Enigma Codes & Action Codes

An enigma code is a question that is posed by the actions/events/characters which is then answered by the narrative. For example, who is she?
An action code is the event or moment in a film narrative that then motivates the action in a certain direction eg. a phone call.

The start of the film we see a woman climbing up a rope, this is an active code as it shows us that’s she’s athletic and that she needs to climb this rope to get somewhere it also leaves us wondering why, she’s climbing the rope? Also we want to know where she is.

She then starts to run, which leaves us with enigma codes, why? What is she doing? And where is she running to? The next action code allows us to know that she is actually taking part in an obstacle course and she is in training for something as the fact that she’s climbing over a net, tells us this. But we then are left questioning what is she training for? 

When the officer comes over to her, we then find out her name as he is calling it but we only know her last name, he then tells her that someone wants to see her. This is an important action code as it allows us to know that if he hadn’t have said it she would have carried on her normal day and her equilibrium wouldn’t have been changed. The enigma codes are; what does he need her for? Who is he?

The next action code is a subtle one of him having FBI written on his cap, this is directly telling us that she is part of the FBI as is he. 

We then see other people training – another action code - this is telling us that others, and everyone else is wearing a uniform apart from her which makes us wonder why isn’t she wearing a uniform?

When she’s in the building we see her high five someone this is important as the other woman says her name, allowing us to know a bit more about her and the fact that she is sociable. The questions we have are who is this other girl? 

When she enters the lift we see that everyone else is a man and wearing red, this leads us to believe that she may be challenged about her abilities due to her gender. You have to think why she is the only woman in the lift, also what effect is this going to have on the plot and possibly the character herself. 

When she exits the lift we get a close up of a sign saying “Behavioural Science” this makes us wonder if she has behavioural problems, it also allows us to know what Crawford studies. 

The next action code is that of her looking for Crawford and a man telling her to wait in his office, if this had not of happened she wouldn’t have seen the board with all the girls on it. 

Also this first action code leads us to another enigma code, wondering where Crawford is now?

Then when she gets into the office we see her looking at something, we don’t see what this is, we just get to see her reaction this makes us wonder why she’s so upset, and want to know what she’s looking at.