Taken - Action Thriller Opening Analysis

In the action thriller 'Taken' starring Liam Neeson, we follow the story of an over protective father allowing his daughter to travel Europe in pursuit of a rock band. One convention we found in the opening of the film that falls under the category of the sub-genre is that the linear sequence moves at a subconscious fast pace that most viewers fail to notice. The effect being that the audience gains a larger perspective on the protagonists life. 

Through this we see another convention known as the Achilles heel. We see the father figure being over protective of his daughter, whilst not realizing the significance of his mistakes he made in the past, thus having a lasting impact on his ex-wife and daughter. The protagonist is also portrayed as isolated and cut off from society. This can be seen through the limited knowledge he has on modern singers, trends and even his daughters own interests. All these factors contribute to make an effective protagonist we can all believe in. Summarising another convention that the characters have to be believable and imperfect. 

The opening also introduces us to conflicting stereotypes. We are firstly shown the protagonist with other men having a 'lads night out'. They all speak co-existtant with their stereotype, whilst the mise-en-scene influences their simple characters. The props in the scene show this with the use of beer bottles, a BBQ and cigarettes. The body language also contributes with the characters lounging around on chairs. Further into the opening we are introduced to a new stereotype, the pop star Shareeh. The glamourous life of the celebrity conflicts with the practicality of the bodyguard lifestyle. The scene where both stereotypes begin to contrast is when the pop star is greeting her manic fans, however the bodyguard protagonist insists she keep moving and get inside. Shareeh resists this and the bodyguards become more frustrated with her.