Film Profile
Name of Film
Director
Year Released
Main Cast
Sub Genre ( if applies)
Budget
Gross (how much it made)
Synopsis
What is the film about?
Character Profile
Brief overview of main characters. Do
they follow Propps theory? What are the
generic stereotypes of the characters?
Mise-en-scene
Location Where is the film set,
how does the location look and
what does it convey about the
location you will need to consider
the use of decor, colour and
Costume Consider what is worn,
the colour and what it connotes?
Props What are used and why?
Taken
Pierre Morel
2009
Liam Neeson, Maggie Gracee
Action
$25 Million
$226.8 Million (Box Office)
Two teenage girls go to Paris during the
summer for a vacation; they stay at a cousins
house. One of the girls is daughter to a high
profile CIA agent.
The former CIA agent, Bryan, has had his
daughter, Kim, kidnaped and will she be
forced to become a sex slave if Bryan does
not find her. In an act to trace and save her
he goes to Paris to find her. He uses every skill
he has to find his daughter and rescue her.
The CIA agent must go to drastic measures in
order to achieve his objective of saving his
daughter, to do this he must fight, kill and
stay alive. Using all of his experience, every
skill he has I key for the survival of himself and
his daughter. In order to save his daughter he
must rage through Paris and have the city
turn on him; he has to go through corrupt
police and armed gangs to hold the best
possible chances of saving his daughter.
Bryan Mills former CIA agent who is
passionate to protect his family.
The characters do not follow Propps
character theory. Although Bryan Mills has
the interpretation of a Hero. There are
numerous characters that can be classed as
the antagonist, the villain. For example, the
kidnappers and the sex slave traffickers.
Kim the daughter of the former CIA agent.
She goes to Paris with a close friend and is
kidnaped. She goes through pain and
trauma until her father eventually saves her.
The film is set in Paris.
The location of the film relates to the genre
of the film and emphasises the action aspect
and the mission. It shows a mystical point of
view because it is in a foreign country. The
images of Paris used in the film are shown to
be dark grey and a light blue, this makes the
scene depressing which reflects the situation.
A gun is used to display violence.
The main character, Bryan Mills, wears a
leather jacket, which makes him look neither
protagonist nor antagonist, but shows that he
 Film Profile
Camera
What are the important camera
frames? How is the camera
moving and why?
Also consider how is it moving such
as whether the movement is
smooth or whether shaky and the
effect this has?
Consider the range of options for
moving the camera and how
these are used like tracking shots,
hand-held, steadicam, jib and
crane.
When looking at framing also
consider the position and angle of
the camera. Are any of the shots
on low or high angles? Does the
film use any cantered angles and
if so what does this suggest about
the world or characters?
can display violence. The dark clothes
represent his feelings of trauma and the
genre of the film.
One of the main shots in this film is most likely
to be a wide shot, this gives the audience a
perspective of what is happening.
Tracking shots are also used, sometimes the
camera moves slowly to create tension.
In scenes such as a car chase there will be
fast, snap shots to create pace and build up
tension.
At the beginning of the film bridging is used
to link two or more perspectives into one
shot, making the audience ask questions as
to what is happening, it builds up the film
(rising action).
Close up shots and extreme close ups are
used for detail and have the ability to create
a dramatic effect on the audience. The
detail of the extreme close up can show the
emotions of the character, making the
audience realise the emotional effect of the
scenario in the film; this builds up the
knowledge and understanding of the film.
These shots are likely to be in the rising
action, where tension is building up, a
situation is beginning to develop, and
questions are being asked.