'Run Lola Run', directed by Tom Tykwer 1998, is a German film which focuses on 20 crucial minutes of the lives of two people; Lola and her boyfirend Manni, who carelessly lost a large amount of money which he owes to a dangerous man. The narrative explores the constant "what if''s" that occur, and also the events that fate controls which can easily be altered through the slightest changes. It takes the audience on three different journeys with the character Lola, each time with slightly different events taking place - all of which are completely down to fate.
This film uses effective techniques to tell the story of the characters lives; for example, in the first of the three run throughs when Lola bumps into the lady with the pram, there are photo snapshots used to show what happens in her life after this happens (her baby is taken away from her by social services and she steals someone elses in a park); then on the second run through, Lola apologises and the future of the woman has changed - again shown through photo snapshots (she wins the lottery). This happens with more than one character, like the man on the bike who plays a very important role in the final outcome of the journey - the homeless man takes his bike and Manni is able to catch him and get the money back.
Another effective technique used in the film is the use of the flashbacks - for example, repeating Lola's journey three times just with slightly different events; and when Lola/Manni dies there is a flashback to them being in bed questioning each other about their love for one another. These particular flashbacks are quite important as they helped link the stories together for me (they didn't want to die, it seemed as if they wanted to fight to stay alive for each other).
I think its clever how the stories of all the characters seen in the film link together in some way, and how the slightest change in events can lead to such different and serious consequences. The use of the split screen was interesting as it meant the audience could see what was happening in both of the characters lives.
On the other hand, the repetition at the beginning of each run through was quite boring by the end, the cartoon bit when Lola runs down the stairs and past the dog could have been shortened as we'd already seen the running down the staircase before. Also, the ending was kind of abrupt and unexpected. I didn't think it would be all happy, I thought somebody might have got hurt - I was half expecting the homeless man to show up with the gun somwhere, I thought Manni giving him the gun was goinmg to be a significant part of the narrative.
Overall I really enjoyed the film, It's not something I'd usually watch but it was different and interesting. For a foreign film i thought it was good and I might watch it again.
Friday 18 June 2010
Wednesday 21 April 2010
Living with crime
What social scenarios are explored within each film?
'Sweet Sixteen' - the partnership between Liam and Pinball when selling thier drugs is what keeps them close friends. But when Liam joins the new gang, a strain is put on their friendship, which Pinball deals with by creating havoc and trouble. It seems that there is a lot of gang culture in his area and they all make money by selling drugs; this could be why Liam thinks it is okay to make his money this way. They live in a very run down area; it very bleak and grim which gives people living there a negative attitude.
'Bullet Boy' - Another strong friendship is displayed between Ricky and Wisdom, but they also clash over their differences. Wisdom often wants to deal with his problems with violence, while Ricky wants to avoid this to prevent him from going back into jail. He can see because of his time in jail, violence isn't needed and tries to get him out of it. Wisdom causes trouble with a rival gang after shooting a gang member's dog, which comes back to haunt both Wisdom and Ricky, even though ricky tries to call a truce between their two gangs.
'London to Brighton' - Kelly and Joanne seem as close as siblings after a traumatic 24 hours together running from a mobster and his henchmen. They seem to build a strong connection by sharing their feelings of a similar childhood of growing up on the streets. Even though they start off as strangers, they come together and fight through all the suffering and fear and come out of it all even stronger. They appear to have built a bond - Kelly does everything she can to help Joanne get away from the bad guys and home safely.
How is crime portrayed in each film?
'Sweet Sixteen' - crime is displayed as being the only motive for the characters to make money, although their intentions are good. For example, Liam wants his mum to be happy so he gets into the dirty and dangerous drug business in order to buy her a dream caravan for them both to live in. Liam is quite like Kelly ('London to Brighton') as her intentions are also good - she has to prostitute herself in order to raise her and Joanne's train fare for safety.
'Bullet Boy' - Ricky's hometown in North-East London is represented as the kind of gang cultured city where crime is everywhere (as we can see when Wisdom tries to fight their rival gang over something as simple as his car being in the way). The slightest thing can be made into a huge ongoing fight. Ricky is smart enough to try and steer clear from the violence in his neighbourhood after being in prison on an assult charge. He's seen where this kind of violence gets people and has no desire to set foot in prison again. He also tries to get Wisdom away from it all, but he is much too interested in the violence, and sometimes even seems to be looking for a fight.
'London to Brighton' - throughout the entire film, crime is the driving force; the factor that links all of the characters. The opening scene throws us straight into the crime as Joanne and Kelly are running from it. Again, the only way to make money in this film is crime; Kelly prostitutes herself in order to get their money to keep running away from more crime. It seems the only way to deal with crime in these films is with more crime.
In what ways are people deprived in each film?
'Sweet Sixteen' - In this film, Liam is essentially deprived of his mothers love and attention as she is in jail because of his abusive stepfathers dodgy drug dealing. He doesn't get to see her very often, and has to put up with beatingd from his grandfather and stepdad until he raises enough money to buy the caravan; which he doesn't earn in the best way - selling drugs and cigarettes in the local pub.
'Bullet Boy' - A good example of a clip in the film which shows Ricky's deprivation is when he is looking at Canary Warf in the distance from his balcony. It shows a contrast between the big, successful, rich city life, and the violent poor life he lives, with a lack of opportunities. His chances of getting a well paid and good job are very slim as he has a criminal record; this rules out his chances of having a successful career, he is very restricted on what he can do. Also, his restraining order and probation limits him, as he may want to fight the rival gang when we see the confrontation between them when the car wing mirror is damaged. He could want to punch them all, but does the right think and tries to keep them both out of trouble.
'London to Brighton' - Joanne is deprived of a normal childhood in this film; her mother is dead, her father beats her, and now she is begging on the streets and falling into the wrong hands. She is deprived of an understanding of the events in the film - in the cafe Derek asks her if she is a virgin and if she knows what it means. She claims she does and she isn't one, but hesitates, suggesting that she's not sure what it is - this shows that she is still young and doesn't have much of an understanding about these things. Joanne's situation is similar to Liams in 'Sweet Sixteen' as she is coping without her mother and an abusive father. She tries to make her money on the streets by begging at a train station in London.
What opportunities are available to the main characters in each of the films?
'Sweet Sixteen' - I'd say that Liam has no, if any, opportunities towards the end of the film. There is no mention of an education for Liam at all, which leads me to believe that he has no qualifications. This means he won't have as big an opportunity as others to get a well paid job in the future. When he goes to visit his mum in prison, she asks him about school and he simply laughs and ignores the subject, suggesting he doesn't care about it.
'Bullet Boy' - Ricky again never has any mention of schooling or college; due to his prison sentence, he may have been cut off from proper education. Therefore he would have no qualifications. He is limited on what job he can get; nowhere wants to hire a man who has been in prison for assult. Curtis, his little brother, appears to be folloeing in his footsteps, by taking the gun and skipping school.
'London to Brighton' - Kelly never has her background in education mentioned; we're led to believe she has none because she is in the prostitute business. Also, Joanne loses out on opportunities as she has run away from home and therefore wouldn't be attending school.
How are criminals portrayed within each of the films?
'Sweet Sixteen' - criminals are pertrayed as being a team; the jobs they do are a team effort. In this film, new members of the big drug gang are forced to undergo a test to prove whether or not they are tough enough to be in the gang; as we see when Liam is told to stab someone in a nightclub.
'Bullet Boy' - the crime in this is also a team effort, they all stick together and fight as groups. ricky is used to always having someone around him in a fight situation, usually Wisdom, but at the end of the film we see him standing alone at the train station surrounded by his rival gang members. This leads to his death.
'London to Brighton' - Stuart represents the upper-class mobster "boss". He is the one who is in control of everyone and everything. He knows how to put fear into people; he cuts Derek's leg open as a "taste" of what will happen to him if he does not do what Stuart wants. Derek is constantly telling Kelly of how much trouble he is in; because he hasn't done what Staurt has asked. Stuart wears a white suit and is accompanied by lots of henchmen. He is seen doing business over the phone in a strip club (where we are likely to see someone who is in that kind of business).
Can the protagonists escape from the situation they are in?
'Sweet Sixteen' - in this film, Liam feels it is his job to bring his family back together and get his mum away from his abusive stepdad. He feels the only way to do this is to earn money by selling drugs on the street. Also, a history of education is never mentioned, and at the time this film was set, unemployment was rampant. Therefore he wouldn't have had much of a choice, and wouldn't be able to escape the situation, because nowhere would want to employ a 15/16 year old with no qualifications. The only way for him to make money was in this dangerous and didgy business.
'Bullet Boy' - throughout the whole film, Ricky has a chance to escape. It is Wisdom and the people around him that keep him where he is. He constantly says about how he is going to move away and have a fresh start with his girlfriend, but everytime he manages to find an excuse to keep him there. He mentions the fact that Wisdom saved his life once; this tells us that Ricky feels he owes him. Whenever Wisdom gets into trouble he drags Ricky with him too. Ricky is still on probation after being released from prison on an assult charge, so he knows he cannot get heavily involved with violence. Also, his criminal record really holds him back from getting a proper job; it is as if he is trapped.
'London to Brighton' - Kelly never really has the opportunity to escape. She, like Liam in 'Sweet Sixteen', never have any mention of a background in education, which may be why she is in the prostitution business. She mentions to Joanne that she also used to live on the streets when she was younger, this tells us that she probably has been a prostitute for a long time; she has probably got used to it and thinks that she can't do anything else. Also, the lack of money holds both Joanne and Kelly back; if Joanne had the money she could have escaped from the situation whenever she wanted to. If it wasn't for Kelly, Joanne never would have got home. The two girls now have to live with the guilt of it being their fault that Derek and Chum are dead. And Joanne has to live with the fact that she has killed two men.
What punishments do characters receive for their crimes in each of the films?
'Sweet Sixteen' - after Liam spends more time with his new gang, Pinball sets him and his mums dream caravan on fire and burns it to the ground; which upsets him as it takes away the dream he had for getting his family back. Then Pinball 'punishes' himself by cutting his face right in front of him. Also, Liam's mum runs back to his abusive stapdad when she is released from prison, after feeling upset about how Liam raised the money to buy their new apartment.
'Bullet Boy' - Ricky is forced to leave his home by his mum when his little brother, Curtis, finds the gun that Wisdom had given Ricky, and uses it during a game of hide and seek where he accidentally shoots and injures his friend. However, it is Wisdom's crime of attempted murder that results in Ricky's death; at the train station (where Ricky is waiting to leave and start a new life) he is shot dead by Godfrey, their rival gang member who we see at the beginning of the film almost having a brawl with Wisdom over the wing mirror incident.
'London to Brighton' - because she stabbed Stuart, Joanne is forced to pay for it at the end when Duncan makes her pull the trigger which kills Derek. This will leave her emotionally scarred for life.
How is violence portrayed within each of the films?
'Sweet Sixteen' - shows how violence occurs because of the business they are in. Liam gets beaten up at one point and has his "gear" stolen off of him, which he gets up repeatedly and fights them for, resulting in serious injuries. It shows the dangers of the drug dealing business.
'Bullet Boy' - this film portrays violence as being something on every street corner and that anyone can just walk into, even for the smallest of things. For example when Ricky pulls Wisdom back from the brawl at the beginning over the wing mirror incident. It is easy to see how Ricky ended up in prison; the gang culture that surrounds where he lives seem to enjoy a fight, and therefore jump at the chance of a brawl. In Ricky's neighbourhood, there is always a fight just round the corner.
'London to Brighton' - we are constantly reminded of the violence throughout the film, as Kelly has a black swollen eye the whole way through. Violence is settled with more violence in this film; it is used to get what people want - when Duncan slashes Derek's leg as a threat that if he didn't do what he wanted, something worse will happen. Also, Stuart settles the violence of his fathers death by making someone else die for it.
What social restrictions are evident within each of the films?
'Sweet Sixteen' - the protagonist, Liam, shows to have social skills as he has a close peer (Pinball) but he also shows that the simplest misunderstanding, can make a long-lasting, incorrect impression.
'Bullet Boy' - Ricky also has a peer (Wisdom) who again shows that the simplest misunderstanding, if not handles correctly, can make an incorrect impression.
'London to Brighton' - Joanne is found begging outside Waterloo station. When Kelly first approaches her, she is instantly inquisitive and just wants her to go away. This shows that because of not being at home or going to school, Joanne doesn't get the opportunity to socialise with people and her life on the streets forces her to be blunt and quite rude.
How can the films be said to reflect aspects of contemporary society?
The scene in 'Sweet Sixteen' shows how Liam is beaten by a rival gang because of selling drugs; the gang then take the drugs for themselves and Liam attempts to get them back several times, and with each attempt recieves another beating. In real life, the drug trade can often be a very dangerous one and if moves are made incorrectly, beatings (and sometimes even fatalities) can happen. However, I think the realism of society reflected in this scene is the act of bullying. The rival gang are clearly unhappy about his involvement in drug dealing and what he is selling, so, as an act of jealously, they steal his drugs and beat him up. People in Liam's situation (being kicked out of his home because of an aggressive stapfather who beats him) can often find themselves in the drug trade as a result of them having no home of family. They are often desperate so make their money by selling whatever's easiest to sell - drugs.
Next, I want to draw attention to the situation Joanne is put in in 'London to Brighton'. Joanne reveals to Kelly that she has run away from home, at the very young age of 12, as sadly her mother died, and her father beats her. She is representing a realistic scenario in society. She tells Kelly that she ran away from home because she had 'nothing' for her there. Unfortunately, there are many children in Britain like Joanne who do the same thing because of the same reason, so society is well reflected in this aspect. The same applies for Kelly and her prostitution; the sleezy men she serves are literally all over the country, and so are prostitutes. Maybe this is how many of them are treated, so society is again well reflected in this way.
Finally, in 'Bullet Boy' when he finds the gun that Ricky has hidden, Curtis gives us the impression that he will follow in his brothers footsteps; the ones which Ricky is desperate to forget. The fear in this film is that younger siblings are so impressionable these days, and with gang culture rising in the younger generation, younger siblings are likely to grow up copying the actions of their teenage brothers/sisters. The comparison here is not necessarily related to crime in society; more the imitation of younger ones of their peers who have made mistakes, which the young ones can copy.
What links can be made between the social situation of the film, and the society in which we live?
In 'Sweet Sixteen' when Liam is initiated into the new drug-running gang, Pinball, his best friend, feels betrayed. He and Liam had previously been working together selling cigarettes, and entered the drug trade together, so he feels that when Liam begins selling as part of another gang, he has been left behind. Pinball cuts his own face with the knife Liam had been given when joining the gang, as an act of self punishment for burning down his caravan. The link to society in this film is the effect that drugs, but not taking them, still has on those close to you. When they are taken, drugs are bound to upset friends and family members. But in this film, no one is seen taking them, we only see them being sold. However, the effects are still powerful, with Pinball slashing his face and Liam's mum running away after her welcome home party. This just shows that its not always the consuming drugs that upsets people; it's getting involved with them that can be harmful. This is what links in well with society.
Also, in 'Bullet Boy', because of Rickys probation order and criminal record, he will now find it extremely hard to seek employment, as Curtis points out when looking at his CV. People interviewing him may find that it will be harder to talk to him (which of course is bad for a customer-friendly environment at work). Employers will often ask for details on the criminal record, which means that there is no way around it, he eill have to tell them exactly what happened. Because of this, it is not surprising that Rikki gets upset when Curtis mentions it.
Finally, in 'London to Brighton', Kelly is working as a prostitute, servicing anyone who comes along for money. There is never any mention of a record of a previous education or employment, and she is clearly disgusted with herself about what she does for a living. She feels as if there is nothing else for her, but her commitment and willingness to get Joanne back to safety is really strong. I think this shows that her disgust for herself really could be unnecessary and this is the link to society. People often feel like there is nothing better they can do with their lives and pick the job at the bottom of the pile (in this case, prostitution) and because they feel there is nowhere else they belong. A lot of the time, it is clear that they really could be doing something better if they just put the effort in. Kelly shows this effort when protecting Joanne and getting her safely home, but, she seems unaware of it, and so do many people who end up on the lowest step of the ladder in real life.
'Sweet Sixteen' - the partnership between Liam and Pinball when selling thier drugs is what keeps them close friends. But when Liam joins the new gang, a strain is put on their friendship, which Pinball deals with by creating havoc and trouble. It seems that there is a lot of gang culture in his area and they all make money by selling drugs; this could be why Liam thinks it is okay to make his money this way. They live in a very run down area; it very bleak and grim which gives people living there a negative attitude.
'Bullet Boy' - Another strong friendship is displayed between Ricky and Wisdom, but they also clash over their differences. Wisdom often wants to deal with his problems with violence, while Ricky wants to avoid this to prevent him from going back into jail. He can see because of his time in jail, violence isn't needed and tries to get him out of it. Wisdom causes trouble with a rival gang after shooting a gang member's dog, which comes back to haunt both Wisdom and Ricky, even though ricky tries to call a truce between their two gangs.
'London to Brighton' - Kelly and Joanne seem as close as siblings after a traumatic 24 hours together running from a mobster and his henchmen. They seem to build a strong connection by sharing their feelings of a similar childhood of growing up on the streets. Even though they start off as strangers, they come together and fight through all the suffering and fear and come out of it all even stronger. They appear to have built a bond - Kelly does everything she can to help Joanne get away from the bad guys and home safely.
How is crime portrayed in each film?
'Sweet Sixteen' - crime is displayed as being the only motive for the characters to make money, although their intentions are good. For example, Liam wants his mum to be happy so he gets into the dirty and dangerous drug business in order to buy her a dream caravan for them both to live in. Liam is quite like Kelly ('London to Brighton') as her intentions are also good - she has to prostitute herself in order to raise her and Joanne's train fare for safety.
'Bullet Boy' - Ricky's hometown in North-East London is represented as the kind of gang cultured city where crime is everywhere (as we can see when Wisdom tries to fight their rival gang over something as simple as his car being in the way). The slightest thing can be made into a huge ongoing fight. Ricky is smart enough to try and steer clear from the violence in his neighbourhood after being in prison on an assult charge. He's seen where this kind of violence gets people and has no desire to set foot in prison again. He also tries to get Wisdom away from it all, but he is much too interested in the violence, and sometimes even seems to be looking for a fight.
'London to Brighton' - throughout the entire film, crime is the driving force; the factor that links all of the characters. The opening scene throws us straight into the crime as Joanne and Kelly are running from it. Again, the only way to make money in this film is crime; Kelly prostitutes herself in order to get their money to keep running away from more crime. It seems the only way to deal with crime in these films is with more crime.
In what ways are people deprived in each film?
'Sweet Sixteen' - In this film, Liam is essentially deprived of his mothers love and attention as she is in jail because of his abusive stepfathers dodgy drug dealing. He doesn't get to see her very often, and has to put up with beatingd from his grandfather and stepdad until he raises enough money to buy the caravan; which he doesn't earn in the best way - selling drugs and cigarettes in the local pub.
'Bullet Boy' - A good example of a clip in the film which shows Ricky's deprivation is when he is looking at Canary Warf in the distance from his balcony. It shows a contrast between the big, successful, rich city life, and the violent poor life he lives, with a lack of opportunities. His chances of getting a well paid and good job are very slim as he has a criminal record; this rules out his chances of having a successful career, he is very restricted on what he can do. Also, his restraining order and probation limits him, as he may want to fight the rival gang when we see the confrontation between them when the car wing mirror is damaged. He could want to punch them all, but does the right think and tries to keep them both out of trouble.
'London to Brighton' - Joanne is deprived of a normal childhood in this film; her mother is dead, her father beats her, and now she is begging on the streets and falling into the wrong hands. She is deprived of an understanding of the events in the film - in the cafe Derek asks her if she is a virgin and if she knows what it means. She claims she does and she isn't one, but hesitates, suggesting that she's not sure what it is - this shows that she is still young and doesn't have much of an understanding about these things. Joanne's situation is similar to Liams in 'Sweet Sixteen' as she is coping without her mother and an abusive father. She tries to make her money on the streets by begging at a train station in London.
What opportunities are available to the main characters in each of the films?
'Sweet Sixteen' - I'd say that Liam has no, if any, opportunities towards the end of the film. There is no mention of an education for Liam at all, which leads me to believe that he has no qualifications. This means he won't have as big an opportunity as others to get a well paid job in the future. When he goes to visit his mum in prison, she asks him about school and he simply laughs and ignores the subject, suggesting he doesn't care about it.
'Bullet Boy' - Ricky again never has any mention of schooling or college; due to his prison sentence, he may have been cut off from proper education. Therefore he would have no qualifications. He is limited on what job he can get; nowhere wants to hire a man who has been in prison for assult. Curtis, his little brother, appears to be folloeing in his footsteps, by taking the gun and skipping school.
'London to Brighton' - Kelly never has her background in education mentioned; we're led to believe she has none because she is in the prostitute business. Also, Joanne loses out on opportunities as she has run away from home and therefore wouldn't be attending school.
How are criminals portrayed within each of the films?
'Sweet Sixteen' - criminals are pertrayed as being a team; the jobs they do are a team effort. In this film, new members of the big drug gang are forced to undergo a test to prove whether or not they are tough enough to be in the gang; as we see when Liam is told to stab someone in a nightclub.
'Bullet Boy' - the crime in this is also a team effort, they all stick together and fight as groups. ricky is used to always having someone around him in a fight situation, usually Wisdom, but at the end of the film we see him standing alone at the train station surrounded by his rival gang members. This leads to his death.
'London to Brighton' - Stuart represents the upper-class mobster "boss". He is the one who is in control of everyone and everything. He knows how to put fear into people; he cuts Derek's leg open as a "taste" of what will happen to him if he does not do what Stuart wants. Derek is constantly telling Kelly of how much trouble he is in; because he hasn't done what Staurt has asked. Stuart wears a white suit and is accompanied by lots of henchmen. He is seen doing business over the phone in a strip club (where we are likely to see someone who is in that kind of business).
Can the protagonists escape from the situation they are in?
'Sweet Sixteen' - in this film, Liam feels it is his job to bring his family back together and get his mum away from his abusive stepdad. He feels the only way to do this is to earn money by selling drugs on the street. Also, a history of education is never mentioned, and at the time this film was set, unemployment was rampant. Therefore he wouldn't have had much of a choice, and wouldn't be able to escape the situation, because nowhere would want to employ a 15/16 year old with no qualifications. The only way for him to make money was in this dangerous and didgy business.
'Bullet Boy' - throughout the whole film, Ricky has a chance to escape. It is Wisdom and the people around him that keep him where he is. He constantly says about how he is going to move away and have a fresh start with his girlfriend, but everytime he manages to find an excuse to keep him there. He mentions the fact that Wisdom saved his life once; this tells us that Ricky feels he owes him. Whenever Wisdom gets into trouble he drags Ricky with him too. Ricky is still on probation after being released from prison on an assult charge, so he knows he cannot get heavily involved with violence. Also, his criminal record really holds him back from getting a proper job; it is as if he is trapped.
'London to Brighton' - Kelly never really has the opportunity to escape. She, like Liam in 'Sweet Sixteen', never have any mention of a background in education, which may be why she is in the prostitution business. She mentions to Joanne that she also used to live on the streets when she was younger, this tells us that she probably has been a prostitute for a long time; she has probably got used to it and thinks that she can't do anything else. Also, the lack of money holds both Joanne and Kelly back; if Joanne had the money she could have escaped from the situation whenever she wanted to. If it wasn't for Kelly, Joanne never would have got home. The two girls now have to live with the guilt of it being their fault that Derek and Chum are dead. And Joanne has to live with the fact that she has killed two men.
What punishments do characters receive for their crimes in each of the films?
'Sweet Sixteen' - after Liam spends more time with his new gang, Pinball sets him and his mums dream caravan on fire and burns it to the ground; which upsets him as it takes away the dream he had for getting his family back. Then Pinball 'punishes' himself by cutting his face right in front of him. Also, Liam's mum runs back to his abusive stapdad when she is released from prison, after feeling upset about how Liam raised the money to buy their new apartment.
'Bullet Boy' - Ricky is forced to leave his home by his mum when his little brother, Curtis, finds the gun that Wisdom had given Ricky, and uses it during a game of hide and seek where he accidentally shoots and injures his friend. However, it is Wisdom's crime of attempted murder that results in Ricky's death; at the train station (where Ricky is waiting to leave and start a new life) he is shot dead by Godfrey, their rival gang member who we see at the beginning of the film almost having a brawl with Wisdom over the wing mirror incident.
'London to Brighton' - because she stabbed Stuart, Joanne is forced to pay for it at the end when Duncan makes her pull the trigger which kills Derek. This will leave her emotionally scarred for life.
How is violence portrayed within each of the films?
'Sweet Sixteen' - shows how violence occurs because of the business they are in. Liam gets beaten up at one point and has his "gear" stolen off of him, which he gets up repeatedly and fights them for, resulting in serious injuries. It shows the dangers of the drug dealing business.
'Bullet Boy' - this film portrays violence as being something on every street corner and that anyone can just walk into, even for the smallest of things. For example when Ricky pulls Wisdom back from the brawl at the beginning over the wing mirror incident. It is easy to see how Ricky ended up in prison; the gang culture that surrounds where he lives seem to enjoy a fight, and therefore jump at the chance of a brawl. In Ricky's neighbourhood, there is always a fight just round the corner.
'London to Brighton' - we are constantly reminded of the violence throughout the film, as Kelly has a black swollen eye the whole way through. Violence is settled with more violence in this film; it is used to get what people want - when Duncan slashes Derek's leg as a threat that if he didn't do what he wanted, something worse will happen. Also, Stuart settles the violence of his fathers death by making someone else die for it.
What social restrictions are evident within each of the films?
'Sweet Sixteen' - the protagonist, Liam, shows to have social skills as he has a close peer (Pinball) but he also shows that the simplest misunderstanding, can make a long-lasting, incorrect impression.
'Bullet Boy' - Ricky also has a peer (Wisdom) who again shows that the simplest misunderstanding, if not handles correctly, can make an incorrect impression.
'London to Brighton' - Joanne is found begging outside Waterloo station. When Kelly first approaches her, she is instantly inquisitive and just wants her to go away. This shows that because of not being at home or going to school, Joanne doesn't get the opportunity to socialise with people and her life on the streets forces her to be blunt and quite rude.
How can the films be said to reflect aspects of contemporary society?
The scene in 'Sweet Sixteen' shows how Liam is beaten by a rival gang because of selling drugs; the gang then take the drugs for themselves and Liam attempts to get them back several times, and with each attempt recieves another beating. In real life, the drug trade can often be a very dangerous one and if moves are made incorrectly, beatings (and sometimes even fatalities) can happen. However, I think the realism of society reflected in this scene is the act of bullying. The rival gang are clearly unhappy about his involvement in drug dealing and what he is selling, so, as an act of jealously, they steal his drugs and beat him up. People in Liam's situation (being kicked out of his home because of an aggressive stapfather who beats him) can often find themselves in the drug trade as a result of them having no home of family. They are often desperate so make their money by selling whatever's easiest to sell - drugs.
Next, I want to draw attention to the situation Joanne is put in in 'London to Brighton'. Joanne reveals to Kelly that she has run away from home, at the very young age of 12, as sadly her mother died, and her father beats her. She is representing a realistic scenario in society. She tells Kelly that she ran away from home because she had 'nothing' for her there. Unfortunately, there are many children in Britain like Joanne who do the same thing because of the same reason, so society is well reflected in this aspect. The same applies for Kelly and her prostitution; the sleezy men she serves are literally all over the country, and so are prostitutes. Maybe this is how many of them are treated, so society is again well reflected in this way.
Finally, in 'Bullet Boy' when he finds the gun that Ricky has hidden, Curtis gives us the impression that he will follow in his brothers footsteps; the ones which Ricky is desperate to forget. The fear in this film is that younger siblings are so impressionable these days, and with gang culture rising in the younger generation, younger siblings are likely to grow up copying the actions of their teenage brothers/sisters. The comparison here is not necessarily related to crime in society; more the imitation of younger ones of their peers who have made mistakes, which the young ones can copy.
What links can be made between the social situation of the film, and the society in which we live?
In 'Sweet Sixteen' when Liam is initiated into the new drug-running gang, Pinball, his best friend, feels betrayed. He and Liam had previously been working together selling cigarettes, and entered the drug trade together, so he feels that when Liam begins selling as part of another gang, he has been left behind. Pinball cuts his own face with the knife Liam had been given when joining the gang, as an act of self punishment for burning down his caravan. The link to society in this film is the effect that drugs, but not taking them, still has on those close to you. When they are taken, drugs are bound to upset friends and family members. But in this film, no one is seen taking them, we only see them being sold. However, the effects are still powerful, with Pinball slashing his face and Liam's mum running away after her welcome home party. This just shows that its not always the consuming drugs that upsets people; it's getting involved with them that can be harmful. This is what links in well with society.
Also, in 'Bullet Boy', because of Rickys probation order and criminal record, he will now find it extremely hard to seek employment, as Curtis points out when looking at his CV. People interviewing him may find that it will be harder to talk to him (which of course is bad for a customer-friendly environment at work). Employers will often ask for details on the criminal record, which means that there is no way around it, he eill have to tell them exactly what happened. Because of this, it is not surprising that Rikki gets upset when Curtis mentions it.
Finally, in 'London to Brighton', Kelly is working as a prostitute, servicing anyone who comes along for money. There is never any mention of a record of a previous education or employment, and she is clearly disgusted with herself about what she does for a living. She feels as if there is nothing else for her, but her commitment and willingness to get Joanne back to safety is really strong. I think this shows that her disgust for herself really could be unnecessary and this is the link to society. People often feel like there is nothing better they can do with their lives and pick the job at the bottom of the pile (in this case, prostitution) and because they feel there is nowhere else they belong. A lot of the time, it is clear that they really could be doing something better if they just put the effort in. Kelly shows this effort when protecting Joanne and getting her safely home, but, she seems unaware of it, and so do many people who end up on the lowest step of the ladder in real life.
London to Brighton - Aspects of crime
'London to Brighton', directed by Paul Andrew Williams (2006) is another British crime film about a powerful mobster Stuart who assigns his son Duncan's workers to find a young girl on the street to be his escort. The young girl, Joanne, agrees to do the job for £100, and Kelly (another prostitute) befriends her. When Joanne panics in the situation, she flees to Brighton with Kelly and seeks refuge at Kelly's friends house. They're on the run and trying to raise enough money to get Joanne home, little do they know, Duncan's workers are on their tail.
Narrative methods
The narrative fillows a non linear format as it starts with present day, then flashes back to previous events which has led to what is happening now. There are always questions building up, but they get answered with the clever use of flashbacks to explain what the girls are running from. We first see Kelly and Joanne bursting into a grotty run down toilet; Kelly has a black eye and they both appear to be panicking. They are saying how they need to run away to Brighton which makes us think something serious and bad has happened that they are running from. Then there are flashbacks to when Kelly and joanne met; this goes on to explain why they were in that state in the opening scene.
Representation of poverty
Poverty is what fuels this story, and is essentially what links everything together. Joanne is homeless and begging on the streets near a train station, until Kelly finds her and takes her under her wing. She gives her food and helps her raise money when she runs from Stuart. It is him that wants Joanne for his sick sexual desires; this leads to devestating consequences in the end. Also near the beginning of the film, Derek orders his girlfriend to have sex with a gang of his friends to get them money to make a life together. This is also why Derek asks Kelly to get him a young girl for Stuart. He does it for the money to get a new life away from this trade.
Representation of family relationships
Joanne makes the audience aware of her family situation by revealing that her mother is dead, and her father beats her - this being her reason for living on the streets. Joanne is, in a way, representing all the children in society who run away from home because of abuse; she even says at one point that living on the streets is better than living at home. This suggests she feels pure hate towards her father.
Representation of class
There seem to be a variety of classes portrayed in this film; on one hand theres characters like Kelly and Derek, who come across as lower class people trying to make money in any way they can. Kelly is a prostitute and throughout the film uses this to get her money whenever she needs it - in one part of the film she offers to have sex with a stranger without a condom. This suggests she doesn't care for her own health or safety. And then theres Derek who is a pimp, and also a skivvy for the powerful mobster Duncan, son of Stuart. Then on the other hand we have the likes of Stuart and his son Duncan who appear to have a lot of power and authority. They are upper class and quite wealthy; they wear smart suits which connote wealth, high status and power, and we also see them in strip clubs accompanied by henchmen. They represent the high class gang culture. Joanne's class, however, is somewhat mysterious as we never see her home or family. From the brief glimpse of her grandmothers house at the end, I would say she is probably middle class.
Representation of violence
Violence is the driving force of this film. It always seems that violence is dealt with with even more violence. The beginning of the film shows how Kelly have a swollen face and a black eye - after she is punched by Stuart. Then the end of the film shows Derek and Chum both getting shot. It starts and ends with violent reflections.
Representation of crime
12-year-old Joanne admits to stabbing Stuart, and as payback he has Chum and Derek shot dead - which Stuart makes Joanne pull the trigger for. I think he felt awful for finding his father dead, so he wanted to get back at Joanne by making her feel as bad as he did - she clearly didn't want to kill Derek and Chum so it was the perfect revenge. I though the killing of Derek and Chum was unexpected (I thought he was capable of, and going to shoot, Joanne), but this could have been part of Duncan's plan - someone had to pay for what happened. At the beginning, before we find out Joanne has killed Stuart, she asks Kelly if they're going to jail; this suggests straight away that they have done something bad.
Representation of opportunity and education
The characters seem to lack opportunity; they appear to almost be stuck in a vicious circle. For example; Kelly is a prostitute and uses this to earn her money to be able to live. She clearly doesn't like this way of life and I would think she'd much rather have a normal job, but I imagine she had a lack of education and therefore wouldn't have the qualifications to get a normal job. Meaning the only way to make her money is by doing the dodgy jobs for Derek and selling her body. As for Joanne, she is 12 and smokes, has run away from home, and claims she is not a virgin. I don't ever remember hearing her talk about school or any form of education which suggests to me that she isn't well educated, and would therefore have less opportunities when she's older.
Representation of location
The immediate setting of the film is a dirty, grotty run down bathroom in which Kelly and Joanne burst into. There is an effective tracking shot near the beginning of an alleyway in London; there are people drinking alcohol in the subways and it is a filthy area. When Kelly finds Joanne she is sitting on a dirty floor in the train station in London collecting money in a filthy old cup she's found. Her clothes are dirty and she looks like she hasn't eaten. Kelly admits she used to live on the streets too - we find out about her background and can see why she has turned out the way she has. When they run to Brighton they go to Kelly's friends house. It is full of smoke and everyone is doing drugs.
At times I found this film really uncomfortable to watch, but overall I think it was pretty good.
Narrative methods
The narrative fillows a non linear format as it starts with present day, then flashes back to previous events which has led to what is happening now. There are always questions building up, but they get answered with the clever use of flashbacks to explain what the girls are running from. We first see Kelly and Joanne bursting into a grotty run down toilet; Kelly has a black eye and they both appear to be panicking. They are saying how they need to run away to Brighton which makes us think something serious and bad has happened that they are running from. Then there are flashbacks to when Kelly and joanne met; this goes on to explain why they were in that state in the opening scene.
Representation of poverty
Poverty is what fuels this story, and is essentially what links everything together. Joanne is homeless and begging on the streets near a train station, until Kelly finds her and takes her under her wing. She gives her food and helps her raise money when she runs from Stuart. It is him that wants Joanne for his sick sexual desires; this leads to devestating consequences in the end. Also near the beginning of the film, Derek orders his girlfriend to have sex with a gang of his friends to get them money to make a life together. This is also why Derek asks Kelly to get him a young girl for Stuart. He does it for the money to get a new life away from this trade.
Representation of family relationships
Joanne makes the audience aware of her family situation by revealing that her mother is dead, and her father beats her - this being her reason for living on the streets. Joanne is, in a way, representing all the children in society who run away from home because of abuse; she even says at one point that living on the streets is better than living at home. This suggests she feels pure hate towards her father.
Representation of class
There seem to be a variety of classes portrayed in this film; on one hand theres characters like Kelly and Derek, who come across as lower class people trying to make money in any way they can. Kelly is a prostitute and throughout the film uses this to get her money whenever she needs it - in one part of the film she offers to have sex with a stranger without a condom. This suggests she doesn't care for her own health or safety. And then theres Derek who is a pimp, and also a skivvy for the powerful mobster Duncan, son of Stuart. Then on the other hand we have the likes of Stuart and his son Duncan who appear to have a lot of power and authority. They are upper class and quite wealthy; they wear smart suits which connote wealth, high status and power, and we also see them in strip clubs accompanied by henchmen. They represent the high class gang culture. Joanne's class, however, is somewhat mysterious as we never see her home or family. From the brief glimpse of her grandmothers house at the end, I would say she is probably middle class.
Representation of violence
Violence is the driving force of this film. It always seems that violence is dealt with with even more violence. The beginning of the film shows how Kelly have a swollen face and a black eye - after she is punched by Stuart. Then the end of the film shows Derek and Chum both getting shot. It starts and ends with violent reflections.
Representation of crime
12-year-old Joanne admits to stabbing Stuart, and as payback he has Chum and Derek shot dead - which Stuart makes Joanne pull the trigger for. I think he felt awful for finding his father dead, so he wanted to get back at Joanne by making her feel as bad as he did - she clearly didn't want to kill Derek and Chum so it was the perfect revenge. I though the killing of Derek and Chum was unexpected (I thought he was capable of, and going to shoot, Joanne), but this could have been part of Duncan's plan - someone had to pay for what happened. At the beginning, before we find out Joanne has killed Stuart, she asks Kelly if they're going to jail; this suggests straight away that they have done something bad.
Representation of opportunity and education
The characters seem to lack opportunity; they appear to almost be stuck in a vicious circle. For example; Kelly is a prostitute and uses this to earn her money to be able to live. She clearly doesn't like this way of life and I would think she'd much rather have a normal job, but I imagine she had a lack of education and therefore wouldn't have the qualifications to get a normal job. Meaning the only way to make her money is by doing the dodgy jobs for Derek and selling her body. As for Joanne, she is 12 and smokes, has run away from home, and claims she is not a virgin. I don't ever remember hearing her talk about school or any form of education which suggests to me that she isn't well educated, and would therefore have less opportunities when she's older.
Representation of location
The immediate setting of the film is a dirty, grotty run down bathroom in which Kelly and Joanne burst into. There is an effective tracking shot near the beginning of an alleyway in London; there are people drinking alcohol in the subways and it is a filthy area. When Kelly finds Joanne she is sitting on a dirty floor in the train station in London collecting money in a filthy old cup she's found. Her clothes are dirty and she looks like she hasn't eaten. Kelly admits she used to live on the streets too - we find out about her background and can see why she has turned out the way she has. When they run to Brighton they go to Kelly's friends house. It is full of smoke and everyone is doing drugs.
At times I found this film really uncomfortable to watch, but overall I think it was pretty good.
Bullet Boy
'Bullet Boy', directed by Saul Dibb (2004) is another British film about Ricky, who has just been released from jail and is trying to build a better life for himself. However, with his current surroundings this is more or less impossible. His only choice is to get away.
Representation of race or minority groups
All the characters in the film are African-English actors. Ricky's mother is strictly religious and her boyfriend is a priest. This could be a way for her to keep her children protected - maybe praying gives her hope that they will be good and honest men when they grow up. The African-English race is portrayed in two ways in this film - they are either gospel church goers, or armed fighters in gangs who shoot people. There is a scene in the film where Ricky in looking out off his balcony in their flat and looking at Canary Warf. This shows a huge contrast between the life he has and the life of the people in the heart of London. It shows his deprivation, and also shows him as being almost an outcast as he is seperated from the wealth of the city.
Representation of crime
It is clear that crime is a dominant theme in this film right from the very beginning, as we first see Ricky (who is only 18) coming out of jail, and being given a probation order.
Representation of family relationships
Ricky appears to be very close to his 12-year-old brother Curtis, who is first seen skipping school and hiding in the boot of Wisdom's car in order to see him when he is released from jail. This suggests he has missed him and is eager to see him. Wisdom gives Ricky a gun, which plays an important role in the family dynamic. Curtis finds it in Ricky's top drawer and takes it out to play with his friend (who he accidently kills). Ricky gets very angry at him - but this I think its only because he doesn't want Curtis to end up like he did - assulting people and ending up in jail.
Representation of violence
Due to him being in prison because of an assult charge, Ricky is given a probation order on his release. He is desperate to avoid anything that might get him into trouble, which is why he drags Wisdom away from a heated confrontation with their rival gang when they smash his wing mirror off. He even goes to one of their rivals house and calls a truce to make things better, but Wisdom seems to want to keep fighting - this is why Ricky parts from him in the end to try and make a clean break somewhere else.
Representation of education
Curtis seems to hate school, he doesn't even turn up some days - like when he went to greet Ricky at prison. When we do see him in school, he is late and chats to his friend instead of listening to the teacher. However, Rickys background of education is unknown. When Curtis is looking at his CV, he says how it will be hard for Ricky to find a job with a criminal record. Maybe the reason he has a criminal record is because of the lack of opportunity he had to get a job, and the reason for his crimes is due to a lack of education. Curtis's attitude towards school suggests he may go down the same path as his brother, who he idolises.
Representation of class
I don't think the class of Ricky's family is a low as Liam's in 'Sweet Sixteen', however I still think they belong to a lower/middle-working class family. They live in a quite small West London flat, but it doesn't appear to be to run down or shabby. Ricky and Curtis share a realatively small bedroom, which again doesn't look too bad. We know his mother works somewhere (I don't remember where) and her partner is a priest. However, we're still unaware of their income. The spacious living room connotes comfort.
Representation of race or minority groups
All the characters in the film are African-English actors. Ricky's mother is strictly religious and her boyfriend is a priest. This could be a way for her to keep her children protected - maybe praying gives her hope that they will be good and honest men when they grow up. The African-English race is portrayed in two ways in this film - they are either gospel church goers, or armed fighters in gangs who shoot people. There is a scene in the film where Ricky in looking out off his balcony in their flat and looking at Canary Warf. This shows a huge contrast between the life he has and the life of the people in the heart of London. It shows his deprivation, and also shows him as being almost an outcast as he is seperated from the wealth of the city.
Representation of crime
It is clear that crime is a dominant theme in this film right from the very beginning, as we first see Ricky (who is only 18) coming out of jail, and being given a probation order.
Representation of family relationships
Ricky appears to be very close to his 12-year-old brother Curtis, who is first seen skipping school and hiding in the boot of Wisdom's car in order to see him when he is released from jail. This suggests he has missed him and is eager to see him. Wisdom gives Ricky a gun, which plays an important role in the family dynamic. Curtis finds it in Ricky's top drawer and takes it out to play with his friend (who he accidently kills). Ricky gets very angry at him - but this I think its only because he doesn't want Curtis to end up like he did - assulting people and ending up in jail.
Representation of violence
Due to him being in prison because of an assult charge, Ricky is given a probation order on his release. He is desperate to avoid anything that might get him into trouble, which is why he drags Wisdom away from a heated confrontation with their rival gang when they smash his wing mirror off. He even goes to one of their rivals house and calls a truce to make things better, but Wisdom seems to want to keep fighting - this is why Ricky parts from him in the end to try and make a clean break somewhere else.
Representation of education
Curtis seems to hate school, he doesn't even turn up some days - like when he went to greet Ricky at prison. When we do see him in school, he is late and chats to his friend instead of listening to the teacher. However, Rickys background of education is unknown. When Curtis is looking at his CV, he says how it will be hard for Ricky to find a job with a criminal record. Maybe the reason he has a criminal record is because of the lack of opportunity he had to get a job, and the reason for his crimes is due to a lack of education. Curtis's attitude towards school suggests he may go down the same path as his brother, who he idolises.
Representation of class
I don't think the class of Ricky's family is a low as Liam's in 'Sweet Sixteen', however I still think they belong to a lower/middle-working class family. They live in a quite small West London flat, but it doesn't appear to be to run down or shabby. Ricky and Curtis share a realatively small bedroom, which again doesn't look too bad. We know his mother works somewhere (I don't remember where) and her partner is a priest. However, we're still unaware of their income. The spacious living room connotes comfort.
Sweet Sixteen - Aspects of crime
'Sweet Sixteen', directed by Ken Loach (2002), is a British film about a young Scottish boy, with a tough background, who is determined to raise enough money to have a normal and happy life with his mum (Jean) once she is released from prison. He will do anything he can to get this money, even get involved with Tony's gang of dodgy drug dealers.
Is there a sense that the lack of opportunity that the characters have is what leads to their crimes?
Yes, I think so because the audience can see throughout the film that Liam does everything in his power to make his mum happy and keep her safe. Liam's stepfather, Jean's boyfriend, is an obnoxious drug pusher; this means that Liam has grown up around the drug trading business, which is maybe why he thought it was a good way to raise his money. Also, unemployment was rampant at this time, so for a 15/16 year old boy there was very little hope of finding a sound job.
Do you feel the characters have less chance of success?
Yes, because I don't remember school being mentioned once throughout the whole film, which suggests to me that he had little, or possibly no, education. This means he would have no qualifications, and therefore wouldn't have much of a chance of getting a job when he's older (especially with the state of unemployment around that time).
How is family life portrayed within this film, what impact does it have upon the characters?
I think the importance of family to Liam is 50/50. On one hand, he hates his stepdad and grandfather, he wants to get him and his mum away from them and not have anything more to do with them. But on the other hand, he loves his mum and will do anything he can to make her happy. Family values seem to be highly respected by Liam. When he takes more than one brutal beating from a gang of rivals, Chantelle (Liam's sister) nurses his wounds and helps him get better again. Liam seems to be very loving towards his nephew, and wants them both to live with him and their mum when she is released. When she finally comes home, Liam surprises her with a big welcome home party in their new posh apartment, but is devestated when she runs off in the morning to go back to her abusive boyfriend Stan - the man who is the reason that she was in prison. Stan and Liam's grandfather clearly have no respect for Liam as they swear at him, beat him up, and throw him out on the streets. When it comes to Liams best mate Pinball, it becomes clear that Liam is the closest thing to family he has when he; steals Tony's car, crashes it into his health club, burns the caravan, and then cuts his own face. I think Pinball feels Liam is slipping away from him because his main priority is to get a house and be with his mum, sister and nephew; he is accepted into the drug business and Pinball isn't - he feels he's being left alone.
How is social class explored within the film?
I thinkthe film shows Liam as being part of a lower-class family. After being kicked out of his home and onto the streets by Stan, Liam goes to live with his sister - she's the only reason he is not homeless. When we are first introduced to Liam and his best friend Pinball, we see them trying to sell cigarettes in a local pub; this displays a smug, cheeky and cheap personality, which gets them kicked out. Also, Chantelle lives on a quite run down and gritty council estate - suggesting they are lower class. Liam and Pinball hang out in a dirty disused council flat, where they go to smoke drugs. The clothes that the younger generation of people wear in this film connote the typical "chav" image (which have negative connotations).
How is crime explored within the film?
In the beginning of the film, crime almost seems as if its a joke when Liam steals a policemans helmet. However, when he begins stealing drugs, its clear that the narrative has a much more serious undertones. We begin to see the emotional, as well as physical, effects it has on him and his family/friend. Liam is beaten up because of people trying to steal his "gear", then to make matters worse, he repeatedly goes after them to get it back - getting even more wounds in the process. He even becomes part of a powerful drug dealing gang, and is willing to kill someone to be accepted by them - however, this turns out to be a joke test to see if he is up to the job. Although Liam gets into a bad business, it is clear he just wants the best for him and his family, but due to the lack of opportunity he has to make his money by selling drugs. We see an emotional side to him when he records a personal messgae for his mum in prison. This is how generations of his family have lived - they want to make a change to allow Callum (nephew) to have a better life. At the end of the film, we see Liam strangle his sister when she tries to stop him going to see their mum. This could suggest he is turning into his stepdad/gradfather.
Is there a sense that the lack of opportunity that the characters have is what leads to their crimes?
Yes, I think so because the audience can see throughout the film that Liam does everything in his power to make his mum happy and keep her safe. Liam's stepfather, Jean's boyfriend, is an obnoxious drug pusher; this means that Liam has grown up around the drug trading business, which is maybe why he thought it was a good way to raise his money. Also, unemployment was rampant at this time, so for a 15/16 year old boy there was very little hope of finding a sound job.
Do you feel the characters have less chance of success?
Yes, because I don't remember school being mentioned once throughout the whole film, which suggests to me that he had little, or possibly no, education. This means he would have no qualifications, and therefore wouldn't have much of a chance of getting a job when he's older (especially with the state of unemployment around that time).
How is family life portrayed within this film, what impact does it have upon the characters?
I think the importance of family to Liam is 50/50. On one hand, he hates his stepdad and grandfather, he wants to get him and his mum away from them and not have anything more to do with them. But on the other hand, he loves his mum and will do anything he can to make her happy. Family values seem to be highly respected by Liam. When he takes more than one brutal beating from a gang of rivals, Chantelle (Liam's sister) nurses his wounds and helps him get better again. Liam seems to be very loving towards his nephew, and wants them both to live with him and their mum when she is released. When she finally comes home, Liam surprises her with a big welcome home party in their new posh apartment, but is devestated when she runs off in the morning to go back to her abusive boyfriend Stan - the man who is the reason that she was in prison. Stan and Liam's grandfather clearly have no respect for Liam as they swear at him, beat him up, and throw him out on the streets. When it comes to Liams best mate Pinball, it becomes clear that Liam is the closest thing to family he has when he; steals Tony's car, crashes it into his health club, burns the caravan, and then cuts his own face. I think Pinball feels Liam is slipping away from him because his main priority is to get a house and be with his mum, sister and nephew; he is accepted into the drug business and Pinball isn't - he feels he's being left alone.
How is social class explored within the film?
I thinkthe film shows Liam as being part of a lower-class family. After being kicked out of his home and onto the streets by Stan, Liam goes to live with his sister - she's the only reason he is not homeless. When we are first introduced to Liam and his best friend Pinball, we see them trying to sell cigarettes in a local pub; this displays a smug, cheeky and cheap personality, which gets them kicked out. Also, Chantelle lives on a quite run down and gritty council estate - suggesting they are lower class. Liam and Pinball hang out in a dirty disused council flat, where they go to smoke drugs. The clothes that the younger generation of people wear in this film connote the typical "chav" image (which have negative connotations).
How is crime explored within the film?
In the beginning of the film, crime almost seems as if its a joke when Liam steals a policemans helmet. However, when he begins stealing drugs, its clear that the narrative has a much more serious undertones. We begin to see the emotional, as well as physical, effects it has on him and his family/friend. Liam is beaten up because of people trying to steal his "gear", then to make matters worse, he repeatedly goes after them to get it back - getting even more wounds in the process. He even becomes part of a powerful drug dealing gang, and is willing to kill someone to be accepted by them - however, this turns out to be a joke test to see if he is up to the job. Although Liam gets into a bad business, it is clear he just wants the best for him and his family, but due to the lack of opportunity he has to make his money by selling drugs. We see an emotional side to him when he records a personal messgae for his mum in prison. This is how generations of his family have lived - they want to make a change to allow Callum (nephew) to have a better life. At the end of the film, we see Liam strangle his sister when she tries to stop him going to see their mum. This could suggest he is turning into his stepdad/gradfather.
Sunday 18 April 2010
Distribution Questions
1) How has Hollywood come to dominate world markets?
Many of the top Hollywood studios (20th Century Fox, Universal, Paramount) have HQ's in the US as well as overseas. Paramount established itself in Germany and the UK in the 1920's and MGM, Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox opened studios in the UK during the 30's, building cinemas in top locations such as London's West End to screen their films. Cinema chains all over the world have ownership agreements with the studios.
2) Why do I get to see the films I do at the local mulitplex?
If a film is produced by Paramount, for example, and a certain cinema is owned by them or they have a financial deal/agreement, then we are more likely to see a film produced by them at this particular cinema.
3) Do we get to see the films we want (demand led) or do we see films that are provided for us (supply led) and why?
Usually with the films we choose to see its down to the advertising. If theres a british film coming out that we haven't really heard about, we're not sure if we want to see it or not, however, Hollywood filmmakers have a large budget which allows them to pay for advertisments. This means that a lot of people will know about the film and will know if they want to see it or not. We're almost being forced into what we want to watch, as Hollywood films have us with their advertising.
4) Why are more people going to the cinema today?
Cinema has become extremely popular over the years due to lots of things. For one, films have so much hype now; Hollywood companies have a huge budget to advertise their films which means that they will attract a much wider audience and make a larger profit. Its almost as if people feel they need to watch a film because its had so much promotion to see what all the fuss is about. Also, deals like Orange Wednesdays have brought more people into cinemas with a two for one offer; it is a cheap day out so people tend to go. People also go for the experience; now that the number of IMAX cinemas and 3D films are increasing, people go for the 'thrill' of being taken into a 3D world.
5) Look to see whether films hold there positions well in the charts over a few weeks or whether they fall away quickly. What reasons can you come up with to explain this success or failure?
Many of the top Hollywood studios (20th Century Fox, Universal, Paramount) have HQ's in the US as well as overseas. Paramount established itself in Germany and the UK in the 1920's and MGM, Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox opened studios in the UK during the 30's, building cinemas in top locations such as London's West End to screen their films. Cinema chains all over the world have ownership agreements with the studios.
2) Why do I get to see the films I do at the local mulitplex?
If a film is produced by Paramount, for example, and a certain cinema is owned by them or they have a financial deal/agreement, then we are more likely to see a film produced by them at this particular cinema.
3) Do we get to see the films we want (demand led) or do we see films that are provided for us (supply led) and why?
Usually with the films we choose to see its down to the advertising. If theres a british film coming out that we haven't really heard about, we're not sure if we want to see it or not, however, Hollywood filmmakers have a large budget which allows them to pay for advertisments. This means that a lot of people will know about the film and will know if they want to see it or not. We're almost being forced into what we want to watch, as Hollywood films have us with their advertising.
4) Why are more people going to the cinema today?
Cinema has become extremely popular over the years due to lots of things. For one, films have so much hype now; Hollywood companies have a huge budget to advertise their films which means that they will attract a much wider audience and make a larger profit. Its almost as if people feel they need to watch a film because its had so much promotion to see what all the fuss is about. Also, deals like Orange Wednesdays have brought more people into cinemas with a two for one offer; it is a cheap day out so people tend to go. People also go for the experience; now that the number of IMAX cinemas and 3D films are increasing, people go for the 'thrill' of being taken into a 3D world.
5) Look to see whether films hold there positions well in the charts over a few weeks or whether they fall away quickly. What reasons can you come up with to explain this success or failure?
Exhibition Questions
1) Why are there no viable arts/independent cinemas in many areas? Why/how is Southampton able to sustain The Picturehouse (Harbourlights)?
Picturehouse cinemas show films that are suited to the audience in that location. For example, if people in Southampton wanted to see more romantic films that is what they would try and show. These independent cinemas are built particularly in university areas such as London and York. The audiences may be bigger in these locations which is maybe why independent cinemas are not as needed.
2) What is the relationship between movie going and video/DVD/Blu-ray hire/sales?
DVD's etc are easily and widely available in shops, for rental, online. It is a lot more convenient for people who purchase the DVD because they can watch it whenever they want. Also, it is cheaper to buy or rent a DVD than it is to watch a film at the cinema. Odeon cinemas in the UK were planning to boycott the release of Tim Burton's remake of Disneys 'Alice in Wonderland' because Disney were going to bring the film out on DVD after just 12 weeks instead of the usual 17, in an attempt to increase the declining DVD sales.
3) What does the programming of the Sky Movie channels and Film Four respectively say about the relationship between pay television, niche marketing and consumer behaviour?
On Film Four and Sky Movies they air films 24/7, and give viewers the choice of genres. In between the films there are trailers of upcoming movies, and there are niche marketing schemes which promote a new released film. In these niche marketing schemes there are exclusive interviews and clips with cast members.
4) What is the most appropriate response Contemporary British Cinema can make to Hollywood dominance?
5) Should British films be distinctive at the expense of profitability or profitable at the expense of distinctiveness?
6) Is it possible for British films to be both distinctive and profitable?
Picturehouse cinemas show films that are suited to the audience in that location. For example, if people in Southampton wanted to see more romantic films that is what they would try and show. These independent cinemas are built particularly in university areas such as London and York. The audiences may be bigger in these locations which is maybe why independent cinemas are not as needed.
2) What is the relationship between movie going and video/DVD/Blu-ray hire/sales?
DVD's etc are easily and widely available in shops, for rental, online. It is a lot more convenient for people who purchase the DVD because they can watch it whenever they want. Also, it is cheaper to buy or rent a DVD than it is to watch a film at the cinema. Odeon cinemas in the UK were planning to boycott the release of Tim Burton's remake of Disneys 'Alice in Wonderland' because Disney were going to bring the film out on DVD after just 12 weeks instead of the usual 17, in an attempt to increase the declining DVD sales.
3) What does the programming of the Sky Movie channels and Film Four respectively say about the relationship between pay television, niche marketing and consumer behaviour?
On Film Four and Sky Movies they air films 24/7, and give viewers the choice of genres. In between the films there are trailers of upcoming movies, and there are niche marketing schemes which promote a new released film. In these niche marketing schemes there are exclusive interviews and clips with cast members.
4) What is the most appropriate response Contemporary British Cinema can make to Hollywood dominance?
5) Should British films be distinctive at the expense of profitability or profitable at the expense of distinctiveness?
6) Is it possible for British films to be both distinctive and profitable?
Friday 19 March 2010
Production Questions
1) How has the status and power of stars changed over cinematic history?
Many films now use the big stars as the main marketing source, which attracts an audience to watch the film because of their names on promotional posters. Lots of films are also made as a 'star vehicle' (a method to promote a film with a star who has had the lead role created specifically for them).
2)Take any film you have seen recently and find out who produced it. Then try to find out more about this person. What was their role on this particular production? What have they and others got to say about their involvement and contribution? What projects have s/he been involved in previously, were these ventures successful?
Alice in Wonderland is a recent film that has famous stars in. It is directed by Tim Burton, who has had a long list of famous films, so he already has a very large fan base. In nearly all of Tim Burtons films, Johnny Depp is casted as the lead star, making a huge fan base with Burtons and Depp's combined. This means there is a massive audience wanting to watch the film.
3)Why are certain kinds of films guarenteed to make large profits and others high risk?
This is mostly down to the filmmakers choice of genre for the film. It all depends on what genre is popular at the time, for example, recently the disaster/horror/post-apocalyptic genres have proved to be a box office success, with films such as Zombieland and Dawn of the Dead making large profits at the box office. Which also led to films like Shaun of the Dead and Diary of the Dead being made, which are all in the same genre. I think that films that work outside these popular genres are the ones that can be classed as 'risks'.
4) Which genres are currently popular/unpopular and why?
I think that the most popular genres at the minute are horror, comedy and end of the world style. This is because lots of films like 'The Road', '2010' and 'Zombieland' have recently been released and have been a success. Also, films in these genres are now being made into sequals due to their success.
5) Why was Hollywood under the studio system so successful?
Because during the 1910's and 1920's, Hollywoods biggest studios, Paramount, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox etc, were starting up. These companies had lots of power and took control of the production as well as distribution of films. They were able to be made quickly and of reasonable quality, they could also be easily marketed.
6) What has been lost and gained as a result if the replacement of the studio system by the producer/agent/deal system?
7) How and why has hollywood again become vertically integrated?
During the "Golden Age" of Hollywood films, the studios had complete control of the production, distribution and exhibition. They soon realised that this way they would increase the profits.
8) What are the consequences of vertical integration?
Many films now use the big stars as the main marketing source, which attracts an audience to watch the film because of their names on promotional posters. Lots of films are also made as a 'star vehicle' (a method to promote a film with a star who has had the lead role created specifically for them).
2)Take any film you have seen recently and find out who produced it. Then try to find out more about this person. What was their role on this particular production? What have they and others got to say about their involvement and contribution? What projects have s/he been involved in previously, were these ventures successful?
Alice in Wonderland is a recent film that has famous stars in. It is directed by Tim Burton, who has had a long list of famous films, so he already has a very large fan base. In nearly all of Tim Burtons films, Johnny Depp is casted as the lead star, making a huge fan base with Burtons and Depp's combined. This means there is a massive audience wanting to watch the film.
3)Why are certain kinds of films guarenteed to make large profits and others high risk?
This is mostly down to the filmmakers choice of genre for the film. It all depends on what genre is popular at the time, for example, recently the disaster/horror/post-apocalyptic genres have proved to be a box office success, with films such as Zombieland and Dawn of the Dead making large profits at the box office. Which also led to films like Shaun of the Dead and Diary of the Dead being made, which are all in the same genre. I think that films that work outside these popular genres are the ones that can be classed as 'risks'.
4) Which genres are currently popular/unpopular and why?
I think that the most popular genres at the minute are horror, comedy and end of the world style. This is because lots of films like 'The Road', '2010' and 'Zombieland' have recently been released and have been a success. Also, films in these genres are now being made into sequals due to their success.
5) Why was Hollywood under the studio system so successful?
Because during the 1910's and 1920's, Hollywoods biggest studios, Paramount, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox etc, were starting up. These companies had lots of power and took control of the production as well as distribution of films. They were able to be made quickly and of reasonable quality, they could also be easily marketed.
6) What has been lost and gained as a result if the replacement of the studio system by the producer/agent/deal system?
7) How and why has hollywood again become vertically integrated?
During the "Golden Age" of Hollywood films, the studios had complete control of the production, distribution and exhibition. They soon realised that this way they would increase the profits.
The companies also had control of which cinemas certain films were released in. Therefore this could have happened again due to Hollywood re-realising that they wanted control again after a period of time when independant films had the lime light.
8) What are the consequences of vertical integration?
When releasing films to independant exhibitioners, the companies don't often get to see the film they are exhibitioning. As a result, the film could lose loads at the box office and could be a complete fail.
Friday 12 March 2010
What appearance does the British stars in American films have upon the British films?
Many British stars have found success in Hollywood films. For example; Robert Patterson in 'The Twilight' saga, Keira Knightly in 'Pirates of the Carribean' saga, Vinnie Jones in 'Euro Trip', and Ewan McGregor in 'Moulin Rouge!'. This promotes the actresses and actors, but it also means the stars lose their roots and become just another part of Hollywoods 'showcase of stars'. However, in the last five years Keira Knightly has appeared in 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Atonement', both successful British films.
Kate Winslet, who has also become a big Hollywood actress, visits back to the UK regularly to appear in films and TV shows. She is an example one British/Hollywood actress who has kept in touch with her roots.
Many American films are well promoted, (as the Hollywood industry have a large enough budget to pay for it) which means that the stars are well promoted. People begin to recognise the names of stars, and their names stick. Also, if people like a British star in a Hollywood film, the chances are they will want to see some of the British films they started off doing. Giving them a wider fanbase, like Robert Patterson for example. American filmmakers taking British talent could be seen as a compliment to the UK, as it is showcasing the UK's talent in huge films. Some great actors.actresses in the UK wouldn't get the chance to be successful over here, but Hollywood filmmakers have the power to make them big. When British stars appear in Hollywood movies , filmmakers demand them to reprise their roles in sequals if the first film is successful.
The impact of British stars appearing in American films is that it gives the stars a chance to show their talent to a new audience. Unfortunately this can often drive them away from their roots.
This can also work vice versa - American stars in British films can attract an American audience to the British film industry, giving it a wider fanbase. For example, Guy Ritchie got Brad Pitt to appear in the British film Snatch. This meant that a wider range of audiences would watch the film, as the Americans would watch it for Brad Pitt, and the British people would watch it because it is a British film.
Kate Winslet, who has also become a big Hollywood actress, visits back to the UK regularly to appear in films and TV shows. She is an example one British/Hollywood actress who has kept in touch with her roots.
Many American films are well promoted, (as the Hollywood industry have a large enough budget to pay for it) which means that the stars are well promoted. People begin to recognise the names of stars, and their names stick. Also, if people like a British star in a Hollywood film, the chances are they will want to see some of the British films they started off doing. Giving them a wider fanbase, like Robert Patterson for example. American filmmakers taking British talent could be seen as a compliment to the UK, as it is showcasing the UK's talent in huge films. Some great actors.actresses in the UK wouldn't get the chance to be successful over here, but Hollywood filmmakers have the power to make them big. When British stars appear in Hollywood movies , filmmakers demand them to reprise their roles in sequals if the first film is successful.
The impact of British stars appearing in American films is that it gives the stars a chance to show their talent to a new audience. Unfortunately this can often drive them away from their roots.
This can also work vice versa - American stars in British films can attract an American audience to the British film industry, giving it a wider fanbase. For example, Guy Ritchie got Brad Pitt to appear in the British film Snatch. This meant that a wider range of audiences would watch the film, as the Americans would watch it for Brad Pitt, and the British people would watch it because it is a British film.
Thursday 11 March 2010
What are films made for? Do they cater to peoples tastes or are they 'safe bets' for the Hollywood Industry?
In my opinion, Hollywood films have become safe bets for the industry for many reasons. One reason is that most films now are sequals, book adaptations, or remakes of older films. For example, Tim Burton has recently remade the famous Disney film, Alice in Wonderland, putting his own unique interpretations in to it. Alice is one of the most popular Disney films, therefore a remake must be a safe bet as people will be interested to watch a modern version of it after seeing the original. Also, Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic prose (which won the Pulitzer prize in 2007), The Road, has been adapted into a movie. It was a popular book, so Hollywood producers thought it would again be a safe bet to make it into a film to see how they would adapt it from a book into a film.
Even TV shows are being made into films, like The Simpsons and Sex and the City for example. The Simpsons is a huge television show which appeals to a wide audience. Film makers would have thought this to be a safe bet for the industry as it has been popular to audiences for 21 years. A film adaptation would rake the money in for sure. Another example of this is the Hannah Montana Movie. It is a very popular childrens TV show on the Disney channel, and lots of little girls aspire to be like her. Therefore, the film version would be a hit.
The relationships between the actors and directors are often very important, and are another reason why films are mostly safe bets for the industry. For example, Tim Burton has Johnny Depp playing the lead role in almost every one of his films. This is because he knows that Depp has a huge fanbase, and with both of their fanbases put together they will have a massive audience and will make lots of money. Depp is a sefe bet for him because he is guaranteed to make a profit if he puts him in a lead role; this is what sells his films, and the fact that Depp is doing interviews with Burton on the new Alice in Wonderland proves this.
Another reason why they are safe bets is that the release dates of some films like Saw:
Saw 1 - 1st October 2004
Saw 2 - 28th October 2005
Saw 3 - 27th October 2006
Saw 4 - 26th October 2007
Saw 5 - 24th October 2008
Saw 6 - 23rd October 2009
As you can see, they are all very close to Hallowe'en. They are very gory films so they keep with the theme of Hallowe'en, therefore the producers/directors of Saw would be guaranteed to make a profit from the films. Also, because the first one was so successful, more and more were made being released one after the other. If audiences liked the first one, then they are likely to want to see the next one and the one after that.
Even TV shows are being made into films, like The Simpsons and Sex and the City for example. The Simpsons is a huge television show which appeals to a wide audience. Film makers would have thought this to be a safe bet for the industry as it has been popular to audiences for 21 years. A film adaptation would rake the money in for sure. Another example of this is the Hannah Montana Movie. It is a very popular childrens TV show on the Disney channel, and lots of little girls aspire to be like her. Therefore, the film version would be a hit.
The relationships between the actors and directors are often very important, and are another reason why films are mostly safe bets for the industry. For example, Tim Burton has Johnny Depp playing the lead role in almost every one of his films. This is because he knows that Depp has a huge fanbase, and with both of their fanbases put together they will have a massive audience and will make lots of money. Depp is a sefe bet for him because he is guaranteed to make a profit if he puts him in a lead role; this is what sells his films, and the fact that Depp is doing interviews with Burton on the new Alice in Wonderland proves this.
Another reason why they are safe bets is that the release dates of some films like Saw:
Saw 1 - 1st October 2004
Saw 2 - 28th October 2005
Saw 3 - 27th October 2006
Saw 4 - 26th October 2007
Saw 5 - 24th October 2008
Saw 6 - 23rd October 2009
As you can see, they are all very close to Hallowe'en. They are very gory films so they keep with the theme of Hallowe'en, therefore the producers/directors of Saw would be guaranteed to make a profit from the films. Also, because the first one was so successful, more and more were made being released one after the other. If audiences liked the first one, then they are likely to want to see the next one and the one after that.
Tuesday 9 March 2010
Is cinema dead?
British film is not what it used to be, as American films are taking over the industry (with their high budgets to advertise films), making British films less common than they used to be. The film industry has been declining in recent years as there are now so many choices on how to view new films. For example, there is Blu Ray, DVD's, illegal downloading, and even illegal piracy, which has led to cinemas having a huge decrease in takings as people find it easier and cheaper to download and watch a film in the comfort of their own home. Nowadays, films do not only make money through screening the films in the cinema; they offer DVD's, merchandise, Franchise deals with fast food resturants, video games and many more.
Pro's
Pro's
- As technology has developed, the use of 3D/IMAX and special effects has become more popular in big films. It offers the audience a chance to experience something they couldn't get at home.
- Film reviews from film critics and other movie-goers may influence a viewers choice on whether to watch a film or not.
- American films can afford to put a lot of their money into advertising, which means it has a better chance of attracting an audience to watch it at the cinema.
- Orange Wednesdays have brought audiences back into the cinema as it offers a two for one deal.
- Sainsburys Nectar points and Tesco Club Card points can be used to buy cinema tickets (this deal would bring in a big audience because lots of people shop here).
- There are so many internet virals of trailers and movie clips that it makes people want to go and see the film.
- Cinemas offer an experience you can't get anywhere else, for example; Vue in Eastleigh offer a variety of different seating styles like bean bags, arm chairs, and standard seats.
- See Films First offer exclusive access to members who are signed up to see a film before it premieres to the public in cinemas.
- ODEON also offer a Premiere card to people, the system works by awarding points for every £1 that is spent at ODEON. This makes people more likely to go to the cinema more often as they are getting extras.
Con's
- Love Film offer a DVD rental service which allows films to be rented online and sent to you, then once you have finished you send them back. There is only a small monthly subscribtion fee of around £4, and it allows viewers to watch films in the comfort of their own home.
- The sales of Blu Ray and DVD's etc have increased a lot, meaning cinemas are losing money as people would rather wait for ther DVD to come out.
- Being able to download illegal/pirated movies via torrents has "killed" the cinema, as these sites are widely available and mean that audiences do not have to wait for the cinema release. However, the quality of these films are often very poor and some internet providers, such as Virgin, are clamping down on illegal downloads.
- Sky movies allows people to watch films in their own home for as little as £5 (cheaper than a cinema ticket) ans as many people can watch it for no extra cost.
Friday 26 February 2010
British Cinema - Shaun of the Dead
- 'Shaun of the Dead' was directed by Edgar Wright, and was released on 9th April 2004 in the UK.
- But was released internationally (USA) 24th September 2004, and between 30th July 2004 and 31st August 2005.
- The genre of the film is hybrid as it is a comedy zombie horror, and it is a spoof of Dawn of the Dead.
- Simon Pegg (who plays Shaun) wrote the film, and it was produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Nira Park.
- All of the stars, writers, producers and director of the film are British citizens.
- The studios and companies involved in the production of the film were; Studio Canal, Eling Studios, Working Title Films, WT2 Productions, and Big Talk Productions. All based in the UK (British studios).
- The film was independantly funded.
- There are no international stars in the film, they are all British (one is Irish - David, played by Dylan Moran).
- Companies that distributed this film are Universal Pictures and Rogue Pictures.
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Babel
Babel, directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (2006), was distributed by Paramount, which is owned by Viacom. Big stars in the show are Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt. The film, set in Morocco, contains four interlocking stories, which are all connected by a single gun, that all converge at the end to reveal a tragic story of the lives of humanity around the world. In Morocco, a troubled married couple are on vacation trying to work out their differences, meanwhile, a Moroccan herder buys a rifle for his sons so they can keep the jackals away from his herd. This gun was purchased from a wealthy Japanese hunter, whose daughter is dealing with rejection, the death of her mother, the emotional distance of her father, her own self-consciousness, and a disability (deaf-mute). Then, on the opposite side of the world, the married couple's Mexican nanny takes the couple's two children with her to her son's wedding in Mexico after being told no one else can look after them for her, only to come into trouble on the return trip, resulting in them being stranded in the desert.
Throughout the film, nearly every camera shot appeared to be hand held, which was made clear through the shakiness of the camera. I think this added to the films sense of realism which made the narrative more believable for the audience. There was a wide range of different angles and shots used to convey different meanings, for example the shot from the japanese girls point of view in the night club shows the audience how she hears and sees things. It also makes them sympathise with her as everyone around is able to listen to and appreciate/enjoy the music, whereas she has to imagine what it would sound like. Another great camera shot is the reverse shot when we're first introduced to the married couple. They are sitting at a dinner table in a Moroccan desert, the reverse shot shows each characters expressions as they argue. This also tells us a bit about their personalities and marital situation straight away.
The costume in the film was all kept very cultural to the different characters backgrounds; for example, the Moroccans are wearing rags and robes, the wealthy Japanese business man is always seen wearing a suit, and the middle class Americans are wearing casual jeans and shirts. This could also give the audience an idea of their social background. The main and most significant prop in this film was definately the rifle, as it linked every character and their story together. Lighting in this film was mostly natural throughout, as the night and day scenes were shot using natural lighting sources. Although, in the club scene in Japan, there was lots of colourful artificial lighting to create a party atmosphere, which contrasted the dim artificial lighting in the huts in Morocco.
Again, the music in the film was all kept quite cultural to the different scenes in the different locations, like the techno sounds used in the Japanese scenes, and the exotic Mexican music used in the wedding party scenes. There was a variety of diegetic and non-diegetic music used; for example, the diegetic music included the car radio, the telephone conversations, the live band at the wedding etc, and the non-diegetic music was the overlapping of the cultural music on a particular scene. The most memorable use of sound in this film for me was in the club scene in Japan when the camera was cutting from the girl to the crowd of people. everytime the camera was on the crowd, the audience could hear the loud techno music, but when it cut to the girl, there was silence. Again, I think this scene is very effective as the audience are able to experience what she is going through which allows them to empathise with her.
Editing in Babel was amazing as it was used to control the four seperate narratives and bring them together to make up the overall plot, which was shown through the quick jump cuts to new locations. There is an interesting scene where editing is used to tell one characters story in the shot of another characters story, for example, when the Japanese girl is watching the TV at her house, the news comes on and there is a report about the American woman who was shot.
I think Babel was a good film, although, I'm not really sure what the Japanese family had to do with it. The father supplied the rifle, but thats the only connection he had, and the Japanese side of the story was all about his daughter. This confused me a bit, as did the end scene where the American man is in hospital talking to the nanny and his children on the phone. If that was all happening at the same time, then the nanny shouldn't have answered the phone because she was deported. The rest of the film was pretty good. I particularly liked the way all four stories fit together so well. The narratives combined provides a powerful story and an equally powerful looking glass into the lives of random people around the world and it shows just how connected we really are.
Throughout the film, nearly every camera shot appeared to be hand held, which was made clear through the shakiness of the camera. I think this added to the films sense of realism which made the narrative more believable for the audience. There was a wide range of different angles and shots used to convey different meanings, for example the shot from the japanese girls point of view in the night club shows the audience how she hears and sees things. It also makes them sympathise with her as everyone around is able to listen to and appreciate/enjoy the music, whereas she has to imagine what it would sound like. Another great camera shot is the reverse shot when we're first introduced to the married couple. They are sitting at a dinner table in a Moroccan desert, the reverse shot shows each characters expressions as they argue. This also tells us a bit about their personalities and marital situation straight away.
The costume in the film was all kept very cultural to the different characters backgrounds; for example, the Moroccans are wearing rags and robes, the wealthy Japanese business man is always seen wearing a suit, and the middle class Americans are wearing casual jeans and shirts. This could also give the audience an idea of their social background. The main and most significant prop in this film was definately the rifle, as it linked every character and their story together. Lighting in this film was mostly natural throughout, as the night and day scenes were shot using natural lighting sources. Although, in the club scene in Japan, there was lots of colourful artificial lighting to create a party atmosphere, which contrasted the dim artificial lighting in the huts in Morocco.
Again, the music in the film was all kept quite cultural to the different scenes in the different locations, like the techno sounds used in the Japanese scenes, and the exotic Mexican music used in the wedding party scenes. There was a variety of diegetic and non-diegetic music used; for example, the diegetic music included the car radio, the telephone conversations, the live band at the wedding etc, and the non-diegetic music was the overlapping of the cultural music on a particular scene. The most memorable use of sound in this film for me was in the club scene in Japan when the camera was cutting from the girl to the crowd of people. everytime the camera was on the crowd, the audience could hear the loud techno music, but when it cut to the girl, there was silence. Again, I think this scene is very effective as the audience are able to experience what she is going through which allows them to empathise with her.
Editing in Babel was amazing as it was used to control the four seperate narratives and bring them together to make up the overall plot, which was shown through the quick jump cuts to new locations. There is an interesting scene where editing is used to tell one characters story in the shot of another characters story, for example, when the Japanese girl is watching the TV at her house, the news comes on and there is a report about the American woman who was shot.
I think Babel was a good film, although, I'm not really sure what the Japanese family had to do with it. The father supplied the rifle, but thats the only connection he had, and the Japanese side of the story was all about his daughter. This confused me a bit, as did the end scene where the American man is in hospital talking to the nanny and his children on the phone. If that was all happening at the same time, then the nanny shouldn't have answered the phone because she was deported. The rest of the film was pretty good. I particularly liked the way all four stories fit together so well. The narratives combined provides a powerful story and an equally powerful looking glass into the lives of random people around the world and it shows just how connected we really are.
Friday 5 February 2010
Hollywood Case Study - Avatar
Avatar - directed/written/produced by James Cameron (2009)
Pre Production and Production:
Pre Production and Production:
- Budget of film: $237,000,000 (others estimated the cost at $280–310 million to produce and $150 million for marketing)
- The gross revenue is $1, 424,222,266 (Avatar's worldwide gross was an estimated $232,180,000 after three days)
- Stars in the film had a $50million salary
- On its opening weekend it grossed $77 million domestically and $232 million worldwide. Within three weeks of its release, with a worldwide gross of over $1 billion, Avatar became the second highest-grossing film of all time worldwide, exceeded only by Cameron's previous film, Titanic.
- Director James Cameron had a salary of $8million, which he forfeited most of (along with most of his share of the gross percentage) to finance the films production.
- Production companies involved: Lightstorm Entertainment
- The genres are action, adventure and sci-fi. All very popular, so was the 3D (IMAX) theme. This helped with the ticket sales and the profit made.
- Length of shooting schedule was around 2 years.
- The music at the end of the film, " I see you", was performed by Leona Lewis. She is known worldwide and is very popular. She also has a great voice that suits the genre of the film.
- The film was so expensive to produce because it was nearly all CGI. The special effects and CGI are what made the film, they are so well done. This is because Cameron wanted to wait to finish the film until "technology had caught up with his vision of how it should look". He started writing Avatar in 1994 with an 80 page script, after the completion of Titanic, which would have been finished and released in 1999. But because Cameron wanted to wait for more IMAX cinemas to become available worldwide, he put off filming until 2006 when he began to write the script, as well as develop the language and culture of the Na’vi. As the film was so successful, Cameron is planning a sequel.
- He did not think that technology was developed enough at this time to create his vision of the film, which is why he put off filming.
- The film was always going to be in 3D, this is why Cameron spent so long working on the production of it and wouldn't start filming until IMAX cinemas were available to people worldwide, also he wanted 3D technology to be developed enough to create his vision of the film.
- The film looks very glossy ans slick, we can see this from the poster of a close up of one of the Na'vi characters faces. It allows the audience to see the wealth of detail in the special effects and CGI. This promotes the film as viewers can see how realistic they look.
- The narrative of the film and the characters in it are quite simple. The audience do not leave the cinema after watching it and think " I didn't understand any of that". The plot is quite easy to understand, which makes it appeal to a wider audience.
- News Corp, whose 20th Century Fox film studio backed James Cameron's blockbuster, posted profits of £159m for the second quarter.
- The costs to the rights of the source is $500million.
- Formal excess - the use of 3D and special effects makes the film very over the top, but this is what makes it so appealing to an audience and attarcts them to watch it. The set design is also very over the top, as is the cinematography, this is all to show off.
- The cast of the film aren’t very well known. This is because A-listers’ are no longer being hired for big Hollywood movies as they cost too much to use for a role. Producers have resorted to using unknown actors in order to use more money on the production of the film.
Distribution:
- The distribution company for Avatar is 20th Century Fox.
- Around $150million was spent on distributing and marketing the film through posters, soundtrack CD's, t-shirts, action figures etc.
- The marketing for Avatar has been going on since August 2009.
- The film got most of its publicity from the advertisments of posters and bus banners. There wasn't many big stars in the film so its popularity relied on the use of CGI and special effects (which were shown on the posters). The fact that is was directed by James Cameron also attracted an audience, as he was already a well known director, who was famous for his films such as Titanic.
- To promote the film, loads of merchandise was made, for example; t-shirts, posters, CD soundtracks, books, video games, and action figures (which were released before christmas to give extra time to make a bigger profit, as the younger audience would want them as presents).
- Also, McDonalds had a period of time where they included a free Avatar action figure in every Happy Meal. McDonalds is a very popular fast food outlet so this promoted the film to the public.
Exhibition:
- The release date for Avatar was 18th December 2009 in the United States, and 10th December 2009 was the London premiere.
- On its opening weekend it was shown in a total of 261 theatres, and the box office took $27million.
- Internationally, Avatar opened on a total of 14,604 screens in 106 territories. 3671 of these were showing the film in 3D (producing 56% of the opening weekends gross).
- Avatar earned $3,537,000 just from midnight screenings.
- It's worldwide gross was estimated at $232,180,000 after five days, the ninth largest opening weekend gross of all time.
- Avatar has been on release in cinemas (to the public) since 18th December, which to date is almost 8 weeks, and it is still screening.
- Avatar is currently the second best movie of all time, but has not yet beaten Cameron's famous Titanic which remains at number one.
- Avatar is the widest IMAX release to date, as it opened in a total of 261 theatres internationally, and a total of 3422 worldwide.
- Currently, Avatar has sold $75million worth of tickets.
Tuesday 2 February 2010
Top Gun - The High Concept Model
A Style of Post-generic Filmmaking (simplification of characters and narrative):
Top Gun, directed by Tony Scott (1986) is a good example of a High Concept film. It is a hybrid genre as it has more than one traditional genre, these are; Action, Romance and Drama. It is believed that the action appeals to the men in the audience, whereas the romance and even drama elements appeal more to the women. By including these different genres in the films narrative, it gives a wider target audience of both males and females. The characters in the film are all quite simple, so is the narrative. The film is based on Maverick (played by Tom Cruise) and his tough journey through Top Gun. It is kept simple by only concentrating on his character and none of the others, as all the other fighter pilots have their own history. This is what has brought them all together at Top Gun. At the start of the film, Maverick only wants to win the Top Gun trophy with his best friend Goose, but when he sadly dies in an accident during training, Maverick's confidence is knocked and he re-evaluates his future as a fighter pilot. During all this, Maverick falls in love with on of the instructors at Top Gun, Charlie. This all keeps the narrative simple too as he is not involved with too many other people.
Use of Extended Montages:
The film opens with a montage of the fighter planes being prepared to take off, whilst the song "Highway to the Dangerzone" (by Kenny Loggins) is playing over it (non-diegetic sound). The title of the song links in with its narrative, because when they are up in the air they are in a dangerzone. It also shows the audience what the film is going to be about. There is also montages on the flying chase scenes, these show the progress of the pilots training sessions. Another great montage is the very last scene with the closing credits. The montage shows short clips of all the actors that were in the film, the first one being Goose. This clip shows him smiling and being happy with Maverick, just how the audience remember him, then it moves on to the next character. Non-diegetic music also plays over this scene. Montages are essentially pop videos as they are built up with short clips which tell a story, and have music playing over the action.
Design reflects advertising styles:
Production design frequently reflects the graphics, glossy look and layout of contemporary advertising styles. The DVD cover with Tom Cruise and Kelly Mcgillis sitting on the motorbike shows the film is heroic and patriotic, because of the American flag behind them. This is true as Tom Cruise's character Maverick is portrayed as the typical hero; after he takes down enemy fighter planes, loses his best friend during a training battle, and falls in love with a beautiful woman. It has a typical American film narrative. Top Gun was made in the 80's therefore the posters will not have a 'glossy' look, however they are appealing and are layed out in a simple way. I found a promotional poster for the film which had the tagline 'Up there with the best of the best', this is meant to summarise the movie's plot. When you're flying in the top gun academy, you have to be up there with the best pilots, "there are no points for second place". All of the posters are dependant on one picture in particular; the one of Tom and Kelly on the motorbike with fighter planes in the background. This signifies the narrative and plot of the film through just photos.
Easily replicated in publicity:
Scenes from the film are easily replicated in trailers.
Formal excess:
Some camera angles and shots are not really neccesary in the flying scenes, I think they are used mostly just to show off, as the angles are quite heavy and the movement is very fast. Also, during the volleyball scene between Maverick, Goose and Iceman, Slider, The camera shots are slowed down to capture the facial expressions of the players. I don't think this scene was particularly important but they went over the top on the shots and angles.
Music track interrupts narrative:
In most of the scenes with Maverick and Charlie, a slow ballad type song is played. The outcome is that it creates its own narrative to go with the scene. During the earlier flying scenes, the track 'Danger Zone' is repeated and often accompanies the action of the pilots. By flying, they are entering the 'danger zone'. However, this also makes the flying shots 'look good' and draw the attention away from the narrative.
Self conscious allusion to films and television:
During Top Gun's release onto VHS, the film had a pilot themed advert for Diet Pepsi.
Detached appearance of stars:
Val Kilmer (who plays Viper) can be seen flipping a pen through his knuckles, whic is one of his trademark actions. Also, Peter Pettigrew, who plays Charlies older date near the beginning of the film, is referenced during the film as Mavericks real name is Pete (but in earlier scripts his name was Evan).
Hyperbolic physiques and action:
Tom Cruise (Maverick) is the centre of Hyperbole in Top Gun as he has a muscular body, charm and good looks. He's eye candy for the female viewers.
Ironic distanciation: walking-talking brand:
The term "going ballistic" is now used by pilots describing any action of the aircraft being put in a vertical (or nearly vertical) climb. Also, the famous line "I feel the need - the need for speed" was voted number 94 (out of 100) for best movie quote by the American Film Industry.
Top Gun, directed by Tony Scott (1986) is a good example of a High Concept film. It is a hybrid genre as it has more than one traditional genre, these are; Action, Romance and Drama. It is believed that the action appeals to the men in the audience, whereas the romance and even drama elements appeal more to the women. By including these different genres in the films narrative, it gives a wider target audience of both males and females. The characters in the film are all quite simple, so is the narrative. The film is based on Maverick (played by Tom Cruise) and his tough journey through Top Gun. It is kept simple by only concentrating on his character and none of the others, as all the other fighter pilots have their own history. This is what has brought them all together at Top Gun. At the start of the film, Maverick only wants to win the Top Gun trophy with his best friend Goose, but when he sadly dies in an accident during training, Maverick's confidence is knocked and he re-evaluates his future as a fighter pilot. During all this, Maverick falls in love with on of the instructors at Top Gun, Charlie. This all keeps the narrative simple too as he is not involved with too many other people.
Use of Extended Montages:
The film opens with a montage of the fighter planes being prepared to take off, whilst the song "Highway to the Dangerzone" (by Kenny Loggins) is playing over it (non-diegetic sound). The title of the song links in with its narrative, because when they are up in the air they are in a dangerzone. It also shows the audience what the film is going to be about. There is also montages on the flying chase scenes, these show the progress of the pilots training sessions. Another great montage is the very last scene with the closing credits. The montage shows short clips of all the actors that were in the film, the first one being Goose. This clip shows him smiling and being happy with Maverick, just how the audience remember him, then it moves on to the next character. Non-diegetic music also plays over this scene. Montages are essentially pop videos as they are built up with short clips which tell a story, and have music playing over the action.
Design reflects advertising styles:
Production design frequently reflects the graphics, glossy look and layout of contemporary advertising styles. The DVD cover with Tom Cruise and Kelly Mcgillis sitting on the motorbike shows the film is heroic and patriotic, because of the American flag behind them. This is true as Tom Cruise's character Maverick is portrayed as the typical hero; after he takes down enemy fighter planes, loses his best friend during a training battle, and falls in love with a beautiful woman. It has a typical American film narrative. Top Gun was made in the 80's therefore the posters will not have a 'glossy' look, however they are appealing and are layed out in a simple way. I found a promotional poster for the film which had the tagline 'Up there with the best of the best', this is meant to summarise the movie's plot. When you're flying in the top gun academy, you have to be up there with the best pilots, "there are no points for second place". All of the posters are dependant on one picture in particular; the one of Tom and Kelly on the motorbike with fighter planes in the background. This signifies the narrative and plot of the film through just photos.
Easily replicated in publicity:
Scenes from the film are easily replicated in trailers.
Formal excess:
Some camera angles and shots are not really neccesary in the flying scenes, I think they are used mostly just to show off, as the angles are quite heavy and the movement is very fast. Also, during the volleyball scene between Maverick, Goose and Iceman, Slider, The camera shots are slowed down to capture the facial expressions of the players. I don't think this scene was particularly important but they went over the top on the shots and angles.
Music track interrupts narrative:
In most of the scenes with Maverick and Charlie, a slow ballad type song is played. The outcome is that it creates its own narrative to go with the scene. During the earlier flying scenes, the track 'Danger Zone' is repeated and often accompanies the action of the pilots. By flying, they are entering the 'danger zone'. However, this also makes the flying shots 'look good' and draw the attention away from the narrative.
Self conscious allusion to films and television:
During Top Gun's release onto VHS, the film had a pilot themed advert for Diet Pepsi.
Detached appearance of stars:
Val Kilmer (who plays Viper) can be seen flipping a pen through his knuckles, whic is one of his trademark actions. Also, Peter Pettigrew, who plays Charlies older date near the beginning of the film, is referenced during the film as Mavericks real name is Pete (but in earlier scripts his name was Evan).
Hyperbolic physiques and action:
Tom Cruise (Maverick) is the centre of Hyperbole in Top Gun as he has a muscular body, charm and good looks. He's eye candy for the female viewers.
Ironic distanciation: walking-talking brand:
The term "going ballistic" is now used by pilots describing any action of the aircraft being put in a vertical (or nearly vertical) climb. Also, the famous line "I feel the need - the need for speed" was voted number 94 (out of 100) for best movie quote by the American Film Industry.
Friday 22 January 2010
Research Activity - The High Concept
When chosing a film to watch at the cinema, I don't tend to concentrate too much on who's in it, I usually watch the trailer and if I think thats any good then I'll look more into the storyline of the film. Thats whats more important to me, because I think if it has a bad storyline then theres no point in watching it. There have been some films that I've gone to see because theres an actor I like in it, but usually its the genre and the plot that make me want to see it. Special effects etc don't really bother me, I'm quite happy to sit through a film with little or none, they're just a bonus. I do really like them though, Avatar was sooooooo good!!
Rachel says that when picking a film to watch she looks for her favourite genres; comedy, rom-coms and kiddy films... LIKE TOY STORY (: she also watches the trailer to see if it looks any good, and makes a decision on what feedback she has got from friends.
Philomena says she normally watches the trailers first to see if she would like it. Sometimes she just watches films that are there because theres nothing else on
Rachel says that when picking a film to watch she looks for her favourite genres; comedy, rom-coms and kiddy films... LIKE TOY STORY (: she also watches the trailer to see if it looks any good, and makes a decision on what feedback she has got from friends.
Philomena says she normally watches the trailers first to see if she would like it. Sometimes she just watches films that are there because theres nothing else on
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