The Machinist - Film Analysis

In the opening minutes of The Machinist, the main character, Trevor Reznik, is shown disposing of a body rolled up in a carpet with his face smeared in blood. He looks a bit mad, and is scarily thin. He’s presented as a bit of a loner; who’s stuck in a routine. He’s an insomniac who hasn’t slept in over a year, working with heavy machinery in a factory and sleeping with a prostitute, his life seems to play in a loop. Because of is we sympathise with him as an audience, despite the fact that he may well be a killer. We see a side in him, portrayed in his dead end job and poor quality of life that we can relate to. This wins us over to ‘his side.’ The lighting and mise en scene used in the opening of the film complements Trev’s dark and dingy life. Very little light is used, and we first meet Trev in a storm in the dead of night, and even indoor scenes are filmed with very little use of light. The only light we see is the harsh bright lights of the Airport Café, where Trev is indulging in Coffee and a Muffin, whilst trying to chat up the waitress. The camera cuts to the clock, which reads 1:30am. This complements nicely with the harsh lighting, giving us an insight into his life and inability to sleep. We always see Trev in dark clothing, and when we see him in his bathroom mirror is used to portray just how thin he his. He is also rubbing his hands with bleach, perhaps suggesting he is trying hard to clear himself and erase memories of the body he has just disposed of. Close ups with a strong use of shadow are used frequently to portray Trev as a dark character. There is also a lot of use of over-the-shoulder shots and low angle shots, which makes the character seem more powerful. Each shot is quite long – there are no fast edits, which slowly builds suspense. As the film begins, we hear a distant siren, which is twinned with slow, eerie music. There is also repetition in dialogue – “If you were any thinner you wouldn’t exist.”

The opening of The Machinist establishes the film as a thriller by meeting all the criteria that thrillers normally follow. Firstly, it is rather thrilling. We see Trev disposing of a body rolled up in a carpet, which immediately prompts questions in the viewer’s mind: Who is it? Has Trev killed him? Why has he been killed? Also, when a voice asks “who are you?” the audience want to find out who is asking. Another key to a thriller is the build up of suspense, which is apparent in the opening minutes of the film. We can see that with Trev working with machinery and being unable to sleep, some form of accident is inevitable. Also, the questions that are raised in the viewer’s mind help establish suspense. There are other common thriller traits too, such as low-key lighting, which is used throughout the opening, tense music and the use of dialogue. Trevor is also quite a complex character: On the one hand he could be a murderer, and on the other he is in a dead end job and as an audience we begin to sympathise with him, and crave to know more about him.