Santina's Film Blog

Pan's Labyrinth: Opening scene Analyse how film form is used to create meaning and generate response in the opening scene of Pan's Labyrinth + one other scene: cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, sound and performance.  The film of Pan’s Labyrinth uses film form to create meaning and generate a certain response from the audience. The opening scene starts by giving the viewers social and historical context. The film directly situates the viewer in the fascist Spain of the 1940's and gives historical context about the civil war that had recently ended but there were still some who still resisted the regime. Pan's Labyrinth presents the main character with the ending scene - a shot of the main character lying on the floor, bleeding, while a smooth voice sings a lullaby. Rewinding and going into Ofelia's mind, the narrator tells the audience a story about the princess of the Underworld, a place where there were "no lies or pain", that dreamt of seeing the ...

City of God - Analysis of opening scene + the kids scene City of God, a film considered to be a modern masterpiece of Brazilian cinema, tells the story about the hopelessness of living in the favelas and not being able to escape. In the first scenes of the film, the audience understands the themes as they are being foreshadowed through narrative and cinematography. The main themes presented being violence, the want to escape, community and the contrast between the present and the past. Firstly, these themes are foreshadowed in the first minutes of the film. The opening scene shows the audience what themes are going to be treated from the very first image: a knife being sharpened, mixed with the sound of reggae music, typical from Brazil. A fast paced introduction that captures the audience's attention, showing a poor community dancing, playing instruments and cooking outside on the rooftop of a two story building. The chicken’s attempt to escape from the same fate as the other slai...

  Shaun Of The Dead - Narrative resolution - Shaun's relationship with the family (especially Philip): Shaun ends up admitting that he sees Philip as his father in spite of saying in numerous occasions that " he is not my dad. He is my step-dad ". This happens when Philip is dying in the car, where he admits that he had always seen Shaun as a son. Their relationship gets fixed in a way, because of the death/turning into a zombie of Philip. If it had not been for that incident they probably would have not resolved their issues. On the other hand, Shaun's relationship with his mum is shown as broken in a way due to the resentment of having married Philip over fifteen years ago. Their relationship though is resolved the moment that Barbara finds the flowers in the bin of the pub. Once again, Barbara's and Shaun's mother and son relationship gets resolved because she gets bitten and their issues have to be solved before the character dies/turns into a zombie.  - F...

 Shaun Of The Dead - Analysis of opening scene - Shaun and Liz’s relationship: many people are shown to interfere in their relationship as there is always someone framed in between the two of them. Shaun makes a lot of promises that he never goes through with and does not listen to Liz. The very first image of Shaun is him ignoring what Liz is saying about what their relationships needs. Shaun likes his comfortable and easy lifestyle, to which he is already well adjusted to and does not want change, while Liz needs something new and spontaneous to do to save their relationship. Liz is also worried that she is missing out in life and that if she does not change soon she will be very unhappy in the future. The Winchester Tavern is a representation of this. It is comfortable and easy for Shaun, but for Liz is just a demonstration of the lack of effort from Shaun’s side. He does not like the new and unknown because it would force him to change the routine which he is so used to at this...

The Overdose and Withdrawal scene - Trainspotting These scenes should be considered the lowest point of “Trainspotting”, where Renton suffers an overdose and has to live through the consequences of getting sober. It is a moment of harsh reality that contrasts with the easygoing and fun approach that the film and the characters had been having. In these scenes the audience are brought back to the “real world” and realise that heroin is a serious topic in spite of how the directors had been portraying it until that point. The scenes themselves turn out to be the most realistic part of the film. They show the effects of drugs through Renton’s overdose, showing one of the many side effects that it can have. It is portrayed as chaotic and, sadly, the audience can identify with the moment as it was very common in Scotland at the time. Although the audience aligns with Renton as the scene is shot from his own eyes (in spite of the lack of his characteristic voiceover and using music instead, ...

Analysis of Narrative Resolution - Trainspotting The film Trainspotting has a full circle ending where the audience understands the reasoning behind the characters actions as the ideological themes are resolved. Themes such as friendship, betrayal, and addiction between others. Also, the moral message varies from person to person as the audience understands and becomes more empathetic towards the main character, Mark Renton.  Even though one of the most recognisable themes of the film is family and friendship, it is not represented as expected. Renton, Spud, Sick Boy, Tommy and Begbie are not friends. They all use each other for their own benefit and let themselves end either in prison or in the hospital with an overdose. Tommy dies due to Renton’s irresponsible choice that led Lizzy (Tommy’s girlfriend) to break up with him, making him depressed and rely on heroin to numb his pain. He contracts HIV and proclaims that he has AIDS when Renton goes to visit him after his own overdose...

The Evaluative Analysis Beyond is a short film that shows a mysterious woman having to choose between life and death on a subconscious level. This psychological drama portrays a symbolic idea of death as a decision that depends on the individual itself, based on what her subconscious shows her, trying to overcome bad memories. This film presents a lot of symbolism that aims to generate an effect on the viewer and to have them interpret what they represent. In spite of having a baleful atmosphere, the first idea of this short film was not to have it become a horror, instead, to use iconography, sudden transitions and intense sounds to show a dreamy environment where the woman is somewhat trapped. Its main objective is to make the audience doubt about what is real and what is part of her imagination, if she is in danger or if she needs protection from herself. Everything is aimed to make the viewer wonder and come up with theories about what they are seeing on screen. At the end, the mai...

Opening scene - Trainspotting The opening scene of Trainspotting is a high paced scene that engages the audience's attention instantly and where the main characters are introduced. The film is based on the 1990s Scotland, where drug addiction was an issue that destroyed many people’s lives – but through the use of film elements the directors achieved to present this depressing theme of addiction from the addicts perspective and showed why they did drugs in the first place: for the pleasure.  The immediate voiceover of Renton makes the audience align with him and assume that he is the main character. At the same time, the camera shows Renton running away from guards with Spud close behind him: the framing of this shot, where Renton is in the foreground and Spud in the background, emphasises Renton’s “leader” role while Spud following behind could represent a sense of loyalty that he has towards him as we learn later in the film. Through this fast paced (reinforced by cuts and quick ...

BEYOND - Script 1. EXT. THE WOODS – DAY  A WOMAN, whose face remains unshown, finds herself in the middle of the woods, barefoot and wearing ripped jeans and an old white shirt.  She is surrounded by trees and a baleful atmosphere. Unconsciously, she starts walking down the dirt path with doubtful steps until she reaches a slow but continuous pace.  The trees that completely surround the path move due to the soft wind. The woman’s unbuttoned shirt also moves slightly, imitating the branches as a consequence of the blowing wind coming from an unclear direction.  The woman keeps walking without hesitation through the dirt of the path but stops when she hears her name being softly called, almost like A WHISPER. She suddenly stops walking and turns towards the direction of the noise –  towards the trees. The woman sees nothing out of the ordinary as she keeps turning on her place. Her breathing intensifies and gets louder in the empty woods, but she resumes her walk...

Exam Question: No Country for Old Men & Captain Fantastic How far do your chosen films demonstrate the importance of visual and soundtrack cues in influencing spectator response? Refer in detail to at least one sequence from each film (40 marks). The films “No Country for Old Men” and “Captain Fantastic” demonstrate the importance of visual cues in numerous occasions through the film which, at the same time, manipulates the audience response to align with certain characters. The introduction of the film directed by the Coen Brothers and the “Captain Fantastic” funeral scene have similar ways of mise-en-scene that influence the audience’s perspectives to side with whom they want them to sympathise with. The voice of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell presents the film with a sincere and sensitive monologue about himself while showing still images of the countryside of Texas. This opening makes the audience automatically align with the Sheriff, in spite of not having seen him yet, as he is being op...

 No Country for Old Men - Ending and Resolution  The reaction to the ending of “No Country for Old Men'' from a first time viewer is generally disappointing, shocking and/or confusing. It does not have a satisfying ending where the audience sees a close resolution to the story of each individual, instead we get the death of a main character off-screen and we miss a climactic confrontation between the two remaining main characters – Chigurh and Sheriff Ed Tom Bell. But once the ending is analysed and thought through, usually the audiences’ reaction changes from disappointment to curiosity. The worst ending from the audience perspective is definitely Llewellyn’s death off-camera. It feels unresolved and too realistic for a film: very unexpected. He was meant to meet his wife Carla-Jean, but died later in the afternoon before she could get to the motel. A Mexican gang killed him, characters who barely were mentioned and seen in the film, instead of Chigurh who was the one that wa...

  Captain Fantastic: Final scene The ending of “Captain Fantastic” after the airport scene, where Bo is seen for the last time, the Cash family leaves and it jumps in time to a near future. This is seen when the injured daughter is not injured anymore, and runs with her sister through a garden/orchard. There is a big difference in environment; in spite of not living in the middle of the forest, as they did in the past, they are still in touch with nature as they grow their own natural food. This is also under a small construction that shows more organisation, space and that they are settled in this place. A small, colourful house, with a car parked by it can be seen in the background as the daughters keep running between the herbage. A sign of adaptation to society and of stability in spite of still being somewhat different and rural. The bus that was named “Steve” does not have any wheels and it is now being used as a henhouse for the chickens - it is not a vehicle anymore. Inside...

 Captain Fantastic: Issues and Ideologies. Rituals (Pt. II) There is a big difference between the rituals that each side of Leslie’s family holds for her. Her parents, more traditional and part of society, have this common ceremony where her own wishes of what she would like to happen to her body are not being respected. On the other hand, Ben and their children end up holding a ceremony where they remember their mother happily and do as she wished with her body and ashes. The traditional funeral shows that the event itself is not for Leslie, but for those still alive. A chance to mourn her (whether they knew her or not) and support the closest family to her. Meaningless words are always being shared in this type of events: the priest and those giving their respects to Leslie’s parents – Jack and Abigail – being good examples of this. An impersonal ceremony held for those alive which was not even what Leslie wanted for herself. As a comparison to this, the personal ritual that Ben ...

No Country for Old Men - Opening scenes The opening scene of “No country for old men” introduces two of the three main characters of the film: Anton Chigurh and Sheriff Ed Tom Bell. Through elements of film form the director creates a bond with the audience who, at the same time, are forming an opinion of the characters based on their actions and how they are presented on screen, between others. As the audience meets the characters, it is easier to differentiate the ideologies and moral themes that each of them believe in – except for Chigurh, whose actions remain unexplained. The sheriff is the first character the audience meets even though his face is not shown in the scene. The vulnerability of his voice while telling his life story and his fears of the near future, makes the audience instantly believe that he is the “good guy” in this film – the character the audience should side with. Accompanying the country accentuated voice over, the camera shows the countryside from dawn until...

Meshes in the Afternoon - Maya Deren  How does the film put the viewers in the perspective of the main character? Maya Deren uses many types of shots that puts the viewer in the main character’s point of view in the “Meshes in the Afternoon” short film. Her identity is unknown for the majority of the film, until it is revealed half way through. The camera varies from a first to a third person point of view through jump cuts, mostly, and the audience also seem to get inside of her brain at one point, where they can appreciate the world through her eyes, specifically, but changes to the second version/body of the woman where she sees herself sleeping on a couch – which could be simulating a third person perspective. This means that the audience is watching the woman from her own perspective in spite of being in a different body. The camera also moves when it is from the woman’s point of view, also when she analyses her environment. But it feels shaky for the viewer when the camera be...

  No Country for Old Men - Questions to consider - Do you find the ending of the film to be satisfying? - How were you expecting the film to end? - Why do you feel the Coen Brothers decided to have their main protagonist killed offscreen , and then avoid a final climax between Sheriff Bell and Chigurh? (Consider the effect on the audience in terms of expectations, etc...) - Who represents the force of good in the film? What does the film’s ending suggest about the battle between good and evil?  The ending of the "No Country for Old Men" film is definitely anticlimactic and unsatisfying. From the beginning, due to the build up and quality of the film, the audience is expecting a good resolution and/or a worthy battle that would end with (at least) one of the main characters achieving their goal. A spectator about to watch an old west film is likely to have certain expectations for the plot and the outcome due to the stereotypes of the genre. It is expected to end with a battle...

Captain Fantastic: Issues and Ideologies. (Pt. I) The film Captain Fantastic discusses many issues and ideologies that are very well justified through the character’s beliefs. The way the children are being educated may be the main disagreement between Ben and the rest of the family. Ben, as a father of six without their mother, believes that the state education is not fit enough to make his children learn about survival and how to think by themselves. Throughout the film, the audience is generally encouraged to side with Ben, as they see the result of very intellectual and strong children from his educational methods. The kitchen scene of Ben and his sister alongside her husband demonstrates that, in spite of his extreme methods, his children are intellectually smart and that is something that the state education would never be able to achieve.  Ben and his sister have two different points of view about how to educate their children: she believes that kids should not be training a...