"I am the captain now" scene:

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The scene starts off with a close up of Captain Phillips' face (Tom Hanks). This shot is used to create a lot of suspense as you are able to grasp the fear he feels as the pirates enter the ship. The camera is at a low angle, showing that he is the captain and in charge of the ship, however this symbolises how he is about to lose all of his power and shows the last few moments where he is in charge before everything is taken over by the pirates. Throughout the scene, Captain Phillips has the most screen time, showing his everlasting importance.

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When the Somali pirates enter the ship, they are loud and dominant, which is a common convention of a typical villain, and the volume of their voices create a very unpleasant atmosphere, leaving the audience feel nervous and uneasy. Having the villains speak another language also creates a level of uncertainty, as the victim is unable to understand what they’re saying to each other, making them untrustworthy and leaving the victim and audience distressed.

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The use of weapons plays a large role in this scene, as the pirates are armed with guns and knives, which gives them their power, and is the thing that allows them to take over such a heavily manned ship so easily. Using weapons to give characters power is a generic idea, but is also one of the most threatening and effective aspects of a film. Simply the sight of one of these items may be enough to cause some people to feel tense and disturbed. This idea is reinforced when the pirates shoot the lock on the door to open it and Captain Phillips jumps at the harsh sound of the metal bullets being pelted into the ship.

 

There is a large panic and chaos as soon as the pirates intrude onto the ship and this feeling of restlessness is passed onto the audience, putting them on edge and making them feel tense. A tense atmosphere is also created through the use of fast camera angle changes and short clips. This reflects the chaos they are experiencing and also speeds up the scene, increasing intensity. The camera angles change to a low angle when the main pirate is in shot, making him dominant and threatening. This also portrays the threat and danger he is forcing upon the ship.