| Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967) | Critical Score- 6.5/10 | Memorable Scene For me the most memorable scene was the scene at the lake where Bonnie, Clyde and the rest of their group confront the sheriff. This is because it shows their characters very well and it establishes their group all together as a mischievous group of criminals for the first time. It is also a clumsy scene, so it shows Bonnie and Clyde’s inexperience but also their evilness. |
CAST
| Humphrey Bogart Had previously played typical “villain” roles- featured in gangster and detective films such as “The Maltese Falcon” and “High Sierra” where he had to be cynical, selfish and distrustful. Had acted for Warner Brothers before- he was in contract with them- but he had never once played a romantic lead before. This made him perfect for Casablanca as he could play the cold part of Rick Blaine from experience but also brought a vulnerability to him. It also developed his screen persona further, as a tactic from Warner Brothers.  | Rick Blaine | |
| Ingrid Bergman A foreign actress. Ingrid was Swedish and spoke with an accent. In the original script she was American, however, they changed it so that her role could be more interesting.. and ‘exotic’, which heavily appealed to the American demographic in an era where a lot of WW2 films were being made at Warner Brothers. She was 26 when she was casted, and was very beautiful. She then worked on films such as “Gaslight”, “Notorious” and “Spellbound”.  | Ilsa Lund | |
| Paul Henreid Before Casablanca, Henreid was already famous for his films and his television work, some including “Dead Ringer”, “Deception” and “Hollow Triumph”. He even got awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, after WW2, his contract with Warner Brothers was cancelled and he was left to his own devices. The Austrian-American moved on to directing and producing his own films.  | Victor Laszlo | |
| Claude Rains Rains was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades, therefore he had already some experience before his role in Casablanca. Some of his prominent roles included Alexander Sebastian in “Notorious” and Erik in “Phantom of the Opera“. I think he was casted for his role in Casablanca as he had been famously known for his villainous portrayals and a reputation for an inability to do bad acting and a rich, trademark deep voice.  | Captain Louis Renault | |
| Conrad Veidt Despite not being a main character, Veidt, who was a refugee German actor that fled the Nazis with his Jewish wife, was the highest paid actor of Casablanca. His other prominent roles included “The Man Who Laughs”, “The Thief of Bagdad” and “Dark Journey”. It was argued that he was cast in Casablanca for his background and accent that gave an “authentic touch”.  | Major Heinrich Strasser | |
| Sydney Greenstreet A British and American actor, Greenstreet had previously featured in five films already with Humphrey Bogart, however his acting career only began when he was 61 with the film The Fat Man. He also featured in Passage to Marseille and The Maltese Falcon. And despite his late start, he had a great run of significant motion pictures in Hollywood career lasting through the 1940s.  | Signor Ferrari | |
| Peter Lorre Peter Lorre was a Hungarian and American actor, active first in Europe and then in the US. He was known for his timid and devious character, and usually type casted for his accent as a sinister foreigner. His most famous role was international in the German classic film M (1931) directed by Fritz Lang. He was also in the infamous The Maltese Falcon and Passage to Marseille. So all around very iconic films. Lorre was contracted to Warner on a picture-by-picture basis until 1943 when he signed a five-year contract, renewable each year, which lasted until 1946.  | Ugarte | |
| S.Z. Sakall Sakall was also a Hungarian-American actor. He appeared in Christmas in Connecticut, In the Good Old Summertime and Never Say Goodbye. He was infamously known by the nickname “Cuddles” for his rotund body shape and overall cuteness, coupled with his caring personality, which he usually got type casted for. Sakall played numerous supporting roles in ‘classic’ type Hollywood productions including musicals and other films of the 1940s and 1950s.  | Carl (as S.K. Sakall) | |
| Madeleine Lebeau She was a French film actress who appeared in American films. She also appeared in The Parisian, The Royalists, The Country I Came From and Gunmen of the Rio Grande. She was signed up to the Warner Brothers studio due to connections to Dalio, who helped her make her way to California.  | Yvonne (as Madeleine LeBeau) | |
| Dooley Wilson Arthur “Dooley” Wilson was an American actor, singer and musician. He was most known for his role in Casablanca, where he sung the famous song “As Time Goes By”, but he also appeared in other film roles including Stormy Weather, My Favourite Blonde and Cabin in the Sky. He also led his own band in the 1920’s where he toured London and Paris. In relation to the Warner Brother studios, he was borrowed from Paramount Pictures for seven weeks at $500 a week per the studio custom of the day. He received his contract salary, $350 per week, and Paramount kept the balance.  | Sam | |
| Joy Page Joy Page was an American actress most known for her role in Casablanca. However, she also appeared in films such as Kismet and Bullfighter and the Lady. She was related to Warner Bros as after her parents separated, her mother married Jack L. Warner who was the head of the studios. This landed her her role in Casablanca.  | Annina Brandel | |
| John Qualen Qualen was an American actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles. Not many knew his name, although he did appear in films such as Angels over Broadway, Our Daily Bread and An American Romance. He began work at Warner Brothers in 1927 for the film Lights of New York where he earned $18,000.  | Berger |
Casablanca Documentary (Notes)
Michael Curtiz was a Hungarian refugee who left his home in Europe to come to America. He made 173 films for Warner Brothers and worked in that studio for over four decades, all while his films had a wide range and variety. He was named as “one of the greatest” of camera and character movement, especially for his work with the camera dolly and zooms, an example being the scene where Rick emotionally thinks of his past with Ilsa. Curtiz broke away from the typical Hollywood substyle of fixed cameras and was known to experiment.
The extras cast for Rick’s bar was special because the majority of them were truly immigrants/refugees themselves, cast by Curtiz as he could empathise with them. Entering Casablanca and playing characters who were trapped and waiting desperately for visas meant that the extras could relate so that their roles in the film felt genuine and passionate with true emotions. An example of this is when they sing the French national anthem in the bar. Also some of the main cast, such as Peter Lorre, were also foreign. In total 34 different nationalities were represented both in and off camera.
The script for the film was originally called “Everybody comes to Rick’s” and was a play. It was delivered to Warner Brothers the day after Pearl Harbour, the Japanese bombing of an American naval base where hundreds of Americans died.
The producer for the film was Hal B. Wallis. Despite working for the Warner Brothers, he had quite a lot of autonomy, so even when the studio rejected Bogart as the lead man, Wallis persisted that it would be him. He worked hard to make sure the film appealed, and empathised with an American audience.
Some people criticized that because of this, Casablanca could be considered American propaganda.
The production of Casablanca took place in two regions: the Warner Bros lot in Burbank and the Metropolitan Airport at Van Nuys near Burbank. However, the film takes place in Casablanca, Morocco.
The sets in Casablanca genuinely looked like sets, which was a good thing in the Old Hollywood style. The artificiality of it made for great theatre. The sets for Casablanca suggested an exotic and dangerous place filled with intrigue and romance.
The whole movie was filmed with a soundstage and a few other scenes on a Warner Brothers backlot.
The costume designer in Casablanca was Orry-Kelly, an Australian-American Hollywood costume designer. The costumes give the film an extra gleam; it was glamorous as no costume had any wrinkles and every character had their own colour palette that they wouldn’t deviate from. The heroes are in soft colours (Bogart in his white tuxedo). While Ilsa often appears to be wearing quite lightly coloured elegant outfits that consist of skirts or dresses.
The props seen in Casablanca are all meaningful. They help exaggerate the characters feelings, add detail to the plot, and sometimes move forward a narrative. Some examples of props seen at Rick’s bar.
You can see fancy table lamps, exotic plants, expensive looking alcohol and even white table cloths. The purpose of this is to portray how exclusive and posh the bar is.
Casablanca is known for having an incredible pacing and also for managing to balance a variety of different tones within a sequence (such as tones of melodrama or comedy).
One sequence within the film that shows all the strengths of editing in Casablanca starts at the scene where Rick Blaine finds a way to help a young wife’s husband to win in roulette so that they’re able to buy their visas to leave.
At the roulette table, the editors are able to give in glances to moments that show little pieces of information that are important, and also able to cut to different actor’s faces expertly to convey to the viewers who their character’s really are. An example being Annina Brandel’s close-up shot and then Rick’s.
In this shot of Rick, the viewer sees a different side to Rick that they hadn’t seen before. From a stone-cold pragmatist who never emotionally involves himself in anything, to then a caring and more vulnerable Rick. After, the scene then cuts deeper into the sequence as Rick re-enters the bar to the Germans singing their anthem:
And suddenly, a musical set-number has been embedded into the narrative of the film. Throughout this entire sequence, the tones of melodrama, comedy, tension and even a musical tone all seem to be balanced very well all thanks to the editors. The sharp cuts and the arrangement of scenes all work together to create this narrative.
The film also uses the technique of smooth transitions between shots to allow the viewers to experience the scene as if they are viewing it from the characters’ eyes.
Firstly, the score of Casablanca was composed by Viennese composer Max Steiner, who also famously composed King Kong (1933). His music is the glue that holds the film together- he provided the film with a theme and a backstory that was unforgettable. He masterfully wove the diegetic music and nondiegetic music of Casablanca into an evocative score that illuminates and connects the political and romantic conflicts in the film, an example being the infamous song “As Time Goes By” that Sam sung to Ilsa at the bar. Which also became a sound motif for the whole rest of the film. In particular the scene where Rick is waiting in the rain at the train station.
But also, in the course of the movie, different sounds are added to the scenes so the viewer has an idea of the feelings and emotions that the characters are experiencing. Sounds in Casablanca, like the rain and the voice tone are important. The sound of the rain in the film (diegetic sound), was added to scenes that presented sadness or agony.
Underscoring, in the first quarter of Casablanca, had a Arabic sounding-like melodic figures that could be heard (pentatonic scales and movement along chromatic intervals, enhanced in its cultural colour by instrumentation).
Casablanca is a film that invites its audience to think of its realism, with both the cinematography and the narrative. More specifically things like the set design and and staging make the film feel particularly real.
In terms of the tone of the film, it has a suspenseful feel to it throughout for its themes of surrounding WW2. It’s gritty, but at times it can also be comedic and there are the few romantic moments spread throughout that elevate the film to something beyond just the typical “war film”.
The visual style of Casablanca is film noir. This is a cinematic term used primarily to describe typical Hollywood crime dramas. These are marked with the tones of pessimism, fatalism and menace. Some elements of this style of film is stark lighting effects, frequent use of flashbacks, intricate plots and cynical heroes.
Isolationism– At the beginning of the war, America declared they would remain neutral, and there was even a poll that found that 88% of Americans opposed the idea of declaring a war against the Axis powers. They would be called isolationists- people who ultimately believed a dispute between united nations is useless. However, later, of course Pearl Harbour occurred and that led to America’s involvement.
This is all links back to the main character of Casablanca; Rick as an allegory for WW2. He goes from a cynical and cold-headed man who remains “neutral”, however by the end of the film he is no longer an isolationist but a man who involves himself in the war- a sentimentalist- that is also caring for things and more vulnerable to himself. He becomes a patriot.
Women
Ilsa Lund is an example of a woman portrayed in Casablanca. Typical for its timeframe (1942) she was the exact representation of what a woman “should” be. She was beautiful, brave and also witty and conveyed a certain “look” for the era; she conforms to traditional notions of femininity. She also plays the role of being the main romantic interest for both Rick and Laszlo, and this can be seen as the film presenting women as a sort of trophy to be competed for between men. But she is also fiercely loyal to her political cause, which portrays woman as strong and allowed to have their own ideologies.
Men
There are a lot more men with important roles in Casablanca than women. Additionally, the storyline of the film reflects many stereotypical male concerns: war, duty to country, and freedom. Even Rick himself is an allegory for WW2. So most of the men in this film are portrayed as leaders and decision makers. They are represented as strong and some, as heroes. However, Rick is also shown to be sophisticated, a gentleman, and this is a typical character type for its romantic genre, and shows the duality of masculinity.
People of Colour
The portrayal of non-white characters in Casablanca is limited and stereotypical. The only prominent and important POC character is Sam, a black African-American man who plays the piano at Rick’s establishment. However, Sam being the only black man of importance at Casablanca could reinforce harmful stereotypes and even offend many viewers. Additionally, the film’s themes of patriotism, war, and violence may draw negative responses from certain group’s in todays society due to its portrayal of race.
Americans
Casablanca, for Americans, is the “most patriotic film” ever made. It was a political allegory for WW2, and Rick as the main character represented America. As he said himself, “I don’t stick my neck out for nobody.” which represents his stance of America being neutral in the war, although it did eventually show that he began to cave in for underdog, just like America did in the actual war. Furthermore, academics say Casablanca was a ‘anti-fascist propaganda vehicle’ which was designed to support US participation in the Allied Forces’ struggle for global justice.
And in an challenging era for Americans who were enlisted in proper war efforts, this beloved film gave them hope for their own Hollywood ending.
Europeans
The biggest representation of Europeans in Casablanca are all the refugees awaiting at Rick’s to find escape to America- and even better, the extras that played their roles were refugees in real life too. This meant that proper emotion could be presented when they were acting, as they could truly emphasise. Also, their culture as Europeans is represented as being beautiful and strong, which can be seen in the scene where they all sing the French national anthem.
World War 2 took place from 1939 to 1945. The allies of the war were Britain, France and the USA. However, the axis powers (the force against) included Japan, Germany and Italy.
Vichy France is a territory. It was in the “Free Zone” in the South of France. It had its own government, but they were basically just a puppet of the Germans. Vichy France controls Casablanca, which is in Morocco. Morocco is apart of the French empire.
The USA doesn’t join until December 7th, 1941. They do so because of the mass bombing of American fleet at Pearl Harbour, an unprovoked attack by the Japanese.
Operation Torch was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. This included the invasion of French Morocco, which entailed transporting 35,000 U.S Army troops and 250 tanks in complete secrecy. This was on the 8th of November, 1942.
The Casablanca Conference was the January 1943 meeting between FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt) and Churchill held in Casablanca in which they planned the Allied European strategy for the next phase of the World War. The two agreed to step up the Pacific war, invade Sicily, and insist on unconditional surrender.
“Captured the Zeitgeist” is a German phrase meaning the attitudes and ideas that are generally common at a time, especially the attitudes and ideas shown in literature, philosophy and politics. It means “The Spirit of Time”.
Casablanca had its first premiere on November 26, 1942, in New York City- which was a mere 18 days after Operation Torch- and was released nationally in the United States on January 23, 1943.
In the cinema they had “movie reels”, which was essentially like watching the news at home. This is where many Americans gathered their information about the war, as well as from newspapers. After watching Casablanca, Americans left with a feeling of serendipity.
Film Noir is a cinematic term used to describe a specific type of film in Hollywood: stylized crime dramas, particularly those that have a mood of pessimism, fatalism and cynical attitudes. The 1940s and 1950s are regarded as the “classic period” of American film noir.
Some examples are=
In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1950)
And Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944)
There is also the “Neo Noir” type of film which contains the visual style and themes of classic film noir but with an added modern sensibility. They also contain graphic displays of violence and sexuality.
An example is Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
| Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942) | Critical Score- 9/10 I gave the film this rating because I think that it was unexpectedly enjoyable as it was comedic with genuinely funny moments, the characters (despite a little flawed) were good to watch, and I think the narrative story of the film stayed very focused. But mostly the dialogue in this film stood out to me; it was sharp and every word mattered and added something new. | Memorable Scene For me, I think the one scene that stood out particularly was the scene where Ilsa asks Sam to play her a song that related her to Rick. I think that it was just a very well-done scene, and not only was the score incredibly beautiful but it is an extremely iconic scene too. |
1. Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood?
Typically film makers, producers and people interested in the business moved to Hollywood as it presented the most opportunities, and it also became known as the “capital of the film industry”. This city was chosen specifically for its consistent climate which allowed for more lenient filming and to avoid the costs of Edison’s patents.
2. Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the Silent Era of Hollywood? (at least TWO of each)
Firstly, the most famous and iconic star of this era was Charlie Chaplin, an English actor and director most known for his character of The Tramp. Another famous actress was Clara Bow who rose to fame in the 1920s and was known as the “It Girl”. For directors, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau and David Wark Griffith were highly regarded and known.
3.In what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line or even the Premier League (football)?
This is because they worked in similar ways: the studio system operated like a factory with stars, directors, writers, and crew all working under long-term contracts.
4.When and what was the first “talking picture”?
The first ever “talking picture” or “talkie” was The Jazz Singer which premiered on the 6th of October 1927. It was made with the Vitaphone which was at the time the leading brand of sound-on-disc technology.
5.Why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers working in the film industry?
The end of the silent era was catastrophic for many performers in the film industry at the time because when “talkies” began becoming popular many actors and actresses either didn’t understand the technology involved to productively work or directors/producers thought their voice didn’t fit the film.
6.What was happening in America(and around the world) at this time?
The first World War and the Wallstreet Crash, which was an economic disaster for Americans in the 1920’s and eventually also led to the Great Depression.
The Hollywood Studio System
Classical Hollywood Style
The invisible style of storytelling refers to the classical Hollywood filmmaking technique that aims to conceal artistic choices and present a natural story to the audience.
Shaun, as a young person is represented in this film as being a vulnerable and impressionable boy that can easily adapt to what others say to him. He is easily influenced by Combo’s ideologies which is a real representation of how so many real young people in the real world start to fall into far-right ideas. But at the end he shows that it is still possible for young people to change. Shaun is also seen as a victim of circumstance, of the social and political problems happening around him as he is rightly clueless.
Shaun’s mum throughout the film is the only parental figure seen that doesn’t manipulate Shaun’s vulnerability and constantly supports him. She can be seen as a positive light for Shaun, especially when she talks with Shaun about his dead father and offers help. She is seen as a responsible, caring mother.
This differs to Combo who, for Shaun, seems to fill in the void that Shaun’s biological father left when he passed away. Combo is represented as an adult who is angry and very outspoken- he doesn’t sway in his ideas and wants to spread them around. He may think of himself as a hero for Shaun, but actually he is a manipulative figure that used his authority due to his age to pick on Shaun’s insecurities and lack of a parent. He is not responsible, and is not a good representative for what an adult should be and do.
All of the characters in This is England represent the lower working class. We see them navigate their childhoods while in this class and this is reflective of the director’s own experiences. For Shaun, we see the drawbacks of his own poverty reflected in the mise en scène in his bedroom- the chair as a bedside table, the dim lights and the décor in bad condition.
Milky is the victim of racism in This is England. He represents the views held by many English people in the 1980s, and when he is brutally beat up by Combo, we see the extent of the deep hatred. However, he explains how he has a good and big family around him, and him and Combo even find a point to relate on when they discuss music, but Combo’s racist views eventually prevails.
I think aesthetics refers to how a world or character is presented to the viewer and the story it tells through that. It refers to the overall style of the film and the feel of it and the themes it may present.
Verisimilitude in film is “similarity to the truth”- the appearance of something being true or real- and in film is how much the viewer can believe that something truly takes place in the film.
I put the Dead Poets Society (1989) because it is a good representation of being a student in a private school in the 60’s and just the timeframe of that period.
Social-Realism
This sub-genre of realism seeks to capture society in a specific and accurate way and aims to to draw attention to socio-political conditions of the working class to critique the power structures behind it.
I chose Billy Elliot (2000) as my example for social realism in a film because it includes a realist depiction of British people and society and it explores certain socio-political conditions such as the 1984’s miners strike, gender stereotypes and the problem of police violence.
Magic Realism
Magic-Realism is a genre that portrays fantastical events in a realistic tone. It works with tales such as fables, myths, and folk stories. However despite the fantasy elements, magic-realism maintains a realistic view of the world so well that in some cases it blurs the line of speculation and reality.
The Princess Bride (1987) is my example for magic realism because it has a wide variety of fantastical elements such as fairy tales, knights and magic, but it also maintains a heavily realistic tone throughout the whole movie and is not fully fantasy.
Hyper Realism
This is a genre in which what is real and what is fiction are seamlessly blended together so that there is no clear distinction between one ends and where another begins.
Visual Style
Iconography = This is the visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of things. For example the lamb which represents Christ and the dove which represents the Holy Spirit.
Intertextual Referencing = This is the point where two works of art overlap- such as reusing its ideas and meanings and making it something of their own. Since art is so subjective it is very common for this to happen.
Visual/Sound Motifs = This is a recurring visual or sound that occurs in a film. This can help add story to the film or let the viewer be aware of a characters feelings.
Colour Grading = This involves adjusting and enhancing the colours and tones of a film to create a specific mood or atmosphere.
Auteur Trademarks = This is when a film-maker has a very distinctive and personal style that is reflected within their creative choices. This is also due to them having full authority over their films. There are many examples of this, such as Sofia Coppola’s focus on women with a pastel, elegant palette, Quentin Tarantino’s non-linear storytelling and sharp dialogue, and most distinctively Wes Anderson’s vibrant and quirky style:
Tone
Pathos = This is an appeal to an audience’s emotion- it purposely evoking strong emotions within them like anger or sadness. This can be in forms of inspirational music in the background or just dialogue.
Bathos = Bathos is a sudden, often humorous drop in tone during an anti-climax. It usually appears in satirical genres or used for intentional comedic effect.
Suspense = This is a common technique used in many films to evoke an audience’s excited anticipation about plot or conflict or to heighten an eerie, scary scene. It elevates tension and is a very good use of tone.
Comedy = Comedy in film is not only a genre but it is also used in other non-comedic films to elicit laughter from an audience and to lighten the mood in stressful moments. There can usually be a comedic-relief character that fills in this role. There are plenty examples of comedic films such as Step Brothers, 21 Jump Street, Zoolander and Airplane!
Dramatic Irony = Simply put, this is when the audience knows something that the characters in the film do not. An example would be a character in a horror going into a room where we know the killer awaits.
Distancing Effect (Verfremdung) = This is also known as “alienating an audience” and can also be shortened to the “v effect”. Invented by playwright Bertolt Brecht, he wanted to ‘distance’ the audience away from the action so that they could not feel emotionally invested in the characters but rather reach an intellectual understanding with them.
Postmodern Humour = Typically this refers to to humour that features jokes about serious topics like murder or war to make light of the topic. It is a fiction that deals with depressing complexities of modern life in a humorous tone. A film most known for this is Blade Runner (1982) by Ridley Scott.
1.) Some phrases/vocab I think are impressive:
2.) Diegetic sound refers to any sound that comes from within the world of the film either on-screen or off-screen. For example, the sound of cars on a busy street or the sound of live music at a festival (drums, guitars etc). It always happens the same time that the action takes place.
3.) Cathartic effect is a process of releasing negative emotions like grief, anger or sadness. The effect of a catharsis can be caused from good writing of dialogue in the film or an emotionally-moving scene that produces high emotions.
4.) Reframing in this context is when the character changes in the view of the spectator maybe because of something they might’ve went through, or just because of a general drastic change.
5.) Identify the PEEL (Point, evidence, explain, link)
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.
| This is England (Shane Meadows, 2007) | Critical Score 8.5/10 I gave the film this score because not only was I thoroughly invested in all the characters throughout the entire film- especially Sean and his development- I also loved how accurately the film seemed to depict British culture with the dialogue, setting and mise en scene. I also liked how the film included the aspect of British politics around the time frame it was set, and how they used montages at the beginning and the end to explain the politics and helped establish verisimilitude. | Memorable Scene My favourite scene is the very last one at the end of the film where Sean takes the same walk that he took at the beginning of the film, except this time he has changed as a person and gone through a lot. The audience can tell that he is reflecting over all that had happened to him, and it’s a deep moment when he throws the flag of England that Combo gave him into the ocean; this reflects his feelings about the country he lives in and the anger he may feel. And this all happens with a cover song from the British band The Smiths “Please please please let me get what I want.” playing in the back which adds more emotional depth to the moment. |
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.
Performance
Can cover: age, ethnicity, facial expression of character and body language, costume.
Stereotypes = A stereotype is a fixed general image or set of characteristics that a lot of people believe represent a particular type of person or thing.
Countertype = An opposite type or a parallel or corresponding type.
An example of a countertype in film would be the character of Sarah Connor in the Terminator I and II. In the first film she is the typical stereotype of a clumsy American actress, however she has a drastic change in the second film where she becomes a typical action movie heroine sort of character.
1. WHO IS DOING THE REPRESENTATION? (DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT)
Renton and his group of friends – By Danny Boyle.
2.WHO IS BEING REPRESENTED ? (Identify specific social groups)
They are being represented as a group of delinquent white Scottish men that are addicted to drugs- specifically heroin. Also: the lower class, parents, adults.
3.WHAT SOCIAL GROUPS ARE OMITTED FROM THE REPRESENTATIONS?
People of colour, the upper class and women.
4.WHAT MESSAGES ABOUT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS ARE BEING CONVEYED?
The message of how an addiction to drugs can ruin a persons life, and the power and influence of it. It’s a social commentary that shows the unglamorous part of drugs that is not often shown.
5.WHICH CHARACTERS OR SOCIAL GROUPS HAVE POWER WITHIN THE REPRESENTATIONS?
The characters that provide them with the drugs such as “Mother Superior” Swanney (Peter Mullan). Also the police force and Renton’s parents.
6.DO THE CHARACTERS ADHERE TO OR CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES?
I’d say that yes, Renton and his friends represent the typical stereotype of a drug addict very well and this is supported by the mise en scène, the setting, the costumes and the cinematography.
7.ARE THE CHARACTERS TYPICAL OF FILMS IN THAT GENRE?
The main genres of Trainspotting is crime/drama and to an extent the character subtype of a drug addict could be typical for it.
8.WHAT DO REPRESENTATIONS TELL AUDIENCES ABOUT SOCIETY AT THE TIME THE FILM WAS MADE AND/OR SET?
Representations such as gender, age and race can tell the audience a lot about the time was made/set because of the way they behave, the stereotypes they adhere to (like women being housewives in the 1900s) and the way others react to them. It helps make the film feel real when there is a specific date to its timeline. Certain representations, such as working class people vs higher class people can also tell a story about the society within a film and tell the audience how their world works.
^ In this image older people are being represented. More specifically, Renton’s parents. The audience watch as Renton is being almost infantilised as his parents tuck him into his own bed and take care of him. This presents them as responsible and neat, they are the target type of “adult” that Renton and his friends should aim to be instead of drug addicts. And for their outfits, they are dressed all smartly and clean amidst Renton’s dark and shabby room while he is dressed in clothes from the day before- this shows the stark difference between them and the lives they both live.