University Degree: Film Studies

Unpicking the monstrous: A Psychoanalytic and Marxist analysis of Alien.

Therefore, this ultimately leads to intergalactic class warfare between the terrorising, bourgeoisie Company figure of the alien and the working-class labour workers. Thus, what makes Alien an interesting analytic example is the film's diverse range of symbolic psychoanalytic imagery, which is often associated with horrific connotations concerning the alien as castrating Other. This profound use of psychoanalysis is located within the Marxist zone centred on the economic horror of the alien and the social horror of intergalactic class warfare. Interestingly, the way that these two critical approaches of psychoanalysis and Marxism are applied to the film may suggest that these are two separate tools of analysis, without any theoretical relationship.

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Critically analyse the Representation of the American Dream in American Beauty and Rocky.

The dream inspires thought that anything can happen to anybody and it can all be good. While many Americans have achieved their own dream, most will be disappointed and disillusioned. Some say the American Dream has become the pursuit of material prosperity, people work long hours for bigger houses, fancier cars, designer labels, but have less time to enjoy their prosperity. Others claim that the American Dream is beyond the grasp of some people, particularly the working poor, who must work two jobs to ensure their family's survival.

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Nick Parks stated that his animated film "Chicken Run" was based on the classic war film "The Great Escape". In what ways are the two films similar?

The two films begin on a similar scene at different times of the day. "The Great Escape" began with a strong military, now very well known, tune which carried the camera across a panning shot of the prisoner of war camp when the prisoners were being brought into it. This gives the impression of travelling, which is what the main characters were doing at the time. This view is punctuated by some very bold and red credits. The credits begin with "Steve McQueen" which shows one of the main selling points for the film was its all star cast.

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Compare The Way In Which 'Double Indemnity' And 'Blade Runner' Use Film Noir Conventions.

Dietrichson died by falling off the train. Neff's boss, Barton Keyes, suspects that something is wrong. Neff visits the Dietrichson household, and both himself and Phyliss are planning to shoot one another. Phyliss manages to shoot him first, but only in the leg. He shoots her twice and she is dead. We then go back to Neff recording this story into his Dictaphone and see Keyes in the doorway. Neff tries to escape but collapses in a doorway (because of his wound) as Keyes telephones the police. Summary of 'Blade Runner' The film is a Neo-Noir, which is modern version of the traditional film noir.

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Exploring the concept of genre - The Others.

It appears to be the case that such a thing is as much about longing as it is dread. It is an amusing thought to think that we, as an allegedly post-religious age are flocking, as audiences, to see films which are explicitly claiming that there is life after death and so on. The director purposely defies the elements of a regular ghost story whilst sticking to some of the expectations of a regular ghost story. Amenabar explains the uncanny occurrences he creates in a highly ingenious way, refusing to 'give the game away' as such until the very end.

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A critical analysis of how Vladimir Propp’s The Morphology of the Folk Talecan be applied to mainstream Hollywood cinema.

Tristan Todorov, a Bulgarian literary theorist, argued that all narratives were based on conflict, and that an Equilibrium - Disruption - Restored Equilibrium structure was invariably present within them. Claude Levi-Strauss argued that narratives unconsciously reflected the myths, values and beliefs of the culture in which they were produced. To illustrate this he constructed sets of binary oppositions that showed where the conflict lay within the narrative. Whilst it is clear that all of these statements are true and can be applied effectively to many films, there are some productions that subvert these frameworks and intentionally seek to deviate from this conventional form of narrative structure.

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What are the codes and conventions of the Western?

a person wearing a poncho in a film will give the audience a very different impression when compared to a person who is wearing Western style clothes. The props are the objects which are put to use by the characters in a film, and which put emphasis on the plot (in a Western an example would be a six-shooter). Also, if different characters carry different props, this can put emphasis on characterisation too. An integral part of the use of props is the effective use of iconographic representations of objects commonly found in the Western culture.

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Western Film - Comparison of Shane and Pale Rider. hese classic western films, made decades apart, tell practically the same story. What is fascinating in the comparison of these two films is that the similarities between them are offset by the distinc

The result of these differences is a wonderful contrast between the films, counterbalancing their similarities, and making each film a classic unto itself. Both Shane and Pale Rider are classified as Western films. Each film contains a multitude of elements typical to the Western film genre. The Western film genre can be described as a fiction genre devoted to telling stories usually set in the Western United States during the period from about 1860 to 1890. "The central plot of the western film...

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Did directors Danny Boyle and Ken Loach 'let Scotland out of the cage' in terms of film making?

In this essay, I will explore the ideas portrayed in Scottish films from the 1950s right to the present day. With reference to various films and directors, I will discuss the extent to which Peter Mullan's statement is feasible, with particular focus applied to the notion that the two directors in question marked the beginnings of a revolution in Scottish cinema. As Scotland is well known for providing stories and settings for film-makers from both England and Hollywood, it is important to analyse the discourses present in Scottish film in the context of the film industry and how it is constructed on an international level.

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Mulholland Drive

All quotations, or facts and ideas, taken from printed, internet or other public sources have been explicitly acknowledged in my text, endnotes or footnotes and bibliography. I am aware of the University's Policy on Academic Fraud. Submission of this document to MMS acts as student signature attesting to ownership of the work. There is no band; illusion and reality in "Mulholland Drive" David Lynch's Mulholland Drive (2001) is an abstract feature film with infinite interpretations ranging from explorations of the unconscious to the false pretenses of Hollywood and their harmful effects on the individual, specifically aspiring starlet Diane Selwyn, as well as referencing the artifice of filmic representations.

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Discuss the representation of youth/subculture and/or pop culture in three British films and/or TV shows.

Rather, this is music that rocks. This must be understood to fully interpret a film whose soundtrack values elements of volume, stage presence, and pure energy above musical theory and tonal perfection. What better group to bring this expression of pure musical passion to fruition than the revered and influential British rockers, The Who? Lifted from the multi-platinum 1973 rock opera, "Quadrophenia," the film was released in 1977 to scattered applause. Like the album, "Quadrophenia" is set in London and Brighton in 1963 and follows the psychological, social, and musical journey of Jimmy, a member of the Mod movement of subculture (characterized by Vespa scooters and well-tailored clothing.)

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To what extent does the Dogme 95 'movement' challenge the conventional aesthetics of film narrative? A discussion in relation to Festen and Italian For Beginners.

The technical specifics are as follows: 1 - Shooting must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought. 2 - The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. 3 - The camera must be hand-held. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. 4 - The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. 5 - Optical work and filters are forbidden. 6 - The film must not contain superficial action.

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heidegger and marcuse

part of the Frankfurt school his views were similar to Marx who was also a member of the Frankfurt school, as Marx argued that working class are mistreated, and they do not realise this. Marcuse also argued 'advanced industrial society' creates false needs and lowers individuals in this system of production and consumption through the wide range of media modes such as advertisement. Marcuse remained in some deep sense under Heidegger's influence. This influence was shown in the book(1964) Marcuse said that modern technology holds the society and they are being destroyed by products which are causing them a type of memory loss and this can only be changed by the people who are outside the system.

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The Uncanny in "Don't Look Now"

The pond is a dislocation of time, because at no point in the beginning sequence is it raining. The window is a dislocation of place, because it is apparent that the window is not part of the home in the first sequence. Later in the film we see that both these shots are premonitions of later events. The raining occurs when the Baxters move out of their house and the window is from their hotel room in Venice. This also is the initial connection between glass and water, which is prevalent throughout the entire film and is abound with symbolism.

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Compare and contrast the excerpts from "Dead Again" and "Godzilla"

This may help not only in a complex plot, but can also make a scene seem more intense through the sharp contrast of dark and light colours. This also adds to a sense of mystery, thus making it an ideal technique to be used for 'Dead Again' as the mood it creates matches the genre of the excerpt studied. The studied clip 'Dead Again' starts with an interview between Mr. Baker, the journalist, and Strauss, a murderer on death row. As Strauss is the accused murderer, he sits in shadow, wearing darkly coloured prison clothes. On the other hand, Mr.

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Gladiator, blade runner and alien

or in Blade Runner " more human than human". This relates to the film in some way or another, as it runs through the whole film, e.g. Blade Runner, this films tag line is linked to the film, as man made it's match in form of human clones (androids) and they now are a problem to earth, as Tyrell shouldn't have made them so powerful. The context of genre that Ridley Scott shows in his films are Sci fi, horror, thriller or even romance based films.

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Gus van Sant's three films, Gerry, Elephant and Last Days, are, in essence, a trilogy, linked by their common structures, compositions, and representations of death.

His most recent film, officially titled Gus van Sant's Last Days, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and attempted to vaguely recreate the death of Kurt Cobain. The thematic elements and structure were by now easily recognizable. The film's first reviews were harsh, but eventually, critics seemed to warm to it, and it was widely praised for its bravery and patience. Van Sant refers to them as a "news story" trilogy, in that they are all based on real events. Gerry is about two guys who get lost in the desert, and one of them eventually kills the other one.

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English Media Study - Donnie Darko

As Donnie exits the bus the camera moves in to 'Tilted long-medium shot'. As Donnie and his friends walk towards the school the camera 'Rotates to its normal position' and 'Moves into a long shot', this is an 'Establishing shot' of the school so it sets the scene. While going towards the school you can hear bells in the background and the chime seems some what 'fated', it is similar to the fact that the world has a 'fate', the 'tangent universe' has to be destroyed.

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Analysis of 'Gladiator' Trailer

The film has a target audience of adults and older teens but appeals to a very broad range of different people. There are a fantastic amount of techniques which I analysed in the film trailer which make it very effective in advertising the film to the audience. Firstly, the way that the trailer reveals the plot without any voiceover is very intelligently done. Tag lines are placed between each scene of the trailer telling the audience the very brief outline of Maximus' life and what he has to overcome and defeat.

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Crime Film

Most crime films involve solving a mystery. The audience enjoy unravelling these mysteries in their heads. Most crime films use chiaroscuro lighting. This lighting that is very dark, this creates a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. Crime films are nearly always set in urban settings. Most of the time it is raining and there are reflection of light off the road. There is often a female character who is weak and vulnerable, she needs protection from the male protagonist who is often strong and brave. Iconography is the visual signs in a film. Crime film iconography is police cars, blue flashing lights, guns, weapons, injured or dead bodies, blood, crime scenes and others.

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Stanley Kubrick - Use Of Shadows In His Films - Dr. Stranglove, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket

Before you hand in your essay read it aloud and make sure it flows as a piece of writing. In class you will then read the essay out to a classmate to ensure you are communicating ideas clearly. STEP 5 Part D: Using your factual and descriptive response sheets plan a 3-5 minute talk about your artwork. You will need to include your photocopy so everyone can SEE an image of the work you are talking about. The Descriptive Response Sheets (this booklet) must be handed to your teacher immediately after your presentation. REFERENCE MATERIAL Reference material may help you to research your artwork.

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English Media Coursework-'The Full Monty'

Along the way they slip from one silly episode to the next; fixing the motor of a former co-worker without realizing he is trying to use his car to commit suicide; auditioning other laid-off steelworkers to the sounds of "J'taime"; recruiting their hated former foreman, Gerald (Tom Wilkinson), as their choreographer/dance instructor; and performing a Punch-and-Judy show with lawn elves to make sure Gerald doesn't get hired away from them.

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How does the director Alfred Hitchcock use filmic techniques to build suspense and build tension for the audience in the film "The Birds"?

It is repetitive and annoying. Later the audience will come to link this to a bird attack. It almost sets the theme right at the start, so the audience know whenever they hear that flapping sound the birds are coming. Also, the way each name comes on has some relevance. It looks like birds are pecking away at the name, or like they are being bird pooed in, they appear in big splats. The first main attack is on Bodega Bay. The gulls swoop in over the gas station, the men race outside to help a man being attacked, while the ladies stay inside.

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G.C.S.E English: Media coursework Jaws 30 years on. Thirty years ago, a partnership was made, a partnership between one of the biggest predators

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