Brick is an extremely clever neo-noir indie film, written and directed by Rian Johnson set in an American high school in the small hometown of Johnson San Clemente.
The film begins abruptly with no introduction, leaving a viewer completely in the dark when protagonist Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is shown with a dead girl, later found to be his ex-girlfriend Emily (Emilie De Ravin). The plot then goes back to 2 days previous where Brendan receives an alarming phone call from Emily, and is consequently trying to find her, with the audience already aware of the result, creating a somewhat pessimistic tone. After that point, it then becomes a thrilling mystery following Brendan determinedly attempting to find Emily’s killer. We are first introduced to his faithful friend called only The Brain (Matt O’Leary), and along the way he meets classic noir characters such as femme fatal Laura (Nora Zehetner), who constantly leaves an audience confused about her true motives and how much she actually knows. Brendan also meets drug dealer known as The Pin (Lukas Haas), in a rather weird situation where more than once they come to be drinking apple juice round his mums dining room table, adding to the comedic elements of this bizarre, yet still deadly serious film.
As often seen in film noir, there is frequent use of low angles during conversations, making characters seem more threatening, especially when Brendan speaks with the principal, foreshadowing future events. Moments where the protagonist finds some new, important information are characterised by close up POV shots and fast cuts between scenes, increasing the intensity and juxtaposing the wide shots when he is sat thinking or waiting. Fight scenes also have close up shots and fast cuts between them, and often result in Brendan being knocked out, with POV shots having Dutch angles and fading to black. This only serves to reinforce the sheer determination of his character and his devotion to Emily and finding the truth.
Composed by Nathan Johnson, the score for Brick elevates it to another level, perfectly fitting the storyline and deepening the sense of mystery and tension throughout. Despite the outstanding and complex plot, the best thing about Brick is by far the script; as Joseph Gordon-Levitt said, ‘he [Johnson] used his words where most people use camera tricks or sets or special effects’. The way the script is written in unlike any other, it’s almost poetry, with interesting, unused language that pulls you in and completely captivates a viewer from the start.
By Florence – BFI Film Academy