Exploring the concept of genre - The Others.
Jenna Wright DJA3 Exploring the concept of genre - The Others. 'Stated simply, genre movies are those commercial feature films that, through repetition and variation, tell familiar stories with familiar characters in familiar situations. They also encourage expectations and experiences similar to those of familiar films we have already seen' (Barry Keith Grant, 1995) That is the fundamental theorem of the majority of genre studies. The audience's expectations are met within genre films due to familiar elements being fused together, enhanced and manipulated to create something new and different. Despite 'genre' being the correct term for classifying a certain film it is primarily used by film critics, historians and theorists, generally audiences don't tend to refer to this word, instead they are just aware that they are drawn to specific types of films. It is useful to group films into categories of genre, which is defined as a style of art or literature, as there are so many released into the UK every year. This then allows there to be contrasts and comparisons extracted from films that are within the same group. Or, on the other hand, it is made possible to analyse a film when compared to different groups, this has a fair few benefits, one being that attempting to decide the criteria for grouping films encourages us to study them closely. When referring to 'The
What are the codes and conventions of the Western?
What are the codes and conventions of the Western? In this essay I shall examine the various codes and conventions which are present in the Western film. I shall examine three films. These are The Searchers, a film which includes as its hero John Wayne playing the part of Ethan, A Fistfull of Dollars, in which Clint Eastwood plays the part of the hero with no name, and Stagecoach, in which John Wayne is also present, acting the part of The Ringo Kidd. I shall examine the first sections of all three films, as to perform a detailed analysis of all of the three films is a task beyond the scope of this essay. Beforehand, however, I shall describe some common aspects of cinematography. . . A high camera angle is used to make the audience appreciate the significance of a character in the Western. This camera angle is used to make the person look ordinary or common, inferior to another character, or small in relation to another character in the script. A low camera angle is used to stress the importance of the dominant character. The person's status within the film is very easily measured by how large they appear to be to the viewer at one particular time. If the camera follows one character in a film for example, this could provide a link between scenes in the mind(s) of the viewer. If the camera stays in a static position, and the person walks away for example, this could
Compare The Way In Which 'Double Indemnity' And 'Blade Runner' Use Film Noir Conventions.
Sam Rawson E7 Started on: Sunday 26th January 2003 Completed on: Sunday 9th February 2003 Compare The Way In Which 'Double Indemnity' And 'Blade Runner' Use Film Noir Conventions Introduction In 1944, shortly after the Second World War, a flood of American films could be found in France. The critics noticed many recurrent images throughout these B-movies, which were smaller films shown before the main feature. The films became known as a genre: film noir. Film noir is French for 'black films'. We tend to relate the colour black to death and pessimistic thoughts. This ties in with the negative theme of the films and the outlook of the characters. The physical symbols that make up the genre of these films include mirrors, staircases, Venetian blinds, fire escapes, telephones and bright neon lights. The camera shots are often dramatic and very angular, and among the scenes used are rain-lashed streets, fog-bound train stations and empty echoing buildings. The use of lighting is a very important feature of these films and contains very sharp contrasts of light and darkness. This is known as chiaroscuro lighting. The empty echoing building shows how alone the people in this world feel Plot Summaries Summary of 'Double Indemnity' The story converges around top insurance salesman Walter Neff. The narrative is told by the use of male voice over (MVO) and flashback.
A critical analysis of how Vladimir Propp’s The Morphology of the Folk Talecan be applied to mainstream Hollywood cinema.
A critical analysis of how Vladimir Propp's The Morphology of the Folk Tale can be applied to mainstream Hollywood cinema. Vladimir Propp was a Russian literary theorist and critic whom analysed 100 Russian folk tales during the 1920's. His book, The Morphology of the Folk Tale, was published in 1928 in the light of his findings. During his studies he found that there is a standard set of classifications that can be applied to the characters within traditional fantasy stories, and that these classifications accurately depicted (and in fact predicted) the characters' role within the narrative. I suggest that his theories are still valid today, but that they are not necessarily as applicable to contemporary cinema as they are to a traditional fairytale. Various film theorists have contributed to the study of narrative structure, often supplementing and confirming Propp's original framework. In this essay I will identify Propp's findings, investigate how they work within the context of narrative theory, identify those theorists that have contributed to the narrative theory of film, and apply Propp's framework to two mainstream Hollywood films; Jaws and The Princess Bride. In The Morphology of the Folk Tale Propp identifies eight character roles and thirty-one narrative functions that, he believed, were present in every classical fairy tale narrative. The eight character
Unpicking the monstrous: A Psychoanalytic and Marxist analysis of Alien.
Contents Title Page: Page 2 Analysis: Pages 3-12 Conclusion: Pages 12-13 Bibliography: Page 14 Name: Liam Stott English and Film & Media Studies Level Two Unit Title: FS299 - Critical Approaches to Media Research Unit Tutor: Marc O' Day Course Leaders: Marc O' Day/Melanie Selfe Assignment 2: Negotiated Essay 'Unpicking the monstrous: A Psychoanalytic and Marxist analysis of Alien.' Barbara Creed states that the convergence of psychoanalysis and cinema studies initiated at the end of the nineteenth century. Since the 1900s, psychoanalysis has endured a complicated history because of its elusive concepts and theoretical influences, particularly in post-1970s psychoanalytic film theory. Throughout the 1970s, psychoanalysis informed and contributed to other cinematic critical approaches such as post-colonial theory, queer theory, feminist film theory and body theory (Creed in Hill and Gibson, 2000: 75-77). Alien (dir. Ridley Scott, 1979) is a significantly psychoanalytic film, symbolically underpinned by a range of psychoanalytic notions such as sexuality, the unconscious, phallicised, primal phantasies (Lebeau, 2001: 7), the woman as an actively sadistic monster and the cinematic voyeuristic male gaze at the expense of female sexual objectification (Taylor in Jancovich and Hollows, 1995: 151). However, Alien cannot only be interpreted through the critical approach
Critically analyse the Representation of the American Dream in American Beauty and Rocky.
The University of Adelaide Politics, Power and Popular Culture Major Essay November 2009 Marius Zanin a1141224 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness' (The Declaration of Independence, 1776). Critically analyse the Representation of the American Dream in American Beauty and Rocky. The American Dream is 'that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement' (Adams 1931). 'It is a desire of people to be recognised by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position. It is to dream of opportunity and success, with the promise that regardless of ascription or background (race, class, gender) hard work and fair play will almost certainly lead to success' (Cao 2009). It definitely sounds appealing and therefore it's no surprise that the storyline of the American Dream plays a role in many popular Hollywood films. Some films, such as Rocky (1976) support the idea of the American Dream while others such as American Beauty (1999) criticise it. The American Dream began back in 1776, when the idea of freedom being a right and that tyranny could be successfully opposed was the
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?
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 Great Escape" is a war/ action film with spectacular stunts and special effects directed by John Sturges. It stars many famous actors: Steve McQueen, James Garnett and Richard Attenborough. It was made in 1963 and set in the 1940's in a German prisoner of war camp, where 250 men need to escape from to distract the enemy from fight the war. Around 12 RAF officers set out to tunnel their way out. "Chicken Run" (2000) is a children's comedy about chickens needing to escape from Mr. Tweedy's farm or else they will be put into pies. They need to learn how to fly in order to escape the dreaded pie-making machine. Chicken Run was directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park who have also co-directed Wallace and Gromit, another children's classic. The film stars Mel Gibson, Tony Haygarth and Miranda Richardson. Both films are very similar on general plot, they are both about "people" trying to escape wrongful imprisonment but keep getting caught whenever they attempt to escape. However, the plots differ extremely when you look at them in more detail. Chicken run is about chickens trying to escape a chicken farm because they would get eaten if they didn't. Great escape is about soldiers trying to escape from a camp because it is their
The Woman In White - plot and characters.
WILKIE COLLINS. PLOT AND CHARACTERS IN THE WOMAN IN WHITE A/ THE PLOT OF THE NOVEL a) A central intrigue of great simplicity By the middle of the Nineteenth Century, works of fiction tended to fulfil the taste of the British novel reader who liked to be amused or surprised. Collins, like Dickens, wrote for the common man and not for the literary critic. He wanted to gain the largest number of readers by writing a story of his own times. With this in mind, The Woman in White was written to fulfil the Mid-Victorian passion for crime and mystery. The preamble sets the genre of the novel. Witnesses are to present the truth in a case as it is generally done in a Court of Justice, "in its most direct and most intelligible aspect" (33). The crime of substituting one person for another, drawn from a French Lawsuit report, provided the basic threads from which the chief characters of the novel will be gradually revealed, that is a clever devil, Count Fosco; two innocent women, a man in debt, Sir Percival; a disinherited woman who seeks revenge, Mrs Fosco. A marked resemblance between Anne and Laura inspires the stratagem of substitution. To thwart this conspiracy, the pursuit and trapping of the culprits are carried through thanks to two characters: Laura's half-sister, Marian, personally affected by this act of villainy; and Walter Hartright, Laura's and Marian's drawing-master.
An analysis of the opening sequence of the film 'East is East' directed by Damien O'Donnell The film 'East is east' is based on an autobiographical screen play by Ayub Khan Din.
An analysis of the opening sequence of the film 'East is East' directed by Damien O'Donnell The film 'East is east' is based on an autobiographical screen play by Ayub Khan Din. It tells the story of a mixed race Asian family who live in a north of England town. The father, Mr. Khan, is intent on keeping the traditions of Pakistan, while his children oppose to following traditions such as arranged marriages to other Pakistani families. It shows the family's struggle to live ordinary British lives while the father pushes to bring Pakistani culture to his children. The principal themes running though out the story are racial intolerance, adolescents and their need for independence, and the problems of being caught between two different cultures. Though out this analysis I will focus on the key film language features of lighting, sound, camera and mise en scene. A successful opening to a film should introduce the area the film is to be set in, the main characters and something about them, and start building the atmosphere and mood of the film. It should do this by using the first camera shots to show the scene. Sound can be a very useful tool in creating atmosphere as is lighting. Showing close-ups of the main characters faces will introduce them to the audience and give them some information on the character's backgrounds and give first impressions of the film's themes.
Film Studies essay - Gladiator.
Film Studies essay - Gladiator Helen gammons 11 D An analysis of the opening frames of "Gladiator" exploring: * What is established? * What questions are raised ? *The film techniques used, and the effect of these. In the opening sequence to "Gladiator" the director uses clever techniques to stir emotions from the audience. In the background to the scenes that appear on screen there is eerie music used to give the film an uneasy atmosphere. The director has cleverly used the colours of smoke and fire in the opening title to subtly merge all the images together. Here the classic Dream works emblem has been adapted to blend into the frame. It is tinged with sepia colours to help the images fade from the logo into a misty foggy atmosphere. The director has felt it necessary that we know the background to the story, so blocks of text appear on the screen giving a brief historical outline to the story. All the while there is a sound bridge to let us know that these images are linked. The music playing is non-diagetic as it does not correspond with what we see on screen , however it is a parallel sound as it creates the right mood and helps to increase the tension. After these images there is a straight cut to a man walking through a field of barley. We merely see the man's head and his arm. His arm is dressed with a cuff and a ring, which seem to suggest that he is a Roman
