An analysis of the lift scene at the beginning of the film ‘Speed’ Essay Example

changes that occur throughout the film.

Contrasting the dull colors of the lift shaft, music and other sounds can be heard. The lift reaches the bottom with a ticking followed by a clunk. Occasionally, an indistinct wailing can be heard. The sequence concludes with a caution sign on a door. The following action sequence starts with a tracking camera shot through that same door.

The bomber, Howard Payne, is first seen inside without any background music except for a high pitched wail. The tension in the scene is heightened by the bomber's twisted sense of humor as he declares, "Nothing personal." This early reveal of unexpected twists, coupled with the absence of music, sets the stage for a thrilling film. It also serves as a reminder that "security is a team effort," as highlighted in this source. Even the worker in the scene doesn't expect the bomber's true intentions, demonstrating the unpredictability that permeates throughout the entire movie.

All the innocence that he had constructed is destroyed when he stabs a Security guard in the head and says "Nothing Personal." This twisted sense of humor contributes to the nervousness because it raises the question of what else he is capable of, which we will learn later in the film. The next scene begins with the conclusion of what appears to be a prosperous business meeting as individuals walk away chatting, easing the tension. They seem unconcerned as they enter the elevator.

As the audience enters the lift, they notice the unusual yellow color that matches the caution sign by the door. This detail proves to be

effective as events unfold. The tension builds as the lift starts to move, with the foreboding statement, "The lights on, but you never know it might be broken!" The floor counter adds to the unease, emphasizing the distance down. Suddenly, when the 13 passengers prepare to stop, the bomber strikes with a close-up shot of him detonating the brakes. Screams erupt as the camera quickly flicks between four different angles: one on the bomber, one in the lift, one on the floor counter, and one in the lift shaft.

As the lift reaches floor 32, the scene concludes with the statement "Jesus, Bob, which button did you push?" The succeeding scene features the dramatic entrance of the LAPD SWAT team in an unmarked vehicle, executing a massive jump and a sharp hand break turn. The cinematic rule of 360 degrees is disregarded during the sequence before transitioning to the interior of the building, where the SWAT team leader is instructing his team. This is also where the audience is made acquainted with Jack Traven, the protagonist of the movie.

The team faces a daunting challenge involving an express elevator that has 13 passengers. The elevator has blown breaks, but emergency brakes are still intact. The perpetrators of the problem demand $3,000,000 to refrain from blowing the emergency brakes. The team has only one hour to solve the issue, with just 23 minutes remaining. The limited timeframe increases the tension in the situation. Despite the fact that the basement is the answer to the question of what will prevent the elevator from falling, it does not provide a solution to the problem. Jack volunteers Harry and the

commander decides they should act together. Their stressful journey up the stairs to level 32 is heightened by their countdown from levels 29 to 32. This highlights how high up they are and further emphasizes the danger, especially as they have already experienced a fall from floor 42.

The scene concludes with the SWAT team ensuring that the building is completely evacuated, at the top of the stairs. The background music keeps up a quick tempo, adding to the intensity of the scene. In the next scene, Jack uses a drill to open a lift access panel, highlighting the difficulty of accessing the lift and foreshadowing that rescuing the "hostages" will be a challenging task. Despite this, Jack remains composed and follows a systematic approach, while chewing gum. However, Harry, Jack's mission partner, is anxious and keeps talking, indicating his nervousness.

During a tense moment in the film, Harry presents Jack with a scenario involving a gunman holding a hostage at an airport. Jack confidently answers that he would "shoot the hostage." Despite Harry's initial criticism, this exact situation comes to fruition later on in the movie when Harry is taken captive. The scene carries a sense of urgency as a countdown looms, Jack and Harry precariously hover in a lift shaft, and passengers remain trapped. Meanwhile, the bomber is becoming more anxious, shown in a close-up of his finger hovering near the button that would activate the lift's explosive device.

Following Jack's announcement about his gut feeling that the bomber will fail, a tense line is cleverly added. The scene ends with a rush up to the building's roof, accompanied by fast-paced music

to attach the hook onto a crane. Jack leads once more in this plan. He takes a daring dash alongside the building while searching for a rope-attaching crane, displaying his apparent fearlessness. Eventually, he finds one as Harry pursues him relentlessly, with the energetic music still playing. Harry then lowers Jack down the lift shaft again, concluding the scene.

Throughout this part of the film, both metaphorically and literally, the audience looks up to Jack as the camera captures him from a low angle. While Harry watches nervously, hoping the risk is worth it for "a small pension and a cheap gold watch," Jack is lowered down the lift as part of their plan. Ironically, later in the film, the bomber uses a similar "cheap gold watch" to time the detonation of the emergency brakes, but it malfunctions and blows up six minutes early. During Jack's descent, the crane buckles and makes a squeaking sound under his weight.

As Jack secures the crane to the top of the lift in an attempt to prevent it from falling in case of an explosion, his worst fear is realized when it plummets to the 27th floor after being detonated by Howard. The passengers' screams fill the air, and a woman narrowly avoids falling through the hole created by the explosion. The crane's cable is stretched to high tension as it collects the fallen lift, and both the audience and the characters are relieved when they don't fall again. The passengers' escape and Jack's heroism during this scene are pivotal moments in the film. However, shots of the crane struggling to support the weight of the lift increase the

tension, but ultimately result in immense relief for everyone involved. It's a race against time as they manage to save all 13 passengers just seconds before the lift drops for good.

Despite the incident of the lift dropping about half a meter during the rescue of its occupants, the other 12 people were removed from the lift without further complications. However, a mere three minutes later, the crane's wire breaks and it careens through the building. The scene is tense and lacks any humor. After being hurried away from the accident site, Jack and the other rescuers are elated at having saved the passengers, yet he becomes aware that the bomber is still present in the building.

The men are aware that the bomber is somewhere within the building, although his exact location is unknown. Jack and Harry hear the music start up again and locate the freight elevator running next to the passenger lift, where they believe the bomber is hiding. Eventually, they find him and the situation becomes dangerous as the bomber takes Harry hostage and corners Jack. Remembering a previous scenario about an airport, Jack makes the difficult decision to shoot Harry in the leg, "taking him out of the equation."

The officers are astonished by the substantial amount of dynamite attached to Payne's chest, indicating that he is a desperate individual. Additionally, he possesses an advanced firearm that is aimed at Jack's head. The officers are encountering difficulty due to the fact that Howard Payne seems indifferent to his own mortality and desires their demise.