give the film a more dramatic feel to it, I feel that these effects add a more commercial element to the film. Having said that the dialogue used is also very tantalising as each scene draws the audience into the film and makes them part of it. Harry Brown on the other hand does have some similarities FX wise but the music in the scenes have a more old-fashioned style using brass instruments, possibly to give the Micheal caine a more regal status in the film. Harry Browns soundtrack is made my Plan B who is also in the film. The dialogue used in the film is much more colloquial and people who live in London are able to interpret what image the director is attempting to portray.


Camerawork
The camerawork used in Harry Brown is to some extent very good and advanced and uses a variety of different shots as well as angles but the camera movement in my opinion is very limited, were as The Mechanic has a very dynamic feel to it and very hollywood, were as Harry Brown has moments which are very static and stationary. 


Editing & Finish
The editing used in The Mechanic looks very expensive as the stunts in the film use green screens and extravagant elements which give the film the Hollywood glossy finish. Although Harry Brown had a smaller budget than The Mechanic it still had a high quality finish and in my opinion really had a compelling, gripping storyline. Where as the The Mechanic still had a very interesting storyline it tend to focus more on the effects and on the overall look of the film.