Wednesday 26 February 2014

Alignment - Goodfellas


We are aligned with Henry because throughout the sequence, he is the person the camera is focused on. While the other characters are sleeping within the car, he is awake, driving the car. A reason the audience aligns with him in this way, is because the other characters are covered more so by the shadows. As the one performing the task the audience is also naturally drawn to the driver. In addition to this Henry only looks at Jimmy and Tommy through the use of his rear-view mirror, showing detachment from the other characters.


Another way in which the audience aligns with Henry is on the basis we listen to his internal monologue, as he speaks of a much younger self. He also does not engage in violence towards the man in the boot of the car. He merely opens the boot in order to reveal the body and shuts it when the brutal murder has been carried out. By not descending into violence like the others, it is easier for us to relate to Henry, on a level that has more compassion and humanity.



Jimmy is viewed as a violent man, he carries a weapon upon his person and it is clear that a gun is a tool of death or a means to threaten, promoting high levels of violence to be associated with this character. He also proceeds to shoot the body in the boot several times, even after Tommy has already stabbed him multiple times. This conveys the idea that the use of his gun was not to simply carry out the task of murder, but it was also for his self-sulfillment or possibly in relation to his sadistic nature.


After this brutal scene, the audience is left with fear towards Jimmy and Tommy due to their violence. Because of their violent tendencies, we are left fearing for the safety of Henry, relating to the unpredictable nature of the two other characters and the dangerous lifestyles they lead. Jimmy is conveyed as the largest threat,  on the grounds he has the most power in this sequence, the only one with a firearm,


Research + Spectatorship


La Haine
  • La Haine was released in 1995, falling under the genre of drama and suspense. It was directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. The three main actors are Vincent Cassel, Said Taghmaoui and Hubert Kounde.
  • Synopsis: The film is in black and white, focusing on three youths living in the slums of Paris. During this time, their friend Abdul is beaten by police officers amidst a riot. While engaged in a scuffle with police, Vinz obtains a police offers gun. It becomes a reoccurring question whether or not he will shoot someone, after he states he will shoot a cop, in the event of Abdul's death.
  • The riots started to begin around the time the Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, went to see the new implementations on law enforcement on urban crime. He was met with violence as the people threw a variety of projectiles at him, in protest on the new measures. The rioting mainly began in response to the death of two teenagers, when trying to escape from police, they attempted to climb an electric fence and as a result were killed.
City of God

  • City of god was released in 2002, and is categorised as a crime drama. It was directed by Fernando Meirelles, it only became world renowned a year later after its release, in 2003. The key starts include Alice Braga, Leandro Firmino Da Hora and Alexandre Rodrigues. 
  • Synopsis: The film focuses on two young boys that grow up together in a rundown neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. As they grow older, one of the boys pursues a life as a photographer, while the other boy grows up to become a drug dealer.
  • In the way of context, the film strongly conveys life in the favelas to a global audience. It communicates the idea of the hardship that goes alongside living in the streets of Rio de Janeiro; ridden with gang fights, drug trafficking and poor living conditions.

A clockwork Orange

Through analysis of the key sequences, the protagonist,  Alex, is the focus of the audiences, displaying the situation from his point of view. This causes the audience to join him when he commits violent and brutal crimes. These crimes include murder, rape and vicious assaults. Some of these crimes, specifically the rape scene, incorporate a voyeuristic nature. With this in mind, the audience are made to feel like they are a part of his actions. This is later emphasised when the audience is made to feel guilty, as we witness the traumatic therapy Alex undergoes. The camera focuses on Alex, conveying his responses to the therapy, adding to the audiences guilt, as we witness the outcomes of the violent crimes we are made to feel a part of, through witnessing.     

Platoon

Analysing the intro and ending sequence of the film, conveys the evils of war and how there are no winners in war, with a focus on the death that arises from battle. The body bags captured in the begin, can be seen to foreshadow the men in the regiment getting off the plane, due to the ending having several long shots, in order to capture all the people that have been killed. With these images, the audience feels saddened by these events, as they are a reflection on actual events that have happened, as there have been many wars throughout history. 
             

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Auteur Theory

Example of  a film Auteurs: 
- Sergio Leone. Focuses on the communication of historical events at the time period of which his films are set. Key aspects to look for are his unique style and his films are normally of the action or western genre. He is well known for the trilogy of films he has directed; A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

- Cronenberg: "Body Horror" mental and physical disfigurement (Human > Animal).

- Scorcese: Vietnam, Religious Gods & Italian Mafia (1930s).

- Aronofsky: The idea that the characters have to deal with their past haunting them. He also expresses ideas of the importance of family. Can be seen as depressing or emotional films. Films include; The Wrestler, Black Swan and Requiem of A Dream.

- Anderson: Focus on dysfunctional families. He uses certain character types such as a smoking woman in order to convey masculinity or strictness. The father in his films is often absent or distracted. The films themselves can be quite comedy based. Great cinematography which helps in promoting a warm or comforting feeling. It is arguable that he tries to make his films look independent. Films include; Royal T, Fantastic Mr Fox and Moonrise Kingdom.

- Almodovar: expresses ideas of alternative sexuality. The use of comedy to portray serious issues. At one point uses gay nuns, which is very controversial. One of his films is called Volver.

- Spielberg: Has created War films, in a way that makes them relatable to the audience. At the same time, he expresses themes of brotherhood. Films of Spielberg include; Jaws, Back to the Future and Saving Private Ryan. 

The theorists behind the auteur theory: 
André Bazin, Richard Roud, François Traffaut and Andrew Saris. - Auteur theory is seen as an art of personal expression.

Three points to auteur theory:
- Competence of the director.
- Director's distinguishable personality.
- Interior Meaning.
 

Key Scenes

Pan's Labyrinth

Key scenes are expressed in the webpage, which express the journey of the heroine: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/poptheology/2012/05/pans-labyrinth/













Amelie

Two key scenes, a narrative scene and a scene that reinforces the stereotype that Paris is the city of love (French Myth idea): http://mmc110.vfowler.com/2011/03/deux-scenes-d-amelie/






Pan's Labyrinth and Amelie Summaries

Pan's Labyrinth



http://www.pajiba.com/seriously_random_lists/mindhole-blowers-20-facts-about-pans-labyrinth-that-might-make-you-believe-in-magic.php

Amelie




Tuesday 4 February 2014

Genre Notes




 Argument: Genre plays an important role in the success of a foreign film as it is key to how the different audiences are drawn into watching the films, for example its horror genre that will use predicted horror conventions which certain audiences know and love, who will therefore have an attraction to the film.

Genre appeals to certain audiences as it allows us to pick the aspects that we like to watch. e.g. someone may prefer the conventions of a Romance film and therefore be more likely to see future romance films with an expectation as to what they will be like. We can recognise the genre through our previous experiences.

Horror / Fantasy - conform with aspects of Pan's Labyrinth. The film was successful as Lord of The Rings was also of the fantasy genre and had a large audience that went to see the films which brought in a vast amount of money.

Genre also contributes to success on the basis it is easy to understand because it is the same all over the world; genre breaks films into different categories, providing us with the ability to sift through the films and select the ones we would most like to watch.

Genre is similar to Narrative e.g. Fairytale characters (Propp).

It is not about showing the culture of the country, it is about being successful to audiences and making money. This is part of the reasoning as to why both Pan's Labyrinth and Amelie have a strong use of style to appeal to different audiences. For example, in Pan's Labyrinth, fantasy conventions are conveyed through the use of magical realism. Romantic conventions and the myth of Paris being the city of love is demonstrated through Amelie in the form of French New Wave and Cinema Du Look, linking to the phrase "style over substance".