“occurring within the context of the story and able to be heard by the characters.”
“encouraged to sympathise”
“diegetic world”
Stylised: giving a distinct style or appearance.
Diegetic: occurring within the context of the storyline and able to be heard by the characters.
Cathartic effect: Spectators emotional response to an event in the film, strong realised emotions.
Reframing: change in mindset, appearance, how they’re perceived. Can be positive or negative.
Connote: implying or suggesting, sometimes linking to another thing, drives from the word connotation.
Depicted: how a character is portrayed and seen by spectators.
Paragraphs are written in the PEEL structure (Point, evidence, explain, link back to question.) Paragraphs start by expressing the overall point and then providing evidence that the point is true, following this the evidence is then explained and given context to how it relates with the overall point. Finally, the paragraph ends by referring back to the original essay question and how everything written links to it.
Throughout the film, young people are portrayed as easy going without being too concerned about rules and the law. This is particularly shown when Woody’s gang invite Shaun to hang out with them, dress up and go to an abandoned place. They are represented as having their own belief system without just following what the older generations say, such as when Woody didn’t agree with Combo’s racist and nationalist beliefs so he left.
Older people:
Older people in the film are presented to have strong beliefs, many of them are nationalists and hold discriminatory views towards ethnic minorities in order to create what they believe to be a better England, seen in this scene where a speech is being given about trying to make England better, and what the audience (majority being white, poorly educated older men) can do to achieve this.
Class:
Many of the characters in the film are lower class, and poverty is prominent throughout the film. The characters are often wearing out-dated and ill fitting clothing. In this scene Lol followed by many other women are walking to work in a large factory, the setting is quite dingy and rundown highlighting the lack of money in the area, and it’s drawbacks are prominently shown in the different settings, and costumes.
English people:
The majority of characters in the film are English and it creates a large proportion of the plot, however their nationalities are represented very differently. For example Combo uses the meaning of being English to manipulate and convince others to join his discriminatory gang. Whereas characters like Woody and Lol are comfortable in their nationality and are less focused on it, which makes them appear more content compared to Combo. In this sceneCombo is giving Shaun an English flag to show their proudness of their ethnicity, however they’re proudness can be perceived as almost too much leading them to appear almost insecure about it.
Asian/Black people:
People of other ethnicities and minorities are commonly discriminated against in the film by Combo and his gang. There is a very small amount of non-english representation yet it its crucial to the plot. Such as this scene where foreign shopkeeper is being robbed, verbally abused and threatened by Combo and his gang. This representation highlights the social divisions in England at the time and again draws back on the political conflict in the film.
Men/Masculinity:
Masculinity is very important in the film as many of the male characters want to appear strong and have high masculinity, which could explain Combo’s violent outbursts. The role of a father is critical in the film as it explains Shauns behaviour without the film, after loosing his father in the war he spends the rest of the film trying to make his dad proud which eventually leads him to join Combo’s gang, as well as him becoming a father figure for Shaun after Woody.
Women:
There is little feminism in the film as the female character’s are only really shown in reference to their partner, and when they are on screen. In this scene Lol is walking away after Combo has confessed his love for her and she rejects him as she is with Woody. Shaun’s mother is presented as strong after being widowed and raising Shaun alone, but other than that the other female characters provide nothing else to the storyline aside from being a wife or girlfriend.
Place
The mise en scene is well used in the film to create a strong image of a run-down lower-class northern town in England. Montages of real clips of England are used that show drugs, abandoned places, fights, social housing and graffiti add a sense of desolation and a town that is far from its best. The setting explains why gangs form as there is little to do and highlights the boredom felt by many young people at the time.
In Trainspotting, addicts are portrayed desperate for drugs and they are all very strong addictions, they are very clear and a prominent addition to their characters, seen in the graphic scenes of heroin use and overdose. In this scene Renton has lost his drugs down the toilet and so he has dived in afterwards. This highlights Renton’s dependence on drugs and his willingness to do anything to have them. The tranquil music in this scene adds to the representation of addicts and how the drugs bring a relaxation to them to create a clearer, more hyper realistic view to the audience of addiction.
Scottish people:
In the film, many of the Scottish people are presented to often dislike being Scottish, they are rarely proud of their culture. In this scene Tommy drags the rest of the friend group on a walk in the Scottish highlands, a common stereotype of the county and known for its beautiful scenery. However, Renton and the friends are unimpressed and say it’s “shite being Scottish” before leaving to return to the city and go back on heroin. In addition, this scene also highlights the characters priority of drugs and how they come above everything else, even their culture and country.
Women:
There is little female representation in transporting, they are only on screen when it is related to their partner, or having a one night stand. Women are presented to be empowered and sexually active such as when Renton and Dianne meet at a club and their one night stand becomes a casual, on/off relationship. Dianne’s representation can be quite shocking for the audience as she is portrayed to be almost promiscuous despite being a schoolgirl.
Young people:
Age is prominently represented as many of the characters are young adults, but the most clear representation of age is Allison’s and Sick boy’s baby that passes away due to the neglect caused by drugs leading to Sick boy’s addiction swiftly increasing. Age and authority do not co ordinate in the film often as the younger characters are mostly free-willed apart from when Renton is locked in his room by his parents after his overdose.
The film opens with a montage to a popular song in England at the time the film was set this creates racial inclusivity which juxtaposes many of the films events and ideas of characters.. This adds to the verisimilitude as the audience are submerged into England in 1983 in addition to news clips from the time being played over the music. In addition the beat of the song drops in sync to the change of clip or a big event happening such as an explosive blowing up or a fight breaking out.
Editing:
Throughout the film, there are edited clips of archive footage from the 1980s such as the war in the Falklands. They add political and social context throughout the film as they give the audience a wider representation of England in the time period as they were shot at that time and then edited into the film shot later on. These clips are edited in the film to break up the different events such as after Combo attacks Milky in his outburst. They also draw parallels to Shaun’s life as his father died in that war and the audience can link the footage to the events in the film
Mise en Scene:
Mise en scene is prominent throughout the film due to the gangs recognisable appearances. In this scene Lol is shaving off Shaun’s hair so he can be part of the gang, as well as this he also gets new clothes which show the audience he has joined as it is scene as the gangs “uniform”, this highlights the closeness of the members of the gang and Milky’s proudness of his culture as his clothes differ from the rest of the gang. The girls in the scene also have very bold hair, makeup and outfit choices which could cause audience members who would’ve been their age at the time the film was set to feel nostalgic. The mise en scene make the time period the film was set in more clear.
Cinematography:
‘The film had amazing cinematography throughout. In this scene POV shots are used from Milky’s perspective as he is beaten up and attacked by Combo. This aligns the audience with Milky and helps to portray Combo as crazy and violent as he switched from being seemingly kind towards him to aggressive. This adds sympathy for Milky from the audience in addition to giving the scene more horror and higher emotional impact. It also makes the scene feel more graphic as the audience are fully put in Milky’s position.
The film was engaging and funny, while still focusing on more heavy topics such as racism and bullying. The film was unique compared to other films I’ve watched. It used scenes of violence and strong language without seeming unnecessary as it fit both the plot and characters well, the film had high verisimilitude at it was quite autobiographic to the directors upbringing so the audience saw a clear and accurate representation of England and young people in 1983 due to the use of real news clippings.
Stand out scene:
The closing scene of the film stands out to me as it shows Shaun throwing his England flag that Combo had given him into the sea, this is significant as it shows Shaun’s exit of his gang and how his beliefs have changed.
All aspects of film form including narrative contribute to the representations of cultures and societies (gender, ethnicity and age) including the ideological nature of those representations.
Ideology: a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.
Films create meaning and creates response though mise en scene, cinematography, sound, editing and performance.
Performance
Age
Ethicity
Costume
Facial expressions
Body language/ gestures
Stereotype: A widely held, fixed and oversimplifies image of belief of a particular type of person or thing. For example, all black people are criminals.
Countertype: An attempt to create an opposite, or different idea or view compared to their stereotype that is already in place, for example a black or female president instead of a white man.
Sarah Connor Representation
Sarah Connor was a stereotypical American, girl next door waitress at the start of the film (terminator 1). She is presented as weak, frantic and slightly unbothered as she is bad at her waitress job, seen when she spills drinks and gets orders mixed up.
In the follow up movie (Terminator 2) Sarah becomes a countertype and her new character almost juxtaposes her previous role as she is now shown as a fearless heroine, she has gained a lot of strength and confidence and is no longer the innocent waitress viewers have previously seen.
Trainspotting Representation
WHO IS DOING THE REPRESENTATION?
Danny Boyle, the director
WHO IS BEING REPRESENTED ? (Identify specific social groups)
Drug addicts (specifically heroin addicts), Scottish white males, younger generation
WHAT SOCIAL GROUPS ARE OMITTED FROM THE REPRESENTATIONS?
Characters of colour, upper class, non-addicts, diverse women
WHAT MESSAGES ABOUT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS ARE BEING CONVEYED?
That drug addicts are negative and irresponsible (seen when the baby dies of neglect as everyone was too high). The little amount of women are presented as promiscuous.
WHICH CHARACTERS OR SOCIAL GROUPS HAVE POWER WITHIN THE REPRESENTATIONS?
In the film the male characters predominantly have more control over the female characters as they are only shown in relation to the men. Overall, there is little control between the different generations of the characters as they are rarely shown. However, when Renton overdoses his parents do take control and lock him in his room but this is one of the few signs of control.
DO THE CHARACTERS ADHERE TO OR CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES?
They adhere to stereotypes as the characters all present addiction accurately, as well as the women in the film conforming to the gender stereotypes of the time period.
ARE THE CHARACTERS TYPICAL OF FILMS IN THAT GENRE?
The genre of the film is dark comedy and because of the many young male characters I think they do fit the genre as their humour and stories are quite similar
WHAT DO REPRESENTATIONS TELL AUDIENCES ABOUT SOCIETY AT THE TIME THE FILM WAS MADE AND/OR SET?
That there was a lot of drug use between that stereotype of person when the film was set. For example, many drug addicts such as Renton, his friends and in Scotland.
HOW ARE ELEMENTS OF FILM FORM (MISE EN SCENE/PERFORMANCE/SOUND/EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY) BEING USED TO CONTRUCT THE REPRESENTATIONS?
Film form is cleverly used during Renton’s withdrawal from heroin after his overdose. He experiences vivid hallucinations which have been well edited and the matching sound used to put them into Renton’s head as they experience the sights and sounds he does. This creates sympathy for Renton as the use of film form creates a clear representation of heroin withdrawal.
The use of an eye level shot causes the scene to become more immersive as the audience feels like they’re sat across the table from Spud and Renton. The angle also allowed a clear view of Spud and Renton as well as the characters in the background which could be used as foreshadowing to the chaos that will soon occur there. This tells the audience that they shouldn’t be focused on only Spud and Renton.
Mise en Scene
The darker lighting and shadows in this scene highlights Tommy’s ongoing downfall as his addiction increases. The use of a small spotlight above Tommy could also reflect how he used to be a sign of hope in the friend group, as he was the only one who wasn’t addicted to drugs and how he used to be in the spotlight due to his spotting achievements but due to his addiction he has fallen out of it. The use of the shadows and lighting makes viewers feel melancholy and pitiful towards Tommy.
Sound
In this scene when Renton goes down the toilet there is music playing which acts as an oxymoron for the scene as the music is very tranquil whereas in reality Renton is feeling stressed as he has lost his drugs down the toilet. The effect of this send the audience to a false sense of security as due to the sound they feel more relaxed but the storyline is no less calm.
Editing
Throughout the film, scenes are split by small montages of the city (either Edinburgh or London). These act like a break from the fast paced film which could also symbolise the come down after a hit and then afterwards taking another one.
The film portrayed an accurate and in depth representation of drug addiction and the lower class Scotland at the time. I can see why the film would be considered to be a classic as it is very unique and portrays a powerful message. However, it was very graphic and vulgar even though it adds to the storyline it felt uncomfortable to see at times.
Stand out scene: When Renton comes off heroin and is experience intense hallucinations as a result of withdrawal, this scene stand out to me as even though Renton is experiencing a lot of mental pain the scene still gives off a sense of hope as his addiction is subsiding and he’s stopped taking the drugs making the audience feel hopeful for his future.
Extreme close up, this shot affects viewers as it makes the scene feel more intimate and as if we are there as the subject is shown so close. Additionally, the use of this close-up shot makes this scene more emotive as we feel the character is speaking to us as an audience directly which establishes emotional links between the audience and character leading them to feel more invested into the film. The close shot also draws the audiences’ attention.
This long shot reflects how small Chiro is compared to Quan also showing how small he feels compared to others around him. The small size of Chiro shown in this shot also connotates innocence and is child-like causing the audience to feel sympathetic towards him.
Close ups give comparison to long shots, as well as making the characters appear smaller reflecting how small Chiro and Kevin feel compared to everyone else in their society. This also causes the audience to be more observant as there is more to look at compared to a long shot.
Camera angles
This low angle makes young Chiro appear larger while opposed to reality where he is very small also making him look vulnerable.
High angles are taken when the camera is looking down on the actors and setting while being above. They make the scene more dramatic as well as making the characters appear smaller and more venerable, which can show the audience how the characters feel in this scene.
Birds eye shots are taken directly above the character, they affect the audience by giving them a clear view of Chiro as well as highlighting his changes from adolescence.
Camera movements
In this shot the camera pans down. The effect of this is that it highlights the extend of Chiros injury’s and his mother’s drug addiction causing the audience to feel sympathetic towards Chiro and additionally helps us to build an emotional connection to the film.
The camera moves to the right in this shot and transfers from an image of the cleaner cleaning the floor and then Chiro sleeping rough in the station. This camera movement reflects the emptiness of the train station telling the audience how everyone has gone home after their work, but Chiro is unable too also highlighting his bad home life again making the audience feel sympathetic.
Here the camera is freely tracking Quan and Chiro. The effect of this is it makes the scene more immersive and makes the audience feel like they are there, not just watching them on a screen. It also adds an element of peace and tranquillity.
Sound editors work in post production, they sync and ensure all of the films dialogue, music and sound effects systematically come together and sync.
Sound mixers record high-quality audio for the film, they enhance the continuity of the films audio, they are the leaders of the sound production.
Diegetic and non diegetic sound
Diegetic sound is heard by both the audience and character such as dialogue whereas non diegetic sound is only heard by the audience like background music.
Diegetic sound, in this scene we can hear both the voice down the phone that Arthur is speaking to in addition to the New York city traffic outside the window, the use of this makes the scene more immersive as the sounds involved would be heard by the characters but are normally not heard by the audience.
Non diegetic sound, in the closing scene of Joker we can hear music that has been edited over the scene in post production as an outro for the film, however the Arthur cannot hear this as he solemnly walks away from the camera.
Synchronous and asynchronous sound, synchronous sound is sound that has been matched with the action/ movement being shown on screen, asynchronous sound is not matched with a visible source of sound on screen, it is most commonly used when the director creates tension, because we can hear a sound but not its source. This adds an aspect of apprehension, or sometimes the audience cannot hear the sound the character does on screen.
Needle drop moments are when music that is not from the world/ pre existing song is used to underscore a scene. This can either enhance the mood or juxtapose it, for example Joker or American psycho. The emotions and associations had with a particular song can also be carried over so we create the emotions and associations with that scene too.
Sound effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds used to emphasise and express an action, mood or feeling. Foley artists create sound effects, they’re filmed in a sound proof studio to prevent background noise to get a clear sound, these sounds are then edited in post production.
Leitmotifs are a reoccurring short musical sound, they condition the audience and prepare them for the intervention, arrival or action of a particular element of the film. There are leitmotifs for characters (Star Wars and Darth fader), settings (Harry Potter and the wizarding world), emotions (Up and love) and evolution of characters
Sound bridges are a type of sound editing occurring when sound carries over a visual transition such as L-cuts and J-cuts.L-cuts happen when the audio from the previous scene carries over, then the visuals shift. J-Cuts occur when the next scenes audio plays before the image changes. They help with the flow of the film.
Narration/voiceovers tell the audience what content we need to know in order to follow the story, however they can commonly be unreliable as if from a characters perspective their narration can be bias. Voice overs are a sound device where the audience hears the voice of a character/ narrator speaking but the character itself is not speaking on screen. Narration is first person.
Score/underscore the score for a film is the theme music that has been composed specifically for the specific film and enhances the mood/themes of what we see on the screen, the underscore for a film is the music played underneath the sequences on screen often mixed with sound effects and dialogue, the underscore also enhances the mood. In the film Casablanca there is prominent underscore of an orchestra, mainly violins that play over the scene of the realisation only one would be on the plane. This has a strong effect on the audience as it creates a prominent mood of romance and sadness while additionally making us feel sympathetic towards the characters.
Sound perspective refers to the perceives distance between the audience/camera and the sound source through its volume, timbre and pitch. The concept of sound perspective is prominent in the film Munich as the climax of the film itself is told only through sound affects. We can tell what is happening in the scene singlehandedly from the sounds we hear and without looking at the screen. This is because in the background we can hear police sirens telling us that what the characters are doing is illegal, while the more prominent sounds of the daughter of the man who is trying to be killed and the cars driving past.
My favourite film soundtrack is from the film 10 things I hate about you, the song is called “Bad Reputation” and it opens the film. The song itself is a rock/pop song that was very popular around the time the film was made and released (1999). Its my favourite because the music is not specific to the film but whenever I hear the song I always think about the film. Additionally, the song fits in very well to the protagonist in the film as well as the story line as the movie is a coming of age teen movie which the song reflects well.
