During this sequence Shaun is talking to Combo, their conversation is boosted by the use of cutting between extreme close ups of each other. During this scene Combo is acting like a father figure to Shaun, so the closeness could be a representation of that.
Mise-en-Scene:
during this scene, you can easily tell that this house has been run down for years, but judging by the small glimpse of Shaun’s house, you can assume that even before is was abandoned, it still wouldn’t have been in the best state. This is connoting that the area they live in is run down. This is shown by the dim lighting, the chipping paint on the walls, the already broken debris on the countertop and the dust/sawdust on the floors.
Editing:
The opening to This is England is is edited with cuts to what looks like mixes of tv recordings and home videos, this helps to put the audience into the mindset of the time. It also helps ground the story and subtly show what the main plot points will be about. The stark contrast between the clips at the beginning and end help encapsulate the mindset of the time. The imagery going from videos of live performances and people dancing in clubs, to images of war and the people effected by it.
Sound:
music is a large part of This is England, as most alternative subcultures have a style of music they are associated with. Along with this, there is a large amount of popular music from the time period. this is displayed in the opening scene, where the 1968 ska song ’54-46 Was my Number’ is playing in the background. Ska along with Soul, R&B and early reggae where popular with skinheads during this time.
while most of the People Shaun hangs out with are young adults, the youngest character is Shaun himself. At the beginning the movie he is portrayed as short tempered and naïve. This aspect of him is later taken advantage of by Combo and his group to make Shaun start to hold nationalistic ideals.
Older people:
Combo is the best example of an older person in This is England. He is shown at first to be a well meaning but badly executing man, but later he is shown as borderline psychopathic. He is almost a father figure towards Shaun, so when he starts to take him to these nationalist events/meetings, he trusts him and where he holds his views.
Class:
the main class of people represented in This is England is lower class people. The areas that they are shown to live in/hang out in are often run down or in a not great condition. This is giving the audience the impression that lower class areas are more run down. it is best shown in the scene when Shaun wakes up, because you can see his wall in the back is damaged and hasn’t been fixed.
English people:
A huge part of This is England is the idea of nationalism. The idea that a lot of the cast are very proud about being English is most exemplified by the scene where Combo is asking Milky if he considers himself English, there is a sense of tension and suspense that is weighted on his answer.
People of colour:
A lot of the movie hinges on the idea of nationalism, which itself is grounded in racist ideology. This is best shown through the sequence that leads up to Combo robbing the corner store. You see him teaching Shaun slurs and hateful language to use against the man in the shop, who he interacted with at the beginning of the film. During this robbery, an extreme act of violence, or at least the threat of it, takes place. By showing that Combo would gladly pull out a machete and threaten this man’s life with it, it shows his hatred so much more than just him teaching Shaun how to speak. Along with this, Combo is the main portrayer of violence, both in general and towards people of colour. This is once again shown by the scene where he beats Milky almost to death, purely for speaking about his family.
Men/ the idea of masculinity:
Masculinity is a very important part of Combo’s character. this is best exemplified in the scene right after he bead Milky to near death. Shaun is crying over this because he cares for Milky and his safety, while Combo shouts at him to help him carry Milky. During his shouting, he tells Shaun that men don’t cry, which was a common term used by people at that time to teach young boys about masculinity. He is also seen in an earlier scene trying not to cry after he was rejected by Lol, he responds to this feeling of sadness with violence, which could have lead to the later outburst with Milky, because he viewed himself as less masculine so had to prove himself to himself that he is still masculine, by teaching a young boy the same ideals that he learnt.
Women:
Women take less of a main role as the male characters do in This is England, but are shown in a way that is mean to mimic real life, showing how they themselves can be confident, but also showing the struggles that come with being a woman. This is best shown in the scene where Combo pressures Lol into following him to his car while she is on her way to work. Combo is shown to be praying apon her, as he talks bout a night they had together, Lol clarifying that it was the worst of her life, while Combo saying it was the best. She puts herself forward and makes it known that she doesn’t want that, showing that she can be domineering and stern. He clearly doesn’t get the idea that Lol probably didn’t want anything to do with him after that, so still continues to try and talk her into a relationship while she declines. But women are also shown to be in that same situation, with characters like Smell, who accepts Shaun’s offer of being his girlfriend, despite the fact she herself is 18 and Shaun is 12.
1- Pick out the phrases / vocab you think is impressive.
‘the deliberate and stylised use of this slow-motion reaction shot’
2- Define ‘diegetic’
Diegetic: things that are present in the world of the movie.
3- Define ‘cathartic effect’
Cathartic effect: the emotional response an audience has after seeing a movie
4- Define ‘reframing’
Reframing: change in camera position
5- How is this paragraph structured
point is made. evidence is given. explanation. linked back to the point.
Throughout Joker, cinematography is used effectively to create a sense of chaos within the film’s diegetic world. This is particularly evident in the scene towards the end of the film where Arthur is shown in a low- angle, close-up looking out of the police car window and reacting with glee at the riots taking place around him. Here, the camera is used to position the spectator as not only connecting with Arthur, but now looking up to him. This suggests to the spectator that the tables have turned and Arthur, who was earlier depicted as pathetic and sad, is now depicted as powerful and heroic. This “reframing” of the central character” has a potentially cathartic effect on the spectator who has, up until this point, been encouraged to sympathise with Arthur’s point of view as a victim of circumstance. The deliberate and stylised use of this slow-motion reaction shot, enables the spectator to get a sense of poetic justice being served: Arthur is now on his way to prison.
I feel that the first 40 or so minuets of ‘This is England’ are the best of the whole movie. After Shaun stops being around Woody and starts hanging around with Combo more, I feel that the movie becomes less enjoyable, as to me it just felt like watching a child being manipulated and mistreated by adults he trusted for another hour, which I was not the biggest fan of. But I understand that this is probably the reaction that was wanted from the audience, and I enjoy some aspects of how it makes the viewer feel uncomfortable and as if they’re intruding on something they shouldn’t be.
Stand out scene:
I feel that the stand out scene for me was when Combo took Shaun, Gadget and Pukey to the nationalist meeting. It stood out to me because when I watched it, it made me feel uneasy, like I was intruding on something private that I shouldn’t and don’t want to see. The view of all these men listening to the man at the front spew hateful ideology, while later belittling the one person who decides to speak out on how stupid and hateful it was, really accentuates how the path Shaun is going down is a completely wrong one.
All aspects of a film form including narrative contribute to the representations of cultures and societies (gender, ethnicity and age) including the ideological nature of those representations.
Performance-
age
ethnicity
body language/gestures
facial expressions
costume
Stereotype- widely held but fixed oversimplified idea about a certain type of person or thing
Countertype- something that aims to go against its stereotype (i.e. black president of America)
Example: Sarah Connor
In the first terminator movie, Sarah is shown as timid and clumsy. She is a stereotypical waitress in the first movie, which being a fast pace and stressful environment, highlights these attributes by showing her in confrontations with customers.
While in the second movie, she is shown as very Countertypical compared to her first appearance. she is portrayed as an action heroine, showing her confidently handling guns. as well as this, her outfit now reflects her new role in the movie.
Trainspotting representation :
who is doing the representation?- Danny Bo
Who is being represented?- Drug addicts, Scottish lower class and men
what social groups are omitted from representations?- non-white people. women are underrepresented. children
what messages about particular social groups are being convicted?- Drug addicts are being shown in a very negative light and are shown to be reliant on them
which characters or social groups have power within the representations?- men and the people who supply drugs to people
do the characters adhere to or challenge stereotypes?- i feel they adhere to stereotypes about people who are addicted to drugs
what do representations tell audiences about society at the time the film was made and/or set?- showing the underside of Edinburgh to audiences
Older people– After Renton’s overdose, his parents take him in and care for him. Being some of the older characters who have a semi-prominent role in the story, they are shown as caring and nurturing as they look after Renton while he recovers and becomes sober.
Scottish people– during this scene, Renton talks about how he is not proud to be Scottish. He calls them ‘the lowest of the low’, and talks about how people hate the British, while they’re colonized by them. This is showing Scottish people as angry at the British, which is a common stereotype.
Addicts– There is two sides of addicts shown in Trainspotting. Towards the beginning, addicts are shown to be carefree and in a very positive light. They talk about how heroin is ‘better than sex’ multiple times though out the film. Which is then echoed by Tommy when he’s asking Renton for heroin after his breakup, which then leads t his downwards spiral and eventual death. Which is where the other, and much more prominent viewpoint comes from. Trainspotting shows how life as a drug addict is with little to no sugar coating, showing how it can impact someone’s social life, their reputation and relationships. Overall the portrayal and representation of addicts is very negative, but that is the films point.
Men– during this bar fight scene, all of the men are shown to be very aggressive, while the women leave. the confrontation starts very quickly and kicks off and while it started with only two people, it now involves the whole floor, which implies that men are aggressive and always wanting to fight.
Women– this scene is showing the women as cunning and well planned. Gail talks about how she enjoys seeing spud suffer from waiting. In the following scene they ask the boys what they where talking about, and when they get asked themselves, they reply with ‘shopping’ which pulls humour from a common stereotype that women like shopping
definition: a set of principles that are associated with an artistic taste. (i.e. colour grading, costuming, set locations and sound)
realism–
Verisimilitude: Something that is sticking to reality, being true to life or realistic. Example: Yes God, Yes.
Social Realism: Something that aims to draw attention to a real societal or political issue. often sets out to critique these issues. Example: The Millionaire Tour
Magic Realism: A realistic narrative is combined with surreal aspects of fantasy. Example: The Shape of Water
Hyperreality: the inability to distinguish simulations of reality from reality. Example: The Matrix
Visual style–
Iconography: the use of a recurring visual images/symbols in a movie that convey themes, help the narrative or evoke an emotional reaction in the audience. Example: in ‘On a Clear Day’, the sea/pools/bodies of water are shown repeatedly throughout the film to represent the guilt Frank feels for his son’s death, and how he’s dealing with his midlife crisis.
Intertextual reference: When a movie will reference another text (movie, play, tv show, book). Example: Sawyer in lost using many references as nicknames, i.e. calling Charlie ‘Oliver Twist’. He is also often seen reading books which he will then reference.
Visual/Sound motif: A recurring story element that helps to forward the films thematic meaning. (it can be represented visually by shapes, colours, objects and settings. or audibly as distinct sounds, music or noises). Example: In Lord of the Rings, whenever the hobbits get reflective on The Shire, its theme will play in the background, the instruments in it often changing to reflect the way it is being reflected on by the characters.
Colour Grading: tools that are used to make films look better or artificially change the colour to suggest tone or mood. Example: In Pet (2016), whenever Seth is in the basement with Holly, the lighting is made cooler and darker to reflect both Seth’s and Holly’s mindset while down there.
Auteur Trademarks: A filmmakers distinct artistic approach to their film making. Example: Wes Anderson’s movies are always very bright and eccentric. for example, his movie Isle of Dogs, specifically when they’re on land with the humans rather than with the dogs.
Tone–
Pathos: objects that are incorporated into a film to create an emotional appeal in the audience, often one of pity. this can be used to connect with the audience. Example: the Episode ‘Fire + Water’ from Lost, where the audience is shown the character Charlie from a different light as he is trying to save Claire’s baby from things he is hallucinating, which appear to the audience as surreal flashbacks.
Bathos: An anti-Climactic moment. (where a serious moment is being built up to a nothing climax, it can sometimes be done by accident or done for comedic effect). Example: When Mike in Five Nights at Freddy’s is around the office, the audience is made to think that one of the Animatronics will be waiting for him but it is actually a small toy that scares him.
Suspense: When a movie creates a sense of anxiety, anticipation and unease in the audience. it is most often used in thrillers. Example, when Holly is being stalked by Seth as he finds her at her work in Pet(2016).
Comedy: when something is done to make the audience laugh. Example: the Honda odyssey scene from Deadpool and Wolverine.
Dramatic Irony: when the audience has knowledge of something that the characters in the movie/tv show do not. Example: the Pet (2016) scene where Holly talks to Seth, coaching him on how to get rid of Nate, who has no idea that Seth is behind him.
Distancing Effect (verfremdung): breaking the fourth wall. reminding the audience they’re watching a movie. Example: Ferris Bueller’s day off
Postmodern Humour: humour that goes against common ideas in relation to society, genre and humanity Example: Seed of Chucky, specifically the character Glen/Glenda.
I think that Trainspotting was a great movie. I really enjoyed the aesthetics of it, the lighting was a standout aspect to me. I think the movie felt very real, and the scenes including the drug usage are very tense. I enjoyed the grungy feel of the lighting in most of the scenes.
Stand out scene:
I feel that this scene was very powerful in its representation of Renton’s overdose. The way that most of the camera is covered by the carpet when looking from Renton’s point of view really disorientates the viewer, which adds to the effect of this scene. The camera cutting from how Renton is perceiving the situation to how others around him are is a very unique way of showing his move to the hospital. The use of the carpet falling down into the floor is a great use of foreshadowing to the death of Tommy and the later shot that parallels this, the lowering of his coffin. By doing this, immediately the viewer knows that Renton has overdosed, and this scene becomes a lot more tense. The tense feeling of the scene is starkly contrasted with the music playing in the background.
Cinematography- I feel that this scene is very effective at showing Renton’s thought process in this scene. the way that the camera lingers on this close up shot of the needle, showing how Renton waits for the blood to leak into the syringe. The way I have interpreted this is him having slight hesitation, knowing that doing this could send him to prison, as he said that he would stop using and go to rehab on court order. The camera being this close to the needle also helps in un-nerving the audience, as seeing it be injected so close up may unsettle a large amount of viewers.
Mise En Scene- I feel the space in this frame is able to show how the three in this frame feel insignificant to their situation. by having the characters against the vast hills behind them, it creates a contrast to the rising tensions between tommy and the others.
Editing – The editing for the whole bedroom scene helps to create a tense atmosphere, the sharp cuts from each shot of Renton’s hallucinations to the next help to get the viewer on edge. It disorientates the viewer by cutting from things that are inside Renton’s mind (Spud sat on his cupboard, the baby) and things that are real (himself and the tv).
Sound- during Renton’s overdose scene, sound is used in an effective way by the use of an already existing song. Perfect Day by Lou Reed is played in the background of this scene underneath other sounds, such as ambulances, cars and the doctors shouting at him. this is a very effective way to show the audience how disconnected Renton is in this moment, as the music stops when he is given the adrenalin shot in his arm.
decides what sounds will be used in the piece. (i.e. sirens, dialogue, cars) they may also create these sound effects for the specific project.
decides when the sounds will be present. (i.e. if they fade in and out during scenes of stress) make sure that audio is up to the quality that is desired
The Shepard’s tone: A tone of music designed to unnerve the audience. It is constructed with three tones in different octaves that all play at the same time. The lowest and highest fading at different times to give the illusion that the sound goes on forever.
Diegetic sound: Sounds that appear to the characters in the universe can hear, such as dialogue and music played on radio.
Non Diegetic sound: these are sounds that cannot be heard by the characters on screen, such as the soundtrack and narration.
Sound Effects: these are sounds that are artificially made for the purpose of enhancing a scene. (emphasising a mood, action or feeling). used in all kinds of media (radio, theatre, film and tv.)
The Foley Artist: re-creates the sounds in a recording which get layer on top of the original clip. This may get done because the original audio was too low or not clear enough. Things they could re-create are walking, a character getting hit or a character falling, along with most sound effects in movies.
Leitmotif: A recurring piece of music that is present throughout a film or film franchise, they are guides. there are 4 categories character, setting, emotion and evolution. an example of character music would be something like Indiana Jones’ theme that plays throughout the movies. An example of setting would be the piece of music that plays in lord of the rings when in reference to The Shire, this could be when the characters are present in the shire, or when they reminiscing on it while out on their adventure. These can also be modified to show emotion about the setting, like having the music slow down or be played on a different instrument to signify that they miss the place. An example of Emotion would be in Up with the music associated with Ellie, it plays throughout the movie to signify Carl’s mental state and at the end to show how he has grown attached to Russel. For Evolution, you could use Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) as an example, as in the prequal movies, there is a slight part of the imperial march that can be heard in Anakin’s theme.
Sound Bridge: helps smoothen the transition from one scene to the next. can be referred to as a J-cut or an L-cut depending on if sound leaves before or after the image.
Voice over: a voice that narrates over the events of the movie, usually from a character present in the movie from the future. it may also be from the perspective of an ‘unreliable narrator’ which may be the views of one character, not the whole story. An example of voice over is at the beginning of the extended cut of lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring by the character Galadriel.
Score/Underscore: The score of a movie is pieces of music that are composed specifically for a movie. An underscore is a piece of music that is played underneath the dialogue and sound effects. it can be used to help amplify the mood or themes of a scene, for example ‘Concerning Hobbits’ from the lord of the rings is used to amplify the feelings of comfort and tranquillity that is in The Shire.
Synchronous: a sound that is matched with the actions that are being viewed, I.E when someone is talking or when you hear and see a match being struck.
Asynchronous: when a sound is not matched with the actions that are being viewed. I.E. birds off screen or cars.
Needle Drop: when a pre-existing song is put as the underscore in a movie. This can be used to enhance emotions in a scene through the association of these songs.
Sound Perspective: Its volume, how far away it could be from the source. this could be utilized, by having a scene with no dialogue and having the sounds of the setting taking the foreground. For example, in Spielberg’s Munich, there is a scene that has almost no dialogue and does all of its story telling through the sounds of the scene. These sounds are raised and lowered throughout the scene to heighten the tension.
Film Score: my favourite Film score is the score for Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the ring. I feel that Howard Shore does a great job of world building for the first movie of the franchise. It makes each area of Middle Earth well known to the viewer, this is done by using different instruments for all the important areas that are shown in the first movie that will be reoccurring throughout the franchise. By having them all represented by different instruments, it is able to world build and introduce the audience to the areas of Middle Earth without having to say anything. For example, when Frodo wakes up in Rivendell, the music is very regal and the viewer immediately knows this is a place of importance and will be a place of safety for Frodo and the Hobbits. This regal sound is continued throughout the entire time they stay in Rivendell, this creates a connection of importance to the elves in the viewers mind.
I feel that this type of shot was chosen for this scene because it gives you an insight to how Chiron could have been feeling. By having the camera this close, it almost puts the viewer in the Pov of Chiron, therefore getting the audience more attached to him as a character and his story. This shot is effective in being able to capture the stress Chiron would have been in every day from how his mother acted, the way she would change depending on if she wants something from him.
Mcu (middle to close up)
A lot of the shots in this movie are very effective in putting the viewer in Chiron’s position. By having this shot almost at eye level, it once again puts the viewer in Chiron’s Pov. In this scene, there are a lot of shots like his, or ones that are close ups of characters looking down the camera lense, which in a tense and emotional scene like this is very effective.
Xls (extreme long shot)
By having an extreme long shot here, it emphasizes Chiron’s loneliness and his isolation from his peers. The way that he is separated from the people his age emphasizes the fact that he is separated from them.
Slight high angle
The way that the camera is slightly looking down on Paula Could be Replicating how Jaun feels about her. The way he slightly looks down on her because of how badly she treats her son. But throughout the scene, the shot becomes more of an eye level shot, which could be replicating the way that Paula scolds Jaun because he is disappointed in the way she treats her son, but he is the one who is selling her drugs.
High angle shot
The high angle shot in this scene could represent how Chiron feels less than people. It could also represent his innocence while asking these serious questions to Juan, the camera making him look smaller and more venerable.
High angle/Bird’s Eye
The way that this shot is placed high above the pair makes the audience feel like they’re almost intruding on a private conversation. By having the camera in amongst the trees, it adds to the feeling of the audience knowing something private and since it makes it more private, it makes the audience feel more invested.
Pandown
In this shot, it pans down from Jain to Chiron. This happens as Juan is telling Chiron a story, this movement of the camera could be a visual representation of Chiron taking this story he’s being told to heart.
Handheld cam
The camera in this scene is handheld, letting the waves move it around. The jerky movements of the camera coupled with the waves submerging more than half the lense at some points, makes for a powerful scene. the way i view this scene, the shakiness of the camera is meant to mirror chiron’s nerves.
Dolly shot
The camera seems to be on a track during this scene, following Chiron as he walks through the corridors of his school. Shots like this are great at building suspense as the audience cannot see the characters face, making them unaware of and unable to read a characters facial expressions to try and predict what they will do next.
