Wild Tales (Szifron, 2014) – Analysis Sheet for Evaluative Commentary
Film 1: Pasternak
| What did you like about the film? The narrative, the camera work (especially the zoom out) and the comedic timing | What didn’t you like? We don’t actually get to meet the character of Pasternak and the ending is a bit abrupt. |
| What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? – Cinematography elements, sound mixing. | What ideas won’t you use? Why? Heavy reliance on planes and effects since they came across as being over the top. |
In-Depth Study – Film elements
| Film element | Example |
| Cinematography | Example 1: The zoom out as the plane is headed towards the house and the passengers all panic is effective since it creates suspense/panic for the audience. Example 2: The handheld effect as the psychiatrist is attempting to calm Pasternak down and convince him to spare them makes the turbulence of the plane believable. |
| Editing | Example 1: The cut between the interior of the plane and the couple in the garden is effective as we see the contrast between the terrifying events on the plane and the calm, dull events happening elsewhere. Example 2: The use of a still frame at the end tells audiences exactly what happened next in the narrative without explicitly showing it to them. |
| Sound | Example 1: As Pasternak’s former friend passes the woman, we hear music playing faintly, which is evidently coming from his headphones. This is a small but effective use of sound mixing. Example 2: When Pasternak’s parents are sat in their garden, the noise of the plane gradually gets louder and louder until it eventually reaches them. This once again adds to the verisimilitude of the short. |
Cinematography Example 1
Cinematography Example 2
