Thelma and Louise, directed by Ridley Scott (1991) is about two women, Louise who is working as a waitress in a roadside diner, and her best friend Thelma, whose husband likes her to keep quiet in the kitchen whilst he watches TV. They decide to take a short weekend getaway to break out of their normal mundane lives, but things go horribly wrong when they stop at a bar and a man tries to rape Thelma. Louise can't bare to see her friend getting hurt and shoots him, killing him. Due to the incriminating circumstances, they make a run for it but are soon followed closely by the authorities, including a local policeman who is sympathetic to their plight. However, the Federal authorities have less compassion, and a car chase across the country ensues for the two fugatives.
The lighting in this film creates a naturalistic feel as a lot of sunlight was used in the day, and little or no artificial lighting was used for the night scenes. The costume added a lot to the film, and tells the audience about the character and their personality. For example, at the beginning of the film we see Louise in her work uniform which consists of an apron, a cap and a white dress. She looks like a pisoner which kind of shows she is stuck in an unhappy rut and wants to break out. It conforms to the stereotypical image of a waitress, and identifies her as a working class woman in a low status job.
Also at the beginning when the girls are setting off on their break, Thelma is wearing a pretty white dress. This shows her femininity, purity and innocence. Throughout the film as we see her rediscover her self strength, she begins to wear a black leather jacket. The connotations of the black clothing could be there to show her independance and strength as a person, as she finally stands up to her controlling husband, and dumps him. It could also symbolise danger, as she robs a shop, and holds a police officer at gunpoint, before robbing him too and locking him in the boot of his car.
Other costume, such as the clothing worn by the people in the bar, also add a naturalistic tone to the film. It creates realism, as they are very casually dressed, and you wouldn't see people wearing suits, etc, in a roadside bar.
Thelma's husband Darrel is potrayed as a selfish, sloppy and sexist pig, who likes to sit around in a dirty vest and a pair of shorts, and resorts to eating leftover pizza if his wife doesn't prepare his meals.
The photo of Thelma and Louise is used as an important prop, and is significant in the film as it represents their long lasting relationship. It is taken before they leave for their weekend away, capturing their friendship and their feelings for each other. The next time we see this photo, it is in he back of their car as they drive off the cliff together. It makes the audience think of everything they've been through together, and how they both rediscover the strength of their friendship in the trying times. It also makes them empathise with the girls as the whole situation was an accident.
The setting of the film is all mostly done on locaion. This is another aspect which adds to the naturalistic tone of the film.
Non diegetic music in this film adds to the feel of the scenes, and creates the appropriate mood where necessary. The theme that followed the girls whilst they were on the road was an ambient/country guitar style theme. This was repeated throughout the film and also linked with the location and culture of the film. Examples of diegetic music are the live band in the first bar Thelma and Louise go to, various jukeboxes in diners and bars, sprinklers outside peoples houses, plates clashing in Louise's diner, and the TV in Darrels home. Also, the sirens and tyre screeches from the police car chase, this adds to the sense of danger and action, and adds suspense.
Cross-cutting/parallel editing was used to show Thelma and Louise packing for their departure, meaning we saw the two different locations and how differently the two characters pack. the 180 degree rule was used when the police were watching tv at Darrel's house, showing what they were all looking at. Montage editing is used to rotate between Thelma and Louise and the car when driving at night, this could have been used to show the time passing. The same with the scene where the truck explodes. Lots of shots from different angles were repeated for emphasis. At the end of the film when the girls continued to drive off the Grand Canyon, the screen flashed to white into the ending credits, meaning the audience never really see what happens to them, and kind of leaves it to them to decide how it ends.
Many different camera angles were used to convey differnt moods, feelings and situations. For example, at the beginning the reverse shots showed the two girls on the phone, which introduces the audience to the characters, and allows them to see the two differen locations, as well as what each of the two characters are doing at the same time. The close ups in the bar when everyone is dancing shows the detail of the costumes and locations. Also, when Thelma robs the shop, we see what happens through the CCTV camera, which is filming at a high angle shot. Thelma always remains in the centre of the screen, showing she is important with a higher status and in charge of the situation. At the end of the film when the girls are cornered on the edge of the Grand Canyon, the camera pans across the police cars, and also shows a high angle shot of them all. It emphasises the situation and suggests there is no way out for them. This makes the audience feel for the characters aswell because they know it was all an accident. Match shots are used when the girls are talking just before they drive off the edge. It shows a close up of their faces which allows the audience to see their expressions and reactions.
Overall, I really enjoyed this film. I found lots of things to talk about and had fun analysing it. It was quite emotional aswell, I felt quite sad at the end because I imagine Thelma and Louise would have felt very isolated, helpless and alone. It was quite sad to think that Louise tried to protect her friend and do the best by her, but in the end it didn't matter because they felt they only had one option. On the other hand, it's quite a happy ending because I could see that they were unhappy with their lives, especially Thelma, and at the end they were kind of free to be themselves. When the screen flashes to white in the ending credits, it kind of made me think of when people say you see a white light when you die, and it's peaceful. They drive off the edge into the white light.
Monday 30 November 2009
Friday 13 November 2009
Coursework Film Analysis
It's A Boy Girl Thing - Editing and Mise-En-Scene:
Directed by: Nick Hurren
Release date: 2006
The opening credits of the film are cartoons of stick men. They show a girl and a boy growing up, and they're always fighting. For example, in one part of it, the boy character throws a rugby ball at the girl whilst she's skipping. This shows the relationship between the two main characters.
In the scene where Nell and Woody are in the museum looking at the statue, there are lots of different camera angles showing them having a conversation. We already know they don't like each other because they're arguing. Most of the camera angles focus on the statue, thats what causes the switch in their body's. When they're having the arguement, there is lots of eyeline matching, this shows both of the characters facial expressions and reactions. There is a high angle shot of the two when they're speaking, also shows the statue which looks like its letting out some kind of spirit thing. We see this again when they switch bodies.
In the scene where Nell and Woody change bodies, the screem is split into two frames to show what each of the characters are doing, and tells us whats happening to them both.
Nells costume and house/room tell us a lot about her character. She wears nerdy girlie clothes, and has a very neat appearance. Also, her room is very tidy and organised. This tells us she is an organised person who takes care in her appearance, and is smart. Whereas Woody wears jeans and a tshirt, he looks very casual and a bit sloppy. His room is messy and unorganised, tells us he is a typical boy, and a cool kid. They're two completely different people.
The pros of using this clip was that there were quite a few different camera angles used, the cons were that apart from the camera angles there wasn't much to talk about.
Zombieland - Mise-En-Scene and Cinematography:
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Release date: 2009
In the very opening scene, we're immediately introduced to a fractured society. This is shown through the camera angle - it appears to be tipped on its side showing the destruction of the city. Things are burning and smashed, and then there is an extreme close up of a zombies face, which introduces the type of characters. The camera is shakey in this opening scene, which could suggest that it is handheld. Throughout the film, Columbus has a list of rules that he says will help him survive a zombie attack. He goes through the list at the very beginning, then he reminds us of the various rules depending on the situation. For example, whenever he applies the "double tap" rule, it comes up on the screen along with the rule number.
During the opening credits of the film, there are slow motion shots of different people running from the zombies, and people turning into zombies. The slow motion emphasizes what is going on in the scenes, and allows the audience to see clearly what is going on.
Edward Scissorhands - Mise-En-Scene and Cinematography:
Directed by: Tim Burton
Release date: 1990
The opening credits and the title of the film are shown in the shape of scissor blades, (e.g. film title moves as if it was a pair of scissors opening an closing) which links in with the title ‘Edward Scissorhands’. Also, the camera zooms out on a pair of hands, this suggests that something has happened to his hands. Again it links in with the title, and it hints as to what the film might be about. Also a shot of a pair of scissors, linking in again. There is a fairytale/fantasy element running throughout the film, e.g. the snow. At the very beginning of the film we see snow, then we see cut out shapes fall like snow, and then we see it snowing again when the shot changes to the bedroom (which also has snowflake type wallpaper). At the end of the film it snows again,, which links back to the opening scene when the old lady is telling the story of why it snows.
The journey up the stairs of the castle are shown from the point of view of a character. This allows the audience too feel part of the scene and lets them see things from a characters perspective. This also happens when the door is opened as the camera goes through it. The camera zooms in on the dead man on the floor, who looks very pale. This suggests it could be important later in the film, and it is because he is the inventor who made Edward, but we dont know this until later in the film. There’s a shot of the dark castle on the hill seen through the window of the old lady’s house. It is kind of like two worlds in one. It suggests the person living there is mysterious and isolated. Whereas in the old lady’s house, it is quite cosy, and she has her granddaughter for company. There is a contrast between the two locations.
Directed by: Nick Hurren
Release date: 2006
The opening credits of the film are cartoons of stick men. They show a girl and a boy growing up, and they're always fighting. For example, in one part of it, the boy character throws a rugby ball at the girl whilst she's skipping. This shows the relationship between the two main characters.
In the scene where Nell and Woody are in the museum looking at the statue, there are lots of different camera angles showing them having a conversation. We already know they don't like each other because they're arguing. Most of the camera angles focus on the statue, thats what causes the switch in their body's. When they're having the arguement, there is lots of eyeline matching, this shows both of the characters facial expressions and reactions. There is a high angle shot of the two when they're speaking, also shows the statue which looks like its letting out some kind of spirit thing. We see this again when they switch bodies.
In the scene where Nell and Woody change bodies, the screem is split into two frames to show what each of the characters are doing, and tells us whats happening to them both.
Nells costume and house/room tell us a lot about her character. She wears nerdy girlie clothes, and has a very neat appearance. Also, her room is very tidy and organised. This tells us she is an organised person who takes care in her appearance, and is smart. Whereas Woody wears jeans and a tshirt, he looks very casual and a bit sloppy. His room is messy and unorganised, tells us he is a typical boy, and a cool kid. They're two completely different people.
The pros of using this clip was that there were quite a few different camera angles used, the cons were that apart from the camera angles there wasn't much to talk about.
Zombieland - Mise-En-Scene and Cinematography:
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Release date: 2009
In the very opening scene, we're immediately introduced to a fractured society. This is shown through the camera angle - it appears to be tipped on its side showing the destruction of the city. Things are burning and smashed, and then there is an extreme close up of a zombies face, which introduces the type of characters. The camera is shakey in this opening scene, which could suggest that it is handheld. Throughout the film, Columbus has a list of rules that he says will help him survive a zombie attack. He goes through the list at the very beginning, then he reminds us of the various rules depending on the situation. For example, whenever he applies the "double tap" rule, it comes up on the screen along with the rule number.
During the opening credits of the film, there are slow motion shots of different people running from the zombies, and people turning into zombies. The slow motion emphasizes what is going on in the scenes, and allows the audience to see clearly what is going on.
Edward Scissorhands - Mise-En-Scene and Cinematography:
Directed by: Tim Burton
Release date: 1990
The opening credits and the title of the film are shown in the shape of scissor blades, (e.g. film title moves as if it was a pair of scissors opening an closing) which links in with the title ‘Edward Scissorhands’. Also, the camera zooms out on a pair of hands, this suggests that something has happened to his hands. Again it links in with the title, and it hints as to what the film might be about. Also a shot of a pair of scissors, linking in again. There is a fairytale/fantasy element running throughout the film, e.g. the snow. At the very beginning of the film we see snow, then we see cut out shapes fall like snow, and then we see it snowing again when the shot changes to the bedroom (which also has snowflake type wallpaper). At the end of the film it snows again,, which links back to the opening scene when the old lady is telling the story of why it snows.
The journey up the stairs of the castle are shown from the point of view of a character. This allows the audience too feel part of the scene and lets them see things from a characters perspective. This also happens when the door is opened as the camera goes through it. The camera zooms in on the dead man on the floor, who looks very pale. This suggests it could be important later in the film, and it is because he is the inventor who made Edward, but we dont know this until later in the film. There’s a shot of the dark castle on the hill seen through the window of the old lady’s house. It is kind of like two worlds in one. It suggests the person living there is mysterious and isolated. Whereas in the old lady’s house, it is quite cosy, and she has her granddaughter for company. There is a contrast between the two locations.
Monday 9 November 2009
'The Graduate'
'The Graduate' (1967) was directed by Mike Nichols. This film is based around the life of Benjamin, a confused 21 year old who has recently graduated from college and is worried about his future, as his parents have high expectations of him. At his celebratory "homecoming" party, the wife of his fathers business partner, Mrs. Robinson, tries to seduce Benjamin after insisting he drives her home. A sordid affair grows from this, which eventually ends, but comes back to haunt him when he finds himself falli in love with Elaine, the daughter of Mrs. Robinson.
At the very beginning of the film when Benjamin is sat on the plane, there is a close up of his face, this introduces his character straight away, and also shows the audience his facial expressions, telling them what he is feeling. When he gets back home, he is sat in his room in front of the fish tank looking sad and down. There is a close up of his face so we can clearly see the emotion in his face. We can also hear the bubbles from the fish tank (diegetic sound) in this scene. It adds a sense of tranquility and calmness to the scene, which contrasts the excitement of the party downstairs. Benjamin clearly doesn't want to go down and join in with the party, it makes the audience wonder what's wrong with him, so they watch on to find out. When Benjamin takes Mrs. Robinson home, the scene cuts from the doorway outside of her house to the inside of her house. The two scenes are spliced together to speed up the narrative of the film. The film also keeps doing lots of quick cuts when Mrs. Robinson is stood naked in Elaine's bedroom. The camera keeps quickly cutting to exposed parts of her body, so we don't see too much detail, this leaves a little to the audiences imagination aswell, which engages them. An example of cross cutting in this fim is when Ben and Mrs. Robinson are talking on the phone. We see shots of each of them at seperate locations speaking on the phone at the same time. It shows the audience what each of them are doing at the same time. There is a quick cut from the kitchen scene where Benjamin tells his parents he is marrying Elaine, to the scene where he's driving across the bridge. Moves the narrative of the film along quicker, and could suggest he is rushing.
On Ben's birthday, he is bought a scuba diving suit, and his parents insist that he wear it in front of the guests. We can see the people and under the water from his point of view, and we can hear him breathing too. This allows the audience to feel part of the scene. There is a high angle shot of Ben's dad talking down to him at a low angle shot when he's in the pool. This shows that the father has a higher status than Ben. There is a scene where Mrs. Robinson and Ben are in the bedroom together, which fades out into the next scene. This shows the audience that time has passed since the previous one. In the scene where Ben waits outside Elaine's classroom at college, all the lights in the coridoor are off and it is empty, this shows he is alone and vaunerable. He waits until her class finishes, but the whole time he's waiting is not shown (also speeds up the narrative of the film). Close up of Ben's face when he is told Elaine has left college, allows the audience to see his facial expression, shows them he is sad/upset. This makes the audience feel sorry for him, and makes them want him to find her. There is also a close up of Elaine's face when Ben gatecrashes her wedding, she looks confused and shocked at first, but then the audience can see by the expression on her face that she realises she loves him. We see her smile, which makes the audience happy too. Finally, on the bus after they run out of the wedding together, they look out the back window as if they were newly weds being wisked away in a wedding car. But they are not actually married.
The whole soundtrack of this film is done by Simon and Garfunkel. They produce some very emotional music, so it works very well with the film. When Benjamin is rushing to stop Elaine's wedding, his car runs out of gas. As the car slowly comes to a stop, the music slows down as the car does. It links in with the scene and makes it much more effective.
Overall, I think 'The Graduate' was a good film, with an awesome soundtrack... I love Simon and Garfunkel (: The only part I didn't really understand was the end. I was confused as to why they both looked so down. The music went well with the film and highlighted the important bits for me. I would be happy to see oer films similar to this one in the future.
At the very beginning of the film when Benjamin is sat on the plane, there is a close up of his face, this introduces his character straight away, and also shows the audience his facial expressions, telling them what he is feeling. When he gets back home, he is sat in his room in front of the fish tank looking sad and down. There is a close up of his face so we can clearly see the emotion in his face. We can also hear the bubbles from the fish tank (diegetic sound) in this scene. It adds a sense of tranquility and calmness to the scene, which contrasts the excitement of the party downstairs. Benjamin clearly doesn't want to go down and join in with the party, it makes the audience wonder what's wrong with him, so they watch on to find out. When Benjamin takes Mrs. Robinson home, the scene cuts from the doorway outside of her house to the inside of her house. The two scenes are spliced together to speed up the narrative of the film. The film also keeps doing lots of quick cuts when Mrs. Robinson is stood naked in Elaine's bedroom. The camera keeps quickly cutting to exposed parts of her body, so we don't see too much detail, this leaves a little to the audiences imagination aswell, which engages them. An example of cross cutting in this fim is when Ben and Mrs. Robinson are talking on the phone. We see shots of each of them at seperate locations speaking on the phone at the same time. It shows the audience what each of them are doing at the same time. There is a quick cut from the kitchen scene where Benjamin tells his parents he is marrying Elaine, to the scene where he's driving across the bridge. Moves the narrative of the film along quicker, and could suggest he is rushing.
On Ben's birthday, he is bought a scuba diving suit, and his parents insist that he wear it in front of the guests. We can see the people and under the water from his point of view, and we can hear him breathing too. This allows the audience to feel part of the scene. There is a high angle shot of Ben's dad talking down to him at a low angle shot when he's in the pool. This shows that the father has a higher status than Ben. There is a scene where Mrs. Robinson and Ben are in the bedroom together, which fades out into the next scene. This shows the audience that time has passed since the previous one. In the scene where Ben waits outside Elaine's classroom at college, all the lights in the coridoor are off and it is empty, this shows he is alone and vaunerable. He waits until her class finishes, but the whole time he's waiting is not shown (also speeds up the narrative of the film). Close up of Ben's face when he is told Elaine has left college, allows the audience to see his facial expression, shows them he is sad/upset. This makes the audience feel sorry for him, and makes them want him to find her. There is also a close up of Elaine's face when Ben gatecrashes her wedding, she looks confused and shocked at first, but then the audience can see by the expression on her face that she realises she loves him. We see her smile, which makes the audience happy too. Finally, on the bus after they run out of the wedding together, they look out the back window as if they were newly weds being wisked away in a wedding car. But they are not actually married.
The whole soundtrack of this film is done by Simon and Garfunkel. They produce some very emotional music, so it works very well with the film. When Benjamin is rushing to stop Elaine's wedding, his car runs out of gas. As the car slowly comes to a stop, the music slows down as the car does. It links in with the scene and makes it much more effective.
Overall, I think 'The Graduate' was a good film, with an awesome soundtrack... I love Simon and Garfunkel (: The only part I didn't really understand was the end. I was confused as to why they both looked so down. The music went well with the film and highlighted the important bits for me. I would be happy to see oer films similar to this one in the future.
'Fargo' (sound)
'Fargo' (1996) was written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen (although Ethan was uncredited as director). This film is about Jerry Lundegaard, a man who work for his wealthy father-in-law, and has gotten himself in some financial problems. For some unknown reason, Jerry appears to be desperate to get his hands on some money. He assumes that his huge embezzlement of money from the dealership is about to be discovered by his father-in-law, but when this and all else falls through, backup plans he had set in motion earlier for two men to kidnap his wife for ransom to be paid by her wealthy father (who doesn't seem to want to give his son-in-law the time of day), come to fruition. Things begin to go wrong from the moment of the kidnapping, with people being murdered and innocent lives being taken. What was meant to be a harmless money making scheme, is soon turned into bloodshed.
At the very beginning, sad (non diegetic) music plays to convey the sadness of the films message. It links in with the text on th screen, saying about how it is based on a true story, meaning people really did die. However, the non diegetic music gets louder and faster when the car drives over the snowy hill. Could give a heroic impression. The fact that it is snowig shows its winter, the connotations of 'winter' are often negtive, it make people feel down and depressed. This could link in with the films narrative. After the police officer has been shot in one of the scenes, the next thing we hear is complete silence. This is because the viewer has been shocked (the silence represents this). We can hear someone talking to Jerry on the other end ofthe phone when he is in his kitchen (diegetic sound), it allows the audience to know whats happening, they like to be in the know. In the cabin where the two kidnappers take Jerry's wife, sad non diegetic music plays to show her desperation to escape. This makes the audience feel for her character. At this point, the blonde kidnapper looks sad and mysterious, like he does throughout the whole film. It makes the audience wonder why he is like that. There is a dripping noise as the police officer walks towards the car after the two men are pulled over. I think this noise was added to create tension. Tension is building up and the outcome is to be unpredictable.
At the start, there is an establishing shot of the pub that Jerry is meeting the kidnappers in. This gives an idea of where and when the film is set. This scene fades out to the next one to show the audience time has passed. After the scene fades out, it goes into the next one which is a high angle shot of a long snowy road and a car driving down it. The car drives past the welcome sign to the town, which lets us know where it is set (the car is leaving, shows someone is going somewhere). When 'the funny looking one' of the kidappers is driving after kidnapping Jerry's wife, he looks very guilty nd concerned when the other one shoots the police officer, whereas the one shooting him shows no remourse. Tells us what his character is like. After this, the blonde guy takes the car and follows the headlights of the car that pased them as they shot the officer. He is following their headlights because it is dark, but suddenly the headlight disappear. This confuses the audience and makes them want to know whats happening. Then we see the passing car tipped over, and the people inside are shot. It is all revealed to the audience, so it shock them. Reverse shots are used to display two or more people in conversation with each other, for example, the first scene in the bar when they're talking, car shots with two people talking and in Jerry's office.
The lighting creates a natural feel to some scenes, for example in the bar there seems to be no additional ligting, and in Jerry's house only the light from outside is used. We can see when and where the film is set straight away, due to the town's signs and the snow. Props also let us know the time which its set, e.g. old TV sets, old telephones, old cars etc. The costumes are also a giveaway as they are wearing 80's clothes and things like scarves etc.
Again, I think 'Fargo' is a very good film, altough i was a bit disappointed at the end. I thought it ended very abruptly and didn't really explain much to me. I like it when films end on a cliffhanger, but this one literally just ended on nothing. Apart from that, I thought there were lots of aspects to comment on, and i enjoyed the film on the whole.
At the very beginning, sad (non diegetic) music plays to convey the sadness of the films message. It links in with the text on th screen, saying about how it is based on a true story, meaning people really did die. However, the non diegetic music gets louder and faster when the car drives over the snowy hill. Could give a heroic impression. The fact that it is snowig shows its winter, the connotations of 'winter' are often negtive, it make people feel down and depressed. This could link in with the films narrative. After the police officer has been shot in one of the scenes, the next thing we hear is complete silence. This is because the viewer has been shocked (the silence represents this). We can hear someone talking to Jerry on the other end ofthe phone when he is in his kitchen (diegetic sound), it allows the audience to know whats happening, they like to be in the know. In the cabin where the two kidnappers take Jerry's wife, sad non diegetic music plays to show her desperation to escape. This makes the audience feel for her character. At this point, the blonde kidnapper looks sad and mysterious, like he does throughout the whole film. It makes the audience wonder why he is like that. There is a dripping noise as the police officer walks towards the car after the two men are pulled over. I think this noise was added to create tension. Tension is building up and the outcome is to be unpredictable.
At the start, there is an establishing shot of the pub that Jerry is meeting the kidnappers in. This gives an idea of where and when the film is set. This scene fades out to the next one to show the audience time has passed. After the scene fades out, it goes into the next one which is a high angle shot of a long snowy road and a car driving down it. The car drives past the welcome sign to the town, which lets us know where it is set (the car is leaving, shows someone is going somewhere). When 'the funny looking one' of the kidappers is driving after kidnapping Jerry's wife, he looks very guilty nd concerned when the other one shoots the police officer, whereas the one shooting him shows no remourse. Tells us what his character is like. After this, the blonde guy takes the car and follows the headlights of the car that pased them as they shot the officer. He is following their headlights because it is dark, but suddenly the headlight disappear. This confuses the audience and makes them want to know whats happening. Then we see the passing car tipped over, and the people inside are shot. It is all revealed to the audience, so it shock them. Reverse shots are used to display two or more people in conversation with each other, for example, the first scene in the bar when they're talking, car shots with two people talking and in Jerry's office.
The lighting creates a natural feel to some scenes, for example in the bar there seems to be no additional ligting, and in Jerry's house only the light from outside is used. We can see when and where the film is set straight away, due to the town's signs and the snow. Props also let us know the time which its set, e.g. old TV sets, old telephones, old cars etc. The costumes are also a giveaway as they are wearing 80's clothes and things like scarves etc.
Again, I think 'Fargo' is a very good film, altough i was a bit disappointed at the end. I thought it ended very abruptly and didn't really explain much to me. I like it when films end on a cliffhanger, but this one literally just ended on nothing. Apart from that, I thought there were lots of aspects to comment on, and i enjoyed the film on the whole.
'North By Northwest'
'North By Northwest', directed by the famous Alfred Hitchcock (1959), is about a middle-aged advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (played by Cary Grant) who is mistaken for a CIA agent, George Kaplan, by a gang of spies. After being charged for a murder he didnt commit, he is pursued across the States by both the spies and the government to find Kaplan and clear his name, whilst being assisted by a beautiful blonde (Eve Kendall - played by Eva Marie Saint).
In the opening credits of the film, there is lines shooting across the screen which creates the glass windows and frames of a city sky scraper. This is an effective way of showing us where the film is set. The non diegetic sound during this scene is fast, this shows and links in with the pace of the busy city, shows everyone is on the move.
When Roger walks into the hotel to meet his friends (near the beginning) there is classical music playing, hich shows the wealth of the place, and also tells us a bit about what the characters like. Most of the sound in this film is non diegetic and is all created by string instrumets, this kind of links in with the time the film was made. It has a contrasting effect on the mood and tone depending on whats happening in the scene, for example, when we see everyone rushing around in the city at the start, the sound is fast and links in with the pace of the city. When Roger and Eve are getting close in her room on the train, a romantic atmosphere is created with the music (non diegtic), this also happens in the woods when they say goodbye to eachother. At this point, the music is also quite sad. Near the start of the film when Roger is involved in the car chase, there is an unpleasant screeching noise made with the tyres, this adds to the tension of the scene and builds suspense.
There is a lot of cross cuting in this film, meaning lots of quick short cuts. During the film, there are a lot of scenes that fade out, showing time has passed since the previous scene, for example, when Roger is punched in the forest the scene fades out to when he is in hospital. Reverse shots are use aswell, to show both the characters reactons and how they are saying things, e.g. at dinner on the train when Eve and Roger are talking (eyeline matching). Also, there is effective use of off screen space. We know action is taking place in one room because we have just seen it happening, like when Roger pretends to take a shower in Eve's hotel room.
When Roger is drunk at th beginning, after he's been kidnpped, we see him trying to drive. The camera keeps switching from a close up of is face, to a point of view shot of him driving. The point of view shot allows the audience to see as he see's it, and also builds suspense as he is disorientated and cannot see properly where he is driving. They fear he might get hurt. In the last scene where Eve is hanging off Mount Rushmore, there are lots of quick cuts, which adds suspense to the scene as we want her to get up safely. There are lots of match cuts so the spectator can make more visual sense of whats going on. Point of view shots are also used to show the emotion and reactions of the other characters face, for example, when Roger looks down at a desperate Eve. Finally, there is a continuity cut which takes us from the Mount Rushmore scene to the scene on the train. There is also a contrast on this part, where there is desperation for Eve to be safe and not fall, to the romantic happy scene on the train.
Overall, I actually think this film was quite good. There was definately a lot of things i could pick out in terms of editing and sound, etc. One of my favourite parts of the film is at the beginning when Roger is kidnaped. He is sat in between the two men in the cab and starts making sacastic comments like "would you mind telling my friends that I've been kidnapped. They'll think I'm awfully rude for just leaving!". It amused me, and probably other members of the audience too. There was a good use of editing and sound, as both the diegetic and non diegetic sound always worked with the scene.
In the opening credits of the film, there is lines shooting across the screen which creates the glass windows and frames of a city sky scraper. This is an effective way of showing us where the film is set. The non diegetic sound during this scene is fast, this shows and links in with the pace of the busy city, shows everyone is on the move.
When Roger walks into the hotel to meet his friends (near the beginning) there is classical music playing, hich shows the wealth of the place, and also tells us a bit about what the characters like. Most of the sound in this film is non diegetic and is all created by string instrumets, this kind of links in with the time the film was made. It has a contrasting effect on the mood and tone depending on whats happening in the scene, for example, when we see everyone rushing around in the city at the start, the sound is fast and links in with the pace of the city. When Roger and Eve are getting close in her room on the train, a romantic atmosphere is created with the music (non diegtic), this also happens in the woods when they say goodbye to eachother. At this point, the music is also quite sad. Near the start of the film when Roger is involved in the car chase, there is an unpleasant screeching noise made with the tyres, this adds to the tension of the scene and builds suspense.
There is a lot of cross cuting in this film, meaning lots of quick short cuts. During the film, there are a lot of scenes that fade out, showing time has passed since the previous scene, for example, when Roger is punched in the forest the scene fades out to when he is in hospital. Reverse shots are use aswell, to show both the characters reactons and how they are saying things, e.g. at dinner on the train when Eve and Roger are talking (eyeline matching). Also, there is effective use of off screen space. We know action is taking place in one room because we have just seen it happening, like when Roger pretends to take a shower in Eve's hotel room.
When Roger is drunk at th beginning, after he's been kidnpped, we see him trying to drive. The camera keeps switching from a close up of is face, to a point of view shot of him driving. The point of view shot allows the audience to see as he see's it, and also builds suspense as he is disorientated and cannot see properly where he is driving. They fear he might get hurt. In the last scene where Eve is hanging off Mount Rushmore, there are lots of quick cuts, which adds suspense to the scene as we want her to get up safely. There are lots of match cuts so the spectator can make more visual sense of whats going on. Point of view shots are also used to show the emotion and reactions of the other characters face, for example, when Roger looks down at a desperate Eve. Finally, there is a continuity cut which takes us from the Mount Rushmore scene to the scene on the train. There is also a contrast on this part, where there is desperation for Eve to be safe and not fall, to the romantic happy scene on the train.
Overall, I actually think this film was quite good. There was definately a lot of things i could pick out in terms of editing and sound, etc. One of my favourite parts of the film is at the beginning when Roger is kidnaped. He is sat in between the two men in the cab and starts making sacastic comments like "would you mind telling my friends that I've been kidnapped. They'll think I'm awfully rude for just leaving!". It amused me, and probably other members of the audience too. There was a good use of editing and sound, as both the diegetic and non diegetic sound always worked with the scene.
Monday 2 November 2009
'City of God'
'City of God' (Cidade de Deus), directed by Fernando Meirelles 2002 (released in 2003), is a film based on a true story which takes place in the slums of Rio De Janeiro in the 60's, following two boys in the neighbourhood who take two very different paths in their lives. This violent story is told through the eyes of Rocket, a young fishermans son who dreams of becoming a professional photographer. His story narrates the violence and corruption surrounding the city, and the rise and fall of one of the city's most notorious boss', Li'l Ze. As war breaks out on the streets, Rocket's only way out of the bloodshed is to expose its atrocity to the world through his pictures, which are printed by mistake in the local newspaper. Along the way, others lives are put into perspective as their stories intersect with the events that take place.
At the beginning of the film, we see Shaggy get shot. The camera tracks him, so we are able to follow him as he's trying to escape. There is also a point of view shot in the flm, when someone is shot and the camera is shaking. This shows us it is a handheld camera, and that the character is struggling. There is a low angle shot of the victim looking up at their killer. There is a distorted close up of a childs face at the end of the film, this shows the audience the look of dispair on his face and makes them feel sympathy towards him. At the end of the film when Li'l Ze is finally caught, we see the scene through Rocket's camera lens, which allows the audience to see what he's seeing, makes them feel as if they were actually there. Then we see Li'l Ze's dead body through his camera lens too.
Near the start of the film, we see Shaggy sleep with a woman, and her husband comes in and catches the two of them in bed. As Shaggy escapes out of the window, the husband beats his wife with a shovel. This happens off-screen so we dont actually see it. However, we see him pick up the spade and begin striking something in the corner, where the woman is stood, and we hear her crying/screaming (diegetic sound) so we know its happening. After this, it cuts straight to another scene then cuts back too the husband standing in the room crying and digging a large hole in the floor. Although we're never told what really happened, we are able to work it out from the important bits we're shown.
In the 'drug base' apartment where Li'l Ze takes over, we're shown a flashback of how it came to be what it is. There is one particular scene in the apartment which is shown three times. It reminds us about whats already happened, but each time telling us more. When Rocket moves in with his female collegue, there are short scenes about two seconds long which show what they're doing. They cross cut meaning only the important bits are shown, it helps to speed up the narrative of the film, and shows the time passing that night. In the nightclub scene,the screen is split into two frames to show the audience what both of the characters are doing at the same time. This speeds up the narrative of the film aswell. There is a strobe light used in the club when Benny is leaving with Angelica to get away from the gangs. The strobe light creates a disorienting effect where we don’t know what’s going on, we see that guns are being shot but we don’t see who until the light stops. Other lighting used is natural light as most of the film is shot on location. There are some binary opposites in the film, e.g. good and bad.
All the characters are introduced individually throughout the film, their names are shown and then their story's are told. This allows the audience to understand more about them. Different scenes in the film have little subtitles to tell us what the next scene is about, for example, "Benny's Farewell", it indicates what might happen. The scene is about his leaving party, but he gets shot and dies. "Farewell" could mean goodbye because he's leaving, or goodbye because he's going to die. Towards the end, there is a slow motion recapping the shot boy's life story, he says he wants to kill his fathers murdrer, then does in the end. At the end of the film, it goes back tothe very beginning, where we see Li'l Ze and his gang on the streets chasing a chicken. Again, it shows the knife being sharpened, which suggests violence. Shortly after the scene is replayed, a huge gunfight breaks out.
I thought this film was very good. Like 'Leon', its not the type of movie I would usually watch, but I thought it was very interesting and quite an eyeopener. I did feel for a few of the characters, Rocket for example. Following his story made me feel more for him. The same with Benny, he was the only person that could calm Li'l Ze down, so he was a peace maker which is why I felt quite sad when he died. The only bad part of the film was the subtitles, youhave to watch them to undrstand whats going on, so you spend most of the film looking at them. Towards the end, though, I kind of adapted and was reading them without realising. The fact that this was based on real life definately made me feel more for the characters.
At the beginning of the film, we see Shaggy get shot. The camera tracks him, so we are able to follow him as he's trying to escape. There is also a point of view shot in the flm, when someone is shot and the camera is shaking. This shows us it is a handheld camera, and that the character is struggling. There is a low angle shot of the victim looking up at their killer. There is a distorted close up of a childs face at the end of the film, this shows the audience the look of dispair on his face and makes them feel sympathy towards him. At the end of the film when Li'l Ze is finally caught, we see the scene through Rocket's camera lens, which allows the audience to see what he's seeing, makes them feel as if they were actually there. Then we see Li'l Ze's dead body through his camera lens too.
Near the start of the film, we see Shaggy sleep with a woman, and her husband comes in and catches the two of them in bed. As Shaggy escapes out of the window, the husband beats his wife with a shovel. This happens off-screen so we dont actually see it. However, we see him pick up the spade and begin striking something in the corner, where the woman is stood, and we hear her crying/screaming (diegetic sound) so we know its happening. After this, it cuts straight to another scene then cuts back too the husband standing in the room crying and digging a large hole in the floor. Although we're never told what really happened, we are able to work it out from the important bits we're shown.
In the 'drug base' apartment where Li'l Ze takes over, we're shown a flashback of how it came to be what it is. There is one particular scene in the apartment which is shown three times. It reminds us about whats already happened, but each time telling us more. When Rocket moves in with his female collegue, there are short scenes about two seconds long which show what they're doing. They cross cut meaning only the important bits are shown, it helps to speed up the narrative of the film, and shows the time passing that night. In the nightclub scene,the screen is split into two frames to show the audience what both of the characters are doing at the same time. This speeds up the narrative of the film aswell. There is a strobe light used in the club when Benny is leaving with Angelica to get away from the gangs. The strobe light creates a disorienting effect where we don’t know what’s going on, we see that guns are being shot but we don’t see who until the light stops. Other lighting used is natural light as most of the film is shot on location. There are some binary opposites in the film, e.g. good and bad.
All the characters are introduced individually throughout the film, their names are shown and then their story's are told. This allows the audience to understand more about them. Different scenes in the film have little subtitles to tell us what the next scene is about, for example, "Benny's Farewell", it indicates what might happen. The scene is about his leaving party, but he gets shot and dies. "Farewell" could mean goodbye because he's leaving, or goodbye because he's going to die. Towards the end, there is a slow motion recapping the shot boy's life story, he says he wants to kill his fathers murdrer, then does in the end. At the end of the film, it goes back tothe very beginning, where we see Li'l Ze and his gang on the streets chasing a chicken. Again, it shows the knife being sharpened, which suggests violence. Shortly after the scene is replayed, a huge gunfight breaks out.
I thought this film was very good. Like 'Leon', its not the type of movie I would usually watch, but I thought it was very interesting and quite an eyeopener. I did feel for a few of the characters, Rocket for example. Following his story made me feel more for him. The same with Benny, he was the only person that could calm Li'l Ze down, so he was a peace maker which is why I felt quite sad when he died. The only bad part of the film was the subtitles, youhave to watch them to undrstand whats going on, so you spend most of the film looking at them. Towards the end, though, I kind of adapted and was reading them without realising. The fact that this was based on real life definately made me feel more for the characters.
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