The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of mise-en-scene to convey meaning throughout their films in order to have a wide range of effects on the audience.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth focuses on the Spanish Civil War. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government causing Fascist and extreme-right forces to respond with an army mutiny and coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
In the Pale Man sequence, Ofelia creates a doorway to the hidden lair of an ancient monster so that she can retrieve a golden dagger using the key she found earlier. At the start of the sequence, Ofelia is located within her room with del Toro using a dark and cold colour palette to demonstrate her confinement in the Captain’s world, with one singular window the main source of light, barred by planks of wood and overgrowing plantation that shows that she is a prisoner, creating fear for the audience as we feel as confined and hopeless as she feels under the Captain’s grasp. When she opens the book given to her by the Faun, the pages change from being black to reveal a picture of the Pale Man she is soon to encounter, depicted in a similar style to the drawings of Alice in Wonderland with pastelly colours that make the picture appear less threatening for an audience, thereby deceiving the audience as to the dangerous nature of the monster which makes its appearance all the more terrifying as suspense is created for its eventual emergence. After drawing a small door shaped outline with chalk given to her by the Faun, Ofelia pushes open the new door in the wall to gaze into the piercingly bright lair of the Pale Man. Del Toro’s creative decision to change the colour palette from a cold blue to a far warmer red indicates a change from the reality of the Captain’s world to the fantasy world that she is about to step into which shows the audience that Ofelia is temporarily free from the Captain’s entrapment.
Del Toro gives the appearance of the Pale Man’s lair aspects of typical gothic design as the vaulted ancient ceiling gives the impression of catacombs underneath a cathedral with a chessboard-like floor which gives the audience the impression that the creature is mythological and enhances the mystery and intrigue surrounding the monster. There are further references made to the story Alice in Wonderland such as the oversized sand timer that she places in the doorway before she steps down to keep track of how much time she has left, emphasising to the audience its importance to the plot. The corridor that leads to the main chamber curves around a winding corner to show how deep the lair is whilst the windows are smaller than typical windows which demonstrates that she will be unable to get out; these various elements of the lair present to the audience that Ofelia is small in comparison to the task she is facing and how the task will be overwhelming for her, creating anticipation as it seems that she will inevitably face trouble in escaping from this place. Ofelia emerges into a huge expansive chamber, dominated by a large table that almost extends the length of the entire room with a figure at the end of it, resembling the Captain in a previous scene when he had previously held his feast for a group of the most important people including the doctor and other fascist sympathisers, heading the table as a commanding and evil figure and showing that both characters are as evil as each other, creating a further sense of foreboding for the fate of Ophelia. Del Toro uses an extraordinary collection of different foods including jellies and overflowing fruit piled up on this table to form a large banquet, something that a child might possibly imagine as all this food is unavailable due to the rationing brought into effect by the war, hinting towards the fact that she could be imagining what she used to have but can now only dream of which has increased relevance given the ending of the film which can be left up to interpretation as to whether Ophelia imagines all these events.
The towering figure that heads the table is the Pale Man; a skinny giant with large flaps of pale skin that dominate its body as the murals on the wall of his lair depict him eating large amounts of children as a creature of legend, but he hasn’t been able to eat in a long time, causing him to grow thin and frail allowing for him to look even more visually horrifying to the audience. There is a substantial amount of shoes piled up across the chamber; a visual reference to the concentration camps at Auschwitz during WW2 which is when the story is set and so the atrocities that resulted in the deaths of thousands of children would have been occurring at the time, links the creature to the atrocities of real life events and how its actions have caused the deaths of an enormous amount of innocent people, further influencing the audiences mindset that Ophelia is in grave danger. A fire situated behind the Pale Man appears to represent satanic imagery such as the mouth of hell, further utilising the hellish imagery seen in the murals to show how this monstrosity of a creature has a clear evil intent.
Another film that appropriately uses mise-en-scene to convey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, directed by Damián Szifron, showing six different stories, all connected by extreme themes of violence and revenge.
Focusing on the wedding sequence, the scene starts with a montage of old childhood photos, giving the audience an initial impression of the innocence of the couple and helps an audience to infer relevant information about the event which later contrasts the nature of the sequence after the revelation that Ariel has cheated on Romina. Szifron uses a bright setting with a rich appearance as champagne glasses, golden chandeliers and tuxedos contribute to a disturbing feeling for the audience when Romina later threatens to take everything away from Ariel, allowing for the audience to grasp the severity of her threats. When the bride and groom first appear, they emerge from behind a curtain, implying to the audience that their relationship is a facade and that they are putting on a show to appease their guests as they wish to avoid criticism, with Ariel’s appearance as unshaved further providing the audience the impression that he lacks care towards his wife, foreshadowing his unfaithful nature and juxtaposes the montage of photos that originally led the audience to believe that the couple had a caring and loyal nature.
After a jubilant scene in which the newly married couple dance as a band plays on stage, with an emphatic trumpet solo, the crowded setting is replaced by a much calmer and open setting, where Romina’s guests are seated as she talks to them, greeting family members and pointing to different tables, giving background to everyone in the room in relation Ariel and herself. Romina finds herself drawn to her husband who is talking amongst guests and specifically a woman he appears to flirt with across the room, using her phone to check her suspicions. Szifron focuses the audiences attention on the phone which is used as a device to show that her suspicions are true and he has cheated on her with the woman he is flirting with, allowing for a sense of dramatic irony in the following scene in which the couple share their first dance as although Romina questions Ariel to seek the truth, it is made clear to the audience that she is already fully aware of what is going on and that Ariel is completely unaware of his wife’s discovery, building tension throughout the scene as the decay of their relationship seems to become inevitable.
As the sequence reaches the resolution, destruction is evident across the scene. Romina’s white wedding dress, a symbol typically of purity and innocence, is laden with blood after she smashes the woman she had been cheated on with into a mirror, showing to the audience that her innocence has become fragmented and the blood that has stained her dress symbolises the stain left in the couples relationship that can never wash out and return to its original purity, creating further conflict between the two characters which helps to establish the dark and twisted mood of the scene as Ariel and Romina come together. Broken glass, cake, and ripped out hair represent the destruction taken place at the wedding both physically and mentally which makes Ariel’s act of giving Romina his hand as they make-out on the table all the more jarring for an audience as the setting of hatred and anger juxtaposes the actions of love, with the final shot of the sequence depicting a statue of the bride and groom once standing up top of the cake but now on the floor, symbolic of the fall of the couple but that they still remain together, an ending that strays from the typical revenge themes of the other sequences of the film and therefore leaves the audience feeling uneasy about the events on screen.
Both Szifron and del Toro use aspects of mise-en-scene to convey meaning throughout their films to have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro utilises it to show perspective, contrasting the realistic world of the Captain with the fantastical world of Ophelia, setting them apart from each other while Szifron uses mise-en-scene to allow the audience to empathise with the characters through the use of symbolic imagery which depicts the changing emotions of each character as their lives fall apart.
Early cinema throughout the 1910s and 1920s explored the contrasting methods that directors took in order to convey two distinctive filmmaking approaches, one portraying the realist and the other the expressive.
Expressionism is most identifiable in movements such as German expressionism and Soviet montage. Germany was at the forefront of expressive filmmaking due to the large infrastructure for film that remained after the war despite the economic problems crippling other sectors. German military supreme command took control and consolidated all major films studies in 1917 under one entity known as UFA which focused on nationalist films, forcing independent cinemas to produce unique films to get audiences’ attention such as ‘The Cabinet of Dr Caligari’ which has expressive wise-en-scene designed to give an artificial appearance with over-scaled furniture and dark-eyed makeup that reflected the inner psychology of characters. Soviet montage also came from a desire to utilise film as a political influence after the 1917 revolution, centralising the Russian film industry under one entity, Narkompos. Restricitions on imports meant a lack of raw film and filmmakers therefore began studying films, dissecting them and focusing on how the shots were edited to together with films such as ‘Battleship Potemkin’ representing this radical editorial thinking. Perhaps the most recognisable was the Kuleshov effect which focused on viewer response when presented with juxtaposing images.
Some opposed this new expressive nature of filmmaking such as the film critic Andre Bazin who, while not against editing as it forms a basis for a films structure, disagrees with the optical illusions it creates, adding meaning through juxtaposition rather than the content of an image which removes the freedom on the part of the spectator to select meaning for themselves. Bazin prefers the use of longer takes with less cuts in order to create a more realistic appearance, desiring the audience o make their own judgements about how long they should look at something and what they should be looking at. These beliefs are present in the cinema verite movement in France in the 1960s which focused its attention on the realistic day to day lives of people and capturing life in its realistic form.
Buster Keaton films utilise both expressive and realistic elements to create meaning throughout, using expressive aspects of filmmaking such as mine-en-scene and editing to convey meaning to the audience while references to the context of the time portray the realism of the films.
In the film ‘One Week’, both expressive and realist elements can be seen. The film portrays a week in the life of a recently married man as he attempts to build a house and settle down with his wife. Keaton attempts to carry a brick chimney up a ladder made from the front of his porch, extending to the top of the roof of his crooked house. The use of mundane items shown in an abstract manner reflects the expressive mise-en-scene present in German expressionism as carrying a chimney up a ladder is feasibly impossible as they are heavy objects, subverting the expectations of the audience which adds comedic effect to the scene. Keaton’s wife can later be seen washing in a bathtub as she begins to reach for a bar of soap, half standing and stopping mid-way as she acknowledges the camera looking at here. The fourth wall is then broken as a hand, presumably of the cameraman covers the lens as she reaches for the soap again and sits back down without flashing the audience. Initially the audience is given the impression that she is going to stand up but her acknowledgement of the camera breaks the illusion that the film is a realist representation of married life whilst creating humour for the audience. The film doesn’t neglect the use of realistic elements however, with references made to ideas such as superstition that draw on the beliefs of real life. The reaction from the women in the film at the umbrella being opened indoors and Keaton’s disposal of a horseshoe are representative of the long held belief in superstitions still presents in the 1920’s and the bad or good luck that comes from doing such things as a horseshoe is supposed to bring good luck when hung over a persons door. Keaton’s plays on these beliefs that would have been held by many in the audience and used them to give credence to the disastrous luck the couple are having.
Keaton’s film ‘The Scarecrow’ uses realistic editing throughout the film through the use of continuity editing which depicts the narrative in a linear way and allows the narrative to play out in real time, similar to the views of Bazin and without elements of Soviet montage. This narrative is also realistic with the idea of two men going after the same woman being a common theme throughout both 20th century film and literature as it connects with an audience as it’s highly likely they have experienced something similar for themselves in a male dominated society. The films mise-en-scene on the other hand contains more expressive elements. Keaton’s uses common household objects in atypical ways, placing them in unusual locations such as a salt shaker hanging above the table on a string and space for the table to attach to the wall. Presenting an abstract home designed to show he hasn’t compromised usability in a compact space. Both expressive and realist elements are sometimes used in cohesion in certain scenes. When a man attempts to chase Keaton, the car toppled backwards after he sits at the back due to him being over weight but despite being partially realistic, the emphasis of the man’s weight is used for comedic effect and is therefore an expressionist depiction of reality. Also, the horse that Keaton intends to escape on is given the appearance of a real horse as a fake one stands beside it, do when he is left on a stationary horse as a woman on the real one gallops away he is left in bewilderment. Both examples are used for comedic effect and emphasises a character’s personality and stupidity rather than being a realistic depiction of life.
Keaton’s ‘High Sign’ is also based on realistic premises but portrays them in an expressive manner so as the show different character traits without the use of sound. The film presents an ordinary person caught up in extraordinary events in an American society where gangs and violence are commonplace, typical of the time period and is represented by a gun range being a false front for the Blinking Buzzards gang while the possession of guns was legal in America, allowing for crimes such as robbery to occur frequently.
Mise-en-scene is often used expressively just like in German expressionism with Keaton taking out an absurdly large newspaper which continues to expand. This mise-en-scene is deliberately unrealistic to show how out of place he is this new town that he has been thrust into. While aiming at a row of bottle for target practice, he accidentally shoots ma standing beside them who leaps high into the air and proceeds to run rapidly away, clutching his behind to exaggerate the pain inflicted upon him for comedic effect and makes clear he is incapable of working for a gang. Also, the unique design of the house he attempts to protect shows an expressive method of manipulating mise-en-scene to express the ridiculousness of the events transpiring as he is far out of his depth. Both expressive and realistic cinematography are present as wide shots are used in the house as Keaton is chased while a long depth of field gives greater focus on everything happening simultaneously. The use of iris shots manipulates where the audiences focus should be such as on the death note given to the old man.
Finally, ‘Cops’, a film about a man aspiring to be a big businessman so that a woman can love him resulting in him becoming a criminal and chased by the police. The film has realist elements as it could be viewed as a social commentary on American society as the woman only desires him if he is rich and successful, showing marriage as a corrupt notion. This idea of money is prominent throughout the film and realistically depicts social tension present at the time. Expressive features are present in the film as seen through the opening shot when Keaton is shown through metal bars which gives the audience the impression that he is in prison, linking to the title of the film but instead he is standing behind the gates of the house of the woman he loves. The effect of this is that it manipulates the viewers perception through mise-en-scene in an expressive way similar to the manipulation present in German expressionism.
Keaton uses both expressive and realistic filmmaking techniques in order to have a varying affect on the viewer. Expressive elements provide audiences far greater meaning through comedic effect or as a narrative device while realistic elements allow for an audience to relate with what they are watching on screen.
The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of mise-en-scene and cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films and have a wide range of effects on the audience.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth focuses on the Spanish Civil War. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government causing Fascist and extreme-right forces to respond with an army mutiny and coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
Ofelia goes out on an adventure, searching for her first task located inside of a mysterious tree. Simultaneously, Captain Vidal rides out with his men to search for the last remaining Republican survivors. At the start of the sequence, the camera pans from right to left for both of these journeys, indicating to the audience that they are both venturing out on a journey at the same time. The smart, gold and blue uniforms worn by the soldiers and the powerful looking horses they ride symbolise their strength and the harsh, quick camera movement shows that they ride with purpose, whereas the rebels have adopted dark brown clothing as they are forced to live in the forest in seclusion. This wealthy appearance of the soldiers also contrasts Ofelia’s green dress that’s appearance is reminiscent of the Alice in Wonderland books which also explores the fantasy world and shows her strong connection to the fantastical while its green colour is representative of the style of clothing of the rebels, demonstrating her efforts to go against the Captain’s oppression and the influence of her mother to follow her own path, with much more gentle arc movements used in variation to the soldiers, suggesting to the audience that she is lost in the elements of the fantasy world as it has a floaty and dreamy effect.
Once Ofelia arrives at the tree, a wide shot focuses on her movements, moving into a close-up shot and arcing around her to reveal a large tree that has captured her gaze, tilting up to show the large size of the tree is comparison to her and showing its significance to the audience, allowing for them to empathise with her challenge as its presented as being extremely difficult. In the interior of the tree, damp and dark tunnels twist continuously with the camera positioned at Ofelia’s height to indicate to the audience that she is the main focus for the story’s progression. Black CGI bugs surround and crawl over her which helps to evoke feelings of disgust from the audience and show her courage as she is entering a place that no one else would want to venture in to. Upon transitioning to the Captain’s world, the appearance differs as he is located in a large open space which looks more inviting and less threatening than the tree, making the audience want to spend less time focusing on Ofelia because of the conditions she is having to endure. Also, the warm colour palette of the fantasy world in comparison to the cold blue colour palette associated with the Captain’s world as can be seen when Ofelia journeys towards the tree remains warm, although has now transgressed to become slightly darker as she is underground and the tree is a mysterious and yet fantastical place. This also shows a collision between the Captain’s world and the fantasy world which further adds to the influence that he has over her.
When the soldiers reach their destination in the forest, the Captain steps down from his horse to search for signs that might indicate signs of rebel activity in the area. A medium shot focuses the audiences attention on his commanding body language, transitioning to a close-up shot that fully focuses on his actions and dialogue, separating him from his soldiers and showing his superiority over them. The use of a long lens shot when looking at the Captain has the effect of appearing to focus on him from a distance, placing the audience on the side of the rebels, viewing the action from their perspective as the Captain taunts them to come out and fight rather than hide. The warm colour palette associated with the fantasy world is present when focusing on the Captain as he is in the forest, a place of fantasy and home to the rebels which shows he is out of place there but the camera positions him as being in control and therefore allows for the audience to fear him. An opposite pan from right to left shows the soldiers are returning from their journey as they saddle up and return to the mill, similar to the movement of turning over a page in a book.
When returning to Ofelia in the following scene, she continues her search through the depths of the tree looking for any sign of her task, with the camera movement alternating, appearing to differentiate from the typical pattern of moving from right to left and then left to right. This movement depicts the nature of the environment she is in as disorientating for her and is therefore unsettling for the audience who are made to feel lost with her as she clambers through the dark and winding tree, stumbling through slime and covered in mud. Ofelia’s encounter with a giant toad seems representative of the baby living inside her mother with this uterine imagery showing the effect that the baby is having on her and foreshadows her mothers death as the toad is causing the tree to decay through sickness.
Finally, after completing her task by retrieving the key, Ofelia emerges from the tree, covered in mud and noticeably feeling distressed rather than accomplished, indicated by a change in the colour palette, switching from the typical warm and bright palette when she headed out on her journey to a cold dark blue. These grim colours associated with the Captain’s world shows his returning influence and while she is left dishevelled by the ordeal and aware of the trouble she has caused, the audience are aware of her transformation from a little girl on a fantastical adventure to fearing the serious consequences of her actions at the hands of the vile Captain.
Another film that appropriately uses mise-en-scene and cinematography to convey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, directed by Damián Szifron, showing six different stories, all connected by extreme themes of violence and revenge.
Focusing on the wedding sequence, the scene begins with the camera pulling out to a wide shot which shows the vast amount of guests present at the wedding all focusing an a montage of old childhood photos that present the idea of innocence which contrasts the events later in the sequence and help the audience infer information about the couple. The setting is bright with a rich appearance as champagne glasses, golden chandeliers and tuxedos contribute to a disturbing feeling when Romina later threatens to take everything away from Ariel. When the bride and groom first appear, they emerge from behind a curtain, implying to the audience that their relationship is a facade and they are putting on a show as a steadicam pushes in on them, centrally framing them before arcing around them to focus on them greeting their parents, showing the audience that they are the main stars of the show and placing us as a spectator to the intimacy of the opening scene. Ariel’s appearance as unshaved gives the impression that he shows a lack of care towards his wife, foreshadowing his unfaithful nature and contradicts the caring attitude that we were originally led to believe that he had, replaced with suspicion at his unloyal nature.
After the jubilant dancing finishes, the change in location produces a shift from dark lighting to warm yellow lighting as the guests all happily eat in a far less crowded setting with much slower and less frequent stable shots. Romina talks with her guests, pointing out how she is related to each table and a long lens is used to make the audience feel as if they are a a part of this crowd before the camera pans to the left, centrally framing the bride in a close-up shot, isolating her within the frame as a shallow depth of field allows for the focus to be on her reaction as she watches her husband flirting with a woman across the room. A zoom on her face shows the importance of the woman and is followed by a reaction shot of the brides face which shows the importance of the revelation to the progression of the narrative. The camera tracks the bride as she moves towards a table with a mirror shot placing the woman in the centre of her focus as a wrack focus shows that the number she has dialled on her phone to test whether her husband has been cheating on her is answered by the woman, moving focus from the phone to the woman. This mirror shot could also foreshadow her apparent dual nature later on in the film after the husband confirms her suspicions.
After confronting her husband and feeling overwhelmed at his revelation that he has cheated on her, Romina escapes this distressing situation by leaving the room and frantically runs down a long, narrow hallway away from the guests towards the rooftop. As she runs, the camera is positioned on the ground looking up which contributes to the trapped and claustrophobic feeling present in the narrow hallway as she feels betrayed and alone. On the rooftop, pathetic fallacy is used to demonstrate her ferocity as she lashes out at him as a bolt of lightning simultaneously strikes behind her, positioning her in a mid-shot showing that she commands the frame and allows the audience to understand the seriousness of her threats while the camera is consistently handheld and the scene constantly breaks the 180 degree rule further indicating her change to a controlling attitude. When she returns, the white wedding dress, a symbol of purity and innocence, becomes tainted with blood when she discovers the truth of her husbands deceit and throws the woman he had been cheating on her with into a mirror, symbolising that her innocence has become fragmented and has stained her as a person which can’t wash out and return to its original white colour just as she can’t unlearn what she has discovered.
Both Szifron and Del Toro use aspects of mise-en-scne and cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films to have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro uses cinematography to show perspective, using camera height to position the audience with specific characters while using mise-en-scne to differentiate each set of groups from the other, setting Ofelia apart from the Captain and with the rebels. Szifron also uses cinematography to position the audience with characters, allowing the audience to empathise with Romina through techniques that convey the feelings of the characters. Mise-en-scene also creates empathy for characters through the use of symbolic imagery that depicts a characters changing emotions as their life falls apart.
How far do your chosen films demonstrate the importance of visual and soundtrack cues in influencing spectator response?
(50 minutes; 40 marks; 11.6% of qualification)
Essay
Spectatorship regards the way viewers make sense of the images on screen and the relationship we have with the films we watch. Two models that identify whether a spectator is passive or active are the Hypodermic Syringe Model which depicts the audience as being passive to what is on screen and the Uses and Gratification Model which states that an audience will actively interpret the film in their own way. According to Stuart Halls’ reception theory, a film only has meaning when it is encoded by an audience but not all members of the audience will encode it in the same way, forming the idea that the same audience can be both passive and active at the same time which is often encouraged by the filmmakers through their use of specific techniques.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is a low budget, independent film financed by Cinereach and Court 13 outside the major Hollywood studios that found success largely through word of mouth. Zeitlin had previously directed short films such as Glory at Sea in 2008 but Beasts of the Southern Wild was the first feature length film he directed and just like his 2008 short film inspired by Hurricane Katrina, he was determined to deliver a message to the audience that focused on environmental issues and make aware the effects on poorer communities.
As an independent film, Beasts of the Southern Wild is more likely to use imagery to create meaning and effect for an audience as the smaller budget of the film results in it being more grounded in reality as elaborate shots couldn’t be utilised, allowing for an audience to empathise with Hushpuppy’s struggles as the camera is positioned from her perspective at eye level rather than other characters such as her more authoritative father. There is also a greater intention to challenge the audience, placing them in the role of an active spectator who according to the Uses and Gratifications Model, interprets the film in their own way and will actively use films for gaining information about the world. Spectators are encouraged to feel empathy for Hushpuppy which has an influence on the their specific interpretation of the film as according to Christopher Metz, identifying with a character on screen brings enjoyment for an audience as the surreal nature of the films, similar to the magical realism element in Beasts of the Southern Wild with the appearance of the aurochs, creates an impossible character for the majority of spectators to mirror and therefore an audience will immerse themselves in the characters world, in turn forming the spectator who actively responds to the harsh visceral imagery they witness on screen. This is most notable during the scene in which Wink is on the verge of death after the community has fled the support centre. In this moment both Hushpuppy and her father look at each other at the same eye level, using close-ups on Hushpuppy with her voiceover gives an insight into how she perceives the world, with spectators responding differently in how they empathise with her. Spectators such as the actor Dwight Henry who played Wink experienced the effects of Hurricane Katrina first hand and therefore would have been able to identify with Hushpuppy’s situation as they have experienced her situation for themselves and can sympathise with her struggles whereas spectators who watch the film as a more mainstream audience thanks to the attention it gained from its numerous awards, witness her struggles from an outsider perspective and empathise with what her reality is like without knowing it themselves.
When interpreting the key message of the film, the preferred reading by a majority of spectators will be based around the premise that climate change has a catastrophic effect on the lives of those living in much poorer communities but by sticking together as a community, these challenges they face can be overcome. However, some spectators might choose to interpret an oppositional reading of the film as they would see the refusal of the community to accept help as being damaging. The preferred reading aligns with Zeitlins indentions for the message of the film as he claims he feels “very strongly about environmental issues” and that he wanted “even people who don’t believe in global warming to watch it”. This resulted in the visual style of the film heavily reflecting the effects of climate change as seen in the editing in the film as in one scene where Wink appear to be having a heart attack, he falls to the ground as the sound of thunder can be heard in the background which is intercut with the image of a falling glacier which for most audiences would be interpreted as two life ending events mirroring each other and if support is provided for one then why not the other. This support that Wink and the community receives after the Bathtub is flooded and their homes destroyed comes in the form of governmental aid as they are taken to a relief centre to help rehabilitate the community. The preferred reading of the communities decision to run away from the support would have been one of encouragement from most spectators as they have witnessed the happiness of the community and the bond they have with each other, actively deciding that there decision to run away is the correct one whereas the oppositional reading by some spectators would have questioned why the community would forgo from support and choose to return to living in poverty, believing that by rejecting the support of the aid provided by government, the right to make criticisms against support provided has been given up. Both these interpretations from spectators might provoke a more negotiated reading of the film as some might choose to believe that the film represents that a sense of community is just as important as the support given by the government and other institutions and that while this could help contribute to the wellbeing of the community, the community’s decision to reject them stems from the belief they are better off without help and support should continued to be provided in case it is necessary in the future.
Some spectators might actively interpret the film to have a feminist reading due to Hushpuppy’s progression as a more authoritative character in the film from the beginning to the end. Despite the film being from her perspective, Hushpuppy’s role in the community in comparison to her father who instructs on how to behave and encourages her to toughen up, repeatedly telling her not to cry while he does the opposite of what he expects her to do such as drinking. Laura Mulvey proposed the idea of the ‘male gaze’ and that films are produced for men and have a patriarchal view of the world where women act passively and male characters are active protagonists. Wink identifies masculine qualities as being more useful than weaker feminine qualities in his daughter which would encourage this feminist reading of the film but some audiences would choose a more negotiated reading of the film as displaying elements of the patriarchy but Hushpuppy overcoming her fear of the aurochs empowers femininity, rather than an oppositional reading that Hushpuppy’s progression from a character that is controlled by her father to independence doesn’t contain feminist interpretation.
La La Land was produced by Summit and was therefore not an independent film, with a large budget of $30 million. Chazelle had previously directed the highly successful 2014 film Whiplash and La La Land shares in the films similar niche of jazz culture. The film shows the relationship between two characters, Seb and Mia whose personal dreams of success bring them together but ultimately tear them apart as Chazelle explores the culture surrounding Hollywood and music in contemporary society with the intention of entertaining its audience which creates passive spectators in accordance with the Hypodermic Syringe Model but also creates active spectators due to the interpretations of the couples relationship and the idea surrounding the American dream.
During the opening sequence of the film it is immediately established to be a musical as the song and dance on the freeway is reminiscent of the typical Hollywood musicals of the 1930s and 1940s. This musical nature of the film results in a majority spectatorship who engage with the film passively in line with the Uses and Gratifications Model as being for entertainment purposes as the audience can appreciate the choreography of the dancers in the ‘Another Day of Sun’ song as the camera travels around the singers, gliding in front of each one and matching their movements to create an almost dream-like sequence. Chazelle doesn’t aim to to create a film with explicit key messages other than the idea of jazz culture but by applying a psychoanalytical theory, audiences can interpret meaning from films that were unintended by the director by exploring the meaning that can be found in the film subtext. The use of filmmaking elements such as sound during the opening sequence of the film establishes the theme of sacrifices in order to achieve success as shown in the lyrics of the song: ‘chasing all the lights that shine, and when they let you down, you’ll get up off the ground’. When the singers return to their cars could be interpreted by some spectators as being symbolic of the aspirations of those in LA but who are frustrated as they struggle towards achieving their goals.
Extending from this interpretation, some spectators might interpret the theme of the American dream throughout the film and the idea that through the hard work in pursuing your dream you can achieve it as seen by the success of Mia in her acting career and Seb’s ambition to open up his own club being realised at the films climax. The films depiction of Mia and Seb’s relationship is also a romantic exploration of the transformative power of love that leaves viewers feeling emotionally uplifted by what they have seen. While this comforting notion might be the preferred reading of the film, an oppositional reading is present as some spectators would find that the relationship was completely unconvincing and that the idea of pursuing the American dream was glorified nonsense and would take no comfort from the film which leads to a more negotiated reading of the film that the spectator is moved by the characters dreams and relationship but doesn’t find it entirely convincing but will still leave the cinema feeling uplifted but not necessarily inspired or changed as a result of watching the film.
Where some spectators might choose to view the film as a celebration of reaching your dream regardless of gender or circumstance, a more oppositional and feminist interpretation of the film and specifically Mia pursuit in relation to Seb’s own pursuit of their dreams would take issue with the representation of gender politics, accusing the film of being a male fantasy about artistic integrity that Mia facilitates. Critics have stated that Mia is a passive character as her decisions are motivated by Seb as he encourages her to put on her show and attend the audition which helps launch her career while she also watches passively at Seb’s performances as he works to chase his own dream. Another view of the film could be that the film is actually shot from Mia’s perspective as expressed by Anna Leszkiewitz as it is initially Seb who seems to be the creative one while Mia recites movie dialogue, but argues her shift from audience to creator celebrates the experience of consuming art, taking inspirations and creating something new which makes her a star in her own right. Indeed, Chazelle does initially begin the film from Mia’s perspective and later shifts to Seb’s before the two first meet and although it is not explicitly shown that the film is from her perspective, an audience can infer this from the positioning of the audience from her perspective by using close-ups as she reacts to Seb and others while more wide shots are used frequently when Seb is performing as if she was a member of the audience like us, relating to the preferred reading of the film that anyone can achieve their dreams.
Both films demonstrate varying uses of filmmaking techniques such as visual cues in order to provoke a spectators response. Beasts of the Southern Wild has a clear message which Zeitlin attempts to get across to the audience, creating active spectators who actively interpret the films themes while La La Land doesn’t have such a strong message which Chazelle attempts to get across to the audience, thereby creating passive spectators but active spectators are still present as although it doesn’t challenge ideas, La La Land still opens up a variety of different opposing readings of the film.
How valuable has ideological analysis been in developing your understanding of the themes of your chosen films?
(50 minutes; 40 marks; 11.6% of qualification)
Essay
Ideology is the beliefs of a large proportion of the population which makes up an integral part of the ideological framework of a culture and shapes attitude towards the world that might be different from other societies. There are several categories to these ideologies, one of which is neutral with the emphasis being on entertainment rather than reflecting on right and wrong while implicit ideology will show conflicting values between two characters which isn’t heavily dwelled on in comparison to more explicit representations of ideology that aim to teach or persuade an audience as proposed by theorist Cesare Zavattini who believed the camera allowed the filmmaker to capture the real world to share with audiences.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is a low budget, independent film financed by Cinereach and Court 13 outside the major Hollywood studios that found success largely through word of mouth. Zeitlin had previously directed short films such as Glory at Sea in 2008 but Beasts of the Southern Wild was the first feature length film he directed and just like his 2008 short film inspired by Hurricane Katrina, he was determined to deliver a message to the audience that focused on environmental issues and the effects on poorer communities.
As an independent film, Beasts of the Southern Wild strays from typical Hollywood conventions in order to create meaning and effect for an audience that doesn’t align with what an audience would typically expect. Indie films are less likely to follow a traditional narrative structure of Hollywood films while there is far greater openness for interpretation so that the audience can explore their own responses more freely, breaking the rules of film form. This is evident in the sense of realism created by using handheld shots and authentic locations which is later contrasted with magical realism which offers a sensory spectacle where the audience watches scenes not typical of Hollywood productions as some scene aren’t tied to the narrative but have an aesthetic beauty such as the twinkling lights in the Elysian Fields which creates meaning rather than propelling the narrative forward. David Bordwell describes independent cinema as ‘a genre with its own distinct conventions’ which is clear when considering character development as less likely to be archetypes such as the inhabitant of the Bathtub who share ideologies but are diverse in age and ethnicity.
Independent films often feature progressive gender representations as seen with Zeitlin’s explicit presentation of different interpretations throughout the film, specifically a feminist interpretation when considering the young girl, Hushpuppy. Wink believes strength is a masculine characteristic and Hushpuppy is encouraged to toughen up and be more like a man. He repeatedly tells her not to cry as it shows weakness while her clothing is purely practical and she rejects that she is dressed in a more feminine way when under government care as her discomfort is clear. This would lead an audience to believe that feminine traits are far weaker than masculine but this idea is subverted during the climax of the film when Hushpuppy faces down the beasts in front of her community, showing strength and courage as she stands her ground and opens feminist interpretation as it accurately depicts qualities that should be present in female characters as they are present in real life. Another interpretation opened up by the film is a Marxist interpretation as shown by the community of the Bathtub. Throughout the film it’s made apparent the community rejects the idea of American capitalist ideology which places importance on work and money and replaces it with an ideology based on everyone helping everyone else. When Hushpuppy and her father are given government aid after there home is flooded, they dismiss it, preferring to live life without a state as they distrust the authority, escaping from the hospital to return to their homes as a community even at the expense of care for Wink as he is suffering.
The ending of the film implements magical realism as she stands before the beasts and although her father is dying and her home is damaged, there remains a sense that all will return to how it was and they wont be forced to leave, with Hushpuppy taking up a new role in the community as a far stronger and independent girl. This however sacrifices the idea of the pain and suffering brought on by their poverty, instead romanticising it so that the Bathtub is made to feel beautiful for the people living there such as when the community drinks together therefore gives a false impression of the happiness of the poor and doesn’t show the harsh lives that people living in such desperate poverty are forced to endure, proving the audience with a false image of the hardship experienced everyday in places across America. Also, by romanticising the lives of the poor, the film fails to discuss the corruption present in society which leads to communities building up and needing to develop to survive, instead showing the poor rejecting help when in reality there is very little help available and it only comes after a major flooding incident, with the government being reactive rather than proactive in terms of their support for poverty stricken areas.
La La Land differs from Beasts of the Southern Wild as it had a large budget of $30 million and was produced by Summit, an extension of Lionsgate which acted as distributer. Chazelle previously directed the successful 2014 film Whiplash and La La Land shares the similar niche genre of jazz culture. The film still shows typical Hollywood themes such as a heterosexual relationship while being produced to entertain rather than convey a specific message unlike Zeitlin but the characters in the film display characteristics that might be considered to be out of the mainstream norm of the typical Hollywood output.
Although the film is mainstream, it does not necessarily conform to audience expectations as Seb, one of the main characters in the film, does not possess typical heroic traits of Hollywood films as when he is introduced 17 minutes into the film the audience have already been told about Mia and her ambitions as a film star and have there empathised her as she continues to fail her auditions. By the time Seb appears on screen the audience are immediately sided with her as his rude behavior on the highway at Mia shows that he is not a heroic character and that Mia is the stronger of the two characters.
Although the film is not strongly feminist, it strays from the typical Hollywood ideology of strong masculinity as opposed to weak femininity. Some critics however have criticised the gender representation of the film as an initial reading of the film gives an audience the impression that Mia is a passive character as the major decisions in her life such as writing her play and attending the audition that launches her career are motivated by Seb while also watching the apparently far more creative Seb in the audience at his performances. However, an opposing interpretation could be opened up that Mia is the main character in the film and that the film is actually shot from her perspective as expressed by Anna Leszkiewitz. Seb is initially shown to be the creative one while Mia is watches and instead recites movie dialogue in her auditions as more of an audience than a creator but by the end of the film, it is arguably Mia who achieves the most success out of them both and while she is positioned from an audience perspective, it is Mia who leads the narrative as the audience view the film from her perspective as she views Seb on several occasions such as when Seb first plays the piano at the restaurant, when he is playing at the party and during the final scene of the film when he has got his own club, empowering her as a lead female character as opposed to typical Hollywood macho ideology.
A major criticism of the film among critics is usually the lack of diversity within the film. Many have taken issue with the idea that the film is ‘escapist fun’ and that Seb is trying to save jazz which is a symbol of nostalgia embodied by musicians such as Charlie parker who died in 1955 and his successors who experimented with fusing funk and jazz together. The main issue is that Seb is attempting to return to the past which, while liberating for some groups such as white people, those of minority groups would not have been treated equally. The jazz idols for Seb were supporters of Civil Rights and the world that Seb wants to return to before jazz became political was a time in which Los Angeles was filled with racist ideology and the film elects to ignore this side of the city, especially issues concerning race with riots happening throughout the 20th century and up to the 1990’s. Also, the only prominent black character in the film, Keith, is shown to have sold out to commercialism while Seb is the one who attempts to keep jazz pure.
Both films present explicit ideologies in order to have varying effects on how an audience interprets the film. Beasts of the Southern Wild has a clear and obvious message regarding poverty and the environment that tackles these issues head on and far more explicitly than La La Land as being an indie film meant Zeitlin could explore deeper into key issues that might not have attracted mainstream audiences. La La Land can be interpreted as having a feminist ideology and while issues may be apparent in some of it’s ideology, it nonetheless presents key themes of race and gender to have an effect on the audience.
Song and dance scenes are shot in one take just like the Hollywood musicals of the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s allowing for the audience to appreciate the choreography of the dancers – shot on soundstages for extended tracking and crane shots.
Panning and tracking shots allow the camera to follow the action which creates the impression that it is one of the dancers which makes it more immersive and emotional for the audience
Opening Sequence: Camera starts on open blue sky then travels along congested traffic – the camera glides in front of the singers as they get out their cars, then over the bonnets to join in with the other dancers, matching their movements, stopping and starting in rhythm to the music, the movement changing on the beat.
Seb on Piano Sequence: Sharp dolly into Sebs boss’ face after the camera has been calmly moving around the restaurant as he plays the piano – when Mia walks towards him the audience expects a meet-cute typical of the romantic genre – the camera tracks behind her so we empathise with her anticipation but halts when Seb brushes past her, indicating the film doesn’t follow the typical romance we expect
Mise-en-scene
Title of the film is the nickname for the films setting and a play on the the idiom for being lost in dreams which is a core theme. Production design reflects this using LA locations both gritty and romantic.
Opening Sequence: Singers dancing and then returning to their cars could be seen as symbolic of their aspirations but that they are frustrated as they are stagnated towards achieving their goal
Seb on Piano Sequence: Spotlight used to pick out the character and reflect the aspiration of being on the stage.
Editing
The extended single takes are dreamlike to make the scenes more realistic and root the film in the desires and frustrations of the characters. This results in a fast cutting rate on the scenes that aren’t song and dance to create a sense of being trapped, so that the musical numbers are where tension is released.
Opening Sequence: The dance scene is given the impression of being in one long take but there are cuts that are masked by the camera whip panning as vehicles made it impossible
Seb on Piano Sequence: The scene uses jump cuts which differs from the floaty nature of the editing in the opening sequence but when he begins to play the piano the camera becomes a gliding presence similar to when dancing
Sound
Opening Sequence: Diegetic use of music to hear what each driver is listening to before resting on the first singer and turning to non-diegetic – the lyrics establish the theme of sacrifices and celebrates the ambition of LA and foreshadows Seb and Mia’s relationship
Seb on Piano sequence: The music Seb is instructed to play and what he wants to play show the conflict theme of the film between what is popular and staying true to one’s craft
Meaning and Response
Representations
Represents artists who struggle to achieve their dreams while attempting to work the basics of everyday life such as jobs and relationships.
Critics focused on representation of gender in the film, saying Mia was a passive character as Seb causes key plot events such as funding her play and attending the audition
Lack of racial diversity was criticised was criticised – only speaking role is Keith who sells out to commercialism while Seb attempts to keep Jazz pure
Aesthetics
Shot almost entirely on location which contributes to the idea of grounding the film in reality
Unpretty locations such as the freeway and Mulholland Drive ground the film in reality while the use of colour in production design and lighting romanticises LA
Combination of contemporary and vintage elements of set and location dressing shows a film caught between the past and present. All the cars are modern in the opening sequence except for Seb’s which is from the 1980’s
Costume design uses colour to capture the vibrancy of a place where people come to pursue their dreams
Contexts
Historical
Some critics criticised that the film doesn’t discuss LA’s turbulent history, especially with issues concerning race with riots happening in the 1990’s and further back. These concerns are ignored by the film which Chazelle defended by pointing out that LA constantly erases its own past and the film reflects this.
Political
The films success at the box office and wards was seen as indicative of people’s desire for escapism after a period of upheaval in the US, UK and Europe.
Technological
2:55:1 Cinemascope ratio which is rarely used today a gives sense of of the vastness of LA.
Ideology
Critics of gender representation have suggested Mia is a passive character as her decision are motivated by Seb. Sebastian encourages her to put on her show and persuades her to attend the audition that launches her career while she also watches passively at Seb’s performances. However, it is Mia who achieves the most success at the end of the film and she leads the narrative as the audience see her perspective at the very beginning.
Representations race have been criticised and critical articles have taken issue with the idea the film is ‘escapist fun’ as a return to the past is liberating for some groups such as white people but not for others such as those of minority groups.
Critics have identified that the jazz that Seb is trying to save is a symbol of apolitical nostalgia which is embodied by Charlie Parker who died in 1955 with his successors such as Coltrane who experimented with fusing funk and jazz. They were also supporters of Civil Rights and the world Seb wants to return to before jazz became political is a time when LA was filled with racism.
The treatment of nostalgia could be seen as intelligent questioning as both characters achieve their dreams but while Seb does so by living in the past, Mia embraces the new. There an element of sadness in the final scenes and the idea that living in the past isn’t as easy as the nostalgia of the film suggests.
The notion of growing up and facing reality is a central theme of the film and the urgency of chasing your dream before you’ve grown up too much. The characters are torn between their dreams and the reality that at some point they will have to grow up in order to make a living.
Spectatorship
Some have criticised gender politics, accusing the film of being a male fantasy about artistic integrity that Mia facilitates. Another view is proposed that actually the film is shot from Mia’s perspective according to Anna Leszkiewitz as initially Seb seems to be the creative one while Mia recites movie dialogue, more audience than creator. Argues the film celebrates the audience as revels in the experience of consuming art and takes these inspirations and creates something new which makes her a star. Part of the excitement of the film experience for the audience is that we can make the same leap.
The preferred reading is that the film is a romantic exploration of the transformative power of love and the American dream, and the spectator leaves the cinema emotionally uplifted
A negotiated reading could be that the spectator is moved by characters achieving their dream but finds the relationship unconvincing
An oppositional reading could be that a spectator finds Seb’s obsessions with jazz as regressive and self-indulgent rather than inspiring
Low budget, financed outside of the six major Hollywood studios. Marketed largely through word of mouth, critical acclaim and audiences were generated by festival success and award wins
Bob Rosen – Four criteria for an independent film: ‘risk taking in content and style’; ‘personal vision’; backed by ‘non-Hollywood financing’; and ‘the valuation of art over money’.
It’s magic realism and the subject of the poor being derived after a disaster would have restricted the appeal to mainstream audiences and so shows risk taking by the filmmaker.
The film started as a one-act play written by Zeitlin’s friend and only played on four screens in USA showing it’s a personal vision.
Produced by Court 13 for $1.8 million and funded by the non-profit foundation Cinereach. Court 13 represents outsiders and the challenges that working outside the system brings. The film was a commercial success but profit was the primary motivation instead it was the desire to tell the story on the filmmaker and Court 13’s part.
Can be considered ‘outsider art’ as it was created outside the boundaries of official culture.
It’s an indie film as it challenges Hollywood conventions by exploring character over action and entertainment.
The n.d.a states that independent companies constitute more than 70% of film production in the US.
In 2012, independent box office takings amounted to $4.5 billion which was 41.7% of the total box office for that year. From 2000-2011 the average for indie films had been 35% so this rise was surprising given the recession in 2007 which would have made it difficult to gain funding in that climate.
Zeitlin had directed short films such as Glory at Sea in 2008, inspired by Hurricane Katrina before he made Beasts of the Southern Wild. The 2008 film won numerous awards at award festivals which gave the film publicity and put Zeitlin on the map.
Zeitlin was selected for the Sundance Institute Directors Lab Program which played a huge part in securing the film as audience. He was also eligible to apply for financial support. It received critical acclaim winning 74 awards which generated positive publicity and led to the film getting a much wider release at 318 screens at its peak. There was further success when it was nominated for four Oscars in 2013 which was announced on 10 January and the impact of this was that on the weekend of 18 January there was a a rise of over 2000% in takings from the previous weekend and was screened on 71 US screens compared to the four the weekend prior.
It was distributed by Fox Searchlight pictures which gave the advantage of years of experience, significant resources and global reach. Its part of the 20th Century Fox Film. They then released the Blu-ray and DVD in the USA, taking over $11 million.
Social, cultural and political context
The film focuses on the impact of natural disaster but Zeitlin states he didn’t intend for the film to be a political one ‘I feel very strongly about environmental issues but I wanted even people who don’t believe in global warming to sit down and watch it’.
Hurricane Katrina – Hundred of thousands displaced from their homes, $100 billion damage, 1,800 killed, 80% of New Orleans submerged under 20 feet of water, people of colour/elderly/poor were disproportionately affected by destruction and loss of life
Slow government response sparked protest and criticism. Some argue the slow response was due to the demographic of those affected by the storm, There are moments in Beasts of the Southern Wild that echo images from news coverage of the hurricane. the films values resonate in a world where social inequality continues to be a problem.
Indie films are not as likely as mainstream productions to be genre films and less likely to follow a traditional narrative structure. The openness of interpretation is characteristic of independent films which generally encourage the audience to explore their own responses more freely.
They are more likely to break the rules of film form and use filming techniques to create meaning.
David Bordwell – ‘Art cinema itself is a genre, with its own distinct conventions’
Its success is testament to the quality of the filmmaking and the fact that spectators can relate to some of the characters’ experiences.
The sense of realism created by handheld camera, use of non-actors, authentic locations and sets may intensify the emotional response for the spectator. Conversely, the use of magic realism
The film cheers the underdog as the audience are encouraged to share the joy of these characters surviving/ Nature vs Civilization
Cinematography –
Predominantly filmed on 16mm film to give the shots a grainy quality that reflects the grittiness of the location. The visuals are kept grounded for realism.
Principally shot using an Easyrig which provides movement of the body when a camera operator is walking around as opposed to the smooth Steadicam. This places the spectator in the action which creates immersion such as the firework scene where the camera runs through with the characters.
The camera mirrors Hushpuppy’s responses and the prevalence of shots of her or her perspective encourages an audience to align themselves with her such as when Hushpuppy is with the animals in the opening scene.
Close-ups and shallow depth of field focus attention on one character which encourages an audience to consider what a character may be thinking which foregrounds the psychology of the character which is common in independent films.
Mise-en-scene –
Filming location was Isle de Jean in South Louisiana USA which is severely affected by land loss so conveys emergency authentically. BP oil spill just occurred while filming which contributed to the films theme of communities surviving disasters.
Homes were constructed to reflect the lifestyles of the inhabitants of the bathtub.
The beasts known as aurochs are extinct so less realistic but metaphorical aspect of the film. Zeitlin ‘the predator versus their prey, maybe a metaphor about the fearlessness in Louisiana as it tests them’. They are derived from magic realism but help the audience to engage with Hushpuppy as when facing them down she shows strength of character and fearlessness and by facing her fear she has developed.
Editing –
The majority of shots included her or her point of view as it gave the film emotional tension as it was prom her perspective.
Linear film which allows the audience to experience Wink’s death alongside Hushpuppy.
Only one flashback in the film which is when Wink and her mother meet which gives it greater significance. Seeing him reminisce in a romanticised way reveals a more vulnerable side to his character as he is usually portrayed as being someone who lives in the moment.
Sound –
Music plays a significant role in conveying the atmosphere and life in the Bathtub. The jazz-funeral culture defined the town as this music conveys the positive aspects of living in a vulnerable place at a challenging time and a sense of community and appreciating life is clear.
Hushpuppy’s voice-overs helps convey her isolation throughout the film as well as giving insight into how she perceives the world.
Cajun and folk music score co-written by Zeitlin and Dan Romer reflects the chaotic whirlwind of life in the Bathtub.
Performance –
The film was cast with non-professional actors who could bring their own experiences to the film. Dwight Henry who played Wink was a local baker who experienced Hurricane Katrina and said ‘A lot of people refused to leave. We’re not just going to walk away… I understand a lot of what the people in that movie go through’.
Wallis who plays Hushpuppy had not been trained to act and so her performance is naturalistic and compelling.
Aesthetics –
The artistic choices made in the films look and music offers a sensory spectacle where the audience is taken to a world rarely seen in cinema. Some of the scene are not tied to the narrative but have aesthetic beauty such as the twinkling lights in the Elysian Fields scene which doesn’t propel the narrative forward.
Independent films are more focused on character development and exploration so they are less likely to be archetypes or stereotypes. The inhabitants of the Bathtub share ideologies but are diverse in age, ethnicity.
Representation and Ideology
Age –
Wink as the parent would be stereotypically expected to be wise and has authority in the community as a leader. Hushpuppy follows Wink’s directions. This is a key dynamic between the two and Wink teaches her how to survive as he realises he is dying such as in the fishing scene. She is shaped by his views and ideologies, repetition of ‘Daddy says’.
Hushpuppy challenges stereotypes of children and girls being emotionally and physically vulnerable as she is relatively independent as shown by her voice overs and she is resilient and faces her fears in front of her community at the end of the film.
Gender –
The film is set in 2012. Independent films often feature progressive gender representations.
Wink believes strength is a masculine characteristic and Hushpuppy is encouraged to toughen up and be more like a man (he doesn’t want her to cry). Her clothing is practical and when she is later dressed up in a more feminine way later on in the hospital her discomfort is clear. When she faces down the beasts at the end of the film, it shows strength and courage and accurately depicts qualities that should be present in female characters as they are present in real life.
Ethnicity –
The film representations of ethnicity edge towards stereotypes with the inhabitants of the Bathtub shown as poor and dirty. Hushpuppy plays with dirt and Wink drinks heavily. Wink is also aggressive and neglective of Hushpuppy at times as he walks off, leaving her on her own for a brief time.
The film arguably represents a community where ethnicity is irrelevant and the characters face the same challenges regardless of their race.
Representation of the poor is romanticised despite the broken nature of the Bathtub as it’s made to feel beautiful for the people living there and therefore doesn’t show the harsh lives that these people living in such desperate poverty must endure and provides a false image for an audience of the hardship experienced everyday in areas such as these.
The ending of the film implements magical realism with the appearance of the beasts which sacrifices the idea of the pain and torment people suffer. Although her father is dying and her home even further damaged, there remains a sense that all will return to normal and they wont be forced to leave, with Hushpuppy taking a new role in the community, which seems far to unrealistic given the circumstances she is in. The idea that everything will go back to normal as being a happy thing gives a false impression of the happiness of the poor.
The film doesn’t discuss the corruption present in society which results in such communities being forced to develop to survive, instead showing the poor as rejecting help when in reality there is very little help available.
Spectatorship
As an audience we are encouraged to empathise specifically with Hushpuppy as we see what she sees at the same time that she does, so that we never have more knowledge than she does.
The small budget of the film meant elaborate shots couldn’t be used but this ground the film in realism and allows for an audience to empathise with Hushpuppy more.
La La Land is the story of two people living in L.A. dreaming about the future they want. Sebastian, an aspiring jazz club owner and Mia, a striving actor are completely different people and yet come together because of their desire to do what they love.
This film has always been one of my favourites and I particularly love the cinematography. Chazelle’s use of colour to depict L.A. brings it to life and places the characters in their surroundings.
Personally, Chazelle writes as if drawing attention to the idea of failure before success, romanticising it in a way that allows for an audience to greater appreciate the journey and struggle of getting somewhere.
Beasts of the Southern Wild tells the story of a young girl, ‘Hushpuppy’, who searches for her mother as her father slowly dies in front of her. She must also learn to deal with her world crumbling around her, as the global warming destroys her home.
My initial impression of the film was that I liked it. It didn’t particularly blow me away so I was surprised it gained a Best Picture nomination. The film uses a lot of handheld shots which annoyed me at first but as the film progressed I found that it served the narrative better as it was bale to clearly show her chaotic lifestyle which would have been harder to do if still shots were used. I think that the film was flawed because as a viewer, it was difficult to understand the motivation behind any of the characters in the first act but it gave a unique interpretation of a changing world and gender.
I believe the film was trying to accentuate female gender role as the main character, a young girl who takes charge in the midst of her fathers illness demonstrates independence. I think the most obvious out of everything though was the impact of global warming, shown through melting ice caps that flood their homes and consequently release the wild beasts that she stands up to in the final act.
Ideology is the beliefs and values of a large proportion of the population which is an integral part of the ideological framework of our culture and shapes their attitude towards the world which might not be in line with wider values of society.
The political mainstream develops a strong ideology for a set of people that becomes natural as they are the most common beliefs in that society.
Personal Ideologies – The outcome of an individual’s experiences and influences
Cultural Ideologies – Constructed by Institutional sources such as the law, education and media
Dominant Ideologies – Accepted by the majority as common sense such as freedom of speech and the right to vote
Structured Ideologies – Groups with distinct world views such as religious groups who have values which define a person’s way of thinking
It can be argued that that the media acts to communicate, consolidate and challenge ideological viewpoints and set the agenda for morals and beliefs.
In order to maximise profits, the media want to appeal to larger audiences and the best way to do this and avoid alienating people is to reflect their ideologies back at them. Where dominant values are reinforced people are reassured that their own values are common sense, hiding the fact that ideologies are based on belief systems rather than truths.
Identifying Ideologies: Media Language; Values of the Institution; Genre: Representation of something; Audience Expectations; Binary Opposition in Narrative.
Films may also be neutral as their main purpose is to entertain rather than to persuade an audience.
‘Theorists such as Cesare Zavattini and Siegfried Kracauer believed that cinema is photography but expanded; allowing the filmmaker to capture the real world around them to share with audiences.
Ideologies expose audiences to new beliefs. They challenge the audience to think about how they feel.
Virtually every movie presents us with ways of behaving–negative and positive– and therefore offers us an implied or explicit morality or ideology. Every film has a slant based on the director’s sense of right and wrong.
Categories of Ideology –
Neutral: Emphasis on action, pleasure and entertainment rather than reflecting heavily on right and wrong.
Implicit: There are conflicting values between two characters but these are not heavily dwelled upon, instead serving the interest of basic and accepted moral codes.
Explicit: Constructed to teach or persuade an audience.
Regards the way viewers make sense of the images on screen and the relationship we have with the films we watch.
Consider:
How the spectator has been conceived both as ‘passive’ and ‘active’ in the act of film viewing
The possibility of preferred, negotiated, oppositional and aberrant ‘readings’ of film
Reasons for the uniformity or diversity of response by different spectators
How spectators’ responses are affected by social and cultural factors
How the spectator is in dynamic interaction with film narrative and film features designed to generate response
The analysis of narrative, visual, musical, performance, genre and auteur cues in relation to spectator response
The impact of different viewing conditions on spectator response.
The Hypodermic Syringe Model – Audience as passive. The messages and meanings of the film are injected into the minds of the audience where they are accepted uncritically (assumes a film has only one meaning)
The Uses and Gratifications Model – Audience interpret the film in their own way. Audience will actively use films for a range of purposes including: entertainment, self-identification, social interaction, and ganing information about the world.
Stuart Hall’s reception theory: a film only has meaning when it is decoded by an audience and not all members of the audience will decode the meaning in the same way. Suggests that audiences will take on their own meanings from films, according to factors including their own pre-existing views on an issue and demographic factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, social class etc.
How do audiences relate to the characters on screen? Films may position us in relation to characters in a way that encourages us to see ourselves on screen. Films may constantly shift audience position, requiring us to actively identify with a range of characters at different times.
Viewing Context
Where we are. Who we are with. When do we watch the film. This can all have a significant effect on our response to a film.
Uses and Gratification Theory (Considers how an audience reacts)
Seeking Information – Not necessarily information required but satisfied the curiosity of the viewer
Sense of Personal Identity – Finding yourself and values. Learn from the people around us.
Personal Relationships – Responding to specific characters and the bonds we make with figures in the media
Integration and Social Interaction – Inciting conversation between people
Diversion – Passing the time
Passive Spectatorship –
Psychoanalytical Theory:
Belief that cinema is the closest art form to dreaming and by looking beneath the surface of a film, meaning could be found in the films subtext.
Christopher Metz said that identifying with a character on screen is what brings an enjoyment for an audience. The surreal nature of films and its reality creates an impossible character for an audience to exactly mirror so people immerse themselves in the world of the idealised self and therefore Metz believed the spectator was formed by the film.
Criticisms/ assumes the film has only one possible response that manipulates the audience with fantasy pleasures. Fails to consider different responses from people of different gender, sexuality etc.
Feminist Theory:
Laura Mulvey proposed the idea of the ‘male gaze’ that films are produced for men and have a patriarchal view of the world. Women act passively, sexually available whereas male characters are active protagonists.
States that the male audience identifies with the strong male characters and feel as though they can own the passive female characters, reinforcing the “neurotic male sexual ego”.
Criticisms/ she doesn’t look at films by female filmmakers with strong female characters or films that sexualise the male body.
Active Spectatorship –
Chandler (the gaze):
Spectators Gaze – Viewpoint of the camera
Intra-diegetic – When the characters look at each other
Extra-diegetic – When the characters look directly at the camera as if aware they are being watched
Camera’s Gaze – The film shows the tolls used to show the gaze which reminds an audience they are watching a film
Text-within-a text – The characters are watching a film and the audience watch it with them
Contemporary events may impact upon a spectator’s reading of the film
Compare how far the two films you have studied reflect the times they were made.
Casablanca (Michael Kurtiz, 1942) and Bonnie And Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967) both respectively demonstrate the contexts in which they were produced in under the influence of two different Hollywood eras. The contrasting stylistic elements of these films are as a result of the movement away from ‘The Golden Age’ and the adoption of new techniques which shaped films such as Bonnie and Clyde in ‘New Hollywood’.
Casablanca is a result of the contexts in which it was produced, with the influence of the Hollywood studio system defining its outcome. The ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’, referring to the 30 year period between 1930-1960 was defined by its large constructed sets, emphasis on the stars the film had to offer and co-ordinated cinematography that all worked in cohesion with one another to serve the narrative. The studio under which it was created, Warner Brothers, had great influence over the films creation and could be seen to have its own house style which, like Casablanca, can be identified in other Warner Brothers films of the time such as Herman Shumlin’s Watch on the Rhine.
The film follows Rick and Ilsa, two lovers who parted because of the Second World War and her arrival before him some years later, happily married to a resistance fighter, Victor Laszlo. The influence of the studio is most identifiable during the opening sequence of the film. A fanfare precedes the emergence of the Warner Brothers logo in which the producers name, Jack L. Warner appears, marking the film as a prestigious production under the influence of the producer rather than the director. A-list actors from the studios stable follow on from the logo title card with lesser known actors coming after the main title card of ‘Casablanca’ as a pull factor for an audience to watch the film as it was in the studios interest to make as much profit as possible, running the film industry as a business rather than a creative form of expression. The effects of such influence results in a film created with intention as propaganda for the war effort rather than the creative vision of several people coming together.
Jack L. Warner was a firm believer in the need for American involvement in the war and a keen promoter of the ideals of President F.D.R despite being an ardent Republican himself. The characterisation of Rick in the film is an example of the studios exploration of political opinion through storytelling as his portrayal as a Hollywood hero, especially in the final scene at the airport where he lets Ilsa escape to safety and shoots the Nazi General only when threatened himself, presents his ideals of going against the Nazi regime as being heroic and encourages others to share his views. Much like films of the time such as the previously referenced Watch on the Rhine, Casablanca is a clear representation of a film produced in the contexts of the time as the studio influencing it expresses its anti-fascist viewpoint. Bonnie and Clyde would challenge these ideas by having two murderous villains as the protagonists and the Sheriff that kills them presented as the bad guy.
Typical associations of cinematography that defined the style of the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ revolved around the use of frequent establishing shots and shot reverse shot with the actors movements on screen coming from the perspective of the audience. Camera movement and large depth of field were also used to show off the films sets as a lot of money had gone into them.
When Rick is first introduced, the camera crabs from right to left to display the setting of the café with the creative decision taken to change the aperture from a deep depth of field to a shallow depth to focus on the stars and thereby glamourising them as they are items to sell. The camera tracks the movement of the cigar in his hand, tilting up to reveal Rick, centrally framed and dollying backwards to see all of him. All previous shots in the café had been filled with lots of extras whereas Rick is in isolation and the loud diegetic dialogue from characters can now only faintly be heard as the focus is fully on him. The blocking and framing of each actor is in line with the cinematography that was typically found at the time and doesn’t explore more radical filming styles such as the handheld camera shots associated with the style of ‘New Hollywood’ that director Arthur Penn used in Bonnie and Clyde.
Bonnie and Clyde could never have been made during the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ but after the decline of studio influence after the 1948 Paramount vs USA case, studios found themselves with reduced control over a films outcome. The case resulted in studios being unable to offload a years worth of films to a theatre, instead being forced to create films they were certain would sell. The increase in the amount of families owning a TV also made studios financially worse off as many could stay at home and watch repeats of older films. In 1950, the number of American households with TVs was at just 9% but 10 years later had skyrocketed to 87.1%. This saw a rise in independence within the industry and allowed for the stylistically unusual Bonnie and Clyde to be created.
Bonnie and Clyde follows the crime spree of a young couple in Southern America. The pair were well-known for their robberies of banks after the Great Depression hit in 1929. Penn creates empathy for the two protagonists in a film that would shame them several decades prior. Bonnie and Clyde is a product of the context in which it was produced in, with comparisons able to be made from Casablanca in the ways in which the studio influenced its production and the unique visual elements of the film drawn from the French New Wave.
In the opening sequence, the Warner Brothers logo is unaccompanied by fanfare and doesn’t have the executive producers name on it while the first title card is of Warren Beatty as opposed to a studio head, demonstrating that the studio is subservient to the artistic intent of the film. These opening credits are objective and cold in comparison to Casablanca which guides that audience in a linear way through the narration, giving the film as uninviting appearance, further showing the greater power of the artistic intent of the film over the studio.
Arthur Penn took great inspiration from the French New Wave when considering bonnie and Clyde. The style of French New Wave commonly used a lot of handheld shots, long takes and shooting on location rather than creating sets as seen in Casablanca. The ending of Bonnie and Clyde would have been particularly horrifying for audiences at the time due to the gory nature of the protagonists deaths which they wouldn’t have been used to watching. In Casablanca, the film has a positive ending despite Ilsa leaving Rick as he can walk free and the German General is killed. Also, as the pair are littered with bullets, handheld shots are used frequently as well as in other scenes which gives the film a sense of realism as camera movement appears more naturalistic in comparison to the composed movement in Casablanca. The long take shows the Sheriff come out of the bushes where they had been shooting on location in Texas where there is silence before cutting to black, giving the film a very negative ending.
One of the most striking differences in both films that reflects the time in which they were made is the difference in sexuality presented in Bonnie and Ilsa, most notably in their introductions. Bonnie’s first appearance occurs at the very beginning of the film and her sexuality is expressed explicitly through the extreme close-ups of her lips as she applies red lipstick and that she is completely naked. She is immediately established a sexual character which her flirting with Clyde contributes to. This is considered to be very sexual for modern audiences so more contemporary audiences would have perhaps found this unusual to watch because of the heightened sexualisation of her character.
Ilsa’s introduction takes place in Rick’s cafe when she arrives with Laszlo and her presentation is very different to Bonnie’s. While Bonnie desires Clyde, Ilsa is sexualised in a way that makes her desirable. Filters on the lenses when focused on her allows for her highlights to bloom and gives her a sparkle to the eye. Rembrandt lighting is used for her which creates a triangle light on the cheekbone of the actor which gives them contrast while a profile shot of concern from her as they discuss the Nazis still shows off her beauty. For Ilsa to have been sexualised in the same way that Bonnie had would have been outrageous for the time due to conceptions of the female role as a mother.
Both Bonnie and Clyde and Casablanca are a product of the respective contexts in which they were created, with the exploration of character and visual style contrasting each other as Hollywood aligns itself with ideas more redolent of the French New Wave as there was a progression from the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ towards a ‘New Hollywood’ which allowed for greater freedom in creativity and therefore resulted in experimentation of different concepts and ideas as seen with Penn when is far more able to bring his own creative vision to fruition than Kurtis some 25 years later.
“The Hollywood Machine Has Always Crushed Individuality In Filmmaking”, Compare The Extent To Which The Films You Have Studied Display Auteur Individuality.
Intro: reference abut the monopoly of studios in the golden age of Hollywood as well a the changes seen from this era into New Hollywood. Also talk about film over the entire course of its history.
Point 1: Discuss the golden age of Hollywood and how the studios dominated the cinemas. Write about how Casablanca is a product of the golden age form of filmmaking, with the studio acting as auteur. Link back to question by stating there was little room for individuality at this time. Jack Warner influence.
Introduction of Rick and Ilsa compared to Bonnie And Clyde
Point 2: Changes between two eras and why they changed. Talk about increased amount of individuality in New Hollywood , with arrival of auteur theory and French new wave influencing films.
Shooting on set and locations. Casablanca shot on lavish sets with high production values whereas Bonnie And Clyde shot on location in South America, which was an influence of French New Wave
Point 3: Industry more accessible to people. Block booking theat res no longer possible and easier to use cheaper technology allowing independent filmmakers to start producing films: Rising demand for films led to a surge in independent production; popular stars moved away from contracts with major studios and increasingly worked with independent filmmakers – studios had to sign a consent decree, meaning they could no longer show films exclusively produced by them in theatres that they owned; As a result of the United States vs Paramount case, studios could no longer give a years worth of movies to a theatre, instead being forced to create films they were certain would do well. The result of this was that there was an increase in production values of a movie because there were less being produced.
The two endings nazi is killed, no blood – Bonnie And Clyde very gory, censorship changed, reflecting how directors were able to control their creative vision more than before
Conclusion: individuality did increase over time due to the difficulty of independent cinema in Hollywood at the beginning
Essay
Before the emergence of New Hollywood, individuality within filmmaking was restricted by the studios that produced the films as they owned a 95% monopoly in the industry, limiting the possibility of individuals breaking into the highly competitive market. However, the loss in the America vs. Paramount Pictures case in 1948 resulted in the gradual decline of the Golden Age of Hollywood and its subsequent successor allowed individuality to flourish within the industry.
The large monopoly meant that certain theatre chains would only exhibit films produced by the studio that owned them, limiting the power of the film system to several large institutions and restricting the individuality of many filmmakers who were forced into creating the vision of the studio. Casablanca is a product of the Golden Age of filmmaking, with the studio acting as auteur made evident in the opening sequence. The executive producers name, Jack L. Warner appears on the Warner Brothers logo as the producer is more important in terms of influence over the film than the director, Michael Curtiz, accompanied by a triumphant fanfare, celebrating the studio. This is followed by a title card displaying the A-list actors possessed by the studios stable with the lesser known actors being shown after the main title card and the director coming at the very end. Casablanca demonstrates the influence that the studio had on a production, limiting the amount of individuality given to Michael Curtiz and creating a film based on the dictations of the studio that hired him. In comparison, Bonnie And Clyde represents a shift to greater freedom of creativity in New Hollywood. Similar to Casablanca, the Warner Brothers logo appears but is no longer accompanied by a fanfare as the studio is subservient to the artistic intent of the film. The first name to appear is Warren Beatty, the main creative force behind the film as opposed to a studio head, with his name turning to red, foreshadowing the violent end his character meets, while photos of the Great Depression quickly cut in an uninviting way in contrast to the dissolves in Casablanca. This aims to guide the audience in a cohesive way, with individuality given more freedom in the New Hollywood style, differing from the Golden Age of Hollywood form with the title cards being used to reinforce the films story rather than as a ploy to encourage theatre goers to spend big to see the best stars a studio had to offer.
The change between the two eras was inaugurated by the arrival of the French New wave and the start of the auteur theory, allowing for individuality to develop in New Hollywood. Shooting on location provides realism to Bonnie And Clyde, unlike the approach of Casablanca. During the sequence in which Clyde searches for Bonnie, they run through a large open crop field where dark shadows cast over. This approach is more realistic than Casablanca as Penn can’t control the weather and doesn’t create an artificial environment to remove the shadows. Casablanca instead uses large manufactured sets with artificial lighting such as when Ilsa and Laszlo first enter Rick’s diner, while blocking of characters and framing is always in service of the narrative rather than the free-flowing handheld shots in Bonnie And Clyde which is less defined by the movements of the characters and thereby adding greater depth to the scene. The creative decision to shoot in small apertures rather than creating artificial lighting conditions further adds to the realistic nature of the film, inspired by the growing French New Wave. This gave directors such as Penn enhanced individuality on the films they created, experimenting with a new style unfamiliar to Hollywood, although the idea of Penn being in auteur is limited by the fact that many filmmakers before him had already experimented in their own films such as Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ (1960), working with unconventional storytelling techniques and handheld shooting. Despite this, the individuality of filmmaking was nonetheless vastly improved in New Hollywood, as evidenced by Warren Beatty, who played Clyde and produced the film, giving him greater liberty of control which resulted in the homosexual reading of Clyde, due to his portrayal of the character because of his desire to move away from the Hollywood heroes he was used to playing, indicating his influence for being an auteur, unlike Rick in Casablanca, where individuality was (limited).
Individuality within filmmaking was near impossible during the Golden Age of Hollywood due to the unfeasibility of financing and showcasing an individuals work. Theatres owned by major studios could block book them with their own films, meaning that individual filmmakers had difficulty finding a way of showing their work before the emergence of New Hollywood. As a result of the United States vs Paramount case, studios could no longer give a years worth of movies to a theatre, forcing them to create films they were certain would do well, resulting in an increase in production values because less films were being produced. This allowed for a thrive in individuality, as seen in the ending of Bonnie and Clyde when both characters are shot in an unfamiliar and gory manner for audiences at the time as the censorship had changed. This ending differs from Casablanca as the Nazi General is killed without blood or gore, highlighting a change in censorship while reflecting how the directors had far greater control of their creative vision.
Individuality increased within filmmaking due to the rise of New Hollywood which gave greater freedoms to filmmakers in comparison to the restrictions imposed on individual films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Films like bonnie and Clyde demonstrate the change from creating the vision of the studio according to their house style, to application of new techniques within filmmaking from far more internal sources such as director, representing a shift from studio autership to the influence of individual auteurs.
Bonnie and Clyde is representative of a product produced under the influence of auteurs. While Penn is not an auteur himself, the influence of the style of the French New Wave is evident throughout and utilised to great effect in terms of the realist and unconventional style in comparison to Casablanca.
Realism is drawn largely from the sets, dictating the camera movements and editing choices in order to create a realistic representation of Southern America during the Great Depression. During the sequence in which Clyde looks for Bonnie who wants to go see her mother, the shooting location takes place in a large open crop field where dark shadows can be seen casting over the field. This is a more realistic approach to shooting as Penn can’t control the weather and doesn’t create an artificial environment to remove the shadow from the audiences view. Penn also uses a crane shot when Clyde starts running after Bonnie, making use of the wide open set granted to him whilst choosing to shoot at a certain time of day with small apertures rather than creating artificial lighting conditions, increasing the realism of the scene unlike the approach of Casablanca which was more concerned with making a scene look perfect. This style of filming relates to the influence of the French New Wave as the entirety of the film, other than the driving sequences, was shot on location as opposed to the manufactured set used in the production of Casablanca.
Lessons taken from the French New Wave are evident throughout the film. During the scene in which Bonnie and Clyde are killed, handheld shots are used as they are riddled with bullets and their corpses are surveyed by the Texas ranger. The handheld shots remove fluid movement and therefore contrasts the carefully orchestrated shooting style of Casablanca. Although Penn is experimental in his style, he can’t be called an auteur as many French New Wave directors had already utilised this technique themselves such as Jean-Luc Godard in his 1960 film Breathless.
Similarly to Breathless, Bonnie and Clyde’s two main protagonists are both anti-heroes that go against the law. The audience roots for these characters despite the violent crimes they commit and pity them at their deaths. Typically, Hollywood protagonists such as Rick in Casablanca were portrayed as being the hero of the film and so Bonnie and Clyde diverts away from this idea. Warren Beatty, the actor who played Clyde, was also producer for the film and so had the liberty of greater control, resulting in his influence over the character possibly being given a homosexual reading due to his desire to portray a character different from the typical handsome Hollywood heroes he was used to playing, indicating his influence for being an auteur.
The French New Wave developed the idea that the camera was a tool to take on the expectation of the audience rather than to capture the film with perfection. This is often the case in Bonnie and Clyde, concerning the use of editing techniques to emphasise something to the audience. When they pair meet with Bonnie’s family, the sound is dubbed as a child rolls down a hill, giving the scene a somewhat distant and dreamlike appearance that reflects the distance that the pair are from returning to a normal life. In the final scene, the movements of the couple are in slow motion but the bullets fire at normal speed, emphasising to the audience the amount of shots and heightening the brutality of their deaths. This bloody death wasn’t typical of the time period for Hollywood audiences but could be seen in foreign language films of the time whilst the use of jump cuts make the film jarring for an audience, resonating with the style of filmmaking of Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard.
Bonnie And Clyde is an expressive Hollywood film with auteur features, inspired by the creative developments of the French New Wave and used to create realism. Elements of film form differs from typical filmmaking style during the Golden Age of Hollywood, adding greater purpose behind each creative decision in order to have an effect on the audience. However, Arthur Penn can not be considered an auteur, taking inspiration from the French New Wave, applying such inspiration to the overall style of Bonnie And Clyde.
The film echoes Godard’s Breathless as the films protagonists are both anti-heroes that break the law. The audience roots for these characters as they develop despite the crimes they commit and share sorrow for their deaths.
Bonnie and Clyde is shot entirely on location apart from driving scenes due to safety giving a sense of realism.
Cinematography often consisted of handheld shots without fluid movement as opposed to the carefully orchestrated shooting style of Casablanca.
Penn was influenced by French New Wave techniques and this can be seen in the film. Despite his experimental style, he is not an auteur.
Screenwriters: David Newman and Robert benton
Fond of the tragicomedy of Francois Truffaut. They worked together throughout the 1960’s including this collaboration for Bonnie and Clyde.
Director: Arthur Penn
Known in the 60s for westerns and worked on films such as Mickey One (1965) which were greatly influenced by the French New Wave and can be seen in Bonnie and Clyde.
Bonnie and Clyde one of the first films to focus on the anti-hero due to Penn, placing them as the protagonists and creating sympathy for the bad guys.
Editor: Dede Allen
Worked on many films with Penn and Beatty including the early westerns before Bonnie and Clyde and later working on Reds (1981) with Beatty.
Producer: Warren Beatty
He produced and acted in Bonnie and Clyde so he was given the liberty of greater control. Influenced the Clyde character who could be given a homosexual reading due to Beatty’s desire to portray a character different from the typical handsome Hollywood hero’s he was used to.
Emerged in the late 1950’s and rejected traditional filmmaking techniques, choosing instead to focus on experimentation.
There was a desire to find new ways of storytelling that differed from mainstream commercial cinema.
There were new approaches to elements such as editing and narrative while some of the social and political ideas were explored in greater depth.
New Voices
Jean-Luc Godard
Introduced new editing techniques such as the jump cut.
Influenced many American filmmakers such as Penn with his unconventional storytelling technique
Works such as ‘Breathless’ (1960)
Alexandre Astruc
He encouraged filmmakers to experiment with film, equating cinema to an art form with an artist
Works such as ‘The Crimson Curtain’ (1953)
Francois Truffaut
He criticised French cinema, complaining that scripts who adapted from literature to screen and then given to directors who shot the film without providing any of their own personal voice.
Works such as ‘The 400 Blows’ (1959)
New Techniques
Typical features of the French new wave filmmaking style included:
Location Shooting
Handheld Cameras
Long Takes
Use of Direct Sound and Available Light
Jump Cuts rather than Continuity Editing
‘Camera wasn’t used to mesmerise the audience but rather to play with audience expectations‘ – (Wikipedia)
Things would appear jarring to an audience on purpose
As a result of the United States vs Paramount case, studios could no longer give a years worth of movies to a theatre, instead being forced to create films they were certain would do well. The result of this was that there was an increase in production values of a movie because there were less being produced.
Studios had to sign a consent decree, meaning they could no longer show films exclusively produced by them in theatres that they owned.
A TV For Every Family
There was an increasing amount of televisions in the homes of Americans, and its growth in popularity meant that there were fewer people going to theatres when they could stay at home and watch repeats of older films, meaning less money coming in.
The film industry was able to respond with longer, colour films but the growth of television continued and despite the decline in popularity of theatres gradually decreasing, studios were still unable to attract the large crowds the they had been used to in the decades prior.
In 1950, the number of American households with TVs was at just 3,880,000 (9%) but in 1960, the number increased to 45,750,000 (87.1%) and 55,130,000 (93.6%) by the release of Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. (Source: ‘The American Century’)
The Rise of Independent Cinema
The rising demand for films led to a surge in independent production
Popular stars moved away from contracts with major studios and increasingly worked with independent filmmakers while some would set up their own production companies.
These films could afford to take risks due to their low budget, granting them greater artistic expression.
Penn and Pals
Arthur Penn along with filmmakers such as John Cassavetes were inspired to create New Hollywood style films by the French New Wave. With Cassavetes using improvisation when shooting and using actors from his friends and family.
When considering the type of cinematography I wish to use in my film, I know that one of the main focal points of my film is emotion, specifically Reeds reactions to the events transpiring as he drives.
I will take inspiration from the film Locke (2014. Steven Knight) and its Director of Photography, Haris Zambarloukos.
I love the cinematography in the film as it brilliantly demonstrates the chaos that’s happening in his life without directly saying it. I think this can help me portray the emotions that my character is experiencing without always relying on dialogue.
Reed: White trainers, blue jeans, blue jumper – a large(ish) box, watch, wallet, deodorant, 1 pair of jeans, several pairs of jumpers, car keys, car.
Sarah: The audience never see her in full detail at any point in the film. She is present at the beginning but is only a blur in the background with the focus on Reed. She will however still require a wardrobe, such as: Dressing gown (Pink preferred), Slippers.
Miles: (At no point in the film do we see her on screen, therefore props or wardrobe is not required for this character)
Kayla: (At no point in the film do we see her on screen, therefore props or wardrobe is not required for this character)
I attempted some different practice shots that I might find useful for my film. They are unedited so there is no image stabilization which means that they are a little shaky, especially the pedestal shot which I had to complete handheld. A Steadicam or gimbal would have proved useful for some of these shots.
I plan on using the Canon 250D as it will be suitable for my film and is readily available for use as I have owned it for the past year and therefore have experience in using it. The camera can shoot in 4k RAW, meaning that there will be opportunity for greater detail and brighter images which will help as i will be shooting in low light conditions.
I will use the Zoom H1n as a potable sound recording device that will allow for a wired connection for headphone use. It offers 24 bit audio which means that it gives clear sounding audio recordings which will work well when focusing on the dialogue as opposed to the car engine.
As for lenses, I know that primarily my film will use largely close-up and medium shots so a lens with a smaller focal length will be required such as an 18mm lens. I doubt I will need to use a lens with a focal length as small as 10mm but i might need a larger focal length when focusing on things at a distance such as when Reed walks up the path and the approaching car. I own a 18-55mm lens which will work with my Canon 250D camera, enabling me to use these shots effectively.
Due to filming in dark conditions, lighting will not primarily come from natural lighting, instead I intend to use practical lighting such as street lamps etc. I’m considering going for a blue aesthetic to the films appearance so I might consider using bounce lighting to achieve this.
Due to Covid-19, I will be unable to do a location scout in person because of lockdown measures put in place by the English Government, therefore i will being using Google Maps for locations that would work well for my film.
Ext. House:
House, Thorney, England, Peterborough, St Mary’s Close
The locations I require will be of the house at the beginning of the film, the street in which Reed walks down and climbs into his car and the motorway, where 2nd and 3rd act take place and the films ends. I have chosen Thorney in Peterborough because it is a quite village that allows for easy filming and the house I intend to use is owned by a friend. My idea is to have the car placed parked on the adjacent side of the road several feet down so that when he leaves there is a long walk to the house from his car.
Ext. Street:
Street, Thorney, England, Peterborough, B1167
A quite street that will be seen from the interior of the car as he drives but will also serve as a stand in for the motorway when filming in a busy and built up area isn’t possible to accomplish.
Ext. Motorway:
Motorway, England, Peterborough, A47
The setting will be at night and I have experience with the area so I am aware that the roads are quite at dark which will make filming far easier. The motorway would be the most difficult of conditions to film in. To combat this, static shots would be used when the road is in view so that realism is maintained while other shots such as when Reed glances to his box of possessions would take place on a quieter road. Most importantly, this location will be crucial to the climax of the film, when the main character collides with an oncoming vehicle. The filming will take place on the motorway while the action of the steering wheel will be done at a street location for safety reasons.
(Stock photo) from ‘Fleet News
The main location for the film will be in the car on the roads. This is a stock photo as I intend to use my fathers car but due to Covid-19, I am currently unable to obtain a photograph of the actual car but this stock photo serves its purpose. Largely the interior will be used but there will be some exterior shots but not many as I want to keep the tension high and to do this, I will film mainly in the interior to create a claustrophobic atmosphere.
Reed – 30-35, Male, Dark(ish) black hair in a classic combed back style, Well groomed.
Sarah – 30-35, Female, Brunette, Long hair (Only seen in the distance and out of focus so specific details are not too important when considering casting)
Miles – 14, Male (Not seen on screen so specific appearance not required)
Kayla – 30, Female (Not seen on screen so specific appearance not required)
Bonnie and Clyde is a a biographical film following the partners in crime of the same name as they rob and shoot their way across America. The pair supposedly killed 13 people across the span of their crime spree that came to an end in May 1934 when they were both shot and killed in Louisiana.
Bonnie Parker’s final poem titled ‘The Story of Bonnie and Clyde’ can be heard being read out by Parker in the film and demonstrates Bonnie turning their story of crime from a story into a legend that would go on to inspire the film.
The film utilises bluegrass music, a genre of music that grew in popularity in America during the late 1930s and early 1940s. It has a distinct characteristic of being upbeat in energy.
I know that I want to use music in my short film but I think my film is going to take a more dialogue focused route. Music will therefore be used largely at times of heightened emotion and tension so as to manipulate the audience.
On considering whether all the music will be non-diegetic or use some dietetic music, I think that there is an opportunity to use dietetic music on the cars radio without taking the audience out of the atmosphere of the scene. I wont use it when the husband first arrives as I want the focus to be on the dietetic sounds of the car approaching and his footsteps as he walks towards the house, creating a sense of unease.
I’m almost certain that I want some sort of suspenseful music in the final scene of my film, just before he swerves into the car, stopping momentarily on a fade to black and continuing faintly as the credits roll, making the moment impactful for the audience.
Using music effectively to shape meaning and produce emotion
Non-diegetic music is most commonly used to establish the mood of a scene
Music can affect the way that an audience observes and judges a character, developing their character
Used to portray emotion: a neutral face can be interpreted by an audience as being calculating and with an intent of malice but with a different song choice, an audience might view them as being compassionate in that same moment
Leitmotifs – certain characters can have a specific sound associated with them whenever they are on screen or referenced
Music choice can create a specific atmosphere in a scene, with one specific sound having the ability to establish the tone of either the rest of the film or scene
You can use a song that is the exact opposite of the mood in the scene to create a feeling of chaos or alternatively a calmer feeling
Effecting Editing
Music can be used between a scene change or during a montage as it binds shots together so that they can be understood as a whole and the flow of scene change can be easier
Illustrate movement when music syncs up with the motion on screen
Sometimes a scene doesn’t need music. It can just be as impactful without as it can add tension to a pivotal scene in the film:
Resources used: (‘No Film School), (‘StudioBinder’), (‘Premium Beat’), (‘Aputure’), (Kriscoart’ on YouTube)
When lighting scenes in a film, certain things can be used when considering character and story:
‘The eye is drawn to the brightest part of the frame so make sure your lighting communicates that such as when looking at an important object, person etc. If you need the audience to see something, lighting can influence where they are looking.’
‘Lighting can be used to foreshadow a characters motives in the film.
Lighting can be used to differentiate between two types of character; good and evil.
Match the quality of light used with the emotional impact of that scene. Soft lighting for scenes where characters are joyful or emotionally fulfilled. Hard lighting communicates difficult or dark times.
Use Colour to push emotions.
Consider depth. Light what the character can see.’
Considering Colour
Colours impact the way in which people view certain things or people and establish the mood of a scene. Three factors when determining colour:
‘Hue – The colour itself
Saturation – The intensity of the colour (Can create a contrast)
Brightness – How light or dark the colour is’ (Bright images often seem lively and exciting while darker images seem dramatic)
Association of Colour:
RED – Passion, Danger, Anger, Vengeance, Violence etc.
ORANGE – Warning, Warmth, Growth etc.
YELLOW – Value, Power, Enlightenment, Success etc.
GREEN – Growth, Sickness, Decay, Luck, Jealousy, Envy etc.
BLUE – Tranquility, Loyalty, Sadness, Cleanliness, Distance etc.
PURPLE – Wealth, Wisdom, Arrogance
BROWN – Earth, Home, Comfort etc.
BLACK – The Unknown, Power, Mystery, Fear, Remorse etc.
WHITE – Clarity, Reflection, Youth, Innocence, Purity etc.
From ‘Colourchat’ by Stephen Westland
Colour schemes:
Complementary – Two colours on the colour wheel opposite from each other. Creates contrast and a visually striking image.
Dominant Colour – One colour more prevalent in the shot which help to draw attention to certain things, with a secondary colour contrasting this colour.
Analogous – 3 or sometimes 4 colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel (Pleasing to the eye and often very relaxing)
Monochromatic – 1 colour from the colour wheel used
Triadic – On the colour wheel, 3 colours, separated by 3 colours in between them in the circle.
‘The 3 point lighting setup is the most basic and common type of lighting technique, utilising a key light, fill light, and back light that sets the subject apart from the background of the frame.‘
From ‘No Film School’
‘Most of the time you will want to flank the camera with the key light and fill light at an angle of roughly 60 degrees‘
From ‘StudioBinder’
Film Editing Techniques
From ‘No Film School’
Examples of different types of film lighting techniques:
Natural Lighting
‘Natural lighting is about using the light that’s already available at the time of filming and the location that is in use.’
From ‘The Revenant’
Key Lighting
‘The key light is the primary source of light when shooting a scene and will usually light either the actor or another subject. It is the brightest and most important light in the frame.’
From ‘Prisoners’
High Key Lighting
‘Reduces the lighting ratio in order to change the mood and tone of a specific scene. Created by heightening the key light and an increased use of fill lights which results in virtually no shadows being present at the light on all subjects being balanced.’
From ‘Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Part 2’
Low Key Lighting
‘Removing entirely or slightly the amount of fill light in a shot so that its shadowy which creates dramatic and menacing looking scenes.’
From ‘There Will Be Blood’
Fill Lighting
‘The purpose of a fill light is to remove the shadows created by the key light. Its a lot less brighter than the key light.’
From ‘Blade Runner 2049’
Back Lighting
‘The backlight will hit the subject/s of the frame from behind them to give a more three-dimensional appearance, separating the subject of the shot from a dark background.’
From ‘Shutter Island’
Practical Lighting
‘Using existing light sources in frame such as lamps, candles etc. Mainly used when there is a lot of movement in a scene and the shot choices are wider and show off a greater amount of the set. Often used in cohesion with other lighting techniques such as soft lighting so that the light is more balanced.’
From ‘Moonlight’
Hard Lighting
‘Created with a ‘direct beam from a light source’ creating shadows and silhouettes. Can highlight anything that is in the frame.’
From ‘Blade Runner’
Soft Lighting
‘Whether a scene has hard or soft light is determined by the size of the light source. Its used to remove shadows from a scene and gives the impression that light is coming from sources in the characters world.’
From ‘Her’
Bounce Lighting
‘Light that has been reflected such as with reflectors, foam boards, or the surface of a wall or ceiling in a room. Reflectors can create a hard light depending on the distance from the light source while foam boards have a soft light.’
From ‘Terminator Salvation’
Side Lighting
‘The light that enters the frame from the side. Often used for creating a dramatic mood. They are good for showing texture and “for better dynamic lighting, it is best to use it without a fill or have the fill ratio very low such as 1:8”.’
From ‘Casino Royale’
Motivated Lighting
‘The imitation of natural light when the scene is otherwise in a location where there is none available. Some might increase the effect of the practical lights already present.’
From ‘The Exorcist’
Ambient Lighting
‘Ambient light is the light that is always present unless the scene is completely dark. Ambient light will change according to the time of day when shooting.’
From ‘Road to Perdition’
My Film:
I am considering taking inspiration from the short film ‘Stutterer’. I like the use of natural lighting when shooting in dark areas which is sometimes assisted by the use of a fill light. This will be useful for my film as I am shooting exclusively at night so i will require natural lighting such as street lights and a fill light when a clear natural lighting source cannot be found or placed into the scene, specifically when the husband walks from the ext. of the house to the int. of the car.
In ‘Connect’, I might plan to use the bokeh film lighting style when looking at the headlights of cars, especially in the ending where the husband looks off into the distance at the approaching cars as it provides a disorientating effect.
‘A storyboard is a sequence of diagrams that break down the shots used in the production of a film with the purpose of illustrating a story and planning the final product of the film in a shot by shot format.‘
Storyboard Example from ‘StudioBinder’
‘Storyboards can contain as much or as little information as required by the filmmaker but there are certain conventions to storyboarding that will generate a better planning process and ensure that the information is there when it comes to production so the process is as seamless as possible. Such examples include’:
The character name – Who is in the scene?
Camera Angles – (High, Low, Dutch, Eye-Level)
Location
General description about what is happening – (Are there nay specific actions taking place by the character?)
Transitions – (CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO)
Sound – (V.O. , O.S. , Are there any specific music choices occurring in the shot? Diegetic or Non-diegetic?)
Timing – How long will the shot be?
Camera Movement – (Static, Tracking, Pans)
Camera Shot Distance – (Close Up, Wide Shot, Medium Shot)
Showing camera movement
‘The following storyboard examples detail how to demonstrate specific camera movement. Arrows are an alternative to using several diagrams to show this movement’:
From ‘StudioBinder’From ‘StudioBinder’From ‘StudioBinder’From ‘StudioBinder’
Resources used: (‘Writers Store’) and (‘StudioBinder’)
From ‘Writers Store’ by ‘Mario O. Moreno and Kay Tuxford’From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
Other Key Notes:
Character
‘When introducing a character into a scene, the name needs to be in capitals in the action description, and the age of the character along with they type of person they are, traits and personality.‘
From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
Scene Heading
‘Typically choose either EXT. or INT. with a description of the setting in which the scene is taking place and what time of day the scene is occurring
If the scene goes from the outside to the inside or vice versa then you write EXT/INT or INT/EXT
You can use heading next to the scene heading so as to give more details such as specific locations‘
From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
Subheading
‘Used to show a change in location without breaking the scene such as ‘Hallway’, ‘Garage’ or ‘Later’ so its assumed that the time of day is the same‘
From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
Transitions
‘Not used very frequently but help to make clear the development of the plot and the story
Transitions need to be capitalised‘
From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
Action
‘Action lines should be written in the third person in present tense
Remove unimportant pronouns etc. so that the script has a better flow and therefore easier to read
Words that imitate sounds or important objects are often written in capital letters to draw attention to the importance of them‘
‘Be vague. Rather than go into detail about a characters internal thoughts, give a specific emotion such as ‘Jess is angry’
From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
Dialogue
‘Dialogue is centered and the name of the character is capitalised
Characters name should remain consistent throughout in the ID‘
From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
Extensions
(O.S.) – Something said off screen
(V.O.)- voice over
(pre-lap) – ‘Dialogue from the next scene begins to play before the current scene has finished‘
(CONT’D) – ‘Dialogue continues with the same character speaking when there’s been a break for something such as an action line etc.‘
From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
Parenthetical
‘Used to show actions that help to direct actors ‘(Taking out his…)’
‘Not needed to be used all the time, so use when necessary and leave when this information can be otherwise inferred by the actor
They can also show how the line should be performed such as ‘(hesitates)’
They are placed under the characters name‘
From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
Camera Shots
‘Suggest shots without selecting the actual shots to use unless there is a specific look you have in mind (only when critical to the scenes outcome)
In this example, POV makes clear that we are to see it from his perspective which has importance to the story
Do restrictively so and only vaguely such as POV rather than giving full in detail breakdowns of the shots used‘
From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
Lyrics
‘Don’t write down all lyrics as it would take up too much space
Either: (a) Disperse the lyrics across the page with shot and action directions to choreograph the scene; or (b) describe the feel of the song and the sequence together, as seen below from the film, ‘La La Land’ by Damien Chazelle‘
Sourced from ‘StudioBinder’. From the film ‘La La Land’ by Damien Chazelle
Titles
‘The text that appear over the screen
Begin with a subheading that describes the background of the title card such as ‘OVER BLACK’
Use by starting an action line with ‘Title’ in all capitals, followed by the relevant information that you want to show to the audience such as the time of day, location etc.‘
Script examples and developing on these notes:
Get Out – (Written and Directed by Jordan Peele)
From ‘StudioBinder’ by ‘SC LANNOM’
‘Introduces the character. Capitilisation of their name. Their age. The traits and personalities that they posses.‘
Dunkirk – (Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan)
‘Dunkirk’ Screenplay
‘Use of extensions. Several things are happening simultaneously while Tommy is providing voice over for all. Action lines used throughout. Multiple scene headings as the action alternates from train, to beach, to plane.‘
Shaun of the Dead (Written by Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright and Directed by Edgar Wright )
‘Shaun of the Dead’ Screenplay
Scene heading. Action line. Dialogue.
‘Shaun of the Dead’ Screenplay
Action lines. Extension of off screen dialogue.
‘Shaun of the Dead’ Screenplay
Lyrics. Initial line of the song starts as they all are bemused and while the song continues, the focus shifts to the dialogue and action lines, describing the feel of the sequence.
In order to complete this project, I will need to prepare for my production by researching into certain key aspects such as set design, costumes, actors, equipment choices and props.
For my film, I won’t be requiring the use of extreme amounts of make-up as the actors chosen will be around the age of the characters they are representing. Make-up will be needed in small amounts to prevent lens glare caused by the lighting and will work towards giving them distinct characteristics such as appearing in a positive way or negative.
The locations used will be of an exterior of a house, part of a street, the interior of a car and a main road. My current idea is that the exterior of the house will be light by 2 lamps placed symmetrically either side of the main door which will be on the left of the house while there will be a room to the right with a large window. All ideas are subject to change depending on what’s available at the time of production. The cars interior will be ‘nothing special’, there will be a bluetooth screen to call the people and to shot/reverse shot with, seating will be black so as to focus on him rather than his surroundings until specifically told to.
There are 4 characters: the wife; the husband; the son; the woman he cheated with. The wife will be roughly the same age as her husband although the only character seen in detail will be him so it’s more important that someone who appears around the age of roughly 35-40 will play them both, but that the main focus should be on that their voice sound suitable for that age over appearance, likewise for his 14 year old son and 30 year old woman he cheated with.
The costumes will not be difficult. The husband will be wearing some sort of smart shirt and smart trousers as if hes been out somewhere fancy, and the few clothes he’s given will be jumpers and sweaters, with rather dilly and boring trousers and shoes implying that he’s got dressed up smart for a reason. The only shot of the wife will be of a silhouette at the window and a hazed figure standing at the door whole he walks away, so a smart casual dress will be appropriate for her as if to day ‘hey, this is what you’ve given up’.
Props required will be a basket of some sort, see through, to carry his possessions, car keys,
Equipment I initially believe will be required include:
Research and write about how Casablanca is an example of a product produced by an auteur institution
Warner Brothers made Casablanca an example of an auteur studios approach to filmmaking. They developed a house style that was formed by in part by Michael Curtiz, director of Casablanca, who was very versatile and made sure that the human characteristics of the story were full represented. Curtiz introduced a visual style to Hollywood which saw the use of ‘artistic lighting, extensive and fluid camera movement, and unusual camera angles’ while working within the boundaries of the studio style. Due to this, there is a distinct auteur approach when looking at scenes that show off a large amount of people. When Rick’s café is first being introduced, the camera crabs from right to left, spending time concentrating on the actions of guests at the busy café. There is also representation of this style when focusing on the major stars in the film. Rembrandt lighting creates a small triangle light on the cheekbone of the actor which gives them contrast and is often used on Ilsa so as to make her look more appealing to the male gaze. Fluid camera shots track both Rick and Ilsa when they move around the set and its movement is often based on their movement. During Rick’s introductory sequence, the camera tracks the movement of the chess piece on the board and the cigarette he holds to his mouth, tilting up to reveal Rick and and dollying backwards, blocking him centrally framed to show the importance and the power that he has.
Warner’s also became known for their ‘big screen realism’ and the crime dramas and gangster films that became popular after the Great Depression as it resonated with audiences who had hit troubled times. These films, under the influence of Producer, Hal B. Wallis, aided the development of the house style that Warner’s were creating in the early 1930’s and gave their films ‘urban settings, snappy dialogue and a brisk pace’, most notably demonstrated during the pickpocket sequence in Casablanca. Exposition is efficiently delivered in a short space of time by the pickpocket so as to distract the man he is robbing and give context of the situation in Casablanca to the audience. The presentation of the exterior busy street set is made up of massive buildings, filled with furniture, mounds of shrubbery and a great deal of extras that show the lavish production values the films were provided with by the studios.
Typically films today in Hollywood might open with a small title sequence or choose to leave it until the end of the film. Should they decide to put the title sequence at the beginning then the directors name often shows up as one of the first names on screen because of the control the director has on the output of the film, allowing for more auteur directors. In the Golden Age of Hollywood however, it was the studios that were considered to be the auteurs due the creative control they had over a film which can be seen in the opening of Casablanca. The Executive Producers name, Jack L. Warner, appears on the Warner Brothers logo as the producer is more important than the director in terms of influence, with A-list actors following on from that to promote their stars. The director acted as an artist hired to produce the vision of an auteur studio rather than proposing the ideas themselves.
Research and write about how Casablanca is a product of the contexts in which it was produced: Cultural, historical, institutional, political, social, technological.
Casablanca incorporates a classic Hollywood style of filmmaking under the influence of Warner Brothers, utilizing key technological aspects such as cinematography and mise-en-scene while focusing on the political standpoint of its producer.
Casablanca is very much a film that reflects the contexts in which it was produced in terms of the cultural, political and technological. The opening sequence of the film strongly reflects the nature of the film as a piece of propaganda for encouraging American involvement in the war. At the film starts, the executive producers name, Jack L. Warner appears on the Warner Brothers logo due to his influence on the films production. Warner was a firm believer in American involvement in the war and a keen promoter of the Democratic Party and their President F.D. In order to show that the film is taking place in reality, the map behind the title cards shows Africa, rooting the story in reality while the movement of the globe turning as the camera pushes in, focusing on Europe shows the audience that the war is global and focuses on specific regions, emphasizing that the outcome of the war will have repercussions globally. News footage from real life where refugees struggle across Europe creates a feeling of empathy from American audiences with the intended effect of encouraging the public to be in support of being militarily involved in the war.
Extravagant sets were used to show the enlarge production budget of a studio due to the competitive nature of the film industry. These sets worked in cohesion with the cinematography used to show this off. The streets of Casablanca are filled with furniture and buildings with a large cast of extras. Due to cost, it was common that a lot of screen time was spent on these sets and this is helped by the cinematography. As was typical of the time, the camera movement and depth of field was used to show off the sets. In terms of composition, there’s a sense of scope created by the depth in the foreground and background and a balance between the top and bottom half of the frame, evident in the pickpocket scene where the camera is positioned behind the three characters talking, allowing the audience to see them while observing the streets, providing a world feel and brings the conversation to life.
There is a large emphasis on the stars of the film, with studios making use of the stables they possessed to their advantage. Camera and lighting is often motivated by the stars, using a shallow depth of field to glamourise them and Rembrandt lighting on Ilsa when in Ricks cafe which gives contrast therefore placing both in the foreground of the film. Ricks character is easily definable and takes on a more tough, no nonsense approach at the end of the film as the Hollywood hero, representative of all America.
Fanfare begins over the Warner Brothers logo, marking it out as a prestigious production
The producers name, Jack L. Warner appear on the Warner Brothers logo as the producer is more important in terms of influence than the director, Michael Curtiz
A-list actors from the studios stable are shown following the logo as WB value their assets and its in their best interests to promote them as they are the pull factor for a large sum of the profit they make
Humphrey Bogart was widely known for his roles in gritty and realistic films
Lesser known actors follow the main title card of ‘Casablanca’
The map behind the title cards depicting the continent of Africa places the film in a real world, rooting the story in reality
The title cards are at the start of the film as there is major competition between studios and their stables and they have pride in their output
At the end of the title sequence, the non-diegetic composed score transitions to a rendition of Le Marseillaise, the French National anthem, which is belted out very patriotically, foreshadowing its importance later in the story before taking on a sinister tone at the end of the rendition, further foreshadowing the imminent trouble
As the globe turns, the camera pushes in towards it, focusing on Europe as that is where the war is most prominently taking place and emphasising that this film is set in a reality which is still occurring
There is non-diegetic narration which uses emotive language such as ;torturous’ and ‘refugee’ to evoke a response from the audience
News footage from real life events of wartime refugees struggling across Europe in harsh conditions plays in the background as narration occurs
The transition to the first shot goes from a map showing Casablanca to the location. A painting of Casablanca that gives the impression of an establishing shot
The camera cranes down to show a street filled with people going about their lives
‘Wait…and wait…and wait’ timeless – shows the length of the war and the desperation of people to get out of French Morocco to freedom
Set in a foreign country, exotic, unfamiliar, competing with other studios for biggest spectacle
Non-diegetic composed score takes a sinister turn, manipulating the audience when the policeman receives the telegram that the news is important
Exposition from Policeman of telegram that positions the audience in the film so they understand what is happening
Dissolve shows the passing of time – link subject matter of telegram to the following scene
Rapid editing and camera movements convey the urgency in the scene as people are rounded up
The shooting of the man shows the brutality in Casablanca and the corruption within it
Audience told to empathise with the man fleeing as camera tracks his movement rather than focus on the Vichy French so that we stay with him before he gets shot
Medium focal lengths and small apertures give a realistic and natural look that was introduced by Orson Welles in Citizen Kane a year prior
Man dies in front of the large picture of French oppressor
Close up shot of French propaganda to free France showing he is a good guy/ moral
Shot of French prison display liberty and freedom shows corruption as contrasts man being shot in the shot beforeahnd
The Enemy Arriving Sequence 00:03:58 – 00:06:29
Exposition efficiently delivered by pickpocket
Massive sets filled with furniture, shrubbery, impressive buildings and plenty of extras that show lavish production values
In terms of composition there’s a sense of scope not just because of the depth created in the foreground and background but also because of the balance in the top half and bottom half of the frame so there is no need for a cut when the pickpocket is describing what casbalancas like to the couple while seeing all three
Two shot where pickpocket I looking to the right while man is looking to the left which gives a sense of scope and doesn’t limit the world feeling alive to the conversation
Relies on racial stereotypes as a shortcut to tell story quickly with the untrustworthy foreign man, rich and confused Englishman
Encouraged to empathise with characters who hope to leave, girl foreshadow later on when hope turns to desperation giving a greater world view
Ominous score when bad plane is arriving
Plane full of danger approaches, flying over Ricks cafe
German soldiers uniform is the same to distinguish between good and evil
Framing of the shot is used to focus on the story – two shot on those two people
Rick’s Introductory Sequence 00:06:30 – 00:09:12
Dissolve showing passing of time
Diegetic upbeat score from Ricks cafe that increases in volume as the camera dolls in closer
Camera crabs from right to left to show off the large cafe set
creative decision that they’ve changed the aperture from a deep depth of field to a shallow depth of field to focus on the stars and glamourise them
Snippets of dialogue from characters that are trying to escape from Casablanca that help build up the situation/ Sam singing has been lowered in the mix
Dialogue builds up anticipation of Rick
Rembrandt lighting used on the stars which creates a triangle light on the cheekbone of the actor which gives them contrast
Close up shots of glass, cheque, chess board, smoking tells us what Ricks traits are before we actually see him/ Power – playing chess against himself and signing authorisation for someone else
Camera tracks the cigarette, tilting up to reveal Rick centrally framed and dolls backwards so we see all of him
All previous shots in his cafe have been busy with people talking and lots of extras but Rick is in isolation, music plays very faintly with little dialogue heard
Lazlo and Ilsa Sequence 00:25:18 – 00:29:53
Ilsa wears white – purity and innocence
Arrival has an impact as seen by the reaction shot of Sam the piano player as the camera stops tracking their movement and focuses on Sam
Camera tightens in, separating Lazlo from Ilsa at the table – centrally framed
Power levels – control French man standing over them then Lazlo stands up. Nazi officer is taller than all of them then Lazlo stands up again to assert power
blocking – actors positioned within frame helps to show power
gone from a 2 shot, framing is always service of the narrative, those who are talking are framed
Rick responds with witty humour, cool under pressure, strong leading man, refusal to be intimidated, displaying all the star qualities for which Bogart is known
When rick is being questioned rick is centrally framed
camera movements is based around bogarts movements, tilts up then pushes in – Bogart end the conversation dominance
glance object shot of the ring shows its importance
filters on lenses when focused on Ilsa which makes her highlights bloom and gives a sparkle to the eye
all characters we empathise with show dislike to nazis
profile shot of concern of Ilsa centrally frames her which still shows off her beauty
Leaving Rick’s Sequence 00:31:15 – 00:35:39
the camera holds on Ilsa as she is the important character
diegetic sound of Sams piano playing stops to underline seriousness of her request
long reaction shot of her when listening to the song focuses on her reaction which is important, centrally framed
the scene is defined by subtext, the dialogue isn’t explicit instead its suggestive and implicit
Rick enters dramatically, first time he seems aggitated
no- diegetic music on cut from rick looking at Ilsa and the reaction shot of both of them, dramatic
Ilsa presence is always felt throughout scene despite lack of dialogue due to composition
non diegetic score changes to something more sinister when the germans marching into France are mentioned
Lazlo and policeman have a conversation but shows reaction shot of Ilsa and rick
Composition of shot as they leave Ilsa in foreground while Lazlo is in the background as if overlooking what’s going on
Airport Sequence 01:35:25 – 01:42:10
Embraced his film star persona by the end appearing in detective style outfit much like the crime dramas
camera is close in on them when they are talking – two shot and shot reverse shot
shallow depth of field used puts a greater focus on them
non diegetic composed score of ‘as time goes by’ is a call back to the romance they shared
non diegetic composed score changes to a more sinister tone when transitioning to the nazi officer driving – foreshadows trouble
bogarts demeanour – tough, no nonsense, ‘manly‘
Hollywood hero – he only shoots when threatened with a gun himself
Dumping Vichy water glass in bin symbolic
French national anthem begins to play melodically at the end which draws the film to a close then becomes more upbeat as the end title card appears
Happy ending – Didn’t get Ilsa but made sure that she was safe with Lazlo, shot the Nazi officer and the two men get away with it and walk off free
The Warner Brothers films that defined the 1930’s were more “authentic” than other studios of the time.
The house style of Warner Brothers was formed Mervyn LeRoy and Michael Curtiz, one of which primarily made social dramas and the other films staged in a familiar real world. The values of Warners was of a thoughtful narrative with a realistic undertone, presented by the finest stars the studio had to offer. Typically a happy ending.
The actors in their films weren’t particularly remarkable and striking like other film studios’ stables, with actors such as Cagney not being known for being particularly attractive but was much like the ‘unremarkable guy next door’
They ‘made it big’ with their ‘big screen realism’ they employed from the 1930’s that begin with production chief Daryl Zanuck and later Wallis which influenced the gangster and crime films they became known for.
Executive Producer: Jack Warner–
He formed Warner Brothers along with his 3 brothers and gained “exclusive control” in the 1950’s wen he purchased his brothers shares of the company.
A loyal Republican but often promoted the aims of the Democratic Party and their President F.D.R who desired intervention in WW2. He condemned the Nazi Party before America got involved in the war.
Known for being difficult and working actors relentlessly. Despite being Republican, he encouraged films that promoted F.D.R’s ‘New Deal’ agenda as he wanted American involvement in the war.
Producer: Hal B. Wallis –
Producer of Casablanca. He left Warners after Jack Warner took the Oscar for the film as he was about to get it in 1944, leaving 1 month later and would go on to work as an independent producer for Paramount, Universal and sometime Warners.
Warner Brothers made an impact at the beginning of the 1930’s when he among others helped to create a series of crime dramas and gangster films which resonated with audiences at the time of the Great Depression because of the appeal it had to people in financial troubles.
These films developed a house style for Warners of “urban settings, snappy dialogue and a brisk pace, with scripts and performances that never strayed into sentimentality”.
Director: Michael Curtiz–
Already a well known director when Warners invited him to Hollywood in the mid-1920s as a contract director, helping them to become one of the fastest growing studios and made stars out of the likes of Joan Crawford and James Cagney.
He was a Versatile director and made sure to properly represent the “human-interest aspect of every story” and his attitude didn’t change when he joined Warners and was given the responsibility of directing major pictures.
He introduced a certain visual style to Hollywood by using ‘artistic lighting, extensive and fluid camera movement, high crane shots, and unusual camera angles’
Cinematographer: Arthur Edeson–
Director of Photography on Casablanca
‘In the late 1930s and early 1940’s Edison worked for Warner Brothers within the parameters of the studio style, but utilising his own below-eye-level shots and strong angular compositions, he was able to create Casablanca’
Worked on films such as Frankenstein (1931) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Composer: Max Steiner –
Some of his most notable works include King Kong (1933) and Little Women (1933)
An American theatre and film music composer who originally worked in England before moving to Hollywood and composing for more than 300 films
One of the most successful composers, earning 20 nominations for an academy award and winning three
Classical Hollywood cinema is “a term used in film criticism to describe both narrative and visual style of filmmaking which became characteristic of American cinema between the period after WWI and the 1960s.”
Editing
“Continuity editing to captivate the audience without confusing or getting sidetracked by the editing over the narrative.”
“Shot reverse shot was used to make a cuts appear invisible. By using the 180 degree rule, they would match the eye lines of two characters.”
“Characters would have clearly definable traits, be active and would chase their goals. They are motivated by psychological rather than social concerns.”
“Sequences were edited to make clear for the audience the dialogue delivered in the scene”
“Often conformed to the three act structure, almost a condensed version of Todorov’s equilibrium theory. Act 1 equilibrium, act 2 disruption, act 3 new equilibrium”
“Editing minimal with nothing flashy so as not to distract from the story”
“Largely continuity editing with a minimal use of editing techniques such as parallel editing and flashbacks”
Cinematography
“There was frequent use of establishing shots, re-establishing shots, eyeliner matches, cut-ins, shot reverse shot and screen direction, where actors move on screen from the point of view of the camera or audience.”
“beautiful but not distractingly so, always used in service of narrative”
Lighting used to show off the stars that the studios had to offer
Camera movement and depth of field were used to show off the films stages and sets as a lot of money had gone into it
Sound
There is a heavy focus on dialogue and ambient sounds within the film while the realism is given up for a focus on effective storytelling such as during Ricks Cafe scenes when you can always hear the conversation despite the loud noise from every one else present
Scores are used at certain moments in time in the film so as to instruct the audience on how to respond to a situation
Mise-en-scene
The locations that are used have a “heightened exoticism” to show off the large production values such as the lavish constructed sets
“Staged sequences serve the narrative”
Performance
There is a large emphasis on the stars the studios posses and their qualities, using the strength and value of the stables they have to their advantage
The performances that are given by the actors are typically melodramatic in order to engage with the audience and evoke a response from them
Narrative
They typically follow a linear structure where there is a big focus on the story and the characters within it
Characters
“They are easily definable and follow genre conventions”
Certain theatre chains would only show films produced by the studio that owned them and this integrated system created an oligopoly, where power is only held by a few institutions. It was also a monopoly as they controlled 95% of the industry and there was little to no chance for others to break into the market.
Due to this major control, the US government began an anti-trust case against the major film studios in 1938 which became recognised as America vs Paramount as they were the largest of the pictures studios and was therefore the primary defendant, although all 8 studios were involved as defendants.
The case was settled in 1940 and required all studios to follow 4 new rules: the big 5 were not allowed to block book short films along with the main films so as to reduce losses; they couldn’t block book theatres with just their own films; the theatres not owned by major studios couldn’t the forced to take whatever films the studios were offering; and they had to create an administration board to enforce these rules.
However, all major studios failed to follow the new rules which resulted in the America vs Paramount case being opened in 1948 at the Supreme Court, where the defendants lost and were forced to sell all their theatres. With a rising TV popularity growing in America and declining ticket sales, some studios got sold off with the 1950’s being a decade of great decline for the golden age of Hollywood.
Around the time of Buster Keaton, the American filmmaking industry was forming studios, producing content to maximise the amount of profit. Commercial filmmaking, unlike more artsy German expressionism, became commonplace within the industry and throughout the 1920s these studios became bigger and more refined in creating films that would sell to the American public.
Between the years 1930 and 1948, 8 major studios controlled 95% of all films made and exhibited in the US. These 8 major studios were therefore a true oligopoly and became known as The Big Five and The Little Three
A film from one studio is representative of their values – Auteur studios
The Big Five:
MGM –
Established in 1924 by a merger of a nationwide theatre chain and three production companies.
Known for stars, glamour and spectacle, producing films such as Gone With The Wind (1939, Victor Fleming), The Wizard Of Oz (1939, Victor Fleming)
High production values and high levels of investment in production. Notorious for keeping track of money.
Boasted having ‘a galaxy of stars’ that were kept on contract so they couldn’t be employed by anyone else such as Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Greer Garson, Jean Harlow, Norma Shearer, Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy.
They successfully weathered the great depression, making $15 million profit in 1930 and $4.3 in 1933, but they never lost money because they were efficiently run and made escapist films that people wanted to see in difficult times but sold off in 1969 and merged with United Artists before being sold again to Turner and then sold to a French bank, then to Sony and bankrupt in 2010.
Paramount Picture Corp. –
Established as a distribution company in 1914 and acquired by Adolf Zukor in 1917 who merged it with his production company and started buying theatres, making it the first fully integrated company (production, distribution, exhibition).
Biggest silent era stars such as Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Gloria Swanson, ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle and the biggest silent movie directors such as Cecil B. DeMille, Eric von Stroheim, Mack Sennett and D. W. Griffith
Known for comedy, light entertainment and occasional epics such as the Ten Commandments (1923, Cecil B. DeMille), later stars known for having include Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Hedy Lemarr, Barbara Stanwyck, Marx Brothers, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope
Produced 40-50 films annually at their peak but struggled in the Great Depression, making $18.4 million profit in 1930, $6.3 in 1931, $-21 million in 1932, receivership in 1933 and bankruptcy in 1935, shifting almost exclusively to tv in 1960’s by selling all the films they made between 1929-49 to another company and acquired by Golf and Western
Fox Film Corp./20th Century Fox –
Established as an exhibitor 1913 by William fox, became 20th century fox after a merger in 1935 with a production company
Known for musicals, westerns and crime films, such as the robe which was the first cinemascope film, directors such as John ford, stars such as Shirley Temple, Betty Grable, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell,
$10 million profit in 1930, $-4 million in 1931, $-7 in 1932. William Fox forced out of company in 1931. Owned by Rupert Murdoch since 1985.
Warner Brothers Films–
Initially a production company but rose to prominence with the release of the Jazz Singer which was the first sound film, only becoming a fully integrated company between 1928-30 when they acquired a chain of theatres,
The effects of great depression: $14 and a half million in 1929, $7 in 1930,$ -8 in 1931 but due to aggressive blood letting (fired) and assembly line budget productions they did not go bankrupt, making 60 films a year during the depression.
Known for gangster, social realism and backstage musicals.
Part of the success was because they had no stable, hiring the cast and production team on a film basis. Notable directors such as Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh and stars such as Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, James dean, Bette Davis, Ingrid Bergman and Joan Crawford
Heavily into tv in the 1960’s and merged to make Warner 7 Arts then Warner Communications, now Time Warner
R.K.O Radio Pictures Inc. –
Began in 1928 and owned a chain of theatres with its own custom sound system
Pioneered unit production, contract directors on. short term basis for 3 films but in return they offered directors full creative control, fostering auteur directors, hence Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles), King Kong (1933, Merian C. Cooper), Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawkes, 1938), Notorious (Hitchcock, 1946)
Associated with horror films and film noire particularly in its B movies, fully integrated system, after 1940 B movies became there cheap product,
Effects of Great Depression: $3.4 million in 1930, $-5.7 in 1931, followed by bankruptcy soon after but purchased by Howard Hughes in 1948. Then went from General Tyre and Rubber Company, to Desilu Productions, Gulf and Western, and merged with Paramount and owned by Viacom
The Little Three:
Universal Pictures –
Formed in 1915 in San Fernando valley not Hollywood which helped them to keep costs lower and be competitive
Early stars included Rudolph Valentino, Lon Chaney. Later stars include James Stewart, Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, Janet Leigh, they innovated by offering stars a percentage of profits
Notable films such as Frankenstein (1931, James whale), Dracula (1931, Tod browning), All Quite On The Western Front (1930, Lewis Milestone), after 1948 they were known for thrillers, melodramas and westerns
Effects of Great Depression: forced to sell all theatres which affected ability to compete but utilised blockbusters to keep themselves relevant such as: Jaws (1975, Steven Spielberg), ET (1982, Steven Spielberg), Jurassic Park (1993, Steven Spielberg). Bought and sold several times and is now part of NBC Universal
United Artists –
Formed by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, of those 4 only Chaplin was still producing films by the 1930s
Turned to distributing rather than producing, only became one of the major after 1948
High Noon (1951, Fred Zimmermann), Marty (1955, Delbert Mann), various James Bond films during 1960’s, three best picture oscars in a row 1975-77,: One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (), Rocky (), Annie Hall (), however overextended in 1970s, spending too much on productions that didn’t make money back and later sold and merged with MGM
Columbia –
Established in 1930, a producer of B movies that they then sold to the big five
In 1932, Harry Cohn became the president of the company and transforms it into a bigger far player
The success of It Happened One Night (Frank Capra, 1934) led them to experiment with A film pictures
They became known for adaptations of novels and stage-plays
They had no stable but had successful association with people such as Frank Capra, Rita Hayworth, Judy Holliday
Effects of Great Depression: survived because they only made low budget films and they didn’t own any theatres
First of the majors to get into tv. They would make lavish foreign productions such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962, David Lean)
Sold their studios in 1972 and bought by Coca Cola in 1982 then bought by Sony in 1989 and continues to this day
Casablanca is a romance and drama about an American saloon man in Vichy controlled Morocco during WW2 who comes across a former lover of his and her rebel leader husband in search of transit papers that will allow them to leave for Lisbon and America.
Casablanca is an absolutely fantastic film and it’s easy to see why it is considered by many to be one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. There is a beautiful aesthetic to the film with a brilliant set design that showcases the impact of a country not ravaged by war such as occupied France but nevertheless under the influence of an ‘evil’ regime in the form of the Vichy and the Nazis. The love triangle between the three lead characters is very convincing and made all the more notable under the circumstances of war and the efforts each individual would go to, so that the other might be happy.
While a films purpose is commonly for entertainment purposes and this one likewise, there is a clear emphasis and focus on the American involvement in the war and propaganda to influence the American attitude towards the war effort. After the Pearl Harbor attack on 7 December 1941, Germany declared war against the US along with Japan and Italy on 11 December.
By the end of 1941, the war had been raging on for over 2 years of which America had been very much neutral, profiting from European countries through Lend Lease and other forms of trade and so joining the war was a huge step forward.
Rick appears to be the personification of USA. He is a neutral bystander, taking whichever side results in the best outcome for himself and making comments such as “I bet they’re asleep in New York–I bet they’re asleep all over America” which implies that America is asleep while Europe is fighting. Americas isolationism is also noted when Signor Ferrari states “My dear Rick, when will you realise that in the world today, isolationism is no longer a practical policy?”. Warner Bros. were clearly pro-American involvement in WW2 and Casablanca acts as a propaganda for the people of America to show there patriotism and support the fight in Europe.
After completing the delivery of my pitch, the idea put forward was well received and the feedback I gained will go towards producing a film at the highest level of quality. Before I had only considered the narrative aspect of the story and now feel that I would like to focus on a specific theme or emotion that will work to drive the story and the plot forward. The emotion I am intending to focus on is going to be a combination of loss/regret in which Reed starts at a very low place when his wife is kicking him out but continues to get worse and worse as he slowly comes to terms with the mistake he made which will lead to be at the very worst and lowest point he has experienced before which will cause him to take a rash decision and move into the way of the oncoming car. I have considered not starting immediately with Reed and his wife arguing, instead starting with Reed walking into the house and still having an exterior shot of the house and see the argument start rather than pick up midway through so the audience can see his progression from a state of wellbeing to one of desperation and understand the drastic impact of his actions but I feel as if starting the film with an intensity and high tension right from the off and will set the tone for the film moving forward, where this tension continues to be pulled and pulled, never fully releasing until the films climax in order to have a greater effect on the audience. This is something I will consider when completing my screenplay.
The film includes both of the following: ‘a narrative which establishes and develops a single character’ and ‘a narrative which portrays a conflict between two central characters’.
There are 4 characters: Sarah, the wife; Miles, the son; Kayla, the woman Reed has an affair with; and Reed, the husband and main character in the film and the only one we see in detail.
2 locations: Reed and Sarahs house; and in the car on the road (A quiet road to begin with then joins a busy main road).
Time: Pitch Black (Night), Early hours of the morning
“Argument between wife and husband can be heard inside their house and he’s forced out, exchanging insults as he leaves – He goes out on to the street into his car and lashes out in anger before driving onto the road at high speed – He calls his wife using the bluetooth in his car, she answers and she demands that he never contact them again, stating that he can’t see his son and hangs up – he attempts to call again but is declined immediately causing another fit of rage – some time later he goes to call the woman he cheated with but is interrupted by a call from his son who calls out of curiosity and resentment rather than love – he admits to his son that he made a mistake and this gives him the confidence to turn around and try to win his wife and son back but is stopped by his sons reluctant attitude and mentions that it wouldn’t be a good time as someone else is in his house at the moment – the phone hangs up as we hear his mothers voice telling him to hang up and a male voice – he doesn’t say who the man is – he feels he’s lost his son and wifebut doesn’t want to admit it – he calls Kayla who answers after a brief time – Reed turns to her for help and asks to stay over but she clearly doesn’t want to and tells him all they had was a fling and she never felt any connection with him – she hangs up – Reed is left with nothing – there’s a moment of silence as the world around him becomes distorted – he’s already indicating to turn left but glances at the approaching traffic to his right – another moment of silence – a close up of the wheel as he shifts it to the right and cuts to black just before the apparent impact of a car.”
Focus on emotions throughout – Highlighted in bold
It’s pitch black; 12:34 am. Sarah and Reed are inside their home; now just hers. The couple argue about an affair, one he has had with another woman for the past few months. Reed is kicked out with a box of his few possessions and forced to get in his car to leave his family, exchanging a barrage of insults as he strides off. He throws his box on the seat and sits silently for a few seconds before lashing out in anger, striking the wheel of the car and driving away and joining the main road, regaining composure.
Driving at high speed, Reed calls his wife, preparing himself for another round of verbal abuse. She picks up and they argue about her decision to stop him from seeing his son. Sarah demands that he never contact them again and immediately hangs up on him. He calls again but after letting it ring out it’s clear no ones picking up, causing a fit of rage from Reed .There’s a brief pause as he makes the decision on who to call, choosing to contact Kayla, the woman he had an affair with only to be interrupted by his son calling him. He immediately changes his attitude, shifting to something that would suggest to his son that nothing is wrong. Miles, a boy of 14, seems conflicted between worry and resentment, forming a fascination with his fathers departure as just another event rather than a life changing decision and therefore seems almost uninterested and slightly disgusted in his father, alienated by his actions. Reed does his best to deflect his sons curious questions and admits to making a mistake, giving him the belief that he can turn around and put everything right but stops when Miles mentions that an unnamed man is present at the house again. There’s a faint background noise of footsteps and his mothers voice which causes his son to hang up the phone before he says who the man is, leaving Reed shouting desperately at a now already blank screen in desperation and despair. He’s lost his son and his wife to someone else, he just doesn’t want to admit it.
Reed phones Kayla. After multiple buzzes from the phone as she seems to take an eternity to answer, the voice of Kayla can be heard echoing through the cars speakers. Reed is now desperate, Kayla is the last person he can turn to for both physical help in the hopes of staying over and mentally as he continues to lose those around him. It becomes clear however that his pleas are in vain as he learns that she never felt that connection with him as he did for her and that it was just a fling, nothing more. She hangs up. There’s a moment of calm as the world closes around him, to his left the turning he’s indicating for and to the right, a herd of oncoming cars. A moment of silence, nothing is happening, he looks to the side of him at the box of possessions, nothing. As he glances at an approaching car, he leisurely begins to shift the steering wheel to his right and cutting to black just before the impact of a large car and the sound of a loud crash of metal on metal.
I envisage a film with one central character, revolving around conflict and the development of this character that will result in a negative course of action at the films climax.
Brainstorming different ideas for the film such as characters, occasions etc.
Chronological draft
Chronological draft cont.
Goes to phone the woman he had an affair with but interrupted by son calling him.
Son starts talking, he’s not supposed to be calling him, they both talk, he wants to turn round, finishes with son mentioning that someone is over which causes panic for the husband, can hear his wife telling him to hang up and then call cuts short.
Silence. It’s dark. Lights from outside reflect in to the car as the colours from headlamps surround him.
Calls woman he had an affair with. Rings for a long time. He asks if he can stay over at hers because of what happened. She clearly doesn’t want to, she never loved him (just a fling). She hangs up after they talk.
He begins to panic/self-destructive, less tears more anger and rage, looks to the barely filled box of possessions to his side that he was given when he was kicked out (he has nothing)
There is a moment of calm (everything muffled)
Spots an oncoming car to his right
Close-up of his steering wheel as he leisurely shifts the wheel to turn right and cut to black before the impact.
Its Gromit’s birthday, and Wallace has spent every last copper on his companion at the expense of his bank balance so decides to let out a room. Along comes a penguin, who instantly clashes with Gromit and takes a liking to his present, a pair of robotic trousers. Unknown to them, the penguin is a criminal out to exploit their hospitality as he attempts to steal a diamond by tearing Wallace away from his friends. After a long chase and an successful diamond operation, the penguin is captured a placed in the only place worse than jail for a penguin, a zoo.
Genre
The film genre fits into the comedy category.
Editing
Editing is simple but effective. Shot reverse shot is most commonly used during conversations between characters whilst the pace of the editing increases in scenes such as the train chase at the end of the film to create a thrilling feeling for the audience as they attempt to catch the criminal penguin.
Mise-en-scene
The house has a basic design with colourful furniture and wallpaper but what sets it apart from the other locations in the film is the collection of abstract gadgets such as the wake-up call machine where Wallace presses a button which engages the machine that gets him dressed instantaneously and serves him breakfast.
Mise-en-scene is often used for a comedic effect but still has a genuine purpose in the scene as the characters’ ingenuity allows them to succeed in capturing the criminal. The lamp on Gromit’s head, the rolling pin and gun and the cardboard box are all used to aid in his capture, using the lamp to shield from the bullets and the rolling pin to appear intimidating only to have a gun pulled on him.
Performance
The performance is quiet and controlled at times but then becomes overexaggerated in certain circumstances such as when Wallace bounces in the trousers down the street above houses for a comedic effect.
The only dialogue in the film comes from Wallace with Gromit having no dialogue so his personality is reflected through his facial expressions at what is being said or what is happening to convey emotion and create sympathy.
Meaning and Response
The film has a unique look due to its plasticine appearance which means that the filmmaker can be more creative with their style and express ideas that would be difficult to show in the real world. This also allows for a set design that can be manipulated with ease so that the characters can move about more freely without pushing the absurdity of the film to the point where nothing is believable.
Two professional safecrackers, Liam and Michael work together on a job to break into an office and steal the contents of a safe but having to do so in pitch black as any light will start the alarm. After remembering the plan, the two safecrackers await the go ahead to begin their work in a local pub where they begin to bond, drinking and smoking as they learn more about each other pasts. When they work the job, Michael reveals that his father was a thief also but he didn’t want to follow in his footsteps but is encouraged by Liam to find his father. Suddenly, after refusing to answer Liam’s questions, Michael lights a match, setting off the alarms and shining a torch in his face, leaving Liam in the office as he walks away.
Cinematography
There is a black and white aesthetic that the film uses as a way of establishing that the characters have a connection with something in their past. the lack of colour also allows for textures and details in the film to be more prominent such as the smoke from the cigarette as they both play snooker which adds greater personality to their characters.
Sound
In the final scene in which Michael betrays Liam, the only sound present is the diegetic dialogue as they discuss Michaels past as he hints towards his father leaving his mother and him before going silent. This creates suspense for the audience as it implies that Michael knows something that we don’t so that when he lights a cigarette, the implication is made clear that Liam is Michaels father.
After walking out on Liam, with the sound of an alarm and Liam’s pleas for help becoming more distant, non diegetic music begins to play in the background to signify that Michael has just achieved his overall ambition of the film and therefore brings the film to a close.
Editing
The editing differs depending on the actions of the characters during a certain scene. For example, when the two men begin to build the cover that will block out light from getting into the office, the editing is sharp and quick to show the pressure they are under and how difficult it is to do under the conditions. Whereas during the pub scene, the two characters begin to bond so when they both play snooker, one long shot is used to track Michael as he sings along to the music from a duke box and then switches to Liam doing the same thing. showing that their current mindset is one of clam.
Mise-en-scene
The layout of the boxes is the only sense of the difficulties they will face in the pitch black in the office before Michael betrays Liam, at which point the audience only sees brief glimpses of Liam tumbling over object despairingly. This also adds to a feeling of suspense and tension as despite knowing their aim and what they will have to do to achieve it, the audience knows very little about each character and how they will work together to overcome such a barrier.
There are no cars or other people present throughout the film other than Isaac who only appears briefly to instruct them on how to go about accomplishing the hesit. The reason for this is because the focus is not on the people around them but rather the relationship between Liam and Michael that will eventually result in the climax of the film.
Meaning and Response
The twist at the end of the film was great as it was completely unexpected until Michael begins to talk about his father leaving him and his mother, leaving the audience to suspect that Liam is his father and then the eventual payoff as he lights a cigarette, causing the alarm to go off and presumably resulting in Liam being arrested.
The film was very well paced with the pub scene set over a two hour period and yet reducing it to five minutes of important interactions between the two characters that help shape the overall impression we get of them rather than being just two safecrackers.
By a river in the woods, a man carrying a fishing bag sets up his fishing equipment as he leisurely waits for a fish to take the bait. After hours of waiting, catching barely any fish, his rod begins to liven up as something big grapples at the end of it. Tackling it to the river bank, he finds that rather than a fish, he has accidentally caught a woman. In shock, he trips up on his rod and becomes entangled with her before suddenly the woman grabs him, causing him to faint. After waking up, the woman is now wearing the mans clothes whilst he wears the white funeral dress that she previously wore and begins to call him “Daddy”. A flashback occurs in which the audience sees a ritual which shows the picture of the same man at what appears to be a funeral for him and the same girl who is engaging with several ritual activities.
Editing
Quick and sharp paced editing as the rod begins to move as the fisherman frantically attempts to haul his catch in and then when the woman is speaking with him and the rods begin to come alive as she talks, the cutting to a nd from her and the rods create a sense of fear and dread for the man as he is in an unfamiliar situation.
Sound
The diegetic music performance at the beginning seems very unrelated to the plot of the film but if you look past the fact that it appears just like a music video there could be a deeper meaning. Not only are they dressed all in black but the actual singing could foreshadow the reveal that the fisherman is dead as singing is typically heard during funerals which we see later on.
Mise-en-scene
The setting of the film by a river gives the film a dark and grim aesthetic whilst the music at the beginning of the film that seemed almost irrelevant to the story could link to the mans own apparent death. The main idea around this film seems to be death as the girl is first presumed to be dead and then its revealed that somehow the man is dead as we watch his funeral. The costumes that the band where are black and gloomy that seems to suggest that the man could in fact already be dead.
Contexts of Film
The film was shot entirely on an Apple iPhone 4 with some editing in post production that would help to give the film more vibrant aesthetics. It was handheld across the film which meant that the visuals appeared more realistic and personal to the man who was experiencing these events. The iPhone also gives the film a grainy aesthetic that suggests to the viewer that this will be a horror film without any prior knowledge.
The film represents a culture in South Korea and indeed other places in the world that the living have the ability to speak to the dead through ritual.
Meaning and Response
There seems to be a binary opposition of life and death throughout the film. The man represents death whilst the woman who the audience first presumes to be dead is representative of life as she attempts to talk and comfort the dead fisherman. There is also a binary opposite of colour as the film begins in colour before switching to a black and white aesthetic whilst the fisherman fishes and is then contrasted by the vibrant colours at the end when a ceremony is taking place.
The enigma of the film is how did the man die. Are we to assume that the man died whilst fishing which is why the woman and the audience see him in that form or is there another reason that might have caused his death?
The film depicts multiple assassinations in Ireland without any information as to who the killers are or why they are being killed.
Cinematography
The cinematography is straightforward and yet very effective. The long takes of the killer walking towards the victim and then walking away after shooting them creates a realistic setting and gives the impression that these actions are typical and not out of the ordinary.
Sound
There is no diegetic or non diegetic music used throughout the course of the film, instead focusing on the diegetic sounds of footsteps approaching and then leaving along the pavement and roads and the sudden sound of gunshots as the victim is murdered. This also creates a realistic impression of the murders as the filmmaker is making clear that there is neither anything special about the people being murdered or the murderer as they are senseless killings.
Editing
The editing follows the same repetitive pattern over and over again for each murder which further adds to the sense that these people are no different and the killings are violent and unjustified. The simple pattern: man walking into a building or towards their victim, the murderer searching for their victim, finding the victim and shooting them, cutting to the gun as the shots are fired and then finally to the body of the victim before repeating the process all over again.
Contexts of Film
Depicts a time known as ‘The Troubles’ at the end of the 20th century in Ireland where nationalists and unionists fought over whether the province of Northern Ireland should remain in the United Kingdom or join the Republican of Ireland. The conflict eventually ended in 1998 after an agreement between the government of both the United Kingdom and Ireland agreed to a power sharing arrangement that brought peace, but not before roughly 3,600 people died and over 30000 people were injured over the course of 30 years.
Meaning and Response
The main suggestion that the film makes is that the spread of needless violence across Ireland during that time and indeed in general is brutal and unjustified, giving no clear motives for why they are occurring just that they are and that to so is an unlawful and despicable act in a lawless and deprived time.
The film is set in a post-ww3 world in which he reminisces about his childhood when he first saw a man die, a woman which he still wonders if was real and the destruction caused by the war. Trapped underground, scientists attempt to send people back in time for resources to survive. Most go mad. But one man succeeds in going back, finding a woman who spends time with, drifting in and out of her life. He then travels into the future and receives a device powerful enough to put all of humanity back in motion and requests to travel back to his childhood memory of the woman standing at the end of the jetty at the airport before the war but is awaited by a man present in the underground camp who kills him, realising that the murder that plagued his memories as a child was actually his own.
Genre
This film is a drama/romance.
Cinematography
The film is comprised of a collection of still images that represent each part of the story as a moving image would, however, by using still images instead, the filmmaker has the creative freedom to focus more on specific details that contribute to the story and be more artistic.
Sound
Due to it being exclusively still images, narration is used to give context to the events that have occurred and propels the story forward.
Meaning and response
I thought that this film was really unique, especially for its time, where a concept such as travelling through time would have been an outrageous thought.
Due to the limitations of using still images, the filmmaker had to make sure that every still showed a specific emotion or event that the audience could engage with and they do so very well.
Representation
During the 1960’s tension was high in the world. The USA and Soviet Union had been against each other ever since WW2 and the Cold War had really began to heat up, especially in 1962, when in the year of the films release, Cuba was becoming a hotspot for conflict and the Cuban missile crisis bought all out war ever closer to becoming a reality. Paris is the central location of this film and France was a central location for WW1 and 2, so the thought of another war, with country destroying weaponry would have been a terrifying prospect for all, even for those who remained neutral throughout this period of time and so the film plays well on the fear of the masses.
Focus on three girls in their teenage years at school in Australia during the 1960’s. One girl, Pam, has to be an intermediary between her parents in their dysfunctional relationship and is obsessed by The Beatles, along with her friend Stella, who later gains popularity and stops talking to Pam. The third girl, Gloria, becomes pregnant after being introduced to sex by her brother.
Genre
The film is a drama.
Cinematography
The film is shot in black and white while using a 4:3 aspect ratio so as to give the appearance of a 1960’s feel.
Mise-en-scene
The film opens with the girls observing a book that contains information about the male sexual organs and how they function during sex inscribed with the words “This might shock young girls”, establishing the mood of the film and setting a precedent for the rest of the film.
The girls often mention how cold it is and the film ends with a rendition of “I feel the cold” which adds to the dark and slightly depressing imagery of self-discovery and growing up that Campion aims to create here.
Meaning and Response
The film was a very interesting interpretation of the teenage years in a girls life and their discovery of what comes in further life, such as teenage pregnancy, sexual relationships, and conflict that will shape the people they become.
Representation
There seems to be a main focus on the issue of sex, from both physical perspectives. Campion explores what it is to be a woman and the sexual desire experienced at such an age. The sexual desire, exploitation, and dysfunctionality of growing up as a woman is represented in an extreme way by Campion which exemplifies the experiences that girls will have.
A woman starts of by picking up a flower she finds on a floor and entering her home, finding a bread knife, telephone, record player and key are all left lying about. After falling asleep in an armchair, we see a hooded figures with a single flower in his hand and another version of the woman entering the house to find that the objects have moved position and the woman is still sleeping. This happens several times before finally one version of herself pocket up the knife and goes to kill her sleeping self, causing her to wake up and realize that a man is standing over her which we are to assume is her husband. It appears that she is now awake buy throws a knife at her husband shattering him like glass. We then see the film from the husbands perspective as he enters the house to find that his wife is lying in her armchair dead.
Genre
I would say that the film best fits into the mystery category but
Cinematography
The camera angles are definitely the most expressive aspect of this film. For example, when her second version of herself appears to fall out a window and then over a set of stairs as she attempts to climb her way out of the room, defying gravity as she floats from one room to the next to find the ‘real’ version of herself. The camera rotates clockwise and then anti clockwise, switching back and forth from the two movements to create a sense of disorientation for the audience and suggests that this is not reality.
Sound
The original production of the film didn’t use sound but instead was later added in the 1950’s although there wasn’t much, and yet this adds to the creepy and almost terrifying nature of the film. Sounds are very precise; the glass shattering; the sound of the beach; the birds at the beginning as she walks. They are designed to create an unnerving feeling that initially everything is alright but as she enters the house, the telephone left aside with the sound coming from it of someone hanging up creates a feeling of uncertainty.
Editing
Its difficult to tell but it appears that the film often uses hidden cuts to transition the setting of the scene from room to room. When on her first entrance into her house, she places the tone arm of the record player away from the disc, with the camera beginning to slowly pan left and cut is used when moving past the wall that moves into a new shot of an armchair.
There is one scene in which the cutting is jarring to the point where this scene doesn’t look real (the intended effect). As she’s standing on the stairs, several cuts depict her moving from each step with showing any movement, creating an eerie and baffling sequence that as the audience we are forced to question what is real.
Mise-en-scene
The mise-en-scene is simplistic and yet everything we see has a purpose. The several versions of key to open her house, the bread knife that will result in her death, the flower that causes her to enter her house after she chases a mysterious figure, the telephone that is always left off its stand and the record player which continuously plays silently.
One of my favourite parts is when she throws the bread knife at her husband, causing his face to shatter like glass and for a picture of the sea to emerge in its place, with the shards separated from his body dropping into the wet sand and washed away by the sea. I think this is suggestive of the freedom she desires. The endless sea on the horizon implies that she doesn’t want to be trapped in the house which she has found herself, attempting to escape it in her dreams only for it to consume her.
Meaning and Response
As I mentioned in my mise-en-scene section, the film isn’t entirely clear on what you are supposed to take away from it, instead leaving it to the interpretation of the viewer. My opinion is that this is the woman’s desire for freedom that she keeps on repeating to attain but when she is unable to achieve it she dies.
After a chance encounter on their way to retrieve food from the groceries, a pig hears a chicken being run over by a car and killed, leaving her in a state of panic, causing her to frantically run home and revealing the connections each person has with those around them.
Cinematography
One of the most notable aspects of the film is the fact that the animation used reflects a negative atmosphere due to its dull tones which contrast the animative style that audiences are typically used to, showing that the film will most likely be about a dark and sensitive topic that will have a negative short term impact on one of the main characters.
The use of animation allows for a greater range of expressive movements as the image can be manipulated to focus on key details. When running home after witnessing the death of the rooster, close-ups of the feet of the pig shows the distress that she’s currently feeling as she frantically attempts to return home where she feels safe, only returning to a wide shot when at last she finally does feel safe after slamming the door, signifying that she no longer feels trapped or confined by her emotions after what she has experienced.
Sound
There is a use of diegetic and non diegetic music in the film. The diegetic is the most noticeable as it expresses the emotions that the pig feels as she dances around the room to the song whilst peeling potatoes. The songs lyrics “When the day breaks” shows her positive attitude at this point in time as she feels ready to approach the day but disappears after she no longer feels safe when she sees the rooster hit by a car.
Mise-en-scene
The decision to use animals rather than humans as the characters expresses the impact that death can have on a person. Animals in fiction are typically associated with being fun characters possibly aimed at younger audiences so by relating these characters to the idea of death, the film suggests that these occurrences aren’t restricted to a select few people and can have an impact on anyone no matter a persons background.
Meaning and Response
They are all different animals but are all connected by one overwhelming fear that at any moment something bad could occur and cause harm or even death to them and they all struggle to cope with that thought, shown in this film through the perspective of the pig.The film seems to imply that by seeing something negative happen to others despite being strangers, your own life is put into perspective and will stay with you so that it causes you to make a change that will greatly impact the way you live.
In this film, a swimmer swims through the rivers of the British countryside as he listens to several conversations along the riverbank and appears to sink below the surface of the water.
Cinematography
The cinematography varies with a range of wide and close-up shots that make the audience feel separated from reality just as the swimmer experience as he swims, focusing on the movement of the water and only becoming less jarring when he stops briefly to listen to conversations.
The decision to shoot the film in black and white gives the appearance of the film a dream-like state, suggesting that this is a good dream for the passionate swimmer as he continues to swim for miles. It turns into a nightmare at the end when he appears to be shot by an arrow in the water, sinking to the bottom and yet he emerges unscathed afterwards, further strengthening this reading of the film as it feels real to him
Sound
The sound is perhaps one of the most creative aspects of this film, with music from throughout British cinema history including themes from The Lord of the Flies, playing in the background as the swimmer moves along the river, often timing the more harsher notes in the music to periods of struggle during his swim when he has to swim faster to or from something. The music initially begins at the start with a slight quiet whisper to the tune that creates a suspenseful atmosphere as the titles roll, building anticipation.
Meaning and Response
This film is very subjective depending on what the viewer brings to the film, whilst some might just view it as a swimmer taking a swim, others might see it as an expressionistic piece that demonstrates a swimmers love and fear for the sport.
The cinematography and sound have a great influence of getting the audience into the mind of the swimmer and understanding what they are experiencing. Personally, I think that the person watching the film is the swimmer. The film is presented in such away that places you inside his thoughts as he observes other peoples conversations and his own feelings as he glides through the current.
Contexts of Film
The film was commissioned in order to express Britain’s extensive art culture to display for the 2012 Olympics in London where it would be put on show to the rest of the world.
The swimmer in the film is Tom Litten, a young swimmer who narrowly missed out on being in Team GB for the Olympic swimming team
A young boy who lives with his mother and father is taunted and abused because of the fathers disappointment that he continues to wet the bed and his mothers overattachment. Upon finding a bag of seeds, he plants one and it grows until it becomes a grandmother who is loving and caring towards him. The grandmother unfortunately becomes violently ill, leaving the boy to attempt to get his parents to help only to be turned away, returning to find that she has died and in the end he dies also.
Sound
The sound is used in a way that is very much unlike any other film. Sounds of seeds shaking and the fathers repeated shouts of what appears to sound like “mine” are exaggerated. These noises are what drive the story due to a lack of dialogue, showing a specific characters intrigue in an object or a current mood they are feeling such as when the grandmother dies and her high pitched whistle is louder than ever before as she wails out in pain.
Mise-en-scene
Hardly anything is visible within the frame throughout the film due to the dark lighting. Whilst this also has its effects on the mood of the film, it also makes the objects in the foreground more prominent such as the bag of seeds and the bright orange stain left on the bed by the boy wetting himself as they are all integral to the story; Lynch is directing the audiences attention to the things that matter most.
Editing
Editing is sharp and violent when focusing on the boys parents, reflecting their animosity towards the boy and their violent outbreaks that push hum away.
Meaning and Response
I was overall startled by this film in that it was a very unique representation of what I believed to be Lynch’s attempt to represent procreation and the almost symbolic destruction of the idea of a family unit. Whilst it wasn’t something I would typically watch, I recognise the appeal of Lynch’s creative ideas that draws his audience in. The expressive use of colour and the exaggerated sounds add for a truly horrifying (in a good way) experience for the viewer.
A man with a speech impediment talks to a girl online for 6 months, but when she asks to meet in person he panics almost pushing her away, but decides eventually to meet her and finds out that just like him, she has to use sign language because whilst he has a stutter, she is deaf.
Genre
The film fits into the drama category
Cinematography
One of the most notable cinematography aspects in the film is the use of the BEV shots in moments of pressure and feeling alone such as when he is trying to type an excuse not to see her and when he is lying on the bed after she hasn’t contacted him for days. This gives the impression that he feel as if there is a huge weight on him, applying pressure and also makes it seem that as the audience we are are watching him closely but from afar, making him feel uncomfortable and nervous as he is a recluse.
Sound
Because of stutter, main diegetic dialogue from others whilst non diegetic narration for what he thinks. This makes other noises more noticeable such as phone
Due to the main characters stutter, diegetic dialogue mainly comes from others whilst non-diegetic narration plays over what he is thinking and feeling which has the added effect of making other noises such as the alert from his phone and the sound of typing and traffic even more prominent as they are the only noises he frequently hears because he chooses to avoid talking to other people, with the only times he does being his distant father and a lost tourist.
Mise-en-scene
After doing a bit of research, I discovered that the book he buys for her at the end of the film titled “Franny and Zooey” written by J.D. Salinger who was known for being a recluse just like Greenwood her entire life.
Performance
Greenwood’s face is often motionless and distant due to his reclusiveness and his unfamiliarity with interacting with strangers
His distant nature from his father is often shown by his sitting on opposite sides from him and at the furthest points from each other on the couch
Meaning and Response
I very much appreciated the focus on people who are deemed as different in society. Its become a common topic within film to express these differences and give them a happy ending but I believe this one accomplished this better than most. Whilst it was uplifting for those who might have felt differently because of a personal trait, it was also inspiring for those either with something not mentioned or without as its a film that extends to a greater meaning for everyone for their own reasons.
Representation
The main representational group in the film is those with disabilities, specifically people who are unable to communicate normally with other people due to either a stutter or deafness. This representation helps to show that people struggling with such problems should know that they are still able to everything that everyone else can do.
In this film, a lone gunfighter in the west walks into a bar where the voice of a narrator that categorises a typical western film narrates his every action and thought and those of the people already inside the bar, causing chaos as each person has secrets revealed that results in a bloodbath where only one person is left standing.
Genre
The film genres that this film fits into would be Western, Comedy and Action
Cinematography
There are some uses of noteworthy cinematography splattered throughout the film, one of which would be the actual splatter of blood as they get shot in the head. It’s a creative and effective way of showing someone being shot which adds an element of gore to an otherwise humorous film to remind the audience that despite the comedic nature of the film, people are still being shot and dying brutally.
Whilst the lighting allows for a vibrant and clear setting, its used largely for the gunfighter when he is giving his speech near the end to create a spotlight appearance from the gaps in the saloon window that makes him stand out in the scene and depicts him as the hero to save them from the narrator.
Sound
The diegetic sound in this film is mostly generic with the sound of boots, bullets and glasses made prominent in the sound mix as they add to the realistic setting of the film.
Music is used for dramatic and comedic effect both at the start, middle and end of the film. As the gunfighter walks into the saloon, music builds suspense of the approaching man which is only cut short by the realisation that everyone can hear the narration, thereby removing the suspense and adding intrigue. When they are about to shoot each other, the woman describes the music as ‘ominous’, breaking the fourth wall in order to encourage the people in the saloon to shoot each other whilst finally ta the end, when everyone except her is dead, the music begins to play again, signalling to the audience that the film is drawing to a close.
Editing
I like the editing in this film, there’s nothing unique about it but it is quick and sharp, often utilising a lot of shot reverse shots which focus on the characters reaction closely, allowing for more comedic effect
Mise-en-scene
Mise-en-scene is one of the major stand outs in this film with the costume design, props and the saloon setting allowing an authentic look for the film and its western setting which submerses the audience in the film, contributing to the other film forms such as cinematography and performance.
Performance
Performance is another major stand out for myself. The southern American accents that the actors adopt does a brilliant job of adding to the authenticity of the film whilst Nick Offerman’s voice contribution as the narrator provides a smooth narration that might be expected from a silent psychopathic narrator that initially doesn’t sound harmful and therefore his bloodthirsty narration seems all the more haunting and believable when everyone character can hear it.
Southern American accents, nick offerman provides a smooth narration expected from that of a narrator which doesn’t sound harmful and so his bloodthirsty narration seems all the more harmful when everyone can hear it
Meaning and Response
What I take away from this film is the implication that secrets can be deadly and can ruin relationships (less likely to kill you but still possible!). If we weren’t able to keep our secrets it could cause destruction on society. Deep down we know that we have secrets that we would never share with anyone and yet we always claim that we don’t so releasing these secrets could have massive implications and expose the most corrupt of people.
Contexts of Film
There are several references to groups of people during the time of the west that were treated differently due to them being a woman, gay, Asian and black, all of which are made reference to in the film and used for comedic effect, pointing out these flaws in the old western society.
The film is about a teenage girl living in the North of England with dreams of becoming a popstar so that she can afford expensive things that her unemployed father and her lying mother are unable to provide for her. She talks about all her dreams to the camera and how she’s going to achieve these dreams before standing over a river and dropping a small plastic bag in. The film takes a truly harrowing turn of events when a small baby, still fresh with blood can be seen inside as she walks of singing.
Genre
This film would fit into the drama genre
Cinematography
The cinematography was often shaky whilst the picture appeared grainy, perhaps with the attempted effect of conveying a realistic look at her life and the dull and bleak surroundings of Manchester that reflect her own life.
Editing
The editing is really quite jarring, with rapid cuts that are intersected by her short monologues to camera as she walks along the riverside. The film uses flashbacks to relate to what she is saying, for example when she speaks about her dad wanting to play for Manchester City in the football, cutting to a shot of him conceding an easy goal which is followed by a cut back to her claiming “not”. These flashbacks allow the audience to become more aware of her background and sympathise with her as we see first hand the struggles that she has to put up with.
Mise-en-scene
The mise-en-scene is very subtle but is used to great effect which I believe to have different meaning for the audience on the first viewing compared to when they rewatch it. Whilst her surrounding appears dirty and distasteful, one of the most important objects is the perfume. When watching the first time, it appears that she is just a young teenager looking for fragrances to perhaps make herself feel that she is more appealing but after she disposes of her dead baby in the river it takes on a greater meaning. The perfume is to hide the smell of blood that might arouse suspicions from her mother, highlighting the distance she is from her family and the society around her.
Sound
There is no non-diegetic music present throughout the course of the film, with the only source of music coming from her singing and her earphones which repeats songs from one singer; Britney Spears. Its clear the film sets her up as an idol for the girl with some of her lyrics reflecting the girls own situation (which she acknowledges in part). Lyrics such as “I’m not that innocent” and “I’m dreaming away” have an impact on her thoughts and feelings and are influential to her aspirations.
Performance
Perhaps the strongest part of the film, Ashley Thewlis does an excellent job at engaging with the audience and expressing her desires to become the next big international popstar. Her sarcastic and often exaggerated tone make the audience pity her circumstances as she is clearly unhappy with her current life and yet the joy and happiness she expresses when with her friends and singing suggests a sense of a hopeless escape that keeps her going.
Meaning and Response
The films topic is a very dark one but a necessary one to tell. I have great admiration for the way it subtly foreshadowed the ending through the dialogue the girl speaks towards the camera and the several flashbacks that add relevant contextual knowledge for the audiences understanding of her life. The dialogue almost passes you by which therefore makes the audiences reaction at the end all the more shocking and immediately makes you want to re-watch and link all the pieces together.
Contexts of Film
Abortions in the UK in 2001 weren’t commonplace, with 3.7 out of 1000 women respectively under-16 going through an abortion but the fact of the matter is that the number was still higher than it should have been and could have dramatic impacts on the lives of those affected. These figures only count towards registered abortions also, with abortions done illegally not included which is what the teenage girl in the film has done. The film, whilst focusing on the impact of abortions in general on young girls, largely focuses on the impact of a young under age girl being forced to kill her baby in order to hide the truth from her own parents, something that the director clearly felt was an important subject matter that needed to be discussed.
The film is based on the production of “The Passion of Christ” in Italy, where the film cast and crew act arrogantly towards the famine Stracci who attempts to disguise himself as a cast member to find some food, only to be hoisted up on a cross and left whilst several rich families of Rome visit the shoot, only for him to die on the cross.
Cinematography
One of the most admirable aspects of this film is the creative methods used to represent the class divide. When their is religious imagery present it appears in colour whilst other scenes appear in black and white, suggesting that religion is colourful and majestic whereas the rest of the world is dark and dull, filled with people who suffer everyday who are not cared for.
Mise-en-scene
The imagery of the poor man dying on the cross implies to the audience that unlike others such as the actors and the director, he has the strength to live a better life In heaven because of the comparison to him and Jesus, whilst they are aware that these are props and just a façade without truly believing in the significance of Stracci’s death.
Comparisons are made to Stracci being much like the dog that eats his food, therefore presenting him as a beast in the eyes of all others. Originally, he dresses up as a member of the cast in order to get food, hiding it under a rock but only o return to find a small dog ferociously eating his way through it. This is similar to a later scene when Stracci purchases cheese with the money he got from selling the dog, delving into the contents ferociously too whilst onlookers watch on and laugh, throwing him even more food. He is presented as a beast as that is what all the cast believe him to be, they see an unclean man with an insane appetite without considering the social influences that has caused him to be this way.
Meaning and Response
The film brilliantly critiques the social divide in society and the effect this has on the poor. Large amounts of food, luxurious clothes and happy dancing all contrast the protagonist who is dirty, starving and humiliated before his death. This is used to exaggerate the differences between the lower and higher class.
There is a certain irony to this film. Whilst the director wishes to use his film to celebrate Jesus and Catholicism, the themes presented contrast the very things that Jesus stood against whilst the cast mock the elements of life that he stood up for. Actors of people such as the mother of Jesus laugh at Stracci when they see him eating in a cave, mocking his situation and distancing themselves from him as he is almost animalistic to them. The director also mentions Marxism and his belief in it which too adds to the irony as Marxist ideology revolves around the idea of the proletariat owning certain means of production. This would benefit Stracci and yet it’s clear that this ideology for helping the poor seems to be neglected.
Contexts of Film
Orson Welles makes reference to Marxism. Marxism is an economic method of organizing society that gives the proletariat control of production to create a social transformation.
Pasolini is known as a provocateur. He is well known for being divisive and creating controversial films that question certain elements of society.
Wasp is a film about a single mother in England who has 3 kids and is forced to feed and care for them whilst trying to find a non existent social life all whilst being desperately poor. She meets an ex-boyfriend out of the blue and they arrange to go on a date but having lied to him about having kids at the thought he might be put off, she finds it difficult to take care of them whilst enjoying herself in the pub. All is revealed when there’s a cry for help from her child, forcing her to rush to their aid, revealing that she has children.
Genre
The film is a drama
Mise-en-scene
The mise-en-scene is used effectively throughout the film to show the depravity that Zoe and her children are living in. Moldy bread, pure sugar from a bag as a treat and eating a dumped pack of leftover takeaway ribs all add to a sense of disgust at the lives they are living.
Dirtiness is everywhere. From the children to the house, dirt is apparent wherever this family go, more than likely due to a lack of funds and time that result in a dysfunctional living accommodation. One child has dirt all over her face, presumably from food whilst the house is filled with junk and bland furniture that all add to this dirty.
Cinematography
The cinematography in this film is used effectively to show Zoe’s conflicting responsibilities and desires. The opening of the film when she fights with another mum who hit her child, close-ups without an establishing shot give the impression that we just jumped into the middle of her life and what she has to deal with on a regular occasion. The handheld cameras also give a shaky and amateur appearance that suggests she has a busy life with few opportunities to relax. The cinematography shifts from being shaky at the end of the film however as she begins to find stability when her friend shows that he doesn’t mind that she has children, buying them food and taking them home.
Meaning and Response
Whilst the film is titled ‘Wasp’ for the wasp that almost stings her baby at the end, revealing to her friend that she has children, the wasp could also be seen aa representative device for Zoe herself. Near the beginning when she is searching for food in her house, a wasp is shown to be trying to escape out of a closed window. My thought was that this was very similar to Zoë’s own situation, she can see where she wants to go but there’s something holding her back and trapping her in a confined space and much like Zoe does for the wasp, she needs someone to open the window for her, liberating her.
Contexts of Film
During 2003, 20% of the UK population were living below the poverty line, with the majority of sufferers being pensioners and single parents. This number remained the same up until the mid 2010’s with the UK being one of the worst countries in Europe for poverty which has been decreasing slowly up until this point in time. Zoë falls into this category as she is a single parent without enough money to afford enough basic necessities such as food, drink and clothing to meet the appropriate quality of life that would see her move above the poverty line.
Around the time of production, the amount of single parent households in the UK was roughly 9%, with a larger proportion of this number of single parent being headed by a mother. This can have a dramatic impact on parents and their children. Single mothers are likely to be more susceptible to be financially struggling and living in a low income area with a lack of support which could lead to mental health issues. The impact on children can be a more likely chance to suffer from mental illness in the future with an increased level of anti social behaviour. Signs of these impacts are present throughout the film. Zoe struggles to buy enough food to feed her children or afford people to care of her children which leads her to have a decreased social life. There is also a noticeable amount of anti social behaviour by Zoe that clearly influences her children such as her scrap with another mother at the beginning of the film and the swearing that she encourages.
The film revolves around a woman at her anniversary meal in her home with her husband, unsatisfied in his lack of adventure. The film has a twist, she turns her husband off via a switch on the back of his neck and immediately goes to ordering a replacement model, arriving soon after, but only for it to do the same to her as it desires standards that she fails to meet.
Sound
The most prominent device used for effect is that of the sound. Diegetic chewing noises as they eat their meal and non-diegetic lullaby music combine for an uncomfortable feeling for the audience. The chewing noises are far more audible than they typically would to create a sense of unease and the music has a haunting effect thats designed to give the audience the impression that their is something wrong between the two people right from the start.
Editing
Editing is used creatively throughout the film. One of the most notable piece of editing is when the woman is inquiring about receiving an upgrade. As the camera dolly’s backwards and she continues to talk about what features she desires for her ideal husband, the shot begins to fade out to black and then smoothly transitions to her peering through an eye hole in her door in the dark. The implication being made here is that a lot of time has passed as she continues to change her mind about what type of husband she desires and for the package to arrive.
Meaning and Response
The main ideas it seems to challenge is that of marriage and technology. The suggestion that Van makes is that the marriage is artificial and therefore cannot work. Its also a statement of a reliance on technology to achieve our desires and if we dont remain vigellent, we can lose ourselves and become dictated by that which we once craved for ourselves.
Contexts of Film
During the films release in 2006, a wide emergence of new technological feats were gripping the world that allowed a wide range of connectivity like never before. Facebook had just launched which allowed users to connect with millions of other people they werent aware even existed whilst youtube was becoming increasingly popular with over 72 million visitors each month. This all made for a world that found itself craving new technology and the next miraculous innovation that would take the world by storm. This is most likely a major influence of the film as the film attempts to convey the message that an overindulgence in technology can hav grave consequences and leave us switched off from the rest of the world.
The film is about an uncle who has to take care of his niece one evening as her mother is preoccupied with work. Richie receives a phone call from his estranged sister as a last resort, forcing him to take care of her daughter as they go out bowling and begin to form a close bond after he retrieves flip books that possibly inspired in the choosing of her name, resulting in him stopping an attempted suicide after he realizes what he would be leaving behind.
Genre
The genre fits comfortably into the drama category. There is a clear conflict between Richie and his sister and therefore a conflict between him and her daughter as well as she would have influenced her.
Contexts of Film
Suicide prevention has been a major talking point across several decades now and never seems to fully go away. This is with good reason, as despite a decline since the 1980s and 90s, suicide rates are still very high with just under 6000 suicides registered in the UK alone in 2012. Male suicide rates are typically almost 3x higher than female suicide rates.
Cinematography
There is a use of cinematography technique to create certain effects or feelings in the film. For example, when everyone begins to synchronized dance in the bowling alley, the camera arcs around Richie moving anti-clockwise, transitioning from a wide shot, to a medium shot, to a close up shot of him looking around. This suggests to the audience a sense of disorientation in his character as he feels unnatural to everybody elses movements.
Sound
The sound choice is relevant to the current events that occur in the film. The non diegetic song “We’ll meet again” by Vera Lynn is an appropriate choice for the setting of the film as it begins after he places the phone down on his estranged sister and goes to meet her for the first time in a long time. This also works for his niece as well, who he later states he was not allowed to see since she was a baby after he accidentally dropped her. The diegetic song “Ultralight” by Parallels begins to play in the bowling alley which has an upbeat melody to parallel the current feeling in the room, contrasting Richie’s attitude at that moment in time which has the effect of making him stand out as being different and almost abnormal in the crowd of people.
Meaning and Response
There appears to be a clear message in the film revolving around the theme of suicide. Should he have not picked up the phone, Richie would have died and learns after he resolves to not kill himself that giving up on his sister and his neice would hve been a terrible mistake. I think the message given to the audience is that giving up is not the answer and there is always a reason to live for. Christensen appears to imply that Richie understands this even in the opening shot, with the placement of the phone deliebrately next to him in the bath suggesting he is looking for someone to call and save him.
The film is about a woman travelling on a bus at night, She is located at a bus shelter before moving on to the bus, forced to stand and is pushed out the way by the queue of passengers who want a seat. She spots someone taking out a gun and shoot an old lady to get a seat, only for the scene to return to him standing as she was imagining it. Spotting someone else standing, she is pushed slowly towards him and she attempts to attract his attention, resulting in them holding hands briefly before a group of passengers barge through them and he leaves along with them, leaving her on her own with several other strangers as they begin to dance.
The film progresses in a linear form, starting at a bus stop and ending on the bus so that the audience can only assume that shes going home without seeing it as the destination isn’t important but the journey is. Abrahams uses a flash forward to give the appearance that a man has killed someone but then flashes back to restore everything to normal which is a clever twist as it gives the audience the impression that the film is about to take a dramatic turn. Binary opposition of the film initially begins with herself and everyone else on the bus.
Genre
The film best fits into the genre of drama/romance as a woman connects with another person on a bus that leads to a romantic connection before it is cut short.
Meaning and response
The film expresses the idea of connectivity. When she felt alone, she envisioned a man take out a gun to kill someone to gain a seat, implying that passengers would do anything to look out for themselves, while everyone else ignored and carried on, and yet after she connects with the man, she begins to see the passengers dance, including the one she saw shoot the old lady, suggesting that appearances can be deceiving.
The film challenges current attitudes towards people we are unfamiliar with and is suggesting that people shouldn’t judge others without first knowing who they are with the emphasis being on that people are often different in personality than what is represented by their body language. The message of the film is to not be so quick to judge others without prior knowledge of them such as the man, whom she thought might have been cold and imposing to begin with but as they got closer, she found to be warm and friendly. Whilst this representation does present strangers in a positive light, it neglects to inform the audience the realistic nature that not everyone you meet will have a friendly persona, and might often appear cold because this is a realistic depiction of their character, attempting to paint the world in a perfect light.
Sound
There is an effective use of sound throughout the film. Diegetic sounds are present as she waits for the bus of the approaching engine and the sound of water hitting against the pavement. As she places her headphones over her ears, the diegetic sound of music playing begins and the camera focuses on the passengers present on the bus, using a small montage to show their boredom and their dull faces. The music shifts from a gentle and relaxing sound to a dark and suspenseful sound as a man pulls a gun out and shoots a woman, but returns to the gentle sound after its revealed she has only imagined this happening.
Cinematography
The cinematography often consists of mainly one shots when focusing on her in the beginning to further the idea that she feels distant from the other people on the bus, however after they connect, there is a lot more use of wide shots that place her and the other passengers together such as when they dance, rather than focusing on them individually.
The look of the film is created from sources from the film world. There is no source of sunlight for lighting as it takes place at night so the lights from the bus shelter, headlights and on the bus are the only lights used.
Aesthetics
The dancing sequence pushes the narrative forward as it changes her outlook on other people which the audience are made to assume will have an effect on how she looks at strangers in the future.
The choreography of the dancing is exploited by the movement of the dancers, expressively moving between the rows of seating to fill in the available space left by the passengers who just left.
“Experimental film is often the result of an auteur challenging established conventions with fresh ideas.” With reference to your chosen film option, how far do you agree with this statement?
Plan
Intro – Define auteur, who is Bazin and what does he say, introduce QT and PF
1st Paragraph – Dialogue heavy
2nd paragraph – over the top violence
3rd paragraph – mise-en-scene
Conclusion – easily identifiable
Essay
An auteur describes a director that has such a dramatic influence on the style of their film that it could be immediately identified as a film that director had worked on without any prior knowledge of the credits of the film. André Bazin, a film critic and philosopher working largely in the mid-1950’s opposed the expressive aspects of cinema such as German expressionism and Soviet montage, believing it to remove the realism from the scene, but was of the opinion that a film should be influenced by the creative mindset of the director. Bazin’s belief played a vital part in the development of the auteur theory after the publishing of an issue of his magazine ‘Cahiers du cinéma’ in 1954 which was hugely influential for French cinema and would later become a talking point for the rest of the world. Quentin Tarantino is an American director, quintessential of the idea of an auteur, expressed throughout all his films such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and his earliest film ‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992), where his unique and captivating style of filmmaking gives his films a fresh and exciting appearance that engages the audience.
One of the most recognisable auteur-like features that Tarantino utilises within his films is the extended and heavy dialogue between characters, often occurring in one set location. Typically, most modern film directors will naturally avoid having a long drawn out scene of dialogue as it is often boring and fails to propel the story forward in an entertaining manner as exposition is given in an unengaging and boring style that doesn’t make an audience express any emotions towards a character/s. In theory, using dialogue heavy scenes to relay information would be an unwise decision when writing based on a large majority of examples that make a film uninteresting but Tarantino’s auteur style of filmmaking aids the dialogue choices he makes in creating an interesting scene and character/s. Many examples are present within Pulp Fiction but the prime example for how Tarantino’s auteur style is used effectively to create unconventional and yet intriguing dialogue can be found in the second scene, located in a car driving along a motorway before moving into an apartment building as Jules and Vincent head towards their target, a group of young associates of their boss, Marcellus Wallace, who isn’t happy with how they tried to double-cross him. The main defining feature of Tarantino’s dialogue is that it often has a mundane quality to it whilst remaining relevant to the plot and the story of the narrative. As Jules and Vincent drive towards the apartment, there discussion revolves around cheeseburgers and how European countries use the metric system so there is no such thing as ‘quarter pounder with cheese’. The two characters can be first heard discussing a ‘hash bar’, a drug that is legal in Amsterdam which Jules expresses that he want to move there because they cant search you if you are in possession of it, giving the audience an immediate look into how the two men think regarding their unsavoury business but then Tarantino switches the dialogue on its head by talking about something trivial that any ordinary American would discuss having come back from Europe, humanising the two men, portraying them as less of ruthless killers and making them more relatable people, going against traditional ideas of writing killers in film and further enforcing Tarantino’s unconventional style having a positive effect on the outcome of the film.
Violence can often be the difference between deciphering whether a film has been directed by Tarantino with his over the top and exaggerated use of it becoming one of the staples of his auteur filmmaking style. Tarantino carries this aspect of his style throughout all his films, with examples such as in Django Unchained (2012) where excessive amounts of blood is used during the shootout between Django and the slavers whilst gory scenes involving a slave having his arm ripped off and another where they are being whipped is used to show the horrors of slavery for black people in the 19th century antebellum south. In Pulp Fiction, the same exaggerated violence can be seen when Vincent shoots Marvin in the face and when Butch saves Wallace from the rapist and he is gunned down with a shotgun. Violence is commonplace in crime genre films but never to the extent that Tarantino uses it, going against the idea that when it comes to the theme of violence, it must appear realistic, instead electing to utilise it to either entertain or to show or represent a specific idea, with the case being in Pulp Fiction that the violence is over the top to simultaneously entertain and show the violent and crime filled lives that the characters live in sunny LA.
According to Bazin, mise-en-scene within film shouldn’t be expressive, instead being realistic of the world that we live in. Tarantino doesn’t entirely conform to these ideals as an auteur with the mise-en-scene of his films often being manipulated in favour of visuals rather than realism. In the film ‘Kill Bill Vol.1’, the films climax depicts a fight between ‘The Bride’ and O-Ren outside in Japan with the two facing off as the snow starts to fall just as they begin to clash swords. Tarantino’s auteur style mise-en-scene is present in Pulp Fiction also, most noticeably during the chapter “Vincent Vega and Marcellus Wallace’s Wife” when focusing on the 50’s style diner ‘Jack Rabbit Slim’s’. The interior of the restaurant is filled with, light up signs bearing the names of famous brands, pedestal seating, large dance floor, posters, old vintage cars and waiters dressed in the outfits of famous icons from years past such as Marilyn Monroe. Whilst the mise-en-scene isn’t revolutionary by any means, it varies very differently from crime genre films coming out at the same time and presents his authorship in how he wants to construct the look of the film. It could be that Tarantino was influenced by surrealist films that he watched growing up such as ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’ which can be seen depicted on the wall of the restaurant.
There are very few filmmakers that can be considered auteurs but those that can are easily identifiable. Tarantino is the epitome of the word ‘auteur’ as he repeatedly goes against the conventions and ideals that other filmmakers are so keen to follow and his use of specific features such as exaggerated violence has made him easily recognisable and an iconic filmmaker. These along with other features he makes use of such as his episodic storytelling, continual use of actors that he trusts and wide varying camera angles such as his use of Dutch angles that make his films so appealing to an audience.
Re-draft Essay
An auteur describes someone working within the film industry such as a cinematographer or director that has such a dramatic influence on the style of the films they work on that when viewed, it could be immediately identified as a film that person had worked on without any prior knowledge of the credits of the film. Quentin Tarantino is an American director, quintessential of the idea of an auteur, expressed throughout all his films such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and his earliest film ‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992), where his unique and captivating style of filmmaking gives his films a fresh and exciting appearance that engages the audience. This auteur theory spoken of was devised by André Bazin, a film critic working in the mid-1950’s who opposed the expressive aspects of cinema such as German expressionism and Soviet montage, believing it to remove the realism from the scene, but was of the opinion that a film should be influenced by the creative mindset of the director, something which Tarantino demonstrates an abundance of.
One of the most recognisable auteur-like features that Tarantino utilises within his films is the extended and heavy dialogue between characters, often occurring in one set location. Typically, most modern film directors will naturally avoid having a long drawn out scene of dialogue as it is often boring and fails to propel the story forward in an entertaining manner as exposition is given in an unengaging and boring style that doesn’t make an audience express any emotions towards a character/s. In theory, using dialogue heavy scenes to relay information would be an unwise decision when writing based on a large majority of examples that make a film uninteresting but Tarantino’s auteur style of filmmaking aids the dialogue choices he makes in creating an interesting scene and character/s. Many examples are present within Pulp Fiction with the prime example for how Tarantino’s auteur style is used effectively to create unconventional and yet intriguing dialogue can be found in the second scene, located in a car driving along a motorway before moving into an apartment building as Jules and Vincent head towards their target, a group of young associates of their boss, Marcellus Wallace, who isn’t pleased with how they tried to double-cross him. The main defining feature of Tarantino’s dialogue is that it often has a mundane quality to it whilst remaining relevant to the plot and the story of the narrative. As Jules and Vincent drive towards the apartment, there discussion revolves around cheeseburgers and how European countries use the metric system so there is no such thing as ‘quarter pounder with cheese’. The two characters can be first heard discussing a ‘hash bar’, a drug that is legal in Amsterdam which Jules expresses that he want to move there because they cant search you if you are in possession of it, giving the audience an immediate look into how the two men think regarding their unsavoury business but then Tarantino switches the dialogue on its head by talking about something trivial that any ordinary American would discuss having come back from Europe, humanising the two men, portraying them as less of ruthless killers and making them more relatable people, going against traditional ideas of writing killers in film and further enforcing Tarantino’s unconventional style having a positive effect on the outcome of the film.
Violence can often be the difference between deciphering whether a film has been directed by Tarantino, with his over the top and exaggerated use of it becoming one of the staples of his auteur filmmaking style. Tarantino carries this aspect of his style throughout all his films, with examples such as in Django Unchained (2012) where excessive amounts of blood is used during the shootout between Django and the slavers whilst gory scenes involving a slave having his arm ripped off and another where they are being whipped is used to show the horrors of slavery for black people in the 19th century antebellum south. In Pulp Fiction, the same exaggerated violence can be seen when Vincent shoots Marvin in the face and when Butch saves Wallace from the rapist and he is gunned down with a shotgun. Violence is commonplace in crime genre films but never to the extent that Tarantino uses it, going against the idea that when it comes to the theme of violence, it must appear realistic, instead electing to utilise it to either entertain or to show or represent a specific idea, with the case being in Pulp Fiction that the violence is over the top to simultaneously entertain and show the violent and crime filled lives that the characters live in LA.
According to Bazin, mise-en-scene within film shouldn’t be expressive, instead being realistic of the world that we live in. Tarantino doesn’t entirely conform to these ideals as an auteur with the mise-en-scene of his films often being manipulated in favour of visuals rather than realism. In the film ‘Kill Bill Vol.1’, the films climax depicts a fight between ‘The Bride’ and O-Ren outside in Japan with the two facing off as the snow starts to fall just as they begin to clash swords. Tarantino’s auteur style mise-en-scene is present in Pulp Fiction also, most noticeably during the chapter “Vincent Vega and Marcellus Wallace’s Wife” when focusing on the 50’s style diner ‘Jack Rabbit Slim’s’. The interior of the restaurant is filled with, light up signs bearing the names of famous brands, pedestal seating, large dance floor, posters, old vintage cars and waiters dressed in the outfits of famous icons from years past such as Marilyn Monroe. Whilst the mise-en-scene isn’t revolutionary by any means, it varies very differently from crime genre films coming out at the same time and presents his authorship in how he wants to construct the look of the film. It could be that Tarantino was influenced by surrealist films that he watched growing up such as ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’ which can be seen depicted on the wall of the restaurant.
There are very few people that can be considered auteurs but those that can are easily identifiable. Tarantino is the epitome of the word ‘auteur’ as he repeatedly goes against the conventions and ideals followed by most while his use of specific features such as exaggerated violence has made him easily recognisable. These along with other features he makes use of such as his episodic storytelling in which he divides his films into chapters to establish structure, continual use of actors that he trusts with stars such as Samuel L.Jackson and Leonardo Di Caprio becoming familiar faces on his set as they each bring their own unique traits to their characters and a wide variety of camera angles such as his use of Dutch angles that make his films so artistically and entertaining to an audience as everyone expects a violent and tense film when watching Tarantino.
Essay Re-draft
An auteur can be defined as a filmmaker that has such a dramatic influence on the style of a film that it can be immediately associated with that specific person without any prior knowledge. This person is most commonly the director but can also include actors, cinematographers and others working within a film that add their own unique style to it.
André Bazin was a film critic and philosopher working mainly in the mid-1950’s at a time in which the French New Wave pushed the boundaries of cinema and was vital in the development of this auteur theory. He opposed expressive aspects of cinema, believing it to remove the realism from a scene and was of the opinion that a film should be influenced by the creative mindset of the director and this belief helped push the auteur theory which was hugely influential for French cinema after its publishing in the magazine ‘Cahiers du cinema’ in 1954.
Quentin Tarantino is an American director that is quintessential to the idea of an auteur director, expressed through his unique and captivating style of filmmaking which provides a fresh and exciting viewing experience for an audience. This style of filmmaking is present throughout his work such as Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) but his arguably most well regarded film is Pulp Fiction (1994).
One of the most auteur-like features utilised by Tarantino within his films is extended dialogue between characters, often occurring in one set location. Typically, modern film directors will avoid long drawn out conversations as its often boring and fails to propel the story forward in an entertaining way for the viewer as exposition is given in an unengaging manner that doesn’t promote feelings of emotion from an audience towards a character or event. Tarantino’s auteur style of filmmaking is used effectively to create unconventional and yet intriguing dialogue that allows for an audience to engage with the characters on screen. One example includes a scene in which Jules and Vincent are in a car driving along a motorway towards their target, a group of young men working for their boss. The main defining feature of Tarantino’s dialogue is that it often has a mundane quality to it whilst still remaining relevant to the plot and the films narrative. As the pair drive, the discussion revolves around topics such as cheeseburgers and how European countries use the metric system. The two characters also discuss a ‘hash bar’, a drug legal in Amsterdam causing Jules to express interest in moving there, giving the audience an intimate look into how the two men think, presenting them in one light as gangsters and juxtaposing this by making them appear as almost normal American citizens. Tarantino manipulates the dialogue from being something mundane and trivial, humanising the two men in comparison to their gangster profession, going against traditional ideas of writing gangster characters in film and further reinforcing Tarantino’s unconventional style to make an engaging film for the audience.
Perhaps the most noticeable trait in Tarantino’s films however is his graphic use of over the top, exaggerated violence that has become a staple of his auteur style. In Pulp Fiction, this exaggerated violence can be seen during the scene in which Vincent shoots Marvin after recovering him and a suitcase from their bosses ex-associates and is also present when Butch saves Wallace from a rapist who is gunned down with a shotgun. Violence is commonplace in crime genre films due to their nature of murders and gore but Tarantino goes against the idea that when it comes to violence it must appear to be a realistic representation, going against Bazin’s ideas and instead electing to use violence as a method of entertainment for an audience or to show a specific idea, with the case being in Pulp Fiction that violence is exaggerated to both entertain and show the violent lives that the characters lead as gangsters in LA.
According to Bazin, mise-en-scene within a film shouldn’t be expressive, instead remaining realistic to the world we live in without manipulation. Tarantino doesn’t conform to these ideals as an auteur as he often manipulates the mise-en-scene as he favours visuals over realism. The most notable example of this style is when Vincent takes his Mia Wallace out for dinner, driving to to a 1950’s style ‘Jack Rabbit Slim’s’ diner. The interior of the restaurant contains light up signs bearing the names of famous brands, pedestal seating, a large dance floor, posters, old vintage cars and waiters dressed in the outfits of famous icons such as Marilyn Monroe. The mise-en-scene isn’t revolutionary in terms of its style but it varies very differently from typical crime genre films coming out at the same time and presents his autership in how he constructs his films as out of the ordinary to immerse the audience in the characters’ world.
Tarantino is also known for his repeated use of specific actors that he trusts. Prominent actors in Pulp Fiction such as Harvey Keitel and Samuel L. Jackson are also in films such as Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Django Unchained (2012). Other directors do use actors they are familiar with but Tarantino uses a recognisable group of actors continually in his films with Samuel L. Jackson appearing in 6 of his films.
There are few filmmakers that can be considered auteurs but those that can are easily identifiable. Tarantino is the epitome of being an auteur as he repeatedly goes against the conventions and ideals established by filmmakers with his use of violence, dialogue and mise-en-scene making his films instantly recognisable. The implementation of auteur-like features is extensive in his filmmaking, with further examples of his style including his episodic storytelling present in Pulp Fiction and other films such as The Hateful Eight and his varying use of camera angles such as his use of Dutch angles which all contribute to a unique and entertaining viewing experience for an audience.
“Unfamiliar approaches to narrative can be both difficult and exciting for the spectator.” Discuss this comment in relation to your film study.
Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ is a comedic and yet brutal take on the crime genre of film that promises to be engaging right from the start with an unconventional narrative structure that actively involves the viewer to think about how the plot and story are developed. Tarantino’s unique style of storytelling through his varied use of narrative structure gives Pulp Fiction a far more tense and exciting atmosphere than if the film had gone about telling the story of several hitmen, a crime boss and a boxer who all intersect each others lives but in a linear fashion.
Narrative structure in Pulp Fiction differs greatly from other traditional films emerging at the time because of Tarantino’s creative narrative choices, but this isnt to say that he goes completely against narrative convention. Propp, a Russian scholar, devised 7 character roles most associated with storytelling that are all present within the film and given a modern Tarantino spin for the setting of 1990’s America. For example, the princess role is best assigned to Mia Wallace, wife of the hitmen’s crime boss, however unlike in more traditional films, she is given a more independent role rather than being based around the hero’s prize. When her husband asks Vincent to look after her for an evening, she is more than capable of handling herself such as when she willingly volunteers to dance in front of people in stage but ultimately it’s Vincent who acts as the hero character when she overdoses and he has to inject her with adrenaline, saving her life. The modernisation of Propp’s theory of character roles is more culturally appropriate in 1994 at the time of the release of Pulp Fiction as American society had converted from the western loving country in the 1960s to a crime ridden place due to the increasing easy access to weaponry such as guns. Therefore, Tarantino is able to better reflect the social aspects of society whilst delivering a more entertaining experience for the audience who are able to resonate and understand the characters’ personalities and motivations in the film.
Tarantino however ignores Propp’s theory that a story has 31 narrative functions but not in its entirety, as he often uses some of these narrative functions just not in there traditional chronological pattern. The non-linear structure of Pulp Fiction means that there is no absentation, where somebody goes missing at the beginning or a wedding after the villain is defeated at the end according to Propp’s ideas, instead Tarantino completely ignores this chronological structure, beginning and ending in the same place during the same event. The film opens with Honeybunny and Pumpkin, two amateur robbers set on robbing the café they are dining at. Both characters stand up and begin to threaten the customers and staff before there is a cut away from the action to an intertitle before cutting to a completely different location at a different point in time where Vincent and Jules are en route to retrieve a briefcase. This has a huge impact on the audience as it leaves them wanting to know what happens to the robbers, which isn’t answered until the very end scene, when Jules and Vincent are in the same café whilst the robbery takes place. This is incredibly exciting for an audience as they are made to wait to find out what happens so that when they do, they are aware of the ruthless and brutal traits of the two hitmen that has been shown across the film, content with killing their boss’ enemies and even their own partner, they will surely take down two amateur robbers in over their heads, but Jules’ enlightenment that happened just beforehand in the plot but long before in the story creates an understanding as to why he has mercy for them. Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction conforms to a non-linear structure to great effect, creating tension in a scene as the impact on the viewer is far greater now than if they had started off with the hitmen driving as there is an established sense of direction to the film that is all the more thrilling for the viewer.
Tarantino has never conformed to tradition rules which is why his films are so entertaining for the audience. On occasion though, his films conform to certain narrative ideas such as Levi-Strauss’ Binary Oppositions Theory where the basis of a story is built on to become engaging because two or more characters are in opposition to one another. This is most noticeable in Pulp Fiction in the performances of the characters. There is an established set of positive vs negative forces in the film or good vs evil that can be identified, with the dialogue of the characters creating the perception that Vincent and Jules are the positive forces despite being killers, whilst people such as Pumpkin and Honeybunny are the negative forces. On screen, the audience only see Pumpkin and Honeybunny for a brief amount of time, in which time they discuss threatening civilians and robbing them, making it difficult to sympathise with them. On the other hand, Jules and Vincent can often be seen discussing trivial matters such as cheeseburgers and taking a lady out to dinner which is far more relatable to the audience and so its more likely that the audience will be invested in what the two hitmen are discussing as the mundane conversations are entertaining because they are a breath of fresh air away from the violence involved in their jobs.
Todorov’s equilibrium theory can be applied to Pulp Fiction, but rather than as a whole, it can only be applied to the story and not the plot. Looking closely at one chapter imparticular, ‘The Bonnie Situation’, this equilibrium can be seen functioning in terms of the story but the plot differs from that of a tradition film. The established equilibrium is when Vincent, Jules and Marvin are all in the car after they successfully retrieve a briefcase, but then Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the face, forcing them to go to a friends house and call for help. The equilibrium is disrupted here and they recognise this and attempt to resolve the problem before there is a new equilibrium established where Jules and Vincent are no longer in danger from the police but Marvin remains dead. The story aspect of Todorov’s theory fits perfectly into this chapter but the plot differs slightly as the non-linear structure of the narrative means that the audience are aware that Vincent has already been seen to be killed by Butch but it hasn’t happened in the story yet which is a thrilling revelation for the audience as creates intrigue as to what sequence of events led to his downfall.
Typically, traditional films will have an established narrative perspective set out from the beginning of the film, whether that be from a first person viewpoint or a limited third person, it is clear from the start who the audience are encouraged to follow and therefore sympathise with so it is key to the enjoyment of the audience that the main focus or perspective viewpoint of the film is someone who is actively engaging. Pulp Fiction’s first person restricted view throughout conforms to typical narrative structures used within film, but the focus on the experiences of Jules, Vincent and Butch rather than just one perspective adds a greater depth of understanding as to what is happening within a short space of time, allowing for a larger flow of information to the audience as we are left to piece together how each individual story coincides with the others such as when butch shoots Vincent, seen through the first person view of Butch. The effect of this is that having three perspectives gives more information to the audience but doesn’t overload them, allowing them to infer key elements of the story.
Pulp Fiction doesn’t conform to traditional ideas about narrative structure, causing the film to be far more engaging and entertaining for its audience than it would have been should it have blindly followed traditional narrative structure theories. Tarantino’s unique and modern twist on how a story can be structured creates an exciting and tense experience for the audience who are challenged to think about what they are watching.
Re-draft Essay
Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ is a comedic and yet brutal take on the crime genre of film that promises to be engaging right from the start with an unconventional narrative structure that actively involves the viewer in terms of considering how how the plot and story are developed in a innovative manner for effect. Tarantino’s unique style of storytelling through his varied use of narrative structure gives Pulp Fiction a far more tense and exciting atmosphere than if the film had gone about telling the story of several hitmen, a crime boss and a boxer who all intersect each others lives in a linear fashion that left no room for audiences to piece the films story together.
Narrative structure in Pulp Fiction differs greatly from other traditional films emerging at the time because of Tarantino’s creative narrative choices, but this isnt to say that he goes completely against narrative convention. Character roles are a key part of all narrative films as is the case with Pulp Fiction. When looking at a character such as Mia Wallace, wife of Joules and Vincent’s boss, her assigned role is that of the princess character as devised by Propp, a Russian scholar who conceived of 7 character roles most associated with storytelling that are all present within film. Unlike in mOre traditional 1990’s crime films, a modern Tarantino spoon allows for Mia to have a more independent role in the film rather than being just a prize to the hero. When Mr Wallace asks Vincent to look after her for an evening, she is more than capable of handling herself despite her constant substance abuse, volunteering to dance on stage despite Vincent’s lack of enthusiasm, but ultimately it’s Vincent who acts as the hero character, characterised by Propp as being the one to save the princess as she overdoses and it falls to him to save her life. Mia is a modern example of the changing ‘princess’ role within film that better reflects the time the film was produced in comparison to 1960’s and 70’s as 3rd wave feminism became a growing movement. Although not upheld by everyone, such morals as greater women’s rights was a popular belief in America, shared by both men and women and therefore Tarantino is able to better reflect the social aspects of society during the period whilst maintaining an interesting story that excites audiences and appeals to many inner desires of law-breaking and an audience that are able to resonate with the characters’ motivations in the film such as Mia as people know that whilst they may not be married to a crime boss, the characters’ attitudes aren’t something from an inconceivable fairytale.
The non-linear format of Pulp Fiction creates great challenges but allows for some interesting storytelling viewpoints that help make the film even more engaging to an audience. The film begins and ends in the same location, opening with two robbers, Honeybunny and Pumpkin, threatening customers and staff at a cafe before there is a cut away from the action to several days beforehand when Vincent and Joules are en-route to retrieve a briefcase. Tarantino disregards Propp’s theory that a story must contain 31 narrative functions which has a huge impact on the audience as rather than an absentation at the beginning where somebody goes missing and the hero must find them, the audience are left wanting to know the result of the robbery, with Tarantino promising to show them in the final scene which creates dread and tension for the innocent customers. Tarantino’s master stroke comes when its revealed that Joules and Vincent are in the same cafe later on, in which Tim the audience have seen what the two men are capable of and therefore dread and fear shifts away from the customers and to the robbers. Propp states that at the end of the story the villain must be defeated and whilst the two robbers back down, they are both allowed their freedom as does other villain characters such as Mr Wallace who is freed by Butch from a rapist. Tarantino’s lack of a chronological structure has a positive impact on the tension of the film as by ignoring Propp’s set narrative functions and providing reason as to why we should fear for a group of characters as it establishes a sense of direction that is thrilling for the viewer and allows for a greater understanding of the plot and the characters that makes the audience form a motivation for wanting someone to see bad done to them or succeed.
To say that Pulp Fiction goes completely against narrative theory would be incorrect but doesn’t mean that the film loses any of its entertaining qualities. Within Pulp Fiction, the performances of the characters establish positive vs negative forces that can be identified, such as dialogue from Vincent and Joules discussing mundane topics such as cheeseburgers creating the illusion that they are good men despite the fact they are both killers, whilst people such as Honeybunny and pumpkin are portrayed as being negative forces as on screen they only discuss threatening innocent people and robbing them, making it difficult for an audience to sympathise with them. This narrative idea is in line with Levi-Strauss’ Binary Oppositions Theory where the basis of a story is built on two or more characters being in opposition with each other. Tarantino’s characters aren’t positive in that they seek to do good, rather that characters so far from the reality of the viewer such as Joules and Vincent are able to be relatable, makes an audience find what they say more entertaining and engaging than if two store owners discussed the same mundane topic.
Lookin closely at one chapter, “The Bonnie Situation”, Joules, Vincent and Marvin are all driving in a car after retrieving the briefcase, but suddenly Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the face, forcing them to go to a friends house and call for help so as not to be spotted by the police. Narrative theory is both present here and disregarded when considering Todorov’s equilibrium theory, which can fit the story but not the plot. The established equilibrium is when they are driving but the equilibrium is disrupted when Marvin is killed and they recognise they need to fix the situation before a new equilibrium can be established where they aren’t in danger of the police because the car is clean and the body is gone. The story aspect of the theory fits perfectly but the plot differs as the non-linear structure of the narrative means that the audience are aware that Vincent is killed later on by Butch but it hasn’t happened in the story yet which is an intriguing revelation for the audience as it leads to questions as to what led to his downfall which keeps the audience engaged with the film.
Pulp Fiction contains a first person view throughout which follows traditional film narratives where there is an established narrative perspective from the beginning. Which makes clear who the audience are encouraged to side with and so its key that this person is someone who is actively engaging so that the audience remain entertained and encouraged to side with them. Pulp Fiction differs from this set structure as the viewpoint shits between three characters, Joules, Vincent and Butch rather tan just one which adds a greater depth of understanding as to what events are taking place and at what point in time which allows for a larger flow of information to the audience who are left to piece together how each story coincides with another, such as when Butch shoots Vincent which is seen through the perspective of Butch. By using three perspectives, Tarantino allows for a lot of information to be passed to the audience in small chunks that doesn’t overwhelm which creates a sense of mystery for the audience as they desire to know what happens next and how other events occurred.
Pulp Fiction doesn’t conform to traditional ideas about narrative structure, causing the film to be far more engaging and entertaining for its audience than it would have been should it have blindly followed traditional narrative structure theories. Tarantino’s unique and modern twist on how a story can be structured creates an exciting and tense experience for the audience who are challenged to think about what they are watching.
Its clear to see that Tarantino uses many if the Narrative techniques previously discussed in Pulp Fuction to create an impactful plot, story and characters that engage the audience.
Roland Barthes devised narrative codes such as the action and enigma codes. The action code is when something happens to make a viewer want to know what happens next, thereby creating suspense whilst an enigma code is a hook ornunanswered question that makes the audience desire to know what happens. Tarantino most evidently uses these devices at the beginning of the film, with the initial words “forget it it’s too risky” immediately hooking the audience into wanting to know what they intend to do and then cutting just as the action starts leaves the audience wanting to know what happens to them and the people in the cafe.
Claude Levis Strauss’ theory on binary opposition is present in the manner in which characters dress. The two hitmen wear smart suits to show they are professionals whilst the people they interrogate are wearing casual clothing, suggesting they lack professionalism and therefore come into conflict with the hitmen.
Todorovs equilibrium theory doesnt sit as comfortably into Pulp Fiction as it would with other films but there are elements that remain the same. The 5 stages dont run chronologically but rather are split into different sections.
Propp devises 7 character roles in a story which are all present in Pulp Fiction although there are multiple that can be left to interpretation as characters appear different from a different perspective:
The Hero – Jules/Butch
The Villain – Marcellus Wallace/Pawn shop owner/security guard/Honeybunny and Pumpkin
The Princess – Mia Wallace
The Princess’ Father – Marcellus Wallace (husband)
The Donor – Jimmie
The Dispatcher – Less of a clear character that would identify with this category but Marcellus Wallace would seem appropriate as he dictates the majority of people’s actions
The Helper – The Wolf
How is time manipulated in the film?
The film doesnt follow traditional chronological storytelling techniques, instead being comprised of separate events that when combined together form a coherent story that would make sense linearly.
How is the story told through narrative techniques?
There are several narrative techniques used in the film such as the focus on specific items like the briefcase and the watch which work in cohesion with the development of character. The enigma of the briefcase is compelling for the audience as its never revealed what its contents is, the only implication made is that it is something worth far more than any ordinary person could dream of, with Jules and Vincent both aiming to retrieve it on behalf of Wallace, Wallace’s partners betraying him for it and the robbers shock at what’s inside.
Who are the audience encouraged to identify with/ dislike?
The audience are encouraged to like the bad guys. Vincent and Jules are in no way saints. They smoke, kill, interrogate without second thought in a manner often cruel enough to cause hatred for the character. The reason we dont hate them is because we understand them as people rather than as hitmen. The conversations about matters such as cheeseburgers and taking Marcellus Wallace’s wife out for a night present their personalities as being very normal in terms of what they discuss rather than the unfamiliar to the audience kind of work that is being a hired killer.
The audience is encouraged to hate characters such as the two robbers at the start as they plan to rob the cafe and Marcellus Wallace, who is painted as being a cruel and manical psycho but in actuality is very human, shown after he is raped and the audience is forced to feel compassion for him.
Is the film linear/non-linear/multi-strand/chronological?
The film is non-linear and multi-strand. The events that take place in the film are not shown chronoligically, instead shown in chapters that are combined together to form a linear story. Its Also multi-strand becausenit shows the events from multiple perspectives.
Does the film follow the conventional equilibrium theory, or does it do something unconventional?
The film does follow the equilibrium theory albeit in unorthodox fashion due to its non linear structure when considering each story and character independently from the structure of the film but the story overall does not follow Todorov’s theory.
How does narrative structure affect drama and tension?
Tension and drama is often mainly created within film due to the risk to a characters life. Despite being a bad person, the audience are convinced to like Vincent as a character in the story so his death halfway through the film comes as a shock as it was very unexpected. Tension is nevertheless created at the end of the film however due to the non linear structure of the film, so when we see Vincent alive and well before the event of his death, Tarantino places him in a hostile environment which still makes us fear for the outcome.
Does the films genre shape its narrative?
Partly, yes. The crime genre of the film allows for characters such as gangsters and hitmen to thrive in the world created but by going against narrative and genre conventions, Tarantino creates a world in which tension, drama, fear etc. are all present even without the addition of a world ending plot while the genre of crime is deconstructed in such a way that adds absurdity and hilarity without the expense of the traits that make crime genre films so thrilling.
Action Codes – “Something happens that makes the viewer want to know what happens next. This code contains consecutive of action in film and helps to add suspense to a sequence.”
Enigma Codes – “Narrative hooks that engage the audience. Unanswered questions usually make the audience frustrated.”
Claude Levi-Strauss (1908 – 2009)
Established a theory on binary opposition that it is the basis of being able to understand a story as the hero and villain are in opposition of one another such as in the way they dress
Tzvetan Todorov (1939 – 2017)
Established a theory known as the equilibrium theory in which he proposed that a story has 5 stages
Equilibrium – “a happy start where everything is as it should be.”
Disruption to equilibrium – “Something disrupted the happiness”
Recognition of equilibrium
Attempted resolution of disruption to the equilibrium
Restoration of equilibrium/New equilibrium is a established – Return to life before the equilibrium was disrupted
Vladimir Propp (1895 – 1970)
There are 7 character roles:
The Hero – (“Can be the initial victim”)
The Villain/False Hero – (“Originally perceived as good but turns out evil”)
The Princess – (“The hero’s reward and much sought after”)
The Princess’ Father – (“Gives sometimes metaphorically the princess to the hero”)
The Donor – (“Provides the hero with help on their quest”)
How does the film make use of the various narrative devices you have researched?
Tarantino uses a circular narrative structure in Pulp Fiction which provides closure to where the story originated from by going through events one at a time. He will often use intertitles as chapter headings in order to separate the different stories of various characters. They allow the audience a break from the action and signifies that there will be a shift in the focus point, transitioning from either the place, character, time or a combination of many that results in the plot of the film becoming less conflicted than it would have been due to Tarantino’s unique non-chronological narrative.
What is the narrative viewpoint in Pulp Fiction?
The narrative viewpoint utilised throughout Pulp Fiction is a first person restricted view, focusing mainly on the personal experiences of Jules, Vincent and Butch. These three characters are used as they provide important plot information to the audience and experience conflict that often coincides with the events that others go through such as when Butch shoots Vincent seen through the perspective of Butch.
How is the audience positioned by the film? With whom is the audience manipulated to empathise or sympathise?
As an audience we should despise these characters as they are brutal criminals with the exception of Butch, who coincidentally is probably the least likeable out of all the characters. Tarantino uses simple and yet effective dialogue by having the characters discuss trivial matters such as cheeseburgers and even in nomneys of high stress such as when Vincent shoots Marvin in the face, they both have to clean up the mess with a cloth in the blood splattered car (an experience that the audience should hopefully have never gone through and yet humorous as they are supposed to be killers). Empathy is therefore created for characters such as Vincent and Jules as we understand their personalities and experiences so when Butch shoots Vincent despite him being the good guy out of the two, we feel empathetic towards Vincent who had intended to hurt Butch because we have as an audience are aware of what he has been through and who he is as a person.
A useful overview of the events that occur in Pulp Fiction, created by Noah Smith
Story
A young butch sits in front of the television, turning it off at the arrival of Captain Koons, a military man who served with his now deceased father and is tasked with gifting him a golden watch that has been in his family’s possession for generations.
Two hitmen, Jules and Vincent drive towards an unsuspecting partner of they’re boss, Marcellus Wallace, intimidating the men so that they give up the whereabouts of a black case and its contents and are shot for crossing Wallace.
After they drive back with a twitchy Marvin who was undercover in the apartment of the two victims, Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the face and so they are forced to seek help from someone Wallace knows at his dismay. The Wolf is called in to fix the situation so that the mess is cleaned up before Bonnie gets home.
Pumpkin and Honey Bunny plot to rob the diner they are in after coming to the conclusion that it would be far easier as no one expects a diner to be robbed. After threatening the customers and staff, Jules, who is also eating at the diner has a stand off with the two robbers and Vincent comes to support him after he returns from the bathroom. Jules, after being sent what he believes to be a message from God, decides not to kill the two robbers and instead lets them take the money but not his case and the hitmen both calmly walk out.
Butch, an ageing boxer agrees with Marcellus Wallace to lose a fight and is now in the middle of the fight, resting between rounds as he prepares to enter the ring once more. He leaves the room in an enthusiastic manner.
Vincent agrees to take care of Wallace’s wife for a night where they go to a 50’s style restaurant and take part in a dance competition. After they leave the restaurant, Vincent is in the bathroom persuading himself not to sleep with her whilst she is overdosing on cocaine in the other room, forcing him to drive her to the home of his dealer where he has to inject her with adrenaline straight to her heart, saving her life and leaving for the night.
Butch is shown to have killed his opponent against the wishes of Wallace and so he sets out to find him. After his girlfriend leaves his watch at home, he sets out to retrieve it, only to find Vincent in his house and shoots him, leaving soon after before being stared down by Wallace and attempting to run him over. The two men run into a pawn shop where Butch almost kills Wallace but the shop owner stops him from doing so, calling a friend, a local security guard who rapes Marcellus. Butch escapes from his restraints and goes to leave before deciding to help Wallace, taking a katana and brutalizing his captors, leaving on a motorcycle and driving off with his girlfriend while Wallace is left to torture the security guard.
Plot
Pumpkin and Honey Bunny plot to rob the diner they are in after coming to the conclusion that it would be far easier as no one expects a diner to be robbed. They stand up and begin to shout at the staff and the customers.
Two hitmen, Jules and Vincent drive towards an unsuspecting partner of they’re boss, Marcellus Wallace, intimidating the men so that they give up the whereabouts of a black case and its contents and are shot for crossing Wallace.
Butch, an ageing boxer agrees with Marcellus Wallace to lose a fight for money.
Vincent agrees to take care of Wallace’s wife for a night where they go to a 50’s style restaurant and take part in a dance competition. After they leave the restaurant, Vincent is in the bathroom persuading himself not to sleep with her whilst she is overdosing on cocaine in the other room, forcing him to drive her to the home of his dealer where he has to inject her with adrenaline straight to her heart, saving her life and leaving for the night.
A young butch sits in front of the television, turning it off at the arrival of Captain Koons, a military man who served with his now deceased father and is tasked with gifting him a golden watch that has been in his family’s possession for generations. Now in the middle of the fight, Butch prepares himself to enter the ring once more. He leaves the room in an enthusiastic manner.
Butch is shown to have killed his opponent against the wishes of Wallace and so he sets out to find him. After his girlfriend leaves his watch at home, he sets out to retrieve it, only to find Vincent in his house and shoots him, leaving soon after before being stared down by Wallace and attempting to run him over. The two men run into a pawn shop where Butch almost kills Wallace but the shop owner stops him from doing so, calling a friend, a local security guard who rapes Marcellus. Butch escapes from his restraints and goes to leave before deciding to help Wallace, taking a katana and brutalizing his captors, leaving on a motorcycle and driving off with his girlfriend while Wallace is left to torture the security guard.
Jules believes to have received a sign from God after he survives when he should have been easily killed. The two hitmen drive away and Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the face so they have to call in ‘The Wolf’ to get the mess cleaned up before Bonnie gets home.
Now returned to the diner scene where the film began now in the knowledge that Jules and Vincent are present when the robbery occurs. Jules, eating at the diner has a stand off with the two robbers and Vincent comes to support him after he returns from the bathroom. Jules, after being sent what he believes to be a message from God, decides not to kill the two robbers and instead lets them take the money but not his case and the hitmen both calmly walk out.
Story – “Everything that happens in the fictional world between the beginning and the end, including events that viewers infer or presume to have happened“
Plot – “What viewers see on screen and hear on the soundtrack to allow them to construct a story in their heads. Plots can begin anywhere on the chain of story events and can leap backwards and forwards in time and space“
Narrative – “Flow of story information constructed by the plot at any moment. Narrative implies a point of view, which may be that of one of the characters or of an omniscient narrator“
The difference between a story and the plot is that a story is a series of events that occur at any given time but the plot can be manipulated to have an emotional impact on the audience by rearranging when these events are shown.
Narrative Viewpoint
Narration (Often omniscient)
Third person (Limited point of view)
First Person View
Narrative Structure
Act 1 – Inciting Incident
Act 2 – Rising Action
Act 3 – Climax
Linear – Presented in a chronological manner
Episodic – “A story composed of separate incidents tied loosely together”
Circular – “Goes through the story one event at a time to end back where the story originated from, providing closure”
A non linear film that focuses on the lives of two hitmen, a boxer, their gangster boss and his wife and how their lives intertwine in a spree of violence. Honey Bunny and Pumpkin plot to rob a diner which Vincent and Joules are eating after Jules has an enlightening experience which results in him negotiating with the two robbers rather than killing them. Meanwhile, Butch is a boxer of yesterday who takes a payment to throw a fight for Marcellus Wallace but chooses instead to beat his opponent, fleeing from him before trying to flee the country. Butch is forced to return to his apartment after his fiancé forgets his fathers watch which causes the death of Vincent after he leaves his gun in the kitchen and is shot by Butch after coming out the bathroom. In another scene, Vincent has to take out Wallace’s wife, who overdoses after a night out and has to rush to his dealers house to inject her with insulin to save her life so that his boos wont kill him.
There are a great number of admirable aspects of this film that really shine through whether your watching it for the first time or the 10th time. The acting is on point, cinematography is excellent, sound is impactful, editing is great and the overall aesthetic look of the film is a very realistic depiction of what the film is trying to show. I think the most notable of all these aspect though is the performances that the actors give that allows these characters to seem so real and genuinely make the audience interested in what they have to say and what happens to them. Looking at Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Jules, the quick witted and intimidating hitman, he does a brilliant job of portraying his character to be a genuinely funny character when he doesn’t have a gun in his hands and a brutal and dangerous hitman that is content with killing men for his boss in other scenes, all whilst making the audience invested in his character despite knowing that he is a bad guy. These performances are present throughout the entire movie, looking at Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames and John Travolta whilst the supporting cast of Harvey Keitel and Quentin Tarantino, who aren’t at the forefront of the audiences minds, give great performances that reinforce the idea of comedy in a film about violence and killers.
Of the top of my head there are so many scenes that add up to make this a great film, some because of their action, others because of the stakes that are involved, but the best scene scene for me would have to be the diner scene, starting at the beginning of the film and then closing by returning to the scene at the end of the film but instead of from the perspective of the two robbers we see it from Jules and Vincent’s perspective.
Originally we see the robbers plan to rob the diner and then take their guns out and threaten the customers but then we cut to an entirely different scene with Jules and Vincent before this event has happened as the information that they are in the diner too hasnt been told yet and so we dont know what consequences that will ring for the robbers as we know that the robbers are in over their heads through the experiences with Jules and Vincent that show they arent afraid to kill.
The genius of Tarantino’s storytelling ability takes its main form in the way his films are able to grab the audience and keep them hooked throughout, creating often truly suspenseful and gut-renching scenes. When the film begins, the first words we hear on screen are “forget it, its too risky”. Tarantino has effectively already grabbed the audiences attention by intriguing them as to what is “too risky”, promising that something very dangerous will occur in the film involving the two characters on screen and thereby keeps our focus maintained on they’re dialogue as they eat and the audience are left questioning what they’re intentions are and how they will accomplish it. The non linear structure of the film works in favour of this intrigue as the scene ends just as the two robbers begin to threaten the customers, then cutting to a new scene. By starting and ending this scene at he beginning and end of the film, Tarantino promises that the scene will be resolved and therefore keeps us hooked throughout as we come to better understand the characters in the film and so when we return to the scene, the dread isn’t for the unsuspecting customers at the hands of the robbers, rather the robbers at the hands of the malicious Jules and Vincent.
“To what extent can it be said that your chosen documentary is shaped by the filmmaker’s approach? Refer to at least one filmmaker’s theory you have studied.”
The term ‘documentary’ film is a very broad genre and could be argued that every film is a documentary. Bill Nichols explains his theory that “all films are documentaries” as they either fit into the “wish fulfillment” or “social representation” category, identifying how fiction films seek to portray something the audience desires whereas a documentary film focuses on the reality of the subject matter without manipulation to appease the desires of the audience. Nichols defines the multiple styles of documentary filmmaking as the “six modes of documentary”, reflecting how each individual filmmaker approaches the film.
argued that every film is a documentary, bill Nichols, broad genre
Kim Longinotto is a documentary filmmaker who is well known for featuring themes of female oppression and discrimination throughout her films, with a style of filmmaking that allows her to focus on the lives of those who have been exploited and without any rights, constructing an argument based on the harsh personal experiences of others that she shares on screen. Longinotto uses aspect of cinema verite in her films, choosing this style of filmmaking as she believes that we make films based on the types of people we are and so the style of filmmaking she adopted came automatically to her as she feels uncomfortable asking people to do things for the camera, preferring to make films as if she is making it with them whilst they carry on with their normal daily lives whilst she continues her own. She adopts this approach so that people in her film feel that’s its their film as well as hers so that they have complete control of their own stories without manipulation, having the effect of giving her films a unique style, with a editing that appears natural and not forced whilst showing a realistic depiction of the people she is filming through their performances. Her main focus in her films is suffering and defiance, portraying women and girls who she describes as ‘rebels’ who fight for their rights, recognising that while she isn’t able to change the law, her objective is to create a different mentality in all cultures about the mindset towards different groups of people, aiming to make the audience take something away from the film that they will do with their own life.
Longinotto’s style is evident across all her films, especially in ‘Sisters in Law’, where two women in Cameroon work together in a small courthouse to help women in their village who have been perpetrated and feel as though they don’t have a voice. The presence of cinema verite is present throughout the film but is most notable in the courthouse trial scenes. Lum Rose, auntie of Manka, a young girl who had been beaten by her that left her permanently scarred is put on trial for which she is jailed for a combined 4 years with hard labour on 3 counts. The scene requires a multi-cam setup that focuses on each of the key people, the lawyer, judge, Manka, Lum and the people who are witnessing the trial. Longinotto’s favoured style of remaining behind the camera without directly interacting with the people she is focusing on allows for the events depicted on screen to transpire in a more realistic way as if the audience are present at the hearing, allowing us to sympathise more with certain characters and feel resentful towards others. Furthermore, it shows the audience the discrimination against women, showing real conversation without interrupting the people in the scene to achieve a realistic depiction of what they are feeling.
The observational mode of documentary that best fits with Longinotto’s style of filmmaking is often referred to as ‘fly on the wall’ documentary as the filmmaker just sits and observes the events; however, Longinotto doesn’t feel the expression truly reflect the filmmakers process, believing it to sound as though the filmmaker is a non-feeling person that coldly observes. She challenges this as she prefers when people acknowledge her presence as then it a appears like a play within a play as people are speaking to her but they are also directly speaking to the audience too in order to trigger a greater reaction from the audience. A divorce proceeding undertaken by Amina against her brutal husband after she had been beaten and abused demonstrates the characters’ awareness of the camera in the room. Several men sitting across from her in the divorce court are shown to have originally taunted her about what her husband might do to her if he should return, asking explicit details about their sexual relationship, however after Amina is successful in getting a divorce they say how happy they are for her in an attempt to appeal to the audience that they were never on the husband’s side, giving the impression that they were aware of the camera throughout and changed their persona to appear favourable and yet when looking closely, when they are engaged in an argument against the change that is being forced on them by Amina, they move in and out of awareness, revealing their true attitudes and a more realistic representation of themselves as they believe that no one is watching, which allows the audience to come to a reasonable conclusion on their willingness to support women based on Longinotto’s ability to capture the events whilst not intruding on them.
Due to her combination of observational style of documentary and the use of cinema verite, Longinotto creates a style unique to her films that position the audience as spectators of everyday life without feeling as though what is being presented has been manipulated to improve or decrease the perception of certain people. Should another well known documentary filmmaker attempt to recreate her film the same effect on the audience would not be present. For example. Michael Moore is notorious for his participatory style documentaries which involve engaging with the vents he is showing and having a direct impact on them, often becoming the most celebrated part about the film. Sisters in Law creates the effect that everything is occurring as they would naturally in every day life which by talking to and engaging with people, to encourage them to say or do something, the film loses an integral aspect of itself in that what the audience watches, can be taken away from the film and acted upon in our own lives.
Longinotto hates the expression ‘fly on the wall’ as it maker her feel as if a filmmaker is a non-feeling person that just observes coldly, preferring it when people in her films acknowledge her in scenes as then its like a play within a play as the people are speaking to her but also directly speaking to the audience too in order to cause a visible in take of breath on their part. People are sometimes aware of the cameras presence in her films and move in and out of this awareness such as when the woman is trying to get a divorce from her abusive husband, the men sitting across from her taunt her and ask explicit details about their sexual relationship, however after she gets a divorce, they state that they are happy for her, attempting to appeal to the audience when the camera is watching them as if they were on her side all along. This gives audiences the impression that these people must have been aware they were filming throughout the course of the film and yet when you look closely, when they are locked in an feisty argument of tradition vs change as the woman fights against social norms, their attitudes are a more realistic representation of themselves as they have forgotten about the camera.
Longinotto chooses not to use narration a lot in her films as observational filmmaking can be so much easier as all you need be is alert and receptive, working out what your filming and how to get a story with a beginning, middle and end. On occasion she will resort to using narration rather than observational as it can help to interpret scenarios differently, providing context for events passed that are being reflected upon. She believes that narration, instead of telling you what to think, gives you layers so that every person can give you their layer and the audience can form a reasonable conclusion from what the have heard.
Why does Longinotto make documentaries in the observational mode?
She believes that we make films based on the types of people we are and so the style she adopted came automatically to her as she feels uncomfortable asking people to do things so she likes to make films as if she making them with the people and they are carrying on with their normal routine whilst she is carrying on with her own life.
Her main approach to her style of filmmaking is to make the people in her film feel that its their film as well as hers so that they can feel that they have complete control of their own stories without manipulation.
Why are women the main focus of her films?
She describes women and girls who have stood up to society and some part of society that has all the power as ‘survivors’ and ‘rebels’, women fighting for their rights. Her objective is to create a different mentality in our culture and a lot of other cultures about mindset towards certain groups of people. She recognises that her films are not created to change the law but hopes that people that watch the pain inflicted on the lives of others will take something away from the film and do something for your own life, viewing the people in the film as similar to those that you know in your personal life, making the audience want to change it because of what has been presented to you, not to instruct the audience but instead to see the world differently and change as people.
She chooses not to think about the impact that a film will have on her audience whilst filming, thinking instead about the editing process so that she can get a scene where there can be a cut to something else and then a cut back to create a coherent structure. Her main concern is with the production and pre-production process as she admits that she can never really know what the impact of a film is, with her only desire being to allow the audience the possibility of change for the better, trying to unglamourize things that appeal to children and spread awareness about real life people and their stories and experiences.
She often focuses on communities from around the world that aren’t often as looked into, looking at the harsh ways in which people are exploited from child abuse to rape.
Kim Longinotto is a documentary filmmaker who is well known for featuring themes of female oppression and discrimination, with a style of filmmaking that allows her to focus on the lives of those who have have been exploited and without rights, constructing an argument based on the harsh personal experiences shared on screen. Following Bill Nichols’ six modes of documentary, Longinottos style of filmmaking fits into the observational mode, where everyday life is shown on screen without seeing the director.
Longinotto uses aspects of cinema verite in sisters in law such as the several court scenes that depict the trials of men and women for abusing someone elses rights, for example physical and sexual abuse. This is done in order to show the audience the oppression and discrimination against women and combines this technique with linginootos favoured style of observational filmmaking to show real conversations without interrupting the people in the scene to get a realistic depiction of peoples lives.
Longinotto’s filmmaking style also could be shown as Observational Documentary filmmaking if using the six modes of documentary defined by Bill Nichols. Observational Documentaries aim to show everyday life without the interference of the director.
“Portable, digital cameras, digital sound recording equipment and non-linear digital editing have had a very significant impact on documentary film.” How far has digital technology had an impact on your chosen documentary film? [20]
Essay Plan
Intro
The impact that digital technology has had on film since the 1990’s can be widely interpreted based on several different viewpoints. Whilst some filmmakers argue that the introduction of digital is a negative aspect of film such as the cinematographer Ellen Kuras who describes the pursuit of digitalising an image as giving the filmmaker “less control because we give away our product that anybody can manipulate”. Other filmmakers regard digital as something to be embraced such as George Lucas who prefers to edit and shoot digitally so he has the option to alter the look of the scene more quickly.
Main Headings
Introduce The film and themes kim Longinotto presents – Sisters in Law is a documentary film By Kim Longinotto, the critically acclaimed documentary filmmaker who is known for her works such as Pink Saris (2010) and Rough Aunties (2008) that focus on female oppression and giving women a voice in a patriarchal society. Sisters in Law focuses on a small courthouse in Cameroon where a State Prosecutor and Court President work together to help women in their village who feel as though they don’t have a voice.
Shooting- easier on digital than film stock, portable, transferable, on and off, left on for long time, cheaper means multi cam
Editing- cost, damage, travel home
Pre-production – cheaper camera and storage – low budget for the film and no editing table in africa
– production – smaller means less obtrusive and portable – not a lot of space in the village, Amina divorce trial against her husband for which he was fined 6 months imprisonment or 20,000 francs
– long takes causes less disruption and left on for a long time and turn on and off on demand – court trial of lum rose against manka for beating her for which she was jailed for a combined 4 years with hard labour on 3 counts
– cheaper camera means multi cam is available – sonita rape trial for which the accused was charged with 9 years imprisonment with hard labour
Post-production – less chance of being damaged and can be reviewed immediately so they don’t have to bring all the way back to uk – editing table too large for their residence
– the cost of copying is far less than film stock for small budget film – film had a budget less than $500,000 dollars but was screened at over 120 different film festivals
Conclusion
My personal belief is that the heavy influence of digital technology on Longinotto’s Sisters in Law has had a beneficial effect on the overall production on the film, causing it to have a more impactful effect on the audience due to its more crisper and sharper colours that aids Longinotto’s aims of empowering women and girls to stand up for their rights in a patriarchal society.
Essay
The impact that digital technology has had on film since the 1990’s can be widely interpreted based on several different viewpoints. Whilst some filmmakers argue that the introduction of digital is a negative aspect of film such as the cinematographer Ellen Kuras who describes the pursuit of digitalising an image as giving the filmmaker “less control because we give away our product that anybody can manipulate”. Other filmmakers regard digital as something to be embraced such as George Lucas who prefers to edit and shoot digitally so he has the option to alter the look of the scene more quickly.
Sisters in Law is a documentary film By Kim Longinotto, focusing on female oppression and giving women a voice in a patriarchal society. Sisters in Law focuses on a small courthouse in Cameroon where a State Prosecutor and Court President work together to help women in their village who feel as though they don’t have a voice. Longinotto positions the audience as a spectator at the court trial of four different women who have experienced suffering such as rape and domestic violence.
The pre-production of a film is crucial to get right as it ensures that further stages of production run as smoothly as possible without increased costs or lack of necessary equipment that aid the overall aesthetics of the film. The introduction of digital technology has meant that securing a camera with enough storage has become far easier as digital cameras are cheaper to purchase than film cameras whilst storage is practically free and a resource that easier to attain than film stock and undemanding in its ability to be loaded into the camera. Sisters in Law had a budget of under $500,000 for all stages of production including travel and gear, meaning that the availability of digital cameras allowed her to gain access to equipment that otherwise would have been out of Longinotto’s budget.
There are several noticeable advantages to the films production due to the use of digital technology. The smaller and more compact size of the digital cameras in comparison to the large film cameras means that the film crew would have been less obtrusive and therefore the people around them would have been encouraged to behave more naturally which helped to depict the feelings of various real people in the film in order to engage with the audience more constructively. In the small town in Cameroon, it is clear that there is not a lot of space in the village which would have meant positioning cameras would have been difficult such as in Amina’s divorce trial against her husband who has pleaded guilty to beating her for which he was fined 20,000 francs or 6 month imprisonment. Filming this seen using digital cameras meant the people present wouldn’t have felt out of place and are were more likely to behave in a natural way. Portability of the cameras has also improved what the audience is able to see. Unlike film cameras, due to their small size, digital cameras are more portable as they are lightweight which means that following certain people or events is possible as the filmmaker is capable of freely moving with their subjects without interfering. This advantage is present in the scene in which Manka and her uncle walk towards the man who originally found Manka beaten. The camera follows them from behind as they walk to give the impression we are walking with them so as to immerse us; a technique made easier with digital technology as the camera doesn’t have to remain still.
Long takes are utilised due to the digital technology available. Whilst film cameras are capable of shooting for at least 15 minutes before the film stock has to be swapped out, certain events can take longer to film and therefore it is necessary to swap out the film stock which can be disruptive to natural events and actions that are being focused on. Furthermore, a digital camera has the ability to be turned on and off immediately which means that the filmmaker can choose when to start filmmaking with a greater ease so as to not miss anything important that otherwise might have been missed if using a film camera. In the court trial of Lum Rose, accused of beating her niece with a hanger repeatedly which caused permanent scarring across her body, the trial would have spanned over a long period of time and therefore if using a film camera, multiple changes would have had to be made; however, because of the digital camera, Longinotto can follow the events in her trial as Rose is jailed for a combined 4 years with hard labour without disrupting court proceedings.
The introduction of digital technology has meant that cameras often start at the same prices as film cameras before decreasing in price over time which has meant that the possibility of a multi-cam setup is more realistic for low budget films. During the Sonita rape trial for which the accused was charged with 9 years imprisonment, several cameras are used to focus on specific people and how they react to the events. Two focus on each of the sisters in law whilst several other focus on Sonita, the accused and those witnessing the proceedings. This gives Longinotto the flexibility to choose who she wants to show the actions of to gain a response from the audience and to create a better understanding for what is happening.
Post-production with film stock is risky business as it can become corroded and irretrievable, forcing the filmmaker to ditch the scene or re-film a scene which isn’t possible in this observatory documentary as events are being shown as the occur in real time. Images with digital on the other hand are far less likely to be damaged and can be backed up easily, also giving the filmmaker the opportunity to review the images at the time of filming. An editing table would have been far too large and costly to transport to Cameroon, meaning that Longinotto would have been forced to return from Africa with her film stock in the hope that it had survived with the potential risk that she might have lost several key parts of the film that couldn’t be replaced. Digital removes this risk, ensuring that the filmmaker can be confident that the editing process can be smooth and painless.
Lastly, the cost of copying film stock differs greatly from digital, working out at roughly $1500 for film stock to be reproduced in comparison to $150 for digital film. The films small budget would have struggled to keep up with the high demand from theatres and film festivals, screening at over 120 different festivals would have been costly on their budget, but with digital proving cheaper, that money can be better spent of more essential gear.
My personal belief is that the heavy influence of digital technology on Longinotto’s Sisters in Law has had a beneficial effect on the overall production on the film, causing it to have a more impactful effect on the audience due to its more crisper and sharper colours that aids Longinotto’s aims of empowering women and girls to stand up for their rights in a patriarchal society.
Essay – Second Attempt
The impact that digital technology has had on film since the 1990’s can be widely interpreted based on several different viewpoints. Whilst some filmmakers argue that the introduction of digital is a negative aspect of film such as the cinematographer Ellen Kuras who describes the pursuit of digitalising an image as giving the filmmaker “less control because we give away our product that anybody can manipulate”. Other filmmakers regard digital as something to be embraced such as George Lucas who prefers to edit and shoot digitally so he has the option to alter the look of the scene more quickly.
Sisters in Law is a documentary film By Kim Longinotto, focusing on female oppression and giving women a voice in a patriarchal society. Sisters in Law focuses on a small courthouse in Cameroon where a State Prosecutor and Court President work together to help women in their village who feel as though they don’t have a voice. Longinotto positions the audience as a spectator at the court trial of four different women who have experienced suffering such as rape and domestic violence.
Pre-production when is an important aspect of filmmaking as it ensures that further stages of production run as smoothly as possible without increased costs or a lack of necessary equipment that will aid the overall aesthetics of the film. The introduction of digital technology has meant that securing a camera with enough storage for long shoots has become far easier as digital cameras are cheaper to purchase than typical film cameras whilst storage is practically free and is a resource that’s much easier to attain than film stock and undemanding in its ability to be loaded into the camera. Sisters in Law had a budget of under $500,000 for all stages of its production including travel and gear, meaning that the availability of digital cameras allowed Longinotto to access equipment that otherwise would have been out of budget and make certain the film was completed according to the parameters of the established budget.
Digital technology has allowed for many advantages when working on set, such as the far smaller and more compact size of a digital camera in comparison to larger film cameras. This means that the film crew would have been less obtrusive when shooting and therefore the people around them would have been encouraged to behave more naturally, helping to depict the feelings and emotions of various real people in the film in order to engage with the audience more constructively as they would forget that the camera was present, allowing for a more realistic depiction of the participants’ lives as it would encourage more honest and less guarded responses that help to build an accurate representation of a persons character. Located in a small town in Cameroon, space in the village would have been limited due to the tightly-packed housing and dense population which would have meant that positioning large film cameras would have been difficult, especially during scenes such as Amina’s divorce trial against her husband who pleaded guilty to beating her and was fined and imprisoned as filming this scene using digital cameras would have resulted in the people present acting naturally and not feeling out of place which would have been the came is more imposing camera setups were utilised, promoting behaviour that is realistic and innate.
Camera portability has also contributed towards what the audience are able to view on screen. Unlike large and heavy film cameras, digital cameras are much more portable as they are lightweight and small which gives the opportunity for following certain people or events as the filmmaker is capable of freely moving with their subjects without interfering which wouldn’t have been possible when using a stationary film camera. This advantage is present in the scene in which Manka, a young girl who was beaten, and her uncle walk towards the man who had originally found Manka after she was beaten. The camera follows them from behind as they walk, giving the audience the impression that they are walking with them so as to make the scene immersive which would evoke stronger emotions as they react to the visual imagery. This filmmaking technique was made easier with digital technology as the camera doesn’t have to remain still as would have been the case with a film camera.
Long takes are used in the film due to the digital technology that was available to them. Film cameras are capable of shooting for at least 15 minutes before the film stock has to be swapped out for another and due to the nature of documentary filmmaking, longer takes are typically necessary compared with feature films as certain events can take longer and swapping out the film stock in the middle of the event would be disruptive to natural events taking place and for the audience watching. Furthermore, a digital camera has the ability to be turned on and off immediately, meaning that the filmmaker can choose when to start filming with greater ease so as not to miss anything important that otherwise might have been missed when using a film camera. In the court trial of Lum Rose, accused of beating her niece and causing permanent scarring across her body, the trial would have spanned over a long period of time and therefore if a film camera was utilised, multiple changes would have been forced upon the filmmaker, however, because of the use of a digital camera, Longinotto has the ability to follow the events in her trial and show the process of the victim getting justice, as Rose is jailed for 4 years with hard labour, without disrupting the court proceedings.
The introduction of digital technology has meant that cameras often start at the same prices as film cameras before decreasing in price over time, resulting in the possibility of a multi-cam setup becoming a more realistic option for low budget films. During the Sonita rape trial, several cameras are used to focus on specific people and how they react to the events unfolding. Two cameras focus on each of the sisters in law whilst several others focus on Sonita, the accused and those witnessing the proceedings, giving Longinotto the flexibility to choose who she wants to show at specific moments of time when it comes to post-production which allows for a greater response from the audience and helps to create a better understanding of what is happening in the proceedings.
Post-production with film stock is very risky as it can become corroded and irretrievable, forcing the filmmaker to ditch the scene or re-film a scene which isn’t possible in this observatory documentary as events are being shown as they occur in real time. Images produced digitally on the other hand are far less likely to be damaged and can be backed up easily and without great expense while also giving the filmmaker the opportunity to review the images at the time of filming. An editing table would have been far too large and costly to transport to Cameroon, meaning that Longinotto would have been forced to return from Africa with her film stock in the hope that it had survived with the potential risk that she might have lost several key parts of the film that couldn’t be replaced. Digital removes this risk, ensuring that the filmmaker can be confident that the editing process can be smooth and painless.
Lastly, the cost of copying film stock differs greatly from digital, working out at roughly $1500 for film stock to be reproduced in comparison to $150 for digital film. The films small budget would have struggled to keep up with the high demand from theatres and film festivals as the film was screened at over 120 different festivals, but with digital proving cheaper than film, that money can saved and spent in areas that will improve the filmmaking process rather than distribution such as essential filmmaking equipment.
The large influence of digital technology on Longinotto’s Sisters in Law has had a hugely beneficial effect on the overall production of the film, resulting in it having a more impactful effect on the audience due to its crisper and sharper colours that aids Longinotto’s aims of empowering women and girls to stand up for their rights in a patriarchal society.
Sisters in Law is a documentary film By Kim Longinotto, the critically acclaimed documentary filmmaker who is known for her works such as Pink Saris (2010) and Rough Aunties (2008) that focus on female oppression and giving women a voice in a patriarchal society. Sisters in Law focuses on a small courthouse in Cameroon where a State Prosecutor and Court President work together to help women in their village who feel as though they don’t have a voice.
Stories of female empowerment are present throughout the film; one woman wishes to divorce her brutal husband whilst other stories of young children such as Manka who had been beaten by her Aunt, causing permanent scarring down her body and Grace, a young girl who had been raped and left bleeding in the streets.
The film ends with the prosecution and conviction of all the wrongdoers, sending them to jail with hard labour or the eventual divorce of a married couple with the purpose of appealing to women and girls in the audience and inspiring them to stand up to injustices.
Sisters in Law fits into the Observational Mode of documentary filming due to its attempts to capture objective reality, placing the filmmaker as just an observer hidden behind the camera, whilst the camera rushes around to follow the naturally occurring events which results in rough footage.
The documentary mode that best suits this documentary would be the performative category. Watkins presents a documentary that is designed to have an emotional impact on the audience and provoke a variety of emotions regarding the subject matter.
The documentary takes a hypothetical look at our world if there was ever a nuclear war, focusing on the effect that the use of a missile strike would have on the United kingdom, using Kent as the epicentre of the strike and showing what the reality of such an event occurring would look like.
‘The War Game’ takes a genuinely frightening look at our world during a nuclear war, raising key issues that at the time of filming as to the knowledge of the general public should they ever be faced with such a horror and the social, cultural and economic impact that it would have.
Lack of knowledge
In the documentary, there is a focus on the lack of awareness pre-strike regarding what to do in the event of a nuclear attack and how to best protect yourself from its effects. Watkins makes clear the hypocrisy of the Home Offices statement in 1959 that “” as he contradicts this by showing a multitude of people who are unaware of what course of action to take. The retrieval of material to protect your home such as sandbags and wooden planks is mostly unknown as is the location of these materials whilst a copy of what to do if a missile strikes published years prior to the setting of the documentary cost 9 pence, causing it to not sell well and therefore no one understood what to do. Watkins appears to be calling on better communication concerning serious matters such as this during ‘the Cold War’ when risk was at its peak.
Social, cultural and economic impact
Scenes depicting riots and chaos after the explosion show the country’s turmoil caused by the missile that has caused fear and panic into those affected by it, fearing for their lives and the complex states of shock and fear of those who will suffer mentally rather than physically from the stress. The decision to show the impacts mainly on children evokes the audience to feel even more sympathetic and enraged by the subject, pushing them to actively do something about it. The long term impact is also made evident as 4 months later, severe burns still mark those involved and there is a clear focus on how the young will be affected in the future of the country rather than just in the short term. Radiation from the explosion causes a young boy to be bed ridden for 7 years and then die due to a lack f requisite number of red blood compusles whilst a young woman has no idea whether her baby will be born alive and a large group of newly-made orphans have no desire to achieve anything in their lives due to what they have experience. Concerning the cultural impact, regardless of a war or not, the necessary evacuation of 10 million people would mean that the economy wouldn’t recover for at least one and a half years, going up to 4 years which would mean that rationing would still be required and looting would be commonplace which would see a rise in violence.
I believe this documentary to best fit into the category of participatory documentary as there is a direct engagement between the filmmaker (Moore) and the subject/s. Moore also has an impact on the events as he engages with the people he is interviewing whilst often on screen and is the most celebrated aspect of the film and there are certain scenes dedicated to his actions as he floods the governor of Flint’s house.
Some of the most recognisable and engaging issues raised in the documentary are as follows:
Why don’t the people of America hold a single seat of power?
One of the most widely criticised issues in the documentary revolved around the lack of power that the majority of people in America have and how its only those with connections and wealth who are able to attain high positions of power within government; “If America is us, and we are the majority, why is it that we don’t hold a single seat of power”. This point is a very relevant issue raised as Moore questions whether the fact that people from working class backgrounds who best understand their local areas are denied positions in the Supreme Court, Senate, and The White House.
The flase-front of the American Dream
Another issue raised is the idea of the American Dream, popularised by James Truslow Adams in 1931 that highlights the ambitions of American to start from the bottom and to achieve great things by working hard. Moore describes this ideal as a lie showing the poverty and murder across America that takes the idea away from them being ‘the best country in the world’.
The treatment of teachers and students
Lastly and possibly most importantly, the treatment of teachers in schools that caused mass strikes across the country and the students who now take it into their own hands to make a change after the realisation that the people representing and leading their country aren’t as capable as they might have once believed. The fact that teachers had to live off food stamps because they were below the poverty line really put a spotlight on the injustices of the government against ordinary people who work hard to help others, with one of the most audacious aspects of his argument being the doubling in healthcare insurance cost and the ridiculous ‘Go365’ campaign that would monitor the users physical activity through the forced wearing of a Fitbit that would require them to meet a specific amount of steps for them to even qualify for basic healthcare, and if they didn’t reach this set amount, well then they would have to pay a $500 penalty at the end of the year, a truly ludicrous system that eventually put all staff on strike, spreading across the country until change was made.
Moreover, the representation of the students’ concerns regarding the treatment of themselves is presented in a manner that horrifies the audience and makes them question the morality of their own government and media response. After showing explicit videos of a school shooting, Moore presents their trauma first hand, allowing the audience to get a feel for what they must have gone through, cleverly putting into perspective the ignorance of those not directly involved with the ‘thoughts and prayers’ comments that seemed to represent a major issue that Moore is raising that people are unaware of the reality that others face and don’t question those who should protect them, briefly making an innocuous tweet and then moving on. One specific part grabbed my attention which was when Moore made a comment that perhaps the only good thing that adults were doing for the world was raising these children who were taking responsibility, receiving response from a teenage girl that on the contrary “social media raised us”. Whilst I don’t agree with the comment Moore made in its entirety, the fact that students are in agreement that what they see on their phone is having a more cultural impact on them than what they hear from teachers, parents and government officials makes clear a change that Moore is trying to encourage in order to progress as a nation.
Chris Keneally’s documentary ‘Side By Side’ raised some interesting concerns from people working in the film industry regarding the decline in the amount of movies shot on film in comparison to the ever growing digital world of film that has become the standard medium for most filmmakers in the 21st century.
There were several key issues that I took away from watching Keneally’s documentary such as:
Is digital better than film?
There were clear arguments made throughout the documentary either supporting the introduction of the digital age of film and those who find it to be a negative thing. One such person who finds the introduction of digital filmmaking to be worse than film is the cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) who describes this transition as not being in favour of the filmmaker; “seeking more control over the image and being able to manipulate the image more is that now we have less control because we give away our product that anybody can take and manipulate”. George Lucas on the other hand is fully in favour of the digital process of creating films, preferring to edit and shoot digitally so he has the option to alter the look of the scene more quickly. Both digital and film have their flaws and both possess attributes that makes them more attractive than the other when comparing the sharper and more stable look of digital but the richer look in texture of film. One of the main debates that latches on to these ideas is whether digital takes away the humanity of storytelling by simplifying the creative process.
Will film disappear entirely in the future?
The question of whether film will ever disappear in its entirety as digital becomes more popular is a matter up to self interpretation. Film cameras can last for decades without malfunction but all major manufacturers such as Sony have cased devolving them as they aren’t ideal for a sustainable business model whilst since the dawn of television in the early 1950’s, 80 forms of video have been produced but most cant be played anymore as the technology to display them no longer exists. There is an argument that films will never become redundant due to format obstinance as people need only shine a light through a film strip to view the pictures and there will always be discoveries of new ways to preserve them so that they never become superfluous.
I believe this documentary to best fit into the category of participatory documentary as there is a direct engagement between the filmmaker and the subject. They also have an impact on the events as they directly question them as an interviewer which can often be seen on screen, highlighting their reaction to a response or sharing their own experiences regarding the subject matter.
– Grasps at an inner truth by moving away from looking at the reality of a situation that conveys this message in a way that only poetic manipulation can make it understood
– There is a clear emphasis on descriptive passages, visual associations and tonal or rhythmic qualities
– This mode focuses on mood and tone
Reflexive Documentary (Awareness of process)
– There is an awareness of the constructive nature of documentary which is flaunted, conveying to the audience that its not necessarily the truth but a reconstruction of it
– The audience is made aware of the different elements of the filmmaking process such as the editing and the sound recording which exposes the artifice of the documentary
Participatory Documentary
– The filmmaker has an impact on the events which is acknowledged and they can often be the most celebrated part of the documentary
– Direct engagement between the filmmaker and the subject/s
Expository Documentary (Voice of God)
– The most commonly referred to mode of documentary
– This mode prominently uses verbal commentary through the use of a narrator that presents an argument using relevant and logical information through direct address that results in a right answer conveyed to the audience whilst offering a preferred meaning
– Most associated with nature documentaries and the news presented on TV
Observational Documentary
– Most appropriately seen in Cinema Verite (direct cinema) which emerged towards the late 50s/early 60s, attempting to capture objective reality which places the filmmaker as just an observer
– The filmmaker will remain hidden behind the camera whilst being ignored by their surrounding environment
– The camera often rushes about to keep up with the natural actions occurring which results in rough and amateur-like footage
A ‘Documentary’ is defined as being “a film or television or radioprogramme that gives facts and information about a subject”.
Bill Nichols explains his theory that “All films are documentaries”, falling into either the category of “Wish fulfillment” (fiction films) or “Social representation” (traditional documentaries). He identifies how fiction films seek to portray something that the audience desires to see whereas a documentary film focuses on the reality of a subject matter without manipulation to appease any desires of the audience.
Whilst in a fiction film, mise-en-scene can be either real or fake, it always remains real in a documentary film, much like the characters who are otherwise played by actors in a fiction film, often using stars which gives less of a realistic depiction of the people they might be representing but has the effect of making the film more appealing for an audience. Filmmaking equipment is often more visible is documentary films, creating no illusion that fiction films create as they are already based on real events or information which is why the cameras are unseen in fiction films. In a fiction film, the filmmakers are off camera whilst adding a creative presence to the film and the dialogue is created by screenwriters to create engaging scenes. This differs from the documentary style of filmmaking where the filmmaker often appears in the film and can be the star such as in Michael Moore’s documentary films. The story also unfolds with logic rather than a set structure where dialogue is created through natural speech. One of the most striking differences between the two styles of filmmaking is the effect on the audience. Fiction films are accepted as an illusion of reality, not real and often created for entertainment purposes only rather than identifying key subjects, whereas the audience of a documentary film expects transparency and relevant information about the context of the subject.
There is a definite grey area regarding the concept of a scale that identifies whether a film is fiction or documentary. The difficulty in differentiating between fiction films and documentaries is caused by their subjective natures; “Even the most fantastical fiction film provides information about the culture that produces it, as well as the actors and any physical location used” (Nichols). Nichols also states that “Documentaries are often as exciting and dramatic as narrative films, and generally less predictable, because they draw their subject matter from real life”.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the rapid transition from film to digital has caused a large gap between those who have fully converted to the new format and those who are reluctant to switch whilst film remains to be used. Below is a mind map outlining some of the key impacts that film and digital has on the creative and viewing process for those involved with films.
Feedback from my film was informative as to what i must do to improve the overall look of my films in the future. Comments such as the criticism of the tracking shot came because of it being too shaky due to the type of cameras being used, meaning that whilst it didn’t necessarily work in this film, it could work in the future with a different camera or appropriate equipment. One of the major points made was not to film against a window in the future as the door opens as it means the figure in frame becomes too dark. Another comment was the disposal of any shots that are partly out of focus. This wasn’t a major problem in our film as there were only a small few shots that were affected but this number should be minimised to none in my next project. The last improvement was not to zoom in during a shot which isn’t something that I had originally wanted to do but my project partner Sam thought that it might look good. Unfortunately it didn’t but it is something to learn from for our next film.
I believe the film was mostly successful because we were as a group able to utilise new editing techniques that we hadn’t experimented with before which meant the cinematography we used was experimentative and whilst not a complete success in some elements such as the jump cut, they have allowed a good starting point for improvement.
Filming took place in 4 different locations. We filmed I the art block, outside, school corridors and the canteen. The decision to film in the art block and canteen was made due to the criteria specifying that we had to start and finish in these locations and the decision to use the corridors was to give the appearance that my character was lost whilst the outside location was to show that Mia was calmly walking the easy way around.
We originally intended for a voice to shout “Bread! Bread in the canteen!” but unfortunately we forgot so whilst editing, I replaced this intended sound with a sound effect of an interior school bell that would provide context as to why they were running. We started off by filming in the art block where we were able to film a wide shot of myself and Mia beginning to run at the sound of the bell, using a whip pan to show the direction that the bell was coming from. A close-up shot of a peanut butter jar being placed on a cabinet was then used and several wide shots of Mia running down the stairs from three different angles whilst a wide shot of myself beginning to jump from the balcony transitioned into a whip tilt to give the illusion that I have jumped from a height. Wide shots are mainly used for the exterior as both characters walk towards the camera and then away from the camera in a quick walk.
A close-up of Aaron walking through the door then cuts to one long tracking shot that was filmed handheld. Wide shots are then used as they both move on the interior and exterior of the school. We filmed a close-up shot of Mia attempting to open the door so that we could incorporate match on action into the film and then another close-up shot of Mia’s reaction. We attempted to use a zoom where the shot would transition from a close-up shot to a medium shot and then to a wide shot. We then decided to film a close-up shot of my reaction and then of the ‘Canteen Closed’ sign on the door before returning to my scowling reaction of my eyes by using an extreme close-up shot.
Following the criteria, I used J and L cuts, parallel editing, graphic match, match on action and a hidden cut. I was unable to incorporate a jump cut or montage despite attempts.
I used a title card at the beginning so that I would be able to use a J cut as I begin to speak before cutting to the video clip. A non-diegetic school bell indicates to the audience that the two characters are beginning to run to the canteen.
When focusing on Mia, bird sounds can be heard in the background of one of the clips that show her walking calmly which I thought worked very well to contrast between the speed difference in both characters so I decided to put a bird sound effect that would continue to show this as parallel editing is being used.
A hidden cut is used to give the impression that I jump down from the balcony when in reality I begin to climb over and then we use another shot where I jump in the air and land on the ground.
Match on action is used when Mia opens the door handle and a graphic match is used when both characters walk towards the camera to show they are both heading to the same destination.
I put an end credits sequence at the end to give the film a good closing and I knew that no one else was using it and I wanted my film to have a unique element to it. This would also allow me to use an L-cut at the end as the background noise continued to the credits sequence.
The criteria for our ‘The Hunger Games’ film would have to be as follows: the characters will need to successfully avoid obstacles – including the rule of “no running” but only to be disappointed at the end of their journey. We were further tasked with setting the film in an art lesson initially before moving to the canteen whilst attempting to incorporate as many techniques as possible into the sequence.
Treatment
Our two main characters, Mia and Aaron speak indistinctly as they emerge from an art room, both clutching on to an open peanut butter jar in one hand and a packet of crushed crisps in the other. They both appear horrified by the food in their hands, seeming unwilling to eat the inexcusable mush contained within the packaging. Aaron, opening the peanut butter lid, proceeds to look inside at the spreads gloopy texture before saying “I can’t stand this stuff, there must be something better to eat”. “I know i just wish there was something more” Mia exclaims before the sound of a bell indicates to them both that lunch has just begun and the canteen will be opening. They both run frantically in opposite directions, Mia electing to take the stairs whilst Aaron chooses to instead jump over the balcony of the art block. Landing on his feet, Aaron pushes through the door as they both quick walk towards the main area of the school, with her heading on the outside route whilst he chooses to take the longer and more complicated route inside. The corridors are winding and disorientating. He continues to search his way through, heading one way before returning, lost and confused whereas Mia is in complete control, calmly strolling along an outside path towards a door leading to the canteen. Her happy appearance contrasts the worried and confused look of Aaron who has only just managed to find his way out of a long hallway, stumbling towards the door of the canteen. Mia, reaching for the door handle, pulls and pulls it frantically as she attempts to gain access to the canteen, only for it to be closed off, leaving her in dismay as Aaron walks past the door and approaches the canteen, confidently and nontionontly. ‘CANTEEN CLOSED’. Glaring at the sign, Aaron’s frustration becomes clear as he realises he is denied the food and must remain content with disgusting peanut butter that he had once turned his back on.
This is a technique in which two or more scenes alternate between one another whilst occurring simultaneously but in different locations
J cuts
A J cut occurs when the audio of a shot precedes the following shot being presented on screen after a picture change
L cuts
An L cut is when the audio of a shot shown on screen carries over to the following shot after a pciture change
Hidden cuts
When a cut is hidden by an object or structure such as a wall that gives the illusion that an action is happening in one take rather than several
Graphic match
A graphic match is when the shape or movement of two different things in two different shots match across both scenes
Jump cut
When two shots of the same subject directly after each other change in location or the movement of the thing in shot
Match on action
Where an action of something happening occurs such as someone reaching out for something on a table that is followed by another shot from a different angle of the action taking place again
Montage
Fast paced shots that usually show the passing of time and conveys information within a short period of time
To what extent can it be said that your chosen film movement represents an expressionist as opposed to a realist approach to filmmaking? Make detailed reference to examples from the silent film or films you have studied. [20]
Early cinema throughout the 1910s and 20s explored the contrasting methods that directors took in order to convey two filmmaking approaches, one that portrays the realist and the other the expressive.
German expressionism was at the forefront of expressive filmmaking during the early years of cinema due to the large infrastructure for film that remained after the economic problems had crippled other sectors because of the impact of the first world war. In 1917, German military supreme command took control and consolidated all major film studies under one entity known as UFA, focusing on nationalist films that would help Germany win the war. Due to UFAs restrictions, independent companies that survived were forced to produce something unique to grasp the audiences attention such as ‘The Cabinet of Dr Caligari’ which stood out because of its expressive use of mise-en-scene rather than realistic, designed to give an artificial appearance with over-scaled doors and dark-eyed makeup to achieve a creepy effect, reflecting how German expressionism used exaggerated mise-en-scene to reflect the inner psychology of the characters.
Soviet montage was another expressive development that came about in a similar fashion to how German expressionism had been developed. Cinema was a powerful tool for social and political influence for the new government after the 1917 revolution, meaning they took a great interest in film, centralising the Russian film industry under one entity known as Narkompos. Restricted imports and reduced manufacturing resulted in a lack of raw film stock which resulted in many filmmakers beginning to study films, dissecting them whilst focusing on the length of shots and how they were edited together that would result in the development of new soviet montage films, such as ‘Battleship Potemkin’ (S.M. Eisenstein).
Lev Kuleshov discovered what became known as the Kuleshov effect during his time working at a film school, where a shot of a person with no expression, cutting to different images and then back to the person resulted in different responses from the viewer. When it was intersected with a bowl of soup he was perceived to be feeling hungry, however when it altered to a shot of a woman on a couch, the viewer thought that the person was feeling desire. Soviet filmmakers believed this technique was the true power of cinema and was something that no other art form could do: juxtapose two images to crate a new meaning.
Whilst both these expressive film techniques are used to create new meaning, some opposed the classical and expressive editing, mainly the film critic André Bazin. Although he isn’t against editing due to it’s basis of a films structure, he’s against the optical illusions it creates, adding meaning through juxtaposition rather than content of an image. Expressive editing invents meaning through this juxtaposition instead of the images themselves, removing the freedom on the part of the spectator to select for themselves. Bazin prefers that filmmakers use longer takes with less cuts to create a more realistic appearance, favouring that the audience make their own judgements about what they are watching, directing their own viewing process such as how long they should look at something and what they should be looking at initially.
These beliefs that Bazin had can be further seen in the French film movement in the 1960s known as Cinema verite that focused it’s attention on the realistic day to day lives, capturing life in it’s realistic form.
Buster Keaton films use both expressive and realist elements to create meaning throughout, utilising expressive aspects of mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and performance whilst further focusing on the expressive to covey meaning to the audience.
In Keatons 1920 film ‘One Week’, expressive elements of soviet montage and german expressionism are used in favour of realistic elements typically favoured by Bazin. The film portrays a week in the life of a recently married man as he attempts to build a house and settle down with his wife. Keaton attempts to carry a supposedly heavy brick chimney up a tall ladder reaching to the roof that he had taken from the front of the porch as he attempts to build his crooked house. In taking of the front of the porch to use as a ladder it shows an abstract use of a mundane item whilst carrying a chimney up a roof should be an impossible feat due to a traditional chimney being heavier and not nearly light enough to carry that applies comedic effect to the scene.
Keaton’s wife in the film washes in a bathtub after a milk bottle explodes in her face. As she reaches for a bar of soap besides the bath, half standing, stopping as she acknowledges the camera looking at her, engaging with the audience and breaking the fourth wall as a hand, presumably of the cameraman covers the lens as she reaches once gain for the soap and sits back down without being seen. This acts as a joke as it initially gives the audience the impression that she is going to stand up without clothes on, therefore breaking the illusion that the film is a realistic representation of married life whilst having dispiriting effect on the audience. The wide shot of the milk explosion in her face is very realistic however as during the 1920s, there were no tabs on milk bottles, meaning the user had to poke the cover off which caused the milk to spray everywhere after pressure inside the bottle is released, creating a mess that is present in the film.
Pathetic fallacy is something that could be considered as being elements of both the expressive and realistic categories as the weather is natural but the specific timing of the wether in cohesion with the disastrous events as their crooked house spins around in the wind and rain appears more expressive as it represents their futile situation as their guests leave, their house crumbles and they spend the night sleeping cold on their suitcase covered in mud. Should the decision have been made to withhold from using rain as a storytelling device, the audience wouldn’t have been capable of grasping the hopeless situation they find themselves in.
The film doesn’t however neglect to use realistic elements, using several references to superstition in the film such as the raction from the women in the house at the umbrella being open indoors and Keaton’s disposal of a horseshoe after him and his widfe have been launched from their own home, sitting drearily in the mud, perched on a suitcase. The act of opening an umbrella indoors is supposed to bring bad luck to its user whilst a horseshoe is supposed to bring good luck and fortune when hanging over a persons front door. The fact that he throws it away could signify hiss loss of hope that he and his wife will ever have a completed and settle down.
Another Keaton film that favours the expressive over the realistic is ‘The Scarecrow’. Editing throughout the film remains largely realistic as continuity editing depicts a narrative in a linear way that allows the story to play out in real time. Mise-en-scene on the other hand differs between the expressive in that it’s used for comedic effect whilst realistic features are representative of society in time in which they were made. Similar to the German expressionistic style of mise-en-scene, Keaton uses common household objects in atypical ways, placed in unusual areas such as the salt hanging above the table on string and space for the table on the wall with attached plates, presenting an abstract home with mise-en-scene designed to show he hasn’t compromised usability in a small space.
The idea of two men going after the same woman is a common theme that has branched throughout both 20th century literature and film, mainly because it connects with the audience as it was highly likely that some viewers would have experienced this for themselves as the 1920s was a very patriarchal male dominated society, making this is a film that both uses realistic and expressive elements to have an effect on the audience. The woman they both attempt to seduce briefly looks at the camera after running away from the scarecrow, engaging with the audience to convey her shock and confusion.
When a man attempts to chase Keaton and the framers daughter, the car topples backwards when he sits at the back because he is a large man and despite being partially realistic, its an expressive depiction of what would happen in reality to emphasise the man weight. Also, the horse that Keaton intends to escape on is given the appearance of a real horse as two horses stand beside each other, one real and one fake, so when the woman gallops away on her horse he left behind on a stationary horse, leaving him in bewilderment. Both these are used for comedic effect too emphasise a characters personality or their stupidity rather than portraying a realistic depiction of life. This realistic depiction can nevertheless be further seen in the film by the use of different object such as alcohol and a cigarette. A hidden bottle of alcohol contained within the scarecrows jacket is relevant to 1920s America due to the prohibition era that banned the sale of alcohol until 1933 whilst the lighting of a cigarette after Keatons chase with a supposedly rabid dog would have been a common sight as tobacco was widely available and seen as fashionable habit as there was less awareness about the dangers it could cause.
Keaton’s High Sign is based on more realistic premises whilst portraying them in an expressive manner so as to show different character traits possessed by different characters without the use of sound. The film presents an ordinary person getting caught up in extraordinary events in an American society where gangs were commonplace during the time period, hiding away behind a false front such as the “Blinking Buzzards” behind a gun range whilst the carrying of firearms was legal in America which resulted in crimes such as robbery common as it was easy to obtain a gun and commit a crime without being caught.
Mise-en-scene is expressive in that the newspaper Keaton starts to read is absurdly large as he continues to open it multiple times as it keeps expanding, acting as a comedic tool for the audience. The mise-en-scene is deliberately unrealistic to show how out of place he is in this new town that he has been throw into. Whilst aiming at a row of bottles on a wall for target practice, he accidentally shoots a man standing beside them who leaps high into the air and proceeds to run rapidly away, clutching his behind to exaggerate the pain inflicted upon him. Keaton’s shooting at one target and hitting another target when aiming at the bottles and his shooting from behind his back and under his legs later at the gun range causes destruction all around him as he us a careless and inexperienced gunman, showing the audience that he is quite incapable of working for a gang or preventing the killing of someone. The unique design of the house of the man he attempts to protect against the gang is an expressive method of manipulating mise-en-scene to express the rudiculousness of the event as he is far out of his depth. It’s also unrealistic that all the rooms in the house can be seen at the same time as he is chased from one room to another when running away from the gang.
The cinematography in the film is comprised of both the expressive and the realist. Wide shots are typically used in the houss as they chase each other whilst a long depth of field is traditionally used throughout the majority of scenes to give a greater focus on everything that’s happening rather than just one specific thing. There are however occasions when Keaton uses expressive cinematography to direct the audiences attention on something specific. Iris shots manipulate where the audiences focus should be such as the death note given to the old man he attempts to protect.
To conclude, whilst there are elements if expressive film techniques and realistic depictions of life, Keaton favours the use of expressive cinema as it provides far greater meaning for the audience through comedic effect or as a narrative device.
The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of editing to convey meaning throughout their films and have a wide range of effects on the audience.
The basis of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth revolves around the civil war in Spain. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government where Fascist and extreme-right forces responded with an army mutiny and coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
The scene begins by utilising continuity editing that shows a series of events as they happen, starting with a match on action shot of Ofelia climbing into her mother’s bed. One long continuous shot from her walking to the bed and talking to her mother makes the atmosphere more calming, showing she feels safe alongside her mother as there is no tension built with the camera moving slowly into position, resting in front of her mothers stomach as Ofelia leans over and begins to tell a story to the baby. There is a lack of editing as a cut is a visual reminder to the audience that what they are watching isn’t real so by using long takes it draws the audiences attention to the action and dialogue. A hidden cut is used to transition from Ofelia talking to the baby in her mother’s stomach in the real world to an interior CGI sequence inside the womb and of the story she is telling, followed by another hidden cut that transitions from the CGI world back to reality.
The use of a dissolve to cut from Ofelia to the Captain indicates that parallel editing is now being used to show that whilst the Captain repairs his watch, Ofelia is drawing to the end of telling her story in the other room. A glance object shot of his watch shows that his fill attention is on the task of fixing it, followed by another glance object shot after the doctor enters the room that shows his focus is on his watch rather than other distractions, signifying its importance to him.When he does look up from the process of fixing his watch to speak with the doctor, shot reverse shot us used as they talk that shows the distance between them as the Captain has isolated himself due to his views of being superior to others whilst the doctor is disconnected from the Captain due to his secret rebel sympathies.
A j-cut is used to smoothly transition the scene from inside the Captains room to leading his soldiers to the prisoners outside, slowly paced as they walk from the mill to where the farmers are located in one long shot in order to build tension compared to the rapid frequency of the shots later on in the scene where the Captain repeatedly beats the farmers face, appearing even more shocking as the rapid pace of these shots show his sudden change in attitude from intimidating the prisoners to killing them.Shot reverse shot between the Captain and the farmers son when he is being brutally pummelled highlights the ferocity of his power which is further shown through the low angle shots of the Captain that show his violence in comparison to the high angle shots of the farmers son that represents his vulnerability.
The scene ends with a fairly lengthy shot of the Captain walking away from where the two innocent farmers lye dead o the ground, signalling to the audience that the main action has taken place and the situation has been resolved.
Another film that appropriately uses Mise-en-scene to covey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, with six different stories, all connected by themes of violence and revenge, directed by Damián Szifron.
Focusing on the wedding sequence, the scene starts from a black screen where a longer interlude is present compared to the other sequences which helps to build anticipation for the audience whilst also establishing it as the final sequence of the film. The cutting in the opening scene of the sequence appear to frequently take place on the beat of the music, making the action seem smoother and more natural. Klezma music plays in the foreground of the scene and as it does, the pace of the editing increases to match a change in pace of the action, rhythm and joy if the characters who all dance around happily, allowing the audience to feel excited simultaneously. As the bride and groom dance along to the music whilst greeting their friends and family, shots alternate between them both with an equal amount of screen time that uses fast paced editing to add to a feeling of happiness, giving the audience a chance to compare their personalities. Its implied to the audience that the bride and grooms relationship is a performance as they emerge from behind a curtain as if in a theatre. A graphic overlay as the couple kiss further implies this as the look directly into the camera.
A jarring cut takes place in which the lively setting of the dancefloor and free flowing Steadicam shots are replaced by static shots as the music suddenly stops to focus on dialogue as the couple takes pictures with members of their family, taking the audience out of the action immediately which has the effect of making the audience consider what the characters have just witnessed in comparison to how they are being presented now.This more dialogue focused scene starts off by using contiguity editing as the couple take photos at every table of relatives in the hall which helps to show to the audience the time change between each photo, making clear that they have had to engage in this activity multiple times, juxtaposing the excitement of the previous scene as they have no desire to take part in these photos on a tedious amount of occasions which demonstrates that the party is over and therefore the happy and joyous part of this sequence is over. A large number of shot reverse shots are used in in the scene in order to allow the audience to focus on the dialogue which has importance to the narrative.
At this point in the sequence the pace of editing has slowed down to present a far less chaotic and calmer atmosphere and whilst Romina walks over to her table after becoming suspicious of her husband where there is no use of a cut so that the audiences attention is drawn to the brides performance as she slowly begins to realise that her husband might have been unfaithful to her. Shot reverse shot is used once again when the couple take their first dance and the bride begins to question Ariel, after Romina has called a number on the phone that she suspected as being suspicious, only for it to be answered by the mystery woman that Ariel appeared to be flirting with earlier on that caused these suspicions to be raised. As he is questioned during their dance, the shot reverse shot cuts to a wide shot when he confirms to her that her suspicions are true that outline both their change in attitude as he has revealed himself to be a liar and she has become of victim of adultery. Ariel gets increasingly more nervous as he is questioned, shown through an increase in the frequency of shots that focus on his reactions, reflecting his guilt as he attempts to brush the questions aside.
After Romina leaves the dinner hall, Ariel follows her to a long hallway where she has stumbled her way too as she attempts to escape the claustrophobic setting that she was in at that moment in time. Ariel looks both ways down the hallway as he opens the door, cutting just before it shows which way he decides to go, implying to the audience that he is going to go the wrong way which will give the bride more time to escape the hall.
Nearing the conclusion of the sequence, no cuts are used after Romina has returned from the rooftop and she has vented her anger at his deceit and begins to move the cake into position. This is done to show how he is both in control of the relationship as the focus is entirely dictated by her but she is also still disorientated by the entire terrible situation, making the audience feel awkward as she slowly moves the cake into position which reflects the current state of mind of all the onlooking guests present at her wedding.
Both Szifron and del Toro use aspects of mise-en-scene to convey meaning throughout their films to have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro utilises it to show the contrasting world’s from the realistic and the fantastical in Pan’s Labyrinth, and how they share similarities with each other that only Ofelia is compelled to see. Szifron on the other hand uses mise-en-scene to allow the audience to empathise with characters through the use of symbolic imagery that appropriately coveys how they are feeling or how they have changes as people on screen.
Pan’s Labyrinth: Fig tree sequence (Cinematography)
Intro: The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films to have a wide range of effects on the audience.
Fig tree sequence:
When following the horses and Ofelia, the camera pans from right to left indicating that they are venturing on a journey with much more gentle and slower arc movements with Ofelia as if she is lost in a fantasy world as it gives a floaty and dreamy effect compared to the harsh and quick movement of the horses with a warm and bright colour palette that suggests the effects of the Captain have disappeared for the time being as they are in the forest which is the rebels’ territory. The use of long lenses when looking at the soldiers places the audience on the side of the rebels as we can see the action from their perspective
Shots are closer into Ofelia as she is exploring on her own. As Ofelia arrives at thetree, a wide shot moves into a close-up shot, arcing around her to reveal the tree, tilting up to show the large size of the tree in order to show how small Ofelia is in comparison which also shows its significance.The camera then dolly’s back and tilts up to show her enter the tree that uses the frame within a frame technique which focuses the audiences attention on her movements down into the tunnel, then panning to the left to show a close-up of the dress waving in the wind, suggesting its going to fall off, creating fear and dread at what could happen if her dress is ruined due to it being a gift from her mother and something she must wear to impress the cold hearted Captain. The camera is always positioned at Ofelia’s height throughout this sequence in order to show that she is the main point of focus for the audience to see the story progress. The colour palette is till warm as she is surrounded by elements of the fantasy world but is now slightly darker because she is underground but she is also aware of both the dangers she will face in the tree and what she might expect when she returns to the mill and the fear of the Captains reaction to her dirty state forces the fantasy world and the Captain’s world to collide.
The Captain steps down from his horse to search for any objects that might indicate signs of rebel activity, shown through a medium shot that focuses on his commanding body language which transitions to a close-up shot so that we see just the Captain and his reaction to his discovery before a medium shot shows the reaction of the soldiers around him awaiting their orders. Following this, the camera then arcs around him so we are left to focus on what he is thinking and feeling as he comes to the conclusion that they are being watched by the rebels from a distance. Another use of a long lens shot once again gives the impression that the audience are watching the Captain from the rebels perspective as he taunts them before returning back to the mill, indicated by the camera movement panning from right to left as the soldiers exit the frame that contrasts the movement from previous when they were headed out on their journey.
Despite this, the movement in the next scene appears to differentiate from this pattern as Ofelia moves from left to right and then from right to left whilst still searching for the object of her desires that sent her on this journey. It presents the fact that the environment that she is presently located within is disorientating and unsettling for her as she attempts to move through the tree.Finally, when Ofelia completes her task and emerges from the tree the setting is dark and there has been a complete transformation in colour palette from the warm and bright setting as she headed out on her journey to the fantastical warm colours inside the tree that was tainted by the captains world and the effect he has on Ofelia until it reaches almost complete darkness as she is now in deep trouble, foreshadowing what the effects of her adventure might have on her due to the captains influence.
Wedding sequence:
Steadicam is used throughout these shots and pushes in as the song increases in tempo to focus on the bride and groom, centrally framed and emerging from behind a curtain before arcing around them greeting their parents and in-laws to give the impression that the person watching the film is a spectator as the shots are very intimate with a sense of family unity followed by a series of handheld close-up shots focusing on the interactions between the partners and their in-laws making it more personal and meaningful. The steadicam arcs around the couple from a low angle to give the impression that the camera is dancing along with them in a crowred area.Tracking shots match the pace of the dancing whilst the movement matches the energy of the music to give the scene a lively appearance.
A change in location is accompanied by a change to warm yellow lighting, suggesting happiness. The camera pulls back from a shot of an energetic sousaphone, directing focus on the instrument and therefore a focus on the joy of the party as everyone immediately becomes engrossed in the music.
After the party, there is less dramatic movement shown by less frquent, slower and more stable shots.the camera pans to the left to centrally frame the bride, isolating her in the fram with a shallow depth of field to focus on her reaction as she begins to suspect her husband might be cheating on her.The zoom draws attention to the woman sitting down in the centre of the frame but not clearly as the bride is unaware that she existed until now using a POV shot, followed by a reaction shot of the brides face to show the importance of the revelation to the development of the story and that her attenton is fully focused on the mystery woman. The camera tracks the bride as she crosses the room to the mirror, sandwiching the woman in the centre of her focus. the mirror shot foreshadows her apparent dual nature later on and a wrack focus from the brides phone the the womans phone implies that the bride has uncovered her husbands dirty secret
the camera arcs around them as they dance to present the ffect that the audience is a guest that dances with them but cuts to different arcing shots, making it disorientating as the bride is puuting her husband under pressure so that he might reveal the truth.The focus is entirely on the couple as a shallow depth of field makes the background barely visible so that the audience can focus on what they are saying.A series of close-up shots between the newlyweds as they dance whilst the bride questions him changes to a wide shot when he confirms her suspicions and the camera stops dancing immediately when the couple stop dancing, becoming less smooth and more jarring to represent the brides shock and confused state of mind.
The lighting is darker on the bride when she doesnt know the truth but becomes lighter when its been revealed to her as she walks through the corridor, tracked by low angle shots from both in front and behind her to show she feels surrounded and overwhelmed with a declining sense of reality.
A BEV shot of the bride looking over the edge of the roof suggests she feels nauseated and is about to jump.The lighting in the background of the shots appears romantic, foreshadowing the romantic interaction between the bride and the chef and a romantic shot subverts the expectations of the audience as the seductive intention of the bride contrasts her despair.The long lenses with a wide aperture makes the scene seem more dreamy and the scene is shot on a spherical lens rather than an anamorphic lens and extended to widescreen which makes it appear more realistic.
A reaction shot of shock from both the chef and Ariel as Romina lets out a violent outburst directed at her husband that neither were expecting.The 180 degree rule is broken during the confrontation to present the idea that the shoe is now on the other foot. The camerawork alternates to handheld as she feels free as she’s released her anger that she had stored inside her, indicating a change in attitude towards her chaotic relationship.
Context: The viewer gets the impression that Argentine society is dangerous and violent, with a repulsive setting and nature. The film appears to show a corrupt society with a dissatisfied people. Corruption in Argentina remains a serious problem suffering from widespread corruption in the public and private sector. However, it has improved since the films release in 2015, moving from the 107th least corrupt country out of 175 to the 85th.
Conclusion:
Essay
The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films and have a wide range of effects on the audience.
The basis of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth revolves around the civil war in Spain. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government where Fascist and extreme-right forces responded with an army mutiny and coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
Ofelia goes out on an adventure, searching for her first task located inside a mysterious tree. At the same time, Captain Vidal also rides out with his men to search for the last remaining Republican survivors. At the start of the sequence, there are two different journeys occurring simultaneously with one following the soldiers as they ride out and the other following Ofelia search for her first task. The camera pans from right to left for both of these scenes, indicating to the audience that they are venturing out on a journey. When focusing on Ofelia however, the camera uses much more gentle and slower arc movements compared to the harsh, quick movement of the charging horses that suggests to the audience that she is lost in the elements of the fantasy world as it has a floaty and dreamy effect compared to the soldiers. Also, there is a warm and bright colour palette when following Ofelia, suggesting that the influence of the Captain has disappeared at this point in time due to a lack of his dark blue colour palette typically associated with his world as they are both in the forest setting which is the rebels’ territory.
Once Ofelia arrives at the tree, a wide shot focusing on her movements moves into a close-up shot, arcing around to reveal a large tree that has captured her gaze, tilting up to show the large size of the tree in comparison to her, showing its significance to the audience and allows them to sympathise with her as it presents her task as being on a scale that is extremely difficult. The camera then dolly’s back and tilts up to show her enter the tree, utilising the frame within a frame technique which focuses the audiences attention on her movements down into the tunnel before slowly panning to the left to show a close-up of her dress which she has taken off to prevent it from getting dirty, waving in the wind to suggest that it is inevitable going to fall off, creating a sense of fear and dread for Ofelia as it was a gift from her mother and something she must wear in order to impress the cold hearted Captain who has already been displeased with her, so should it be ruined, the audience fears what the consequences might be for Ofelia. Inside the dark and damp tunnels, the camera is always positioned at Ofelia’s height to indicate to the audience that she is the main focus point for the story’s progression. The colour palette remains warm due to the fact that she is still surrounded by elements of the fantasy world but has now transgressed to become slightly darker as she is now underground but also because the tree is a mysterious and unknown place for her, lacking any knowledge as to the dangers she might face inside it and what the reactions of her mother and the captain might be when she returns to the mill, fearing their reaction to her dirty state and the consequences it will bring. Furthermore, it shows a collision between the Captain’s world and the fantasy world which further adds to the influence that he has over her.
Returning the focus to the Captain, he and his soldiers are shown to have reacher their destination as they look for the rebels, causing the Captain to step down from his horse to search for for any objects that might indicate signs of any rebel activity in the area. A medium shot focuses on his commanding body language, transitioning to a close-up shot in order to fully focus on his actions and dialogue as he is superior to his soldiers. The camera then proceeds to arc around him, leaving the audience to focus on what he is thinking and feeling as he realises they are being watched by the rebels from a distance. The use of a long lens shot when looking at the Capatin has the effect of appearing to focus on him from a distance, placing the audience on the side of the rebels and viewing the action from their perspective as the Captain taunts them to come out and fight rather than hide in the trees. This effort however comes to nothing and they saddle up and return to the mill, indicated by a pan from right to left that contrasts the left to tight movement that originally showed them heading out on their journey, just like the movement of turning over a page in a book.
Despite this, when in the next scene we return to Ofelia, searching further through the depths of the tree to look for any sign of her task, the camera movement appears to differentiate from this typical pattern of moving from right to left to indicate she is returning home and elects to combine a movement from left to right and then right to left. This contrasting movement presents the fact that the environment that she is presently located within is disorientating for her and therefore unsettling for the audience who are made to feel lost with her as she clambers through the winding tree.
Finally, after killing the giant toad and retrieving the key, Ofelia emerges from the tree whereas instead of being triumphant, her situation has become distressing, indicated by a complete transformation in colour palette, switching from a warm and bright setting as she headed out on her journey that became slightly tainted by the dark and grim colours associated with the Captain’s world and his influenceuntil finally, almost complete darkness is reached as she appears dishevelled by the ordeal and becomes increasingly aware of the trouble she has caused, transferring her from being a little girl on an adventure to fearing the serious consequences og her actions at the hands of the Captain.
Another Global film that appropriately uses cinematography to convey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, with six different stories, all connected by themes of violence and revenge, directed by Damián Szifron.
At the start of the wedding sequence, Szifron uses steadicam throughout the opening shots that depict guests reacting to a series of pictures being projected as a slideshow, combining this with the use of a series of handheld close-up shots in order to focus on the interactions between the couple and their in-laws which has the effect of making the performance appear more personal and meaningful to the audience. The couple is also centrally framed as they emerge from behind a curtain to focus the audiences attention on them as they greet family members, giving the impression that the person watching the film is a spectator of the wedding as the shots are made to feel very intimate with a sense of family and unity. This is further insinuated by the low angle shot of the camera arcing around arcing around the couple that gives the impression that the camera is dancing along with them as one of the guests at the wedding, matching the pace of the lively and upbeat movement and the high energy of the music to give the scene a lively appearance and show the audience that this is a jubilant occasion where everyone is unified in having a tremendous time. The emergence from behind a curtain could suggest to the audience that what they are watching is a facade however, and the affectionate attitude of the couple is a performance, foreshadowing the later events in the sequence.
As the action changes location, the joyous dancing still remains but is accompanied by a change to a warm, yellow colour palette that suggests to the audience that this is a happy time for the couple and the guests. The camera moves quickly, pulling back from a close-up shot of an energetic sousaphone, directing focus on the instrument and therefore a clear focus on the joy surrounding the room at the party as everyone dances to the music, immediately becoming engrossed.
However, as the dancing suddenly stops and there is a change in setting to guests eating and the couple moving from one table to the next to take a photo with their families, there are less dramatic movements, shown through the use of less frequent, slower and more stable shots that focus on the dialogue of the characters rather than the chaos of the party. The bride is engaged in conversation with two relatives that query who all the vast amount of people attending their wedding are and their connection to the couple. Romina proceeds to point out several groups of tables somewhere in the distance occupied by friends of clubs that they attend before spotting the table where her husbands coworkers are seated and Ariel is talking teasingly to a woman that Romina doesn’t recognise. The camera pans to the left, centrally framing the bride in the shot and therefore isolating her in the frame with a shallow depth of field utilised in order for the audience to focus on the brides reaction as she begins to suspect her husband might be cheating on her with this mystery woman. The camera zooms in on the woman sitting at the table to draw attention to her, centrally framed although not clearly due to the brides lack of awareness that this woman existed up until this point in time which puts the audience at the brides perspective, further shown by the use of a POV shot in order to make the following reaction shot of her seem more personal and makes the audience increasingly empathetic towards her character. It also shows how the revelation is significant to the development of the story and that Romina is entirely focused on the mystery woman seen before her. As the bride crosses the room to the mirror located by her table, the camera tracks the brides movement, sandwiching the woman in the centre of focus as she looks in to the mirror with her reflection staring back at her. The mirror shot both has the effect of clearly demonstrating the reaction of both characters as Romina calls an unknown number belonging to the woman in order to find out who she might be and appears to be foreshadowing her apparent dual nature as the sequence progresses after learning that her husband has in fact cheated on her. The use of a wrack focus to differentiate between the reaction of the brides phone as she dials the number and the woman picks up her phone implies to the audience that the bride has uncovered her husbands dirt secret as the truth is slowly becoming clearer for her.
Romina, now clearly in distress after learning about this apparent secret, is joined in shot by her husband as they begin to slowly dance, arcing around them to once again give the effect that the audience is a guest dancing alongside them but instead elects to cut to a variety of different arcing shots that make the scene disorientating for the audience as the bride is putting her husband under a lot of pressure as she begins to question him so that he might reveal the truth to her. At this pint, the focus is entirely on the couple, with a shallow depth of field making the background barely visible so that the audience focus completely on the dialogue as it will distinguish a turning point in the sequence for all the characters. These effects are combined with a series of close-up shots between the newlyweds as they dance, continually alternating between the two partners until Ariel finally confirms her suspicions at which point it cuts to a wide shot which stops the camera from giving the effect that its dancing with them as they are no longer dancing as the bride begins to break away from Ariel and becomes far less smooth and increasingly jarring, representing the current state of mind of Romina as she reals back in shock and confusion from her husband due to his unfaithful actions.
After storming out of the hall, there is a change in colour palette as the lighting becomes lighter when the truth has been revealed to her as she stumbles through the cramped corridor, unlike the darker setting she was previously in when only her suspicions were aroused. When stumbling through this corridor, the bride is tracked by low angle shots of her from both in front and behind, signifying to the audience that she feels overwhelmed and claustrophobic with a declining sense of reality after learning the truth as it gives the appearance that the corridor is even smaller than it actually is.
A BEV shot of the bride leaning over the edge of the unnerving effect of making the audience get the impression that she is about to jump due to the recent devastating events. The lighting in the background of the following shots showing the conversation between Romina and a kindly chef comforting her appears romantic, foreshadowing the romantic interaction between the bride and the chef later on, subverting the expectations of the audience is this is uncharacteristic of Romina and suggest to the audience that she is in a vulnerable place at the moment as the seductive intention of the bride contrasts the despair that is feeling as a result of the fear that her guests might negatively look down at her for being cheated on with a guest at her wedding. There is also a prevalent use of long lenses combined with a wide aperture that contribute to the effect of the setting appearing dreamy, linking to her current vulnerable state and is shot on a spherical lens rather than an anamorphic lens and extended to widescreen, allowing the current events to appear more realistic and therefore heightening the suspense and emotions felt by the audience as she begins to kiss him and lets out an enraged rant about what she intends to do in order to attain revenge for Ariel’s deceitful acts. Reaction shots of shock from both the chef and Ariel during this violent outburst from Romina highlight the fact that this is an unforeseen change in attitude from Romina, causing Ariel to vomit because of it. To present the idea that the shoe is now on the other foot, with Ariel and Romina now reversing roles due to her taking control, eventually causing him to breakdown just like she did previously, the 180 degree rule is broken during the heated confrontation between the couple as she is now in a stronger and commanding position over him.
Both Szifron and del Toro use aspects of cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films so that they have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro utilises it to contrast the different conflicting worlds in Pan’s Labyrinth, from the perspective of the fantastical and adventurous Ofelia to the cold and calculated manner of the Captain. Szifron on the other hand t allows the audience to empathise with characters such as Romina through his clever use of different techniques that appropriately convey the attitudes and feeling of the characters on screen.
Essay re-draft
The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films in order to have a wide range of effects on the audience.
The basis of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth revolves around the civil war in Spain. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government, that was followed by Fascist and extreme-right forces response, causing an army mutiny and coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
Ofelia heads out on an adventure, searching for her first task located inside a mysterious tree as she follows instructions from a magical book. At the same time, Captain Vidal rides out with his men to search for the last remaining Republican survivors located in a forest near the mill they reside in. At the start of the sequence, there are two different journeys occurring simultaneously, one following the soldiers as they ride out and the other following Ofelia locate her first task. The camera pans from right to left for both of these scenes, indicating to the audience that they are venturing out on a journey, however; When focusing on Ofelia, the camera uses much more gentle and slower arc movements compared to the harsh, quick movements of the charging horses, suggesting to the audience that she is lost in the elements of the fantasy world as it has a floaty and dreamy effect compared to the violent world of the soldiers. Also, there is a warm and bright colour palette when following Ofelia, suggesting that the influence of the Captain has disappeared at this point due to a lack of the dark blue colour palette typically associated with his world as they are both in the forest setting which is the rebels’ territory.
Once Ofelia arrives at the tree, a wide shot focusing on her movements moves into a close-up shot, arcing around her to reveal a large tree that has captured her gaze, tilting up to show the large size of the tree in comparison to Ofelia, presenting the significance of it to the audience and allows them to sympathise with her as it implies that her task will be extremely difficult. The camera then dollies back and tilts up to show her enter the tree, utilising the frame within a frame technique, focusing the audiences attention on her movements down into the tunnel before slowly panning to the left to show a close-up of her dress which she has taken off to prevent it from getting dirty, waving in the wind to suggest that it is inevitably going to fall off, creating a sense of fear and dread for Ofelia as it was a gift from her mother and something she must wear so that she might impress the cold-hearted Captain, already displeased with her, so should it be ruined, the audience fears what the consequences might be for Ofelia. Inside the dark and damp tunnels, the camera is always positioned at Ofelia’s height to indicate to the audience that she is the main focal point for the story’s progression. The colour palette remains warm since she is still surrounded by elements of the fantasy world but has now transgressed to become slightly darker as she is underground and the tree is a mysterious place, lacking any knowledge as to the dangers she might face inside it and what the reactions of her mother and the Captain might be when she returns to the mill, fearing their reaction to her dirty state and the consequences it will bring. Furthermore, it shows a collision between the Captain’s world and the fantasy world which further adds to the influence that he has over her.
Returning the focus to the Captain, his soldiers are shown to have reached their destination as they look for the rebels, leading them through the forest, causing the Captain to step down from his horse to search for any objects that might indicate signs of any rebel activity in the area. A medium shot focuses on his commanding body language, transitioning to a close-up shot to fully focus on his actions and dialogue as he is superior to his soldiers. The camera then proceeds to arc around him, leaving the audience to focus on what he is thinking and feeling as he realises they are being watched by the rebels from a distance. The use of a long lens shot when looking at the Captain has the effect of appearing to focus on him from a distance, placing the audience on the side of the rebels, viewing the action from their perspective as the Captain taunts them to come out and fight him rather than hide in the trees. This effort, however, comes to nothing and they saddle up and return to the mill, indicated by a pan from right to left that contrasts the left to right movement that originally showed them heading out on their journey, just like the movement of turning over a page in a book.
Despite this, when in the next scene we return to Ofelia, she is searching through the depths of the tree to look for any sign of her task, with the camera movement appearing to differentiate from this typical pattern of moving from right to left, electing instead to combine a movement from left to right and then right to left. This contrasting movement presents the fact that the environment that she is presently located within is disorientating for her and therefore unsettling for the audience who are made to feel lost with her as she clambers through the dark and winding tree.
Finally, after killing the giant toad and retrieving the key, Ofelia emerges from the tree, feeling distressed rather than accomplished, indicated by a complete transformation in colour palette, switching from a warm and bright setting as she headed out on her journey that became slightly tainted by the dark and grim colours associated with the Captain’s world and his influence until finally, almost complete darkness after appearing from the depths of the tree, dishevelled by the ordeal and increasingly aware of the trouble she has caused, transferring her from being a little girl on an adventure to fearing the serious consequences of her actions at the hands of the Captain.
Another Global film that appropriately uses cinematography to convey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, with six different stories, all connected by themes of violence and revenge, directed by Damián Szifron.
At the start of the wedding sequence, Szifron uses Steadicam throughout the opening shots that depict guests reacting to a series of pictures being projected as a slideshow, combining this with the use of a series of handheld close-up shots to focus on the interactions between the couple and their in-laws which has the effect of making the performance appear more personal and meaningful to the audience. The couple is also centrally framed as they emerge from behind a curtain to focus the audience’s attention on them as they greet family members, giving the impression that the person watching the film is a spectator of the wedding as the shots are made to feel very intimate with a sense of family and unity. This is further insinuated by the low angle shot of the camera arcing around the couple that gives the impression that the camera is dancing along with them as one of the guests at the wedding, matching the pace of the lively and upbeat movement and the high energy of the music to give the scene a lively appearance and show the audience that this is a jubilant occasion where everyone is unified in having a tremendous time. On the other hand, the emergence of the couple from behind a curtain could suggest to the audience that what they are watching is a façade and the affectionate attitude of the couple is a performance, foreshadowing the later events in the sequence.
As the action changes location, the joyous dancing remains but is accompanied by a change to a warm, yellow colour palette that suggests to the audience that this is a happy time for the couple and the guests. The camera moves quickly, pulling back from a close-up shot of an energetic sousaphone, directing focus on the instrument and therefore a clear focus on the joy surrounding the room at the party as everyone dances to the music, immediately becoming engrossed.
However, as the dancing suddenly stops and there is a change in setting to guests eating and the couple moving from one table to the next to take a photo with their families, there are less dramatic movements, shown through the use of less frequent, slower and more stable shots that focus on the dialogue of the characters rather than the chaos of the party. The bride is engaged in conversation with two relatives that query who all the vast amount of people attending their wedding are and their connection to the couple. Romina proceeds to point out several groups of tables somewhere in the distance occupied by friends of clubs that they attend before spotting the table where her husband’s coworkers are seated and Ariel is talking teasingly to a woman that Romina doesn’t recognise. The camera pans to the left, centrally framing the bride in the shot and therefore isolating her in the frame with a shallow depth of field utilised so that the audience focus on the bride’s reaction as she begins to suspect her husband might be cheating on her with this mystery woman. The camera zooms in on the woman sitting at the table to draw attention to her, centrally framed although not clearly due to the brides lack of awareness that this woman existed up until this point in time which puts the audience at the bride’s perspective, further shown by the use of a POV shot to make the following reaction shot of her seem more personal and makes the audience increasingly empathetic towards her character. It also shows how the revelation is significant to the development of the story and that Romina is entirely focused on the mystery woman seen before her. As the bride crosses the room to the mirror located by her table, the camera tracks the bride’s movement, sandwiching the woman in the centre of focus as she looks into the mirror with her reflection staring back at her. The mirror shot both have the effect of clearly demonstrating the reaction of both characters as Romina calls an unknown number belonging to the woman to find out who she might be and appears to be foreshadowing her apparent dual nature as the sequence progresses after learning that her husband has cheated on her. The use of a wrack focus to differentiate between the reaction of the bride’s phone as she dials the number and the woman picks up her phone implies to the audience that the bride has uncovered her husband’s dirty secret as the truth is slowly becoming clearer for her.
Romina, now clearly in distress after learning about this apparent secret, is joined in shot by her husband as they begin to slowly dance, arcing around them to once again give the effect that the audience is a guest dancing alongside them but instead elects to cut to a variety of different arcing shots that make the scene disorientating for the audience as the bride is putting her husband under a lot of pressure as she begins to question him so that he might reveal the truth to her. At this pint, the focus is entirely on the couple, with a shallow depth of field making the background barely visible so that the audience focus completely on the dialogue as it will distinguish a turning point in the sequence for all the characters. These effects are combined with a series of close-up shots between the newlyweds as they dance, continually alternating between the two partners until Ariel finally confirms her suspicions at which point it cuts to a wide shot which stops the camera from giving the effect that it’s dancing with them as they are no longer dancing as the bride begins to break away from Ariel and becomes far less smooth and increasingly jarring, representing the current state of mind of Romina as she reels back in shock and confusion from her husband due to his unfaithful actions.
After storming out of the hall, there is a change in the colour palette as the lighting becomes lighter when the truth has been revealed to her as she stumbles through the cramped corridor, unlike the darker setting she was previously in when only her suspicions were aroused. When stumbling through this corridor, the bride is tracked by low angle shots of her from both in front and behind, signifying to the audience that she feels overwhelmed and claustrophobic with a declining sense of reality after learning the truth as it gives the appearance that the corridor is even smaller than it is in reality.
A BEV shot of the bride leaning over the edge of the unnerving effect of making the audience get the impression that she is about to jump due to the recent devastating events. The lighting in the background of the following shots showing the conversation between Romina and a kindly chef comforting her appears romantic, foreshadowing the romantic interaction between the bride and the chef, subverting the expectations of the audience is this is uncharacteristic of Romina and suggest to the audience that she is in a vulnerable place at the moment as the seductive intention of the bride contrasts the despair that is feeling as a result of the fear that her guests might negatively look down at her for being cheated on with a guest at her wedding. There is also a prevalent use of long lenses combined with a wide aperture that contribute to the effect of the setting appearing dreamy, linking to her current vulnerable state and is shot on a spherical lens rather than an anamorphic lens and extended to widescreen, allowing the current events to appear more realistic and therefore heightening the suspense and emotions felt by the audience as she begins to kiss him and lets out an enraged rant about what she intends to do to attain revenge for Ariel’s deceitful acts. Reaction shots of shock from both the chef and Ariel during this violent outburst from Romina highlight the fact that this is an unforeseen change in attitude from Romina, causing Ariel to vomit because of it. To present the idea that the shoe is now on the other foot, with Ariel and Romina now reversing roles due to her taking control, eventually causing him to breakdown just like she did previously, the 180-degree rule is broken during the heated confrontation between the couple as she is now in a stronger and commanding position over him.
Both Szifron and del Toro use aspects of cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films so that they have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro utilises it to contrast the different conflicting worlds in Pan’s Labyrinth, from the perspective of the fantastical and adventurous Ofelia to the cold and calculated manner of the Captain. Szifron on the other hand t allows the audience to empathise with characters such as Romina through his clever use of different techniques that appropriately convey the attitudes and feeling of the characters on screen.
The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of performance to convey meaning throughout their films in order to have a wide range of effects on the audience.
The basis of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth revolves around the civil war in Spain. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government, that was followed by Fascist and extreme-right forces response, causing an army mutiny and coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
The sequence starts with Ofelia walking gingerly across the wooden floor, wary that her mother is tired and the floor is cold on her feet, moving to lie close to her on the bed, showing that the bond between them is strong and they protect each other, speaking softly to comfort her pain. Carmen is a rational mother, blaming the creaking noises that disconcert Ofelia on the wind whereas Ofelia is continually looking for the fantastical in all elements of reality such as what might be causing the noises. Ofelia is clearly disappointed that her mother decided to marry the Captain, lacking understanding about why she had to in order to survive but fails to show any animosity towards her as she cares for her as she is her mother, but feels that they are in this unsavoury situation because of her mother. Carmen is pregnant with Ofelia’s unborn baby brother and in great pain that continues to unsettle her. Ofelia leans over her stomach and whispers gently to the baby as she has a kind nature, supposedly comforting her brother to ease her mothers pain despite the fact that the baby is causing agony as she cares for them both as a maternal figure, beginning to tell him a story as the audience goes inside her mothers womb where her voice transitions to narration and takes on an echoey quality.
Ofelia continues telling her story until her mother falls asleep, shifting to focus on the Captain who sits with a precise and accurate posture in his separate room, fully uniformed as he is disciplined even when off duty with a calculating nature, gently caring for his gold watch which contrasts his brutality that he has shown so far in the film against those he views as inferior to himself. He begins by enquiring about the welfare of his wife, giving the impression that despite his cruel appearance he does care about her but then brushes the matter aside after the doctor confirms that she is fine, swiftly moving on to ask about his unborn son, preventing his own troops from delivering a message to him so that they might complete the task they were originally sent to the mill for to check that his son is doing well. The fact that he rejects the possibility of his baby being a daughter shows his attitude towards women, creating tension for the audience as he now has two vulnerable women staying at his place of residence who he is likely to disregard and unlikely to go out of his way to ensure their protection once he has the son that he desires. After he learns that his soldiers have captured two prisoners he heads outside to interrogate them. When interrogating the farmers, he disregards their possessions as he has a lack of care for the property of others, also implying that he has already made up his mind about what course of action he should take with them, meaning that when the farmers son bravely backs up his fathers statement that they are merely farmers, doing so in the knowledge that he is surrounded by armed and imposing soldiers, the Captain brutally beats his face repeatedly, leaving his body to drop lifeless to the floor, demonstrating the level in which the Captain’s callous extends too. His savage nature appears to be a predictable trait of his as the soldiers holding the father is able to move quickly out the way before he is shot, showing that his violence is predictable. Two innocent farmers now lye dead on the ground, but after discovering they were telling the truth about simply hunting for rabbits, rather than accepting any blame himself for not searching through the contents of their bag thoroughly, he puts blame on his soldiers who all stand to attention as he addresses them, fearing his command. The Captain need never shout or raise his voice as he shows what the consequences of disobedience will be through his collected and sadistic personality.
Another Global film that appropriately uses performance to convey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, with six different stories, all connected by themes of violence and revenge, directed by Damián Szifron.
At the beginning of the wedding sequence, there is shown to be a large group of guests sitting at tables, laughing and cheering whilst a montage of photos is projected onto a large screen in front of everyone, suggesting that this sequence is going to be taking place during a happy and joyful occasion. The room is filled with energy, moving to the pace of the music as people begin to dance around the room, further showing that this is a lively event. The bride and groom affectionately greet their in-laws with the bride, Romina, embracing her mother-in-law with open arms to show their love and respect for one another that will contrast later on in the sequence when Ariel’s mother will attempt to physically hurt Romina after she threatens her son. This affection sets up a cheerful atmosphere at the start of the sequence noticeably absent later on and also where the first dialogue is spoken, roughly one and a half minutes into the sequence, involving Ariel’s father-in-law congratulating him whilst also providing a passive-aggressive warning to him, implying that there will be consequences should anything negative happen to his daughter during their marriage, giving a sense of foreboding to the remainder of the sequence due to the themes of violence and revenge employed by Szifron throughout the film. Szifron also uses foreshadowing by separating Romina and Ariel when they are dancing which suggests to the audience that they will have a broken relationship in the future.
This lively scene then abruptly cuts to a scene where everyone is seated at tables eating and talking whilst the newlywed couple take photos alongside their relatives and Romina speaks to several in which she clearly tries to force a smile during their conversation to appear interested in what they are saying, often giving artificial responses which could show the audience a possible first glimpse of her fake nature that will grow even more apparent as her and Ariel’s relationship declines after the revelation that he has cheated on her. Her facial expression changes from happiness to appearing suspicious as she spots Ariel with a woman that she doesn’t recognise, slowing down her speech as she focuses on the woman and what they are saying, making it clear to the audience that she feels negatively towards this apparent flirting between her husband and this woman which makes the audience suspicious of Ariel too. This causes her to clearly become distressed compared with the confident swagger of the groom as he almost glides over to her, unaware that Romina suspects anything of him. His face and body language when being questioned by Romina as they take part in their first dance alludes to the fact that he is lying as feebly attempts to act oblivious, neglecting to make eye contact with her as he feels guilty and instead looks around the room at the guests as he cares more about what impression they have on him than being faithful to his own wife. Romina breaks down crying as she moves away from Ariel to dance with her father who seems to be much more empathetic than her mother in law, comforting her as she cries on his shoulder, making the audience sympathise with her more as she is presented as having a much more caring family than Ariel’s mother who seems to show a lack of understanding.
After storming out of the room to get some fresh air upon the rooftop of the building, a chef already up there unprofessionally smoking attempts to calm her down, using a gentle, soothing voice to make her feel safe which works initially in preventing the bride from stressing out any further. This is then however followed by a subversion of the audience’s expectations as Romina leans in to kiss the chef leaving both the chef and the audience in shock, showing how it was an unpredictable move brought on by a feeling of vulnerability now that she has been cheated on by someone she had faith in. This shock is also seen from Ariel who vomits after finding her on the rooftop having sex and threatening him in an enraged speech that transitions her previous feeling of vulnerability and frailty to power and strength as she plots revenge against him, threateningly pointing at him in an accusatory manner whilst yelling at him that demonstrates the suppressed anger she has towards his action. In order to cope with this after they both return to the hall indoors, Ariel drinks alcohol to calm his nerves down just as Romina had done when she feared he had cheated on her, making the drinking of alcohol a repeated device that shows how unstable the mindset of a character has become. This fails to stop his inevitable breakdown at the climax of the sequence, elevating his voice just as Romina had done previously on the rooftop so that she can understand how he is feeling, just as Romina had used shouting for earlier on. Although finally, Szifron chooses to subvert the audiences expectation again as Ariel offers out his hand to the dishevelled looking Romina in tears on the floor just as he did before the truth was uncovered when they first danced together, before proceeding to get intimate on the wedding table and causing a swarm of guests to flood out the door, suggesting that they have both re-kindled their once strong bond whilst showing that they need each other to remain happy as they both end up in abhorrent states of mind when apart.
Both Szifron and del Toro use aspects of performance to convey meaning throughout their films so that they have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro utilises it to show characters react to key information and how certain actions will affect them. Szifron, on the other hand, uses it to allow the audience to understand the mindset of a character and how they changes over time.
The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of sound to convey meaning throughout their films in order to have a wide range of effects on the audience.
The basis of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth revolves around the civil war in Spain. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government, that was followed by Fascist and extreme-right forces response, causing an army mutiny and coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
As the sequence starts, a J-cut is used as the gentle sound of diegetic wind whistling in the background can be heard, giving an ominous tone that builds tension and anticipation for the audience before the story begins. Simultaneously, non-diegetic narration accompanies the wind that gives exposition whilst delivering context to the story that is about to be told. The wind continues to whistle gently as the diegetic sound of blood dripping draws our attention to the blood and the hand, revealing Ofelia lying injured on the ground. The sound mix in this opening scene contributes to a feeling of melancholy for the audience as Ofelia slowly dies from wounds that we are unsure of how they were inflicted upon her. Transitioning from the reality to the fantasy world, an accompanying ominous bass sound indicates a change in location and the non-diegetic score attains a lullaby quality similar to something that a child might sing and changes from being haunting to mystical as there is a shift from death to life and from reality to fantasy. An important factor to note is that the non-diegetic score takes on a slight choir-like quality after switching to the fantasy world, implying a sense of the unknown as it could be linked to ideas of religion and how different people interpret ideas differently depending on their beliefs which plays a strong part in the film as Ofelia is the only one willing to believe in the fantasy world whilst those around her push ideas that involve what they cant be certain is in the real world aside.
As the sequence progresses, there is a change from the fantasy world back to the real world as the non-diegetic score completely stops as Ofelia and her mother are now shown to be in a car, allowing the diegetic dialogue to define the scene, giving important context to the story. When Ofelia is inside the car and standing outside of it, the noise from the car engine is far more prominent than when she begins to walk away from the car later on and stumbles across a mysterious statues and an insect that captures her attention. This has the effect of showing the event from Ofelia’s perspective rather than the soldiers or her mother, further establishing that she is an important character in terms of the upcoming events. The sound mix is used very selectively throughout this scene, for example, when Ofelia picks up the rock, an exaggerated sound of the rock hitting her foot draws attention to the object before the audience sees it, whilst the non-diegetic score starts briefly after she picks it up to show how the rock has significance, becoming more orchestral with the sound of a deep cello as she looks over the ancient statue, adding to the effect on the audience and implying that something isn’t right. her placing of the rock inside the hole in the statue causes a non-diegetic rumble and flutter, building tension before a large insect emerges from the hole in the statue, resulting in the non-diegetic rumble and composed score stopping as it has been revealed to the audience what was causing the noise. This ominous rumble has the effect of creating anticipation , implying that something bad is about to take place before subverting the audiences expectation as they are given reason to believe that they should fear what might possibly be lurking inside whereas in reality, there was no immediate threat of danger, indicated by the stopping of this rumbling noise. The scene changes however from Ofelia’s perspective due to the diegetic dialogue of her and her mother talking not increasing after they both move towards the car, focusing on the insect that emerged from the statue, meaning the dialogue becomes less distinguishable and the fluttering of the insect and the engine noise produced by the car now have a far more prominent place in the sound mix. The sequence ends with the use of another j-cut, as the slow ticking of the hands on the Captain’s watch can be heard as the cars drive off into the distance and during the following close-up shot that focuses on his watch. This indicates to the audience that time has passed before they have reached their destination without showing the rest of their journey.
Another film that appropriately uses sound to covey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, with six different stories, all connected by themes of violence and revenge, directed by Damián Szifron.
At the beginning of the scene, the diegetic song ‘Titanium’ starts playing in the background of the following scene where guests are laughing at a slideshow of old photos and dancing joyfully. The song has a very uplifting beat, making the audiences first impression of the event as a happy and exciting occasion. The lyrics of the song suggest connotations of power and strength which would imply that the couple have a sturdy bedrock for their relationship whereas the reality juxtaposes these ideas as the audience watches their relationship breakdown in dramatic fashion. Diegetic laughter and cheering from the guests are lower in the sound mix but can still be heard clearly in the conflict of the loud diegetic music, conveying the fact that there are a large amount of guests watching, emphasising how many people want to see this momentous occasion for them and the positivity in the room at this point in time, assisting in giving the later scene where the bride verbally lashes out at her husband all the more shocking as everyone appears to be having a wonderful time.
When the bride and groom begin to enter the room, the diegetic music increases slightly in volume, appearing overwhelming in comparison to the other sounds that make up the sound mix that are virtually inaudible. Throughout this scene the music acts as a device that is utilised to set the mood of the characters, so when the music is playing loudly, there is a general feeling of joy and happiness that engulfs the room but when its silent, there is typically something wrong between a selection of the characters and their changing attitude towards each other. As the bride and groom dance with their friends, there is a much more audible sound of men cheering when Ariel is separated from Romina, whilst the sound of women screaming is accentuated in the sound mix when focusing on Romina, insinuating that the couple are putting on a façade for their guests, hiding away from the fact that they aren’t as committed to each other as they are presenting whilst the separation of the couple in the sound mix suggests that the relationship is already unbalanced and incapable of remaining stable.
After cutting to an alternate dancing scene, the diegetic song ‘Titanium’ stops playing and is immediately replaced by the sound of diegetic Klezma music bellowing loudly in the foreground, performed by a live band in front of a large group of dancing guest including Ariel and Romina. The Klezma music increases the pace of the scene as the rapid music presents a lively atmosphere, further demonstrating to the audience that this is an exciting wedding that everyone is currently enjoying. Klezma music is typically performed during Jewish celebrations, signifying to the audience that this is a Jewish wedding which gives context to the sequence and provides insight into the religious culture of Argentina.
The music continues as they dance until it abruptly stops after a time change that transfers the audience from watching a buoyant dancing scene to a quiet and calm scene where guests are eating at tables and the couple move from table to table to take a picture with them. The music is replaced with the diegetic sound if cutlery clanking together and slow indistinct chatter which gives less significant items much more prominence in the mix than previously to show a much calmer situation. Romina speaks with members of her family as she tries to appease them, pointing out how she knows certain people sitting at different tables before spotting Ariel appearing to flirt with a woman that she is unfamiliar with whilst its implied that she believes there is something dubious going on between them. The diegetic sound of Ariel and the mystery woman speaking comes from the brides perspective with the focus directed on their conversation whilst other sounds in the mix decrease in volume as they are less important to the story, telling the audience that her doubts about whether Ariel has cheated on her will be important to the outcome of both characters. Romina starts to walk over to her own table so that she can take out her phone, hoping to uncover whether she is correct. Diegetic phone ringing sounds reveal her intention to call someone which is then revealed to be the mystery woman. After picking up the phone, the diegetic voice of the woman comes from the perspective of Romina, as the faint sounds come through her own phone, allowing a feeling if sympathy towards her from the audience as by showing the events happening from her point of view, the audience us more capable of understanding the trauma she is going through and is therefore able to more easily connect with her. Romina is unable to consider what she has just learnt as the lights grow darker and the soft and gentle melody of ‘Blue Danube’ begins to play as Ariel approaches his wife to dance with her, presenting a sense of irony as the sing is slow and romantic but there is a lack of romance between the couple now that she discovered he has been unfaithful to her, contrasting her current emotions and making Romina’s situation appear even more tragic.
After becoming overwhelmed by the dance she quickly leaves the room and stumbles her way to the roof where she is followed by Ariel, unleashing her bottled up anger towards his actions leaving him shocked and vomiting on the rooftop. As she returns from the rooftop, liberated and free, the previously fast paced non-diegetic music returns combined with a variety of conflicting sounds in the mix, adding to the feeling of chaos at the wedding whilst the bride and her guests exuberant dancing shows her newfound feeling of control and freedom. Romina’s resentment for being created on remain however as she forces the woman she had been cheated on with to dance, spinning her around rapidly and sending her flying into a mirror. The sound mix becomes increasingly conflicted during this scene with the loud and disorientating sounds of the diegetic music and dialogue promoting a sense of dizziness for the audience that only stops after she crashes into the mirror, leaving the audience with a sense of horror as all non-diegetic sounds have abruptly stopped to focus on the severity of her injury.
As the sequence reaches its climax, there is a feeling of suspense in the scene due to a lack of music. The diegetic sound of the wedding guests are now more prominent than before such as their faint talking and Ariel popping open a champagne bottle. As the couple reconnect hands, the non-diegetic song ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ begins to play after they immediately connect hands once again. The irony of this is that the song doesn’t reflect the current attitude shared amongst the majority of the guests or between the couple as everyone appears stressed and detached. The couple however begin to slow dance in front of the bewildered guests lookin on whilst the non-diegetic song continues to play, leaving Romina and Ariel to have sex on the wedding table where the cake once stood with no diegetic sounds present to signify that the film is coming to an end.
Both Szifron and del Toro use sound to convey meaning throughout their films to have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro utilises it to show the importance of different object and creatures whilst using it to create suspense and build tension. Szifron on the other hand uses sound to allow the audience to empathise with characters and create a sound mix that reflects their attitudes at the time, showing how they are changing over the course of the sequence.
The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of mise-en-scene to convey meaning throughout their films and have a wide range of effects on the audience.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth focuses on the civil war in Spain. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government causing Fascist and extreme-right forces to respond with a coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
During the Pale Man sequence, Ofelia opens a doorway to a hidden lair of an ancient monster so that she can retrieve a golden dagger with a key she found from her earlier task. At the start of the sequence, Ofelia is located within her room with del Toro using a dark colour palette to demonstrate how she is confined in the Captain’s world with one window the main source of light, partially barred by wooden planks and leaves which only provides a small glimpse of light shining into the room, showing that she is a prisoner, creating fear for the audience as we feel confined and as hopeless as she feels in his grasp. When she opens the book given to her by the Faun, the pages change from being a blank to reveal a picture of the Pale Man she is soon to encounter, depicted in a similar style to the drawings of Alice in Wonderland with pastorally colours that make the picture appear less threatening than its real life counterpart, thereby deceiving the audience as to the dangerous nature of the creature which makes its appearance all the more terrifying. Del Toro foreshadows this appearance of the Pale Man in order to have an effect on the audience, creating suspense for the creatures emergence. After drawing a small door shaped outline with chalk given to her by the Faun, Ofelia pushes open the new door in the wall to gaze into the piercingly bright lair of the Pale Man. Del Toro’s creative decision to change the colour palette from a cold blue to a far warmer red indicates a change from the reality of the Captain’s world to the fantasy world that she is about to step into which shows the audience that Ofelia is temporarily free from the Captain’s entrapment.
Del Toro gives the appearance of the Pale Man’s lair aspects of typical gothic design as the vaulted ancient ceiling gives the impression of catacombs underneath a cathedral with a chessboard-like floor which gives the audience the impression that the creature is mythological and enhances the mystery and intrigues surrounding the monster. There are further references made to the story Alice in Wonderland such as the oversized sand timer that she places in the doorway before she steps down to keep track of how much time she has left, emphasising to the audience its importance to the plot. The corridor that leads to the main chamber curves around a winding corner to show how deep the lair is whilst the windows are smaller than typical windows which demonstrates that she will be unable to get out; these various elements of the lair present to the audience that Ofelia is small in comparison to the task she is facing and how the task will be overwhelming for her, creating anticipation as it seems that she will inevitably face trouble in escaping from this place. Ofelia emerges into a huge expansive chamber, dominated by a large table that almost extends the length of the entire room with a figure at the end of it, resembling the Captain in a previous scene when he had previously held his feast for a group of the most important people including the doctor and other fascist sympathisers, heading the table as a commanding and evil figure and showing that both characters are as evil as each other, creating a further sense of foreboding for the fate of Ophelia. Del Toro uses an extraordinary collection of different foods including jellies and overflowing fruit piled up on this table to form a large banquet, something that a child might possibly imagine as all this food is unavailable due to the rationing brought into effect by the war, hinting towards the fact that she could be imagining what she used to have but can now only dream of which has increased relevance given the ending of the film which can be left up to interpretation as to whether Ophelia imagines all these events.
The towering figure that heads the table is the Pale Man; a skinny giant with large flaps of pale skin that dominate its body as the murals on the wall of his lair depict him eating large amounts of children as a creature of legend, but he hasn’t been able to eat in a long time, causing him to grow thin and frail allowing for him to look even more visually horrifying to the audience. There is a substantial amount of shoes piled up across the chamber; a visual reference to the concentration camps at Auschwitz during WW2 which is when the story is set and so the atrocities that resulted in the deaths of thousands of children would have been occurring at the time, links the creature to the atrocities of real life events and how its actions have caused the deaths of an enormous amount of innocent people, further influencing the audiences mindset that Ophelia is in grave danger. A fire situated behind the Pale Man appears to represent satanic imagery such as the mouth of hell, further utilising the hellish imagery seen in the murals to show how this monstrosity of a creature has a clear evil intent.
At first Ofelia chooses to acknowledge the figure before moving on to focus at the task of finding the dagger. She uses the shining and golden key with a twig handle, referencing Ofelia’s natural elements that link her to the rebels, to open a hatch so that she can obtain an ancient looking knife wrapped in a cloth with a golden handle that further links to the colour palette used to identify the fantasy world. Her temptation to take and eat the grapes is caused by them being oversized which gives them a succulent and divine appearance, referencing to the forbidden fruit in genesis where Eve was tempted to eat the fruit from the tree of life that had been forbidden from her, and like Eve, Ofelia’s actions lead to loss as two fairies die as she attempts to make her escape.
Another film that appropriately uses mise-en-scene to covey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, with six different stories, all connected by themes of violence and revenge, directed by Damián Szifron.
Focusing on the wedding sequence, it starts with a montage of old childhood photos that present the innocence of the couple which will later contrast their nature in the sequence and help the audience to infer relevant information about the sequence such as it being a family event that wouldn’t be available at this point in the scene without this context. The setting of the wedding gives a distinct rich and privileged appearance with lots of champagne glasses, expensive alcohol, golden chandeliers and tuxedos that all contribute towards this whilst also creating a disturbing feeling later on in the sequence when the bride later threatens to take everything away from him as they speak on the rooftop after she discovers he’s been cheating on her, allowing the audience to grasp the scale and severity of her threats and what she would be taking away. There is also a use of pathetic fallacy on the rooftop, used to demonstrate her ferocity as she lashes out at him and simultaneously, a bolt of lightning can be seen striking behind her in the distance as the sound of thunder follows thereafter.
Before these events however, the bride and groom first appear from behind a curtain as they joyously bound towards their in-laws, greeting them affectionately. The fact that they appear from behind a curtain immediately implies to the audience that their relationship is a façade and they are putting on a show to appease their guests as they wish to avoid criticism. The groom, Ariel, has neglected to shave for his own wedding showing his lack of care for his new wife, foreshadowing the fact that is unfaithful to her and the caring attitude that we were originally led to believe that he had is replaced with suspicion as it is a sign of his intention to conceal his cheating nature. After the buoyant dancing, the crowded setting is replaced by a much calmer and spacious one, where all their guests are sitting down as the bride, Romina, talks with them and points out from what backgrounds everyone is from in relation to them. Romina is drawn to her husband appearing to flirt with a mystery woman across from the room and therefore uses her initiative to uncover whether her suspicions that her husband might not be as caring as she once thought, by using her phone. The phone is used as a device to discover the secret that Ariel has cheated on Romina and is used to call the mystery woman who he had been flirting with earlier, leading to her confronting her husband during their first dance where its revealed to her that her suspicions were true. To escape this embarrassing and distressing situation, Romina runs frantically down a long, narrow hallway that leads to a fire escape and on to the rooftop. This hallway suggests to the audience that she feels trapped and claustrophobic because of the events that have just transpired and now feels as though everything is closing in around her, betrayed and alone. Her white wedding dress is intended to represent the idea of purity and innocence that is present in her character before she discovers the harrowing truth of her husband’s deceit, but the white becomes tainted with blood later on after she smashes the mystery woman into a mirror, showing that her innocence has been fragmented by this act and has stained her personality that can never wash out and return to her original purity, symbolised by this dress.
As the film reaches its climax, a broken cake, glass and ripped out hair show the destruction both physically and mentally inflicted on one another and how it has caused chaos for both them and their guests. At this point it seems unlikely there will be a happy ending for either of them, until Ariel offers out his hand possibly in forgiveness and apology and they slow dance alone on the stained floor as their guests look on in amazement. The final image is a particularly striking one, depicting a bride and groom statue resting crooked on the floor as the couple have sex on the adjacent table where the cake once stood, which could be symbolic of all the evenets that have occurred at the ceremony and how as a couple. they have both fallen down but still remain together despite the anguish they have caused each other.
Both Szifron and del Toro use aspects of mise-en-scene to convey meaning throughout their films to have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro utilises it to show the contrasting world’s from the realistic and the fantastical in Pan’s Labyrinth, and how they share similarities with each other that only Ofelia is compelled to see. Szifron on the other hand uses mise-en-scene to allow the audience to empathise with characters through the use of symbolic imagery that appropriately coveys how they are feeling or how they have changes as people on screen.
Iris shots are used to manipulate what the audience should focus on such as the death note 1
The newspaper is absurdly large as he continues to open it up multiple times, acting as a comedic tool whilst he also replaces a gun with a banana . The mise-en-scene is deliberately unrealistic to show how out of place he is in this new town he had been thrown into 2
Whilst aiming at some bottles for target practice, he accidentally shoots a man who reacts in an over exaggerated manner, leaping high into the air and running rapidly away clutching his injured behind in an overly paced way to show the pain he is in 2
His shooting at one target and hitting another when aiming at the bottles and later shooting from behind his back and under his legs causes injury and destruction around him as he is careless and inexperienced 2
Painting a hook on a wall to hang your hat is an inventive way of manipulating the setting in which he is placed 2
The design of the house of the man who is about to be killed with its unique use of trap doors and moving beds that extend into another room is an expressive method of using mise-en-scene. Its also unrealistic that all the rooms in the house can be seen at the same time as he moves from one room to another when running away from the gang 2
Realist
An ordinary person getting caught up in extraordinary events 3
Gangs in America were commonplace during the 1920s, hiding away behind false front such as the gun range that hides the ‘Blinking Buzzards’ 3
Carrying a firearm during the 1920s was legal in America which made crimes such as robbery common as it was easy to obtain a gun without being caught 3
Wide shots are typically used in the rooms in the house as they chase each other 1
Long depth of field is traditionally used throughout the majority of scenes to focus on everything that’s happening 1
The exaggerated mise-en-scene through the use of common household objects placed in unusual areas and being used in abstract ways such as the salt hanging above the table on strings ready to pour and the space for the table on the wall to make it easier to wash
The car topples backwards when a large man sits at the back of it and despite being partially realistic, its an expressive depiction of what would actually happen to emphasise the mans weight for comedic effect
The woman they are both attempting to seduce briefly looks at the camera after running away from the scarecrow as she engages with the audience to convey her shock and confusion
His athleticism as he crosses over the river on his hands is unnecessary but is used for entertainment as it provides a joke as he tries to prevent getting wet despite doing so anyway
The horse is given the appearance that its real as there are two horses next to each other so when the woman rushes off he is left behind on a fake horse located on a stand, leaving him in bewilderment
Realist
The idea of two men going after the same girl is a common theme often used in both 20th century literature and film as it could connect with the audience because it was highly likely that some had experienced this for themselves as they were living in a male dominated society
Continuity editing depicts a narrative in a linear way that lets the story play out in time
When the dog chases Buster, he runs away in panic and fear as he believes he is about to be bitten by a rabid dog which was easily contractible during that period of time as there were less vaccination and animal control programmes set up before the 1940’s
The scarecrows jacket contains inside it a hidden bottle of alcohol as this was the prohibition era which didn’t end until 1933
Keaton lights a cigarette after his chase with the supposedly rabid dog which would have been a common activity as tobacco was widely available and seen as a fashionable habit as there was less awareness about the dangers it could cause
André Bazin was a film critic, theorist, philosopher and humanist who wrote a series of essays between the years 1944 and 1958 outlining his theories.
Bazin opposes classical and expressive editing on the following counts. The geographically and psychologically logical cutting within a scene does not add anything to the intent of a scene, only adding emphasis. If the scene has only one simple meaning why insult the audience’s intelligence with needless and obvious close-ups? If the scene is complex why presuppose only one meaning? Expressive editing invents meaning through juxtaposition of the images and not through the images themselves, whilst removing the freedom on the part of the spectator to select for themselves.
Bazin is not against editing which forms the basis of film structure, but is against optical illusions (and expressive editing that adds meaning through the juxtaposition rather than content of each image). Bazin employs a simple aesthetic criteria for deciding when to edit: anytime two or more objects/subjects are necessary to the construction of meaning in a scene, depth of field is preferable over editing.
He splits directors into two groups: one which bases integrity in the images (Jean Renoir) and another in the reality (Sergei Eisenstein). Imagists can either fall into the category of working with plastics such as lighting or those that work with editing. Realists on the other hand choose not to distort time and instead attempt to depict true reality.
Bazin prefers that filmmakers use longer takes with less cuts so it appears more realistic and a deeper depth of field. He also prefers the audience to make their own judgements about what they are watching with the freedom to direct their own viewing process including what to look at, how long they should look at it and what they should look at first. His opinion on film is that it isn’t art, rather reality and that montage is misleading and falsifies what the audience are watching.
In ‘One Week’, both expressive and realist elements are used to create narrative meaning throughout the film in order to move the story forwards.
Expressive
Buster carries a supposedly brick chimney up a tall ladder that he had taken off the front of his porch as attempts to build his crooked house which should be an impossible feat as a traditional chimney would have been heavy and not nearly light enough to carry.
Buster’s wife is in a bathtub where she is washing herself to get clean after the mil explosion in her face. She reaches for a bar of soap located next to the bathtub which is just out of reach so she begins to reach for it, half-standing, before stopping and acknowledging the camera, engaging with the audience and breaking the fourth wall before the hand of presumably the cameraman covers the lens as she once again reaches for the soap and moving away once the wife has sat back down, acting as a joke as it initially gives the audience the impression that she is going to stand up without clothes, therefore breaking the illusion whilst having an effect on the audience.
The spinning around of the house as he attempts to get back in is unrealistic in the windy circumstances and presents how hopeless the husband is as his feeble attempts to get back into the house repeatedly fail and his poor craftsmanship leads to the destruction of their American dream
Pathetic fallacy could be considered under both categories as weather is natural, but the specific timing of the weather in cohesion with the disastrous events around them makes it seem more expressive than realist when the rain and wind, representing their futile situation as their guests leave, their house falls apart around them and they spend the night sleeping cold on their suitcase covered in mud.
At the climax of the film, when the house gets stuck on tracks with an approaching train. The husband and wife both attempt to move the house before diving out the way which passes by on the other side of the track, completely missing the house leaving them in a relieved state before another train hits it head on. The camera angle means that from the audiences perspective, the train is about to hit and by doing this, it creates suspense as the audience anticipate the house will be destroyed and then shock when it misses and is then hit in the opposite direction, sending the house crumbling to the ground
Realist
The wide shot showing the sudden explosion of milk in the wife’s face is very realistic as during the 1920s there were no tabs on milk bottles, meaning the user had to poke the cover off, causing the milk to spray everywhere and create a mess as scene in the film
There are several references to superstition in the film – the reaction from the women in the house at the umbrella being open indoors is supposed to bring bad luck to its user and his disposal of the horse shoe after he has been launched out of his house and he and his wife sit drearily in the mud with their suitcase. A horseshoe is supposed to bring good luck and fortune when hung over a persons front door. His throwing away of the object could signify his loss of hope that his house is going to be a success.
‘Buster’ Keaton was born in Kansas on October 4th 1895 to his parents Joe and Myra, Vaudevillian comedians that gave Keaton an exciting upbringing that would later inspire his comedic antics. He had already started acting alongside his parents at the age of four, where it was normal for ‘Buster’ to be thrown around the stage and towards hecklers in the audience.
A chance encounter with film star and director Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle started his career when he was invited to be in his upcoming film The Butcher Boy (1917) that helped to launcher his film career. Keaton’s short films soon became too limiting and after multiple popular films such as One Week (1920) and Cops (1922), he made the transition to feature films, with his first being Three Ages (1923). The most renowned of Keaton’s comedies in Sherlock Jr. (1924) which used special effects that received mixed reviews as critics and audiences alike had never seen anything like it before. His Civil War film The General (1926) was the largest and most expensive sequence ever seen at the time, where a bridge collapses causing an oncoming train to fall into the river. Despite its shocking and never before seen drama, audiences didn’t respond well to the film, disliking the loss of comedy for over the top drama.
After a few more silent features such as Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928), Keaton had his contract sold to MGM, sending his career, legacy, and personal life into a downward spiral. His first film with MGM was The Cameraman (1928), which is regarded as one of his best silent comedies, but the release signified the loss of control Keaton would incur, never again regaining his film -making independence.
His first appearance in a film with sound was the film The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929), though despite it’s popularity, MGM increasingly reduced his creative control over his films and by 1932, his marriage to Natalie Talmadge had dissolved when she sued him for divorce, resulting in the loss of his home, the bulk of his assets, and contact with his children. They were disallowed from speaking about their father or seeing him but rekindled their relationship with him when they came of age. His hardships in his professional and private life had been slowly taking their toll and culminated his own dependence on alcohol by the early 1930’s causing him to be fired by MGM in 1933, leaving him an alcoholic.
The invention of film in 1895 by the Lumiere brothers in France created opportunities over the world to produce new and exciting entertainment for everybody to enjoy.
In America, reels with 8 – 12 mins of film were projected on to a large screen with some narrative films using a standard of ‘2 reeler’ films that were between 16 – 24 mins in length. The first cinemas were introduced after WW1 but were very different from the cinemas of the 21st century, lacking sound and colour with a mere 12fps compared to the traditional 24fps audiences have grown used to as commonplace in films today. Film became viewed as popular entertainment for everybody to have fun with the majority being comedy and romance films. The beginning of the studio system began during the 1910 – 1920s, where 6 different studios continually produced a wide variety of films in competition with each other. The popularity of these films brought about a star system in America as the country is capitalist, with the most popular actors of the time being paid an increased amount of money to star in a studios film as a specific name on a film would make someone want to see a film and therefore bring in more money for the studio. Glamorous women in film became known as ‘Pin – up girls’ whilst some standout names of the early era of Hollywood being, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Laurel and Hardy who were popular due to there bravery and athleticism admired in actors of the age.
The sequence starts from a black screen with a longer interlude between sequences than any other that helps to build the anticipation and establishes it as the final sequence before fading in. The cuts in the opening scene of this sequence appear to frequently take place on the beat of the music, making the action seem smoother and more natural. Klezma music begins to play and as it does, the pace of the editing increases to match a change in pace of the action, rhythm and excitement of the characters that allows the audience to feel excited simultaneously. Alternating shots between the bride and groom with an equal amount of screen time and fast paced editing also add to a feeling of happiness and gives the audience a chance to compare their personalities. A graphic overlay further shows it’s a performance as he looks towards the camera as they both kiss.
A jarring cut from the lively and free flowing steadicam shots to static shots as the music suddenly stops is surprising to the audience as it completely takes them out of the action, making them consider what they have just witnessed from the leading characters in relation to how they are being presented now. This scene starts off by using contiguity editing when the couple is forced to take a photo at every table of relatives which shows the time change between each photo and makes clear that they have had to engage in this activity a multitude of times which juxtaposes the excitement of the previous scene which demonstrates that the party is over and therefore the happy part of this sequence is over. In this scene, a lot of shot/reverse shots allow a greater focus on the dialogue as its important to the narrative. At this point, the pace of the editing has slowed down to present a less chaotic and calmer atmosphere. As Romina walks over to her table after becoming suspicious of her husband, there is no cut to draw attention to her performance as she slowly begins to realise what has happened. Shot/reverse shot is also used once again when Romina questions Ariel as they dance, cutting to a wide shot when he confirms her suspicions that shows a change in character attitude. Ariel gets increasingly more nervous, shown through an increase in frequency of shots focusing on his reaction as he reveals his guilt. After Romina leaves, Ariel follows her to a long hallway where he looks both ways and then cuts before he decided which way to go, implying to the audience that he is going to go the wrong way which will give the bride more time to escape. Nearing the end of the sequence, there are no cuts when Romina has returned from the rooftop and begins to move the cake into position. This is done to show both how she is in control of the relationship but also how the whole situation has disorientated her, making the audience feel awkward as she slowly moves it into position reflecting the current state of mind of all her guests at the wedding.
Aaron Bruce's Film Studies Blog 