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This is England, Uncategorised

This is England – Micro Elements and Representation

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SOUND- In this scene while Combo sits in his car, diegetic sound plays from the radio in the car talking about the political decisions made in the falklands islands. This sound creates tension as the viewer watches. This method makes storytelling interesting as is not directly telling the viewer through speech highlighting to the viewer that the political situation is having a impact on the viewer.

EDITING- This is England starts with a montage of political events from the 80s, this gives the movie context before it starts. I believe that this is highly effective, seeing the emotional scenes from the coal mine riots gives you the sense of political uncertainty that the characters in the movie experience. 

MISE EN SCNE- The Mise en scene in this scene shows the social environment that their group hangs out in. The room is cluttered and unbalanced, possibly symbolizing the environment that they are in. The lighting is dim, showing the relaxed environment. The characters are all wearing their normal matching outfits showing the unity in the group.  

CINEMATOGRAPHY-  The cinematography in this scene shows Shaun from a bird’s eye view, this technique often symbolizes the character as small and vulnerable. I believe this works well showing the loneliness that Shaun feels in this scene the movement of the camera could possibly symbolise the time passing slowly as shaun spends time alone.

YOUNG PEOPLE – The young people are represented in this is England by being destructive, in this scene they gather together and dress up and break down an abonded  building. In the movie we see the young people in woddys group not attend school or a job showing possibly that there wasn’t a lot of support in place for young people therefore making them act out. However some of the young people in this movie can be seen as mature such as when Woody met Shaun’s mother.

OLDER PEOPLE – A representation of older people we see is Shaun’s mother, she’s seen throughout the movie caring for Shaun and wanting the best for him. However her character for me acts as a contrast between her behaviour and combo showing the difference in paternal figures Shaun has. However Shaun’s mother perhaps isn’t as attentive as she should be but this could possibly be to represent the time that the movie was set in.

CLASS – We can see class represented by Shaun’s room, in his room for example his bedside table is a old chair and his wallpaper is ripped showing that his room is rundown showing that he is of a lower class, we also see that shaun wears old clothes this shows the struggles that shaun faces due to his class with bullying etc. This for me shapes Shaun’s character showing that the enviorment he lives in his lower class.

WHITE PEOPLE – In this is England we see people such as combos group be very proud to be english, and the idea of national front. However this view isn shared with everyone in the movie as you can see the difference between combo and woody group in ideals and beliefs.

PEOPLE OF COLOUR – In the movie the national from becomes a key part of the movie, where combos group teaches shaun slurs and racist ideas. We see this in the scene where Shaun uses racist language and aggressive behaviour towards the shop keeper this shows the effect the the national front as on people of colour.

Men/Masculinity – In the movie we see that masculine behaviour is encouraged by combos group, when Shaun fights back against combo he is praised and told to fight back in what he believes in. This shows that a sense of masculinity is important within this group. This represents men to be masculine within the movie.

Woman – In the movie you can see the woman in the movie nurture shaun, for example Woodys female friends and his mother the only exception of this being Michelle who would consider doing the opposite. However overall the woman are more gentle in this movie.

Midlands- The midlands are represented by possibly being bleak, in the set design of the movie we see the grey soundings and all compact houses. This creates a sense of boredom within the young people due to the set design. As you can see in the photo thew town purposely looks rundown.

This is England

This is England: Micro Elements

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Cinematography:

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.

This is England

This is England: Representation

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Young people:

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.

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Exam Feedback

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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.

This is England

This is England first response

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Rating: 6/10

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.

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Representation

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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 :

  1. who is doing the representation?- Danny Bo
  2. Who is being represented?- Drug addicts, Scottish lower class and men
  3. what social groups are omitted from representations?- non-white people. women are underrepresented. children
  4. 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
  5. which characters or social groups have power within the representations?- men and the people who supply drugs to people
  6. do the characters adhere to or challenge stereotypes?- i feel they adhere to stereotypes about people who are addicted to drugs
  7. what do representations tell audiences about society at the time the film was made and/or set?- showing the underside of Edinburgh to audiences
Trainspotting

Trainspotting representation

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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

This is England, Uncategorised

This is England Micro-elements

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Sound

The movie starts of with an upbeat song over the credits. The song started the movie on a positive note which made me feel like the movie was going to be light and happy which was partially true since the movie included a lot of humor however it was mostly negative. The music was a form of non-diegetic sound since it didn’t come from the world of the movie.

cinematography

The cinematography throughout This is England makes the movie feel more personal to the audience. In this specific scene there is a close up of Shaun while talking Combo about how he feels. This close up shows how much the two characters are getting along especially since its switching between the two characters (POV shot). Not only does the close up make the characters feel closer, but it also makes the audience feel closer as well.

mise-en-scene

The mise en scene in the movie is consistent and gives the movie a overall chaotic feel. In this shot specifically, it shows how unserious the characters are since their costuming is random and not sensible. The setting they are in is also an abandoned house filed with graffiti which shows how they don’t tend to follow the rules and live life freely. A final mise en scene factor in this image is the coloring on Woody, while everyone else is wearing dull colors and balding in, Woody is wearing a bright blue which shows how he’s the ‘leader’.

editing

Throughout the movie, the editing is subtle and adds small but necessary visuals for the scene. The editing in this scene is particularly impressive since its a fading transitions of the English flag. This adds to the movie since its a bold way of showing what every character in this image stands for. Its also only a short insert and only slightly visible so it doesn’t take away from the visuals of the scene but it servers as a reminder of why the characters are connected.

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Aesthetic

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Verisimilitude– the quality of seeming true or of having the appearance of being real.

Social Realism– It is showing a realistic representation on what life was like at that moment in time. E.G- Making a WW2 film as accurate as possible. -Saving Private Ryan

Magic Realism– E.G- Harry Potter

Hyperreality– A film set in the future with amazing technology. E.G- The Matrix

Iconography– Iconography simply refers to the pattern of signs we associate with a particular genre. An obvious example would be the combination of futuristic costumes, props, and settings in science-fiction films. 

Intertextual Referencing– it’s where a movie overlaps with another work of film. -Family Guy

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Visual/ Sound motifs in film– Objects, colours, shapes, settings.

James Bond

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Colour Grading– digital tools or photochemical processes are used to make videos or films look better or change the colour tone and mood. 

Auteur Trademarks– A reference (character, an angle a theme) that is recurrent to the directors work. E.G- Tim Burton

Tone

Pathos, or the appeal to emotion, means to persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel.

 Bathos, Anticlimactic ending. Expecting something but gets something else.

Suspense, a sequence leading up to a jump scare. Tension within the scene.

Comedy, professional entertainment consisting of jokes and sketches, intended to make an audience laugh.

Dramatic irony, occurs when the audience knows something that the characters don’t. E.G, When the Jaws music plays we know the shark is near.

Distancing Effect, Reminding the audience that you are watching a film. Breaking the 3rd wall in the film E.G, Narration, Deadpool when he speaks to the audience.

Postmodern Humour, when a comedy presents an undeceived view of life.

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Aesthetics

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A overarching style and idea, including costumes and cinema and set design

Task 1 – find definitions for the following:

Verisimilitude– The idea of something appearing true.

The breakfast club, takes place in a school showing the events of a Sunday detention. Its believable as the customs are what American teenagers in the 80s would of worn along with the school which is realistic.

Social Realism – How films show how someone’s environment can change the development of the character. Emphasises the relationship between someone’s identity and there location.

This is England, shows how the current social state of England influences people into believing things that are against their morals. We see that the national front changes how Shaun sees people.

Magic Realism– This shows magical events as a normal world event, where characters accept it as a part of their life.

In harry potter Magic Realism is used to create the story line, showing that characters have magic as part of their daily life. This is used showing it in a school setting which is apart of the ordinary world.

Hyperreality – Anything that seems so real , and perhaps impossible to separate from reality.

In the Barbie Movie, the world they live in is supposed to be perfect showing how everyone can live happily carefree. The use of bright pink plastic materials and deliberately fake items shows the hyperreality to differentiate from the real world.

Visual Style

Visual style is the look or the feel of the film.

Task 2 – find definitions for the following:

Iconography – The use of a recurring symbol or image’s that can covey themes, evoke emotions or build a films identity.

In the Hunger Games it uses symbols to build up the character’s ideas and there personality’s. With the mocking jay noise and symbol becoming iconic to the movie.

Intertextual Referencing – When a movie uses ideas from a text or another piece of art.

In Shrek, it refences over popular child stories such as fairy god mother and three blind mice. This helps link the fairy-tale idea of Shrek to over movies.

Visual/ Sound motifs– A motif is a recurring story element that can highlight a moment happening in a movie.

In the movie UP a instrumental plays while showing carl and Ellies life , It also plays at the end when carl has found happiness. This music acts motif to show a important moment.

Colour Grading– Editing that creates a consistent tone of colour throughout the movie.

In the joker movie the overall tones are grey showing the depressing world that he lives is reflected in the colours.

Auteur Trademarks-A reference (e.g. to an object, a character, or a happening)

Wes Anderson has a trademark style with bright style and symmetrical shots. This makes his work easy to spot.

Task 3 – find definitions for the following:

Pathos-Pathos is a technique that seeks ton appeal to the audiences emotions, this is often used as sadness to have a emotional impact to the spectator.

In the movie the dogs purpose it shows the dog and its owner reuniting multiple times in the movie sparking emotion in the movie.

Suspense- A anxious uncertainly about what may happen.

In this scene in the shining the music, atmosphere builds tension on what way happens next.

Comedy– A genre of film which aims to amuse the audience.

In the movie home alone it makes the boy in the story try and fool the robbers creating a funny situation out of a what might have been a serious situation.

Dramatic Irony-Where the audience is aware of something that the characters aren’t.

We are aware that Truman is being filmed, however he doesn’t creating dramatic irony throughout the film.

Distancing Effect – Where the director purposing makes the story seem unbelievable, such as having a unfinished set or the character constantly talk to the camera.

In fleabag she often speaks to the camera, throughout the movie this pulls away from the believability that your watching a movie.

Postmodern Humour– Dark humour that is often about society.