Moonlight – Young working class families are broken, referencing parents who are addicts and have a lack of a suitable care-giver.

Joker – The entertainment industry exploits vulnerable people, they broadcast their struggle for profit and fame.

How does the film use classic Soviet Montage Techniques to tell the worker’s story? 

Firstly, Eisenstein uses tonal montage to communicate the exploitation of the workers and the destructive nature of the Aristocracy, and their disregard for humanity. In the scene where one of the proletariats depicted are asked if he’d like to join the opposing force, he insinuates a fight and the upper class character slams his fist on the table, knocking over bottles of ink that essentially floods a map on his desk. This directly references the bloodshed caused at the expense of violence and mistreatment of workers, directly caused by the upper class, and their classist, inhumane ways.

According to Eisenstein, a musical score’s pacing (or meter) influences metric montage, metric montage is effective in building the tension of a scene and evoking suspense/ anxiety in a spectator. During the scene where the workers fight against the multiple officers on their horses, Eisenstein uses metric montage to almost position the audience amidst the chaos, as if they themselves were fighting for their lives in a high tension, dangerous situation alongside the overworked, underpaid, underappreciated factory workers.

The shot also depicts a small child sitting isolated in the danger, separated from his mother. Eisenstein slots in this shot amongst the violence to comment on how the factory workers don’t get paid enough to support their children, and equally wont get to see their children as a result of the excessive work hours. By seeing the effect the upper class’s classist ideology’s on multiple generations, the spectator is forced to comprehend the cumulative cause and effect that the mistreatment of workers has on society.

Finally, the use of intellectual montage in Strike (1925) brings the whole movie to a cathartic and violent finish. Eisenstein depicts a cow being brutally slaughtered, another cog in the machine of manufacture and labour, adjacent to way the factory workers are treated almost like animals, killed when deemed no longer useful. By using a scene so gory and shocking it reinforces the violence of the conflict depicted in the film, essentially commenting on the exploitation of the working class, and how the divide between the starving proletariat and greedy aristocrat breeds unnecessary bloodshed.

Additionally, the intellectual montage of a cow being slaughtered represents how the lower class fights for human rights and liveable work condition all their life, and some die in the process. By visually capturing death in such a vivid way, the spectator if forced of those to have died at the hands of the upper class, whether by poor work condition, suicide (as depicted in Strike) or fighting against the breech of human rights in the form of a strike. Eisenstein does this to elicit the importance of standing up against Capitalism and the class system, as the repetitive cycle of working and then dying is tragic and the only true way to overcome this is to stand against higher status characters and a union, together, or else you are just another cattle being killed for its profit.

Bonnie and Clyde was produced and released to the public in 1967. During this time many major world events were taking place that influenced the films production and the things they put in the movie. One of these factors was the Vietnam war which majorly influenced the ideas in the film like patriotism for American citizens and the showcase of hippies and other outlaws. The civil rights movement was also ongoing at this time which caused major civil unrest and limited black people’s roles in the film to minor parts in the film.

Film 4: Til Death do us Part/Hasta que la muerte nos separe 

What did you like about the film? I really liked the plot of the film; it made it entertaining to watch.	What didn’t you like? I thought the beginning was my least favorite part of the film as the music I felt didn’t match the vibe of it.
What ideas could you use? Narrative or style? I would perhaps use the narrative theme of betrayal displayed in the film.	What ideas won’t you use? Why? I probably won’t use the violent aspects of the film (i.e. the glass smashing cuts scene) though I do think it was crucial in the plot and scene.

In-Depth study: All elements 

Feature	Example
Narrative structure	The narrative structure is a wedding that goes wrong in many ways but ends up being fine for the bride and groom as they realise they are perfect together because of their toxicity.
Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme	The beginning scene establishes the plot, as it’s obvious it’s a wedding and the images that the family are watching establish the characters.
Mise-en-scene	The mise-en-scene is mainly crowds dancing on the wedding floor, this example is the Simcha band, a Jewish band that the bride and groom have to celebrate their wedding.
Cinematography	The cinematography in this feel is cleverly used and has a very professional look. In this scene the bride is calling the number from her husband’s phone and looks at the girl through the mirror, this is cleverly done to show the bride’s expressions at the same time as showing the girl picking up the phone.
Editing	The editing in this film is very smoothly done, it has lots of clean cuts that roll to the next scene without the audience noticing the editing because it flows so cleanly.
Sound	The sound in Till Death do us Part, is very chaotic and links to the scenes shown in each part. The music and scenes emphasize the characters’ emotions throughout, so when its loud, fast music, the characters feel stressed, in the beginning scene, its celebratory music, again showing the characters emotions, and the end scenes music being a love song, shows the characters feeling of love to each other.

Inspirations – what ideas did this film give you for your own short film? 

Cinematography/Sound/Editing: This film’s cinematography and sound were the best aspects, so I would use similar in my short film.	Narrative structure: I am inspired by the theme of betrayal in this film, so I am thinking of a similar theme to mine.
Establishing characters, setting, plot, theme:  The setting of the film was really creative so would be inspired by it; the rooftop scene was very impactful and gave effect to the overall film.	Creating enigmas: The ending really created enigma in the film because after all the chaoticness and stress, the bride and groom got back together, making the audience confused, so I am inspired by this ending because it is so unexpected.

Narration/ Unreliable Narrator – An unreliable narrator is an untrustworthy storyteller, most often used in narratives with a first-person point of view. The unreliable narrator is either deliberately deceptive or unintentionally misguided, forcing the reader to question their credibility as a storyteller.

Backstory – A backstory is the history and background of your character, the events and experiences that shaped their personality, motivations, and goals. A well-crafted backstory can make your character more believable, relatable, and engaging for the audience.

Flashback/ flashforward – ANALEPSIS AND PROLEPSIS: What is commonly referred to in film as “flashback” and “flashforward.” In other words, these are ways in which a narrative’s discourse re-order’s a given story: by “flashing back” to an earlier point in the story (analepsis) or “flashing forward” to a moment later in the chronological sequence.

Linear/ Non-Linear Narrative – Linear narratives are the most common form. Sometimes, however, a film might work better with a non-linear plot which presents some or all of the events in a non-chronological order. Sometimes film-makers might begin their story by showing us the final scenes first.

Ellipsis – It is there to suggest an action by simply showing what happens before and after what is observed. The vast majority of films use ellipses to clear actions that add nothing to the narrative. Beyond these “convenience” ellipses, ellipses are also used to advance the story.

Framing Device – a narrative technique in which a story is surrounded (“framed”) by a secondary story, creating a story within a story, often through Separate Scene Storytelling. The inner story is usually the bulk of the work. The framing device places the inside story within a different context.

Cliff-hanger/ Closed endings – A cliffhanger is hoped to incentivize the audience to return to see how the characters resolve the dilemma. The 1914 film serial Perils of Pauline was shown in bi-weekly instalments and ended with a cliff-hanger.

Macguffin – is a plot device used in films or books that sets the characters into motion and drives the story. A MacGuffin is an object, idea, person, or goal that the characters are either in pursuit of or which serves as motivation for their actions. Usually, the MacGuffin is revealed in the first act.

Foreshadowing – Foreshadowing means hinting about what is to come during later events. It creates expectations about how things might play out as your script continues.

Alignment/ POV – describes the process by which spectators are placed in relation to characters in terms of access to their actions and to what they know and feel.

Causality – One beat of the story should lead naturally and logically to the next plot point or else we will become confused and lose interest in the narrative. This cause-and-effect relationship between events is known as causality.

In Media res – In Medias Res is a Latin phrase meaning “in the midst of things.” Writers in the world of literature and film use it to describe a story or movie scene that begins with a protagonist at a later point in the narrative. By this point, a good deal of action has taken place.

Masterplot/ subplot – masterplots are just “skeletal” stories that recur again and again (by skeletal I mean that a given structure is what recurs, rather than its content).

In fiction, a subplot or side story is a secondary strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or for the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or thematic significance.

Narrative Hook – In film, the hook is what grabs the viewer’s attention, preferably in the first 5–10 minutes, as a reader might expect to find a literary hook in the first chapter of a novel. During the pitch process, a screenwriter will use a hook to prove the “bankable” quality of their screenplay.

Plot Twist – A plot twist is a deviation from an expected story beat. Plot twists can take place at any time in a story, but they’re most commonly associated with endings (i.e.,” twist endings”). Writers frequently use plot twists to add nuance, shock, and surprise to formulaic narratives.

Narration – speaking happening over what is happening on screen which adds more information into the sequence.

Unreliable narrator –  an untrustworthy storyteller, most often used in narratives with a first-person point of view. 

Backstory – a history or background created for a fictional character in a film or television programme

Flashback – a scene in a film, novel, etc. set in a time earlier than the main story.

Flash forward – show events that will happen at a later time than the main story

Linear narrative – a story in chronological order.

Non-linear narrative – any narrative that doesn’t follow a traditional, chronological order from beginning to end

Ellipsis –  omitting a portion of the sequence of events, allowing the reader to fill in the narrative gaps

Framing devises –  a story that is different from the main story, comes at the beginning and end of it, and adds to it in some way.

Cliff-hanger – a situation or part of a film that is very exciting or frightening because you are left for a long time not knowing what will happen next. 

Closed ending – when a TV show or a film end with no confusion

Macguffin – an object, event, or character in a film or story that serves to set and keep the plot in motion despite usually lacking intrinsic importance.

Foreshadowing –  hinting about what is to come during later events.

Alignment – the way in which we are oriented towards the characters in a narrative in terms of information

POV – point of view – which character the narrative is being told from

Causality – cause-and-effect relationship between events

In media res – in the midst of things, a story that begins partway through its plot, with the missing events filled in later through dialogue, flashbacks, or other techniques.

Masterplot – “skeletal” stories that recur again and again

Subplot – a secondary plot used in film and television that receives less screen time and emphasis than the main plot.

Narrative hook – what grabs the viewer’s attention.

Plot twist – an unsuspected occurrence or turn of events in the story that completely changes the direction or outcome of the plot from the direction it was likely to go.

unreliable narrator. a narrator who misleads readers Deliberately or unwillingly

Backstory: a story that tells what led up to the main story or plot  

flashback: a narrative technique of interrupting the story or plot to interject events of earlier occurrence. The earlier events often take the form of a memory

non linear narrative: any narrative that doesn’t follow a traditional, chronological order from beginning to end. Non-linear stories can employ techniques like flashbacks, flash-forwards, multiple points of view, or a non-sequential structure that rearranges the order of events.

ellipsis: movement and action unnecessary to the telling of a story will often be removed by editing.

framing device: a narrative technique in which a story is surrounded by a secondary story, creating a story within a story, often through Separate Scene Storytelling. The inner story is usually the bulk of the work.

Cliff-hanger: a dramatic and exciting ending to an episode of a serial, leaving the audience in suspense and anxious not to miss the next episode.

McGuffin: An object or device in a film or a book which serves merely as a trigger for the plot.

foreshadowing: hinting about what is to come during later events. It creates expectations about how things might play out

alignment: The way in which we are oriented towards the characters in a narrative in terms of information

causality: when one even in a story leads to another vent and so on. this continues until the story reaches a conclusion.

In media res: A Latin phrase meaning “in the midst of things.” Writers in the world of film use it to describe a movie scene that begins with a protagonist at a later point in the narrative. By this point, a good deal of action has taken place.

master plot: The main story that recurs again and again in the film

subplot: a secondary plot used in film and television that receives less screen time and emphasis than the main plot. Subplots may never intertwine with a story’s main plot, but to be effective, work to enhance the main plot of a film.

narrative hook: what grabs the viewer’s attention, preferably in the first 5–10 minutes

plot twist: an unsuspected occurrence or turn of events in the story that completely changes the direction or outcome of the plot from the direction it was likely to go.

•Narration/Unreliable Narrator – Narration is a voiceover in the film that explains or shows events. An unreliable Narrator is someone who tells the story but without any credibility and misleads the viewer.

•Backstory – A story/reason previous to the current events on screen in the main story/plot. These can both be shown or not.

•Flashback/Flashforward – An interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time to a previous event which is usually significant to the current plot now.

•Linear/Non-Linear Narrative –  In a linear film, scenes are arranged in or extending along a straight or nearly straight line of a story. In a non-linear film, scenes aren’t arranged in a linear structure but are shown out of order, such as through flashbacks and etc.

•Ellipsis – When a portion of scene is skipped in a portion of an event, but allowed the reader to interpret and fill in the gaps what happens in the narrative.

•Framing Device – A story away from the main story that goes from the beginning to the end and ties into the main story somehow.

•Cliffhanger/Closed Endings – A plot device that leaves the viewer on the edge of their seat in suspense.

•Macguffin – A plot device that is used to establish the character into motion and drive the story that will often lacking intrinsic importance.

•Foreshadowing – A hint as to what’s to come later on in the narrative.

•Alignment/POV – Alignment is the process of a film putting us into relation into the characters to understand what they feel. POV shows what the world looks like from a characters eyes.

•Causality – The cause-and-effect relationship between events in a film.

•In Media Res – The term used for a films beginning to begin in the middle of the narrative rather than the very start.

•Masterplot/Subplot – Masterplot is the ‘Skeletal’ stories that re-occur again and again. Subplot is the portion of events that occur within a film that are not in relation to the main plot, but eventually feed into it.

•Narrative Hook Plot Twist – a narrative tool used in storytelling to create an unexpected change in the direction or outcome of the plot.

• Deus ex machina – meaning “Machine from god” is a plot device for when a characters overwhelming, unsolvable issue is suddenly resolved.

•Narration/Unreliable Narrator – Voiceover that explains or describes the events of a film as the events happen on screen. An unreliable narrator is somebody who cannot be fully trusted to give a credible explanation.

•Backstory – The history or background of a character that explains to the audience why they do what they do in the narrative.

•Flashback/Flashforward – Scenes depicted prior to or after the main narrative of the film, usually interrupting the chronological sequencing.

•Linear/Non-Linear Narrative – A linear narrative takes place in timeline order/each event happening after another. A non-linear narrative happens out of chronological order, leaving the audience to figure out when each part takes place in the narrative.

•Ellipsis – omitting an event in the narrative through editing, allowing audiences to interpret what has happened between sequences.

•Framing Device – When the main narrative is surrounded by a secondary story, creating a ‘story within a story’

•Cliffhanger/Closed Endings – Ending the film with no definitive ending so that the conclusion of the narrative is open to interpretation.

•Macguffin – The plot device that sets a story into motion and drives the story forward.

•Foreshadowing – hinting/teasing events that happen later in the narrative before they happen.

•Alignment/POV – When spectators are placed in the position and perspective of the characters on screen.

•Causality – how each event leads into the next, progressing the story forward.

•In Media Res – Beginning in the middle of the narrative, as opposed to starting where the plot begins.

•Masterplot/Subplot – Extra narrative strands that recur parallel to the main plot, adding additional information or depth.

•Narrative Hook – An event grabbing the attention of the audience within the first 10-15 minutes of a film.

•Plot Twist – A sudden turning point in the narrative that alters the previous and future events.