Paper 2; Silent Film Movements

"One Week"- Buster Keaton 1920

- Prefigure of Postmoderism as he already breaks conventions such as breaking the 4th wall (bathroom scene).

- The narrative of "one week" is based off of early adverts from the newspapers and in the narrative Keaton plays the "Everyman" as his persona.

Cinematography;

FRAMING: Close ups, wide shots and the circle frame. All of these shots reinforce the gags and jokes in the narrative.

LIGHTING; All lighting is natural and non-artificial, this makes the audience feel like the narrative is reality and relate to it more.

EDITING; Editing is only used when needed such as , to reinforce the humour in the jokes.

MISE-EN-SCENE; Contributes to the narrative and set pieces. Built and adapted props.

PERFORMACE; Body language , expression + movement and size.

TECHNIQUES;
- Stunts
- Use of mise-en-scene and physical objects
- Dead pa expression
-Layering of jokes
- Breaking the 4th Wall.

REPRESENTATIONS;
 -Marriage = Equal partnership
- Lower- Middle class aspirations
- The police are seen as figure of humour.

CONTEXTS;
- Silent comedy conventions
- Slapstick
-Post Modernism Techniques ( Breaking the fourth wall, intertextuality)

The sets in Buster Keaton’ shorts can function as characters. The house in One Week seems to take a life of its own. On Wednesday, the house takes on a cubist appearance, a visual gag that references the cubist movement, popular in the early 20th century and typified by objects and figures that appear abstract and fragmented.

Keaton was a visual director – he avoided title cards and focused instead on gesture and action. His comedy is rooted in his Vaudeville background (where he performed as a child), and gag-based slapstick comedy popular in the 1910s. Keaton’s trademark deadpan expression serves as a blank slate on which the audience can project emotions.

Props are an important element of Keaton’s films. Houses often feature secret doorways or specifically designed elements. The trick house in The High Sign with trap doors and escape mirrors exemplifies Keaton’s trademark ‘mechanical comedy’ – the use of traps enables the audience to guess what is going to happen, while Keaton’s deadpan responses and mastery of his stunts elicits surprise. The props in the kitchen sequence in The Scarecrow all have a duel function – the bookshelf is a refrigerator and the salt and pepper pots dangle from the celling.

"The Scarecrow" 1920's

REPRESNTATIONS;

- Dancing for herself rather than the pleasure of anyone else.
-Marriage is treated unseriously and is mocked.
- Lower class (The one room house)
-Women are perceived as independent ( first on the horse) Post WW1?

EDITING;
- Dog chase scene is heavily cut- difficult to work with animals but is also a convention to chase scenes.
- Second half of the film is more edited then the first.

PERFORMACE;
- Body language; the brother is clumsy but at the breakfast table, moves almost like a dance.
-Size; Brother in the car, portrayed as fat as the car topples over- shown through framing.

Keatons persona is the suitor.

CONTEXT;
- Vaudville theatre
-Modernist technogly

 Institutional

1. These films are four of 19 shorts produced for Buster Keaton Productions between 1920 and 1923. Film executive Joseph M. Schenck set up Buster Keaton Productions in 1919 and gave Keaton complete creative freedom in writing, directing and acting. The star system had become institutionalised by the 1920s, with Keaton one of the great silent comedians, alongside Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd. Each of these silent comedians had a distinct persona and style

Trainspotting Section C; Film progression exam revision

Trainspotting; Baby scene

- How are the elements of film form used to create aesthetics effect in this sequence?

Lighting;
The blue flood lights in the hallway are used to connote the aesthetic of the sequence by contrasting against the warm rooms at the end of the hall, the room that the drug use takes place.
Blue portrays the sombre tone of the next scene, where the baby is found dead but is also used to show the after effects of the drug use and the consequence.

Sound;
Before the audience even gets placed in the narrative, we hear a female screaming in distress.
This sets a horrible tone to the scene as the audience doesn't even know what is going to happen.
The female scream, overlaps with a babies cry, which is later explained in the narrative.
Renton's voice over, that is used through out the motion picture, tells the story of the distressing events that are about to take place and he even says that " Alison has been screaming for days",

Shots/ Editing:
The camera pans from the blue hued hallway to the warm drugs room, in a handheld tracking shot, which shows how fast paced the events seem but also portrays the high that the drugs are giving them. this contrast to Alisons lack of time keeping as she has later realised she has malnourished the baby to death and has left it to die in a dirty nappy and clothes. It then jump cuts to Sick Boy suddenly sitting up out of his own drug trance but then cuts back to the tracking shot of Alison screaming in the middle all the characters. We then see a montage of close-ups of the characters reaction.

Mise-en-scene;

At the beginning of the scene we see a brief look into the rooms in the flat, they are covered in peeling red paint and bricks crumbling from the walls. This shows how fast drugs can deaerate their life style and also shows that they aren't that bothered about it. Later on we see Renton laying on a dirty, broken mattress on the floor that has no bedding and yet again he isn't bothered about it. There is no wall sperating the kitchen and the "living" room and we briefly see that there is wires hanging out of the walls and the windows are boarded up with some sort of plastic. The clothes that the characters are wearing are old and scraggly which reflects their mental state throughout the film.

This Is England;


Mise-en

Silent Cinema

4 Short Buster Keaton shorts;

Silent Film;
 1890's - Approx 1930's
1927 was when the first film came out with sound.

Silent Comedy;

1910's-1930's

Aesthetics qualities and conventions

Representation

Buster Keaton;

Background
Persona
Techniques
Use Of Film Form

Social And Cultural Contexts;
Vaudeuville Theatre/ Audience Expectations
Technology and consumer culture
Social attitudes
Art and Culture references

1895- Lumiere ( Cinema of Attractions)
No Narrative, more about audience sensations. Normally Realist.

Soviet montage Theory
Expressive.

Ideologies ;
 Editing is deemed as manipulative towards the audience.

Narrative film making evokes ideological views

Silent comedy;
Physical/ visual comedy, often violent.
Occasional visual gags (Title Cards)
Chaplin Keaton could be perceived as early auteurs.

SCREENPLAY- COURSEWORK

EXT. Garden - DAY

As the film opens, we hear a non-deigtic music as the clouds are passing by through a time lapse of the sky. The clouds represent the passing of the time and how easily it is to ignore and forget this. The title appears "The Cassette".

INT. living room - DAY

The shot of the scribe board transitions from the title to the scrabble board. As Emma places the tiles on the board, her hand begins to tremble as the realisation hits that there is a subliminal pattern in the words. Shock takes over her face as the words betrayal and family intertwine. Her thoughts rushing through her brain like cars on the motorway as the puzzle connects like cogs in a clock. As her mum exits the room on a phone call, Emma's curiosity gets the better of her and she reaches for the last 6 tiles. Tile by tile the word "Arnold" spells out.

EMMA V.O

"Grandad's favourite author?"

INT. Living room - DAY

Warily standing up, Emma stumbles over to the white bookcase and drags her finger over the dust ridden edges. Leaving an indent in the dust behind her.She looks at her finger in disgust and then proceeds to glance up at the books in admiration. Using the same finger, she cresses the spines of the books, before coming to a stop when Arnold appears, rubbing off the dust , she pulls out the book. A violent buzz comes from the bulb in the centre of the room and her head turns in confusion. The light flickers and turns cold, she shivers as the temperature drops.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DUSK

With a cherishing touch, Emma opens up the front cover of the book to see the age stained pages. As her mind reminisces to memories of her grandfather, the screen dissolves to a black and white shot of her laying in bed, listening to her grandfather reading bedtime stories. The screen then jump-cuts to Emma day-dreaming into the book. Using the same dust covered finger, Emma continues to flick through the yellow pages of the book, until she comes across a mangled page. With confusion in her face, she inspects the book more until a creased note falls onto the floor and the camera follows it to the floor.

INSERT - The Note

" Within this book lies,

The clues to all of the family ties,

To all the secrets we hide,

And how the past has died.

In the loft you will find,

That our family secrets are one of a kind."

INT. LIVING ROOM- DUSK

Emma V.O

"What does this mean?"

Genre Theory

Genre Theory

A film genre is a motion picture category based on similarities in either the emotional response to the film (namely, tragic, comic, etc.) or the narrative elements. Most theories of film genre are borrowed from the literary world. The basic genres include fiction and documentary, from which subgenres have emerged, such as docudrama. Other subgenres include the courtroom and trial-focused drama known as the legal drama. Types of fiction which may seem unrelated can also be combined to form hybrid subgenres, such as the melding of horror and comedy such as in the Shaun of the Dead. Other popular combinations are the romantic comedy and the action comedy film.

Steve Neale’s theory of Repetition and Difference. Steve Neale states that genres all contain instances of repetition and difference, difference is essential to the to the economy of the genre.
Neale states that the film and it’s genre is defined by two things:
How much is conforms to its genre’s individual conventions and stereotypes. A film must match the genre’s conventions to be identified as part of that genre.
How much a film subverts the genre’s conventions and stereotypes. The film must subvert convention enough to be considered unique and not just a clone of an existing film.

Neale states that Hollywood’s generic regime performs two functions:
To guarantee pleasure and meaning for the audience.
Popular cinema relies on audiences finding pleasure in difference and repetition i.e. recognition of familiar elements and the way those elements are linked in an unfamiliar way or the way that unfamiliar elements might be introduced.

Genre is constituted by specific systems of expectations and hypothesis which spectators bring with them to the cinema and which and which interact with the films themselves during the course of the viewing process.

Moral Panic - Cohen 1972

Moral Panic ; Cohen 1972

Moral Panic occurs when someone or something is defined by the media as a threat to the values or interests of society.

The key moral panic theorist is Stanley Cohen. Cohen suggested in his 1972 book ‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics’ that a moral panic occurs when “condition, episode, person or group of people emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests”.

Stanley Cohen believes the media play an important role in enforcing moral panic, even by just reporting the news.

In Cohen’s view the media overreact or sensationalise aspects of behaviour which challenge social norms. The media’s representation therefore then helps to define it, which can then lead to outsiders adopting and observing the behaviour based on the model they see in the media. The moral panic depicted by the media fuels further unacceptable behaviour.
I
n extreme cases moral panic creates mass hysteria within society. The general public start to believe whatever is being reported on is occurring everywhere in society.

Cohen defined his five stages of moral panic as:

1. Something or someone is defined as a threat to values or interests

2. This threat is depicted in an easily recognisable form by the media

3. There is a rapid build-up of public concern

4. There is a response from authorities or opinion makers

5. The panic recedes or results in social changes

Cultivation Theory

Cultivation Theory

Cultivation theory suggests that repeated exposure to television over time can subtly ‘cultivates’ viewers’ perceptions of reality. George Gerbner and Larry Gross theorised that TV is a medium of the socialisation of most people into standardised roles and behaviours.

Cultivation Theory suggests Television influences its audience to the extent that their world view and perceptions start reflecting what they repeatedly see meaning TV is considered to contribute independently to the way people perceive social reality and will have an effect on the audience’s attitudes and values. Long term exposure to violent media makes the audience less likely to be shocked by violence. Being less shocked by violence the audience may then be more likely to behave violently.

 

 

Trainspotting Overdose scene 2 extended

Overdose/Withdrawl Scene

The scene begins with Renton sitting crossed legged in the middle of the desolate drug den, the vivid red colouring of the walls being an indicator for danger. The conversation between Renton and ‘Mother Superior’ seems to be one which jokingly mocks the use of heroin, as if it’s a normality, by roleplaying a restaurant scene. The heroin intake is filmed in such an intimate way throughout the scene that it makes it quite hard to watch. The lack of audio, save from the highly emphasised sound effects of the needle, makes it even more intense. To see the drug taking in such an extreme close up gives the audience a chance to decipher their own ideologies about drug intake. It also highlights this one specific scene from the rest for it is so different to the others. 

We then see how this is different when Renton falls back onto the ground, sinking into the floor as if he is in a coffin, the red carpet acting as a lining. The point of view shot from Renton shows the reaction of ‘Mother Superior’, who seems unfazed showing the commonness of overdosing. When being dragged the point of view shots from Renton still give the effect of him being trapped due to the lining being around the screen. The quick paced shots of travel to the hospital, by taxi cab to show the  lack of care and hiddenness, reflected the drama of the scene, yet the facial expression’s of everyone around showed the normality of the situation. 

Renton’s withdrawal scene is one of the most weird scenes of the films, which delves into the fantastical and reflects the aftermath of drug addiction. He is locked in his childhood bedroom, shown by the train wallpaper which is quite ill looking on the walls as the room elongates to show the distance between Renton and the outside world. There are many things in this moment which reflect moments of the film which has happened, and are finally having an impact on Renton for example the baby crawling on the ceiling and Diane in her school uniform. There is also Begbie who acts as a conscience of Renton, as the camera follows him going under the covers we see Begbie and he speaks of how he’ll fight Renton if he steps out of line. This moment also foreshadows the fate of Tommy. We see his shadow first, and then he drags himself against the wall from the left side of the screen to reveal his violently ill and drugged face. The clothes which he wears are the ones which we later see him in when Renton finds out that Tommy is ill

Trainspotting; Club and Sex Scene

Club/Sex Scene

This scene begins with a wide shot of a nightclub setting, with strobe lighting which sets the period of the 80s/90s, and shows a young couple making out in the center of the shot. This then cuts to follow the main characters, most separated with various unknown girls, for example Begbie over-exaggeratedly making gestures to impress a woman and Sick Boy being intimate with a girl. These contrast to the shot of Renton who is awkwardly dancing along to 'Temptation' by  Heaven 17.  His clothing really reflects the period, especially the yellow patterned crop top with the shaved head. His surroundings show him to be amongst other socially awkward men (could be the rejects), which  might make it quite humourous. These men wear various common day outfits, such as a jacket, shirt and tie. 

To add to the comedy genre, in big subtitles at the bottom the conversation between Spud and Tommy are translated, since they're shouting over blaring music (which adds to the realism), even the font is in an upbeat style. The camera slowly pans into their conversation from a distance, showing the 'Clockwork Orange' references along the walls, relating to the current media and similarities. The conversation topics of their relationships and sex, known common topics between friends, is shown through humour. The closeness of the camera adds an inclusive feel to the conversation, yet enables us to still see the main interior between them. As they're discussing, fast paced editing cuts to their girlfriends talking about the same thing, continuing the conversation, which adds a comedic effect, for example the horrified tonality in which Tommy says 'useless mother******'. When the girls arrive, the low angle shows their dominance when they say 'what're you two talkin about?'. The quick movements and in-time speech adds humour due to the dramatic irony and relatableness.

When Renton first sees Diane, the music instantly changes to 'Atomic' by Sleeper. This give the idea of an intense love -at-first sight motif which Renton feels. Diane is in solitude, highlighted by a spotlight, with an outfit that makes her stand out from the rest. With slicked hair, short glittery dress she looks very classy for a nightclub and a complete contrast. The rotated shot of Renton acts as if it's in slow motion and gives us time to focus on his facial expressions. This is then followed by outside shots of Renton going after Diane, involving a teasing monologue which she says to confuse him. 

The scene that follows is one of quick paced editing which reflects the emotional peak of their night. It involves three different sex scenes all happening at the same time, two of which resulting in major consequences to the narrative. The non-diegetic music with a heavy involvement of a drum beat creates an intense tonality to it, creating an atmosphere. The three couples act very differently within each scene, the main one being Diane being dominant and professional about it (and her being on top (which makes the plot twist even funnier)). Whereas Spud, who previously said he hasn’t had sex in weeks, has gotten so drunk he’s fallen asleep and Tommy has mistakenly put in the wrong VHS tape (one which Renton stole and swapped). These scenes display the shift in the film, especially for Tommy. 

Trainspotting Notes : Tommy's Fate and Rentons betrayal

Tommy's fate:

The funeral of Tommy's begins with a sharp cut of a two-person shot, to show the intimate conversation in the funeral (as a symbol of respect of something they should not be doing) and is behind the characters to involve the audience in their conversation. When talking about Lizzy, who the audience knows that Tommy had an unhappy end with, the camera pulls out, however Lizzy is out of focus, showing how Renton could see her. By narrating how Tommy came to an end, the camera cuts as if to flashbacks, however these are purely scenic shots to reflect an ambiance. The camera follows side-ways with the kitten, stopping at the moment when Tommy's photo is in the center of the screen.This photo contrasts to the surrounding greyness of the walls, it focuses on bright colours and reflects when Tommy was healthy and alive. The more they continue to talk once the funeral service has happened, Begbie sharply turns in front of them in attempt to silence them. The fact that it's his character is ironic and makes it threatening, showing the seriousness of the situation. 

With a shot of the kitten, the camera pans out of this flashback to reveal slowly the dirtiness of Tommy's apartment. The Iggy Pop posters hangs torn on the desolate wall and the football sits alone, which reflects the destruction of Tommy's life. Whilst Renton is being told of the details of Tommy's death, the camera continues panning out to show the legs of Tommy facing down, creating a distance between Tommy and the narrative. To contrast to this significantly dark moment, the friend says 'the kitten's fine' which adds humour and tones down the horror of the moment. 



Renton's betrayal:

To begin the finale scene, atmospheric intro of 'music plays, showing the shift in mood and his decision being made clear due to the previous violent pub scene. The ceiling shot shows the positions of each characters, and could link to their personalities and statuses within the group, for example Begbie on the bed curled up with the bag of money. A close-up of a side view of Renton shows him biting his nails, which is a sign of nervousness. There is an over-the-shoulder shot of Renton looking in the mirror which shows him questioning his choices and a change in characterisation. The light above the mirror makes it feel personal to Renton, focusing entirely on him. The tensity of Renton trying to get the bag off of Begbie, due to Begbie's violent tendances, creates suspense for the audience however with the music, it is aware to the audience that this won't go wrong. 

The unspoken conversation between Renton and Spud shows the closeness between them, the pleading facial expression of Spud showing that they both know what the outcome will be. Renton claims that it's 'not a big deal' to convince himself of his rights, then knowing that he 'ripped off my so-called mates'. The sideways shot of Renton walking could show the difference in opinions between him and the usual normality of the others. Contrasting to an earlier straight on shot from inside the locker, this shot shows the camera from the right side, showing a continuation in mirrors and reflecting the future. Whilst placing the money in there, he says 'I felt sorry for Spud', referencing the future of Spud's grateful face after the end titles. Begbie's anger is one which the audience expects but makes them fearful for Renton. His final monologue, with the involvement of the audience - 'I'm going to be like you', is a parallel to the beginning speech, being a final conclusion to the film and yet being open-ended. 

Trainspotting; Opening scene.

Cinematography

 

 

 Close ups are used to draw attention to what happens, letting the audience know what the key ideas and ideologies of the film is. For instance, when Renton takes a hit, he falls on the floor, it then cuts to a close up of his head on the ground, enshrouded in shadows.

 There is a lot of 'dynamic' movement, that has been stabilised, this creates a surreal feeling within the audience, much like drugs would do. Such as when the camera pans from Renton's head, around to the other side of is body.

 The camera doesn't stop moving, until drugs are involved. This signifies that drugs are to be taken carefully and respected by them, as they take more time with them than other activities, such as football.

 

 

 

Editing-

 

Freeze framing is used when introducing the characters, with a title name appearing. This allows the audience to know who the characters are from the very beginning, and also that they are who they need to pay attention to.

 The characters are represented and foreshadowed during the opening sequence, as to how they will act later on. Tommy is trapped in a corner looking for a way out, in the football match, he later is the one who needs help and no one gives it to him. Sick boy trips someone up and the gets angry, much like how he blames what he does on others... etc.

 There is a very quick pace, especially at the beginning, there is no establishing shot, instead it begins with a  close up of Renton running and a quick cuts. 

 The editing also goes back and forward in time... Renton takes a drug, then it cuts to football, then Renton gets kicked in the head by a football and starts falling, it then cuts to him falling after taking a drug, and continues to cut between the two.

 

 

 

Sound

 

The song "Just for life" by Iggy Pop, is a very upbeat song, and this is what the film begins with. However, Iggy Pop was also a very big heroine addict, so the song still has a sense of darkness and reliability to the film. 

 The use of Renton's voice over is also helpful for the audience, as it gives a background to the characters and story, it also introduces Renton as the protagonist.

 

Mise-en-Scène-

 

The lighting is very high key, there is very little shots that a dark, especially when drugs are being used. Combined with a lot of colour within the flat when taking drugs, mostly reds and greens. However, this is also mixed with a lot of normal light colour and other smaller colours. Yet the bedsits are grotty, in contrast with the rest of the, otherwise, clean feel and happy lighting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dracula End Scene

Overview;

 Stoker’s Dracula was filmed and produce in 1992 by Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the infamous vampire novel Dracula in the 1890s.

The film stars Gary Oldman as Dracula throughout the film, the hero Harker is played by Keanu Reeves. Winona Ryder play two parts of the film, one is the wife of Dracula the opening sequence and later plays the fiancée of Harker reincarnated.

 Anthony Hopkins play the priest of the Christian church of the opening sequence and also does the voice-over for the film.

Plot;

The film starts out in 1462 where Muslim Turks try to invade Transylvania with a massive army.                                 

After the title has faded it is 1892 London, Renfield is shown in a mental institute talking to himself about being rewarded by some dark force. He then eats a cockroach and thanks someone.

Jonathon Harker is shown talking his employer about organising a property buyer in Transylvania named Dracula who wish to buy a property in London. Harker asks his employer about what happened to Renfield in Transylvania who also was trying to organise a property for Dracula. The employer replies with family problems.

Mina, Harker’s fiancée talks to Harker about getting before Harker’s to Transylvania. But Harker suggests they would marry after his business trip.

Representation;

Dracula – When you see Dracula in the film he is clad in red armour that is shaped like human muscles and tendons, holding a sword in an aggressive pose.

Elizabeta – As you see Elizabeta with Dracula she has long flowing curly hair with a tiara in it and wears on white bodice on her dress. This shows innocence and also shows her as a victim a crime of some sort. Her voice is soft gentle and high pitched. After committing suicide the dress she wore is dark and gothic now looking damned.

Under The Skin; Homework Good vs Bad

Under The Skin;What Makes A Good Human?

Good Human:

• Compassionate
• Hard -Working
• Ethical 
• Empathy 
• Forgiving
• Easily approachable
• Good with people

Bad Human;

• Not compassionate 
• Doesn't follow the rules
• Lacks of understanding of Right vs Wrong
• Creates a bad atmosphere
• Lacks Empathy 

We need to talk about Kevin Notes

• The uses of flashbacks and parellism in the structure of the film can be usefully explored. The film begins in the aftermath of the massacre, then flashes back to the events leading up to the massacre ( including flashbacks to the beginnings of Franklin and Eva’s relationship). The complex inter-realtionship of the narrative timelines culminates in the massacre itself and then flashes forward to the meeting between Eva and Kevin one year after the killing . 
• The effects of this complex structuring of time in the plot can be usefully explored by considering the opportunities it affords the storyteller for showing parallels between characters and event, and in raising question about cause and effect.
• How exposition of the narrative occurs in the film can be an intresting source of inquiry. We are presented with fractured elements of a story at the beginning that 

We Need To Talk About Kevin; Family Death Scene

Scene 1:
Family death scene (Flashback)

The death of of Eva's family is a prime example to show how flash backs are used to portray the feelings and also potentially provide a red herring or foresee the future. This scene starts with a long, slow pan up to the curtains, with non-diegetic sounds, such as scratchy violins. The noises used are to put the audience on edge, as they are commonly signified within horror films. Just before reaching the curtains, the screen becomes heavily over exposed, again, another convention for flashbacks. This creates parallelism, as the flashback goes back to something at the beginning of the film, a large food fight. However,  the colour of the tomatoes and food is red. The meanings love and danger can be denoted from the colour red, both of which are relevant with what the audience is about to see; making this flashback a foreshadow, as subsequently, Kevin has killed the other people that Eva loves within her family.

The demographic isn't subconsciously aware of what the flashbacks offer in terms of understanding the narrative, as well as the importance of them. As i mentioned, the narrative allows the audience to work out what is about to happen. However, this is not always the case, as sometimes the flashbacks offer a red herring, leading the audience in a different direction. The audience later feels gratified... in a horrific way, as they now see the curtains again, but rather than stopping at that, it cuts to still medium  shots of Eva's family with arrows in them. The diegetic water sprinklers now replace the violins, and speed up once the audience sees the deceased characters. This effect speeds. up the heart rate, making the audience feel even more tension, emphasising the importance as to what they have just witnessed.

The film does not work in a chronological order. The scene the I have chosen is a prime example, as it conveys how Eva is in between the two time spans. The protagonist has now developed and is living in a new, small home. There is a flash forward to the death scene, but then a flashback, to before the time at which she is in now. Yet the more the audience watches, the more they are able to place bits of this fractured narrative together, to create a, some what, chronological narrative.


The use of flashbacks and parallelism in the structure of the film can be usefully explored. The film begins in the aftermath of the massacre, then flashes back to the events leading up to it (including flashbacks to the beginnings of Franklin and Eva’s relationship). The complex inter-relationship of narrative timelines culminates in the massacre itself and then flashes forward to the meeting between Eva and Kevin one year after the killings. The effects of this complex structuring of time in the plot can be usefully explored by considering the opportunities it affords the storyteller for showing parallels between characters and events, and in raising questions about cause and effect.


> How exposition of the narrative occurs in the film can be an interesting source of inquiry. We are presented with fractured elements of a story at the beginning that we have to piece together with little indication of how to organise these into a chronological framework of time and space. The difficulty of doing this is compounded by the fact that there is a lack of expositional dialogue and conventional establish of narrative setting. The first three scenes are the net curtains blowing in the wind, the tomato festival and Eva waking up which all occur in very different places and times (which we discover later) but how we can organise these scenes into a story is restricted from us until much later in the film.


> Eva’s and Kevin’s characters provide many sources for inquiry, particularly in their position within the narrative. The questions about who is the film’s protagonist and antagonist, who is the ‘centre’ or initiator of the drama and how we are supposed to respond to the characters is complex and ambiguous at times. This complexity of character identification and function within the narrative is further complicated by the use of mirroring. The characters are made to look like each other and often display very similar expressions and body language… frequent graphic matches force a further comparison which suggests characters that are connected in more ways than simply a mother-son relationship.

How useful has an ideological approach been in understanding binary oppostions in the narrative of Trainspotting?

How useful has an ideological approach been in understanding binary oppostions in the narrative of Trainspotting?


Binary oppositions often create conflict, which drives the narrative. The films I have studied use a wide range of oppositions that reflect internal dilemmas and external forces that represent ideological values that pull the protagonists and their worlds in different directions, creating the drive and drama of the films and fuel the demographics desire for resolution.

The primary binary opposite I would like to discuss is the betrayal vs friendship opposition that creates a sense of mistrust and fear within the characters as well as the narrative and questions the demographics morals and everyday ideological views.

In the penultimate sequence we see the binary opposite visualised in the moment where Renton embezzles the money and flees from his so call "Friends". The scene is shot from a long shot of Renton walking across a bridge in London, the protagonist  then makes direct address to the camera and smirks as he makes the realisation that he has gotten away with the task. Renton symbolises right-winged Thatcherism showing the selfishness of politics and London in the 1980's where as his friends symbolise the 1970's where Margret Thatcher was in power and they also convey the sense of not being selfish.

Through-out the film, Renton's voice over is deemed convincing to the audience in adjacent with non-diegetic "Brit-Pop" soundtrack it offers us (the demographic) an energetic youthful and immersive hyper-reality. The aesthetic of addiction is used from the outset of the motion picture to explore this binary opposition, later in the sequence the visuals show us the contrast; At the opium den. The mis-en-scene of the location is dingy and sickly green , the camera pans along the floor from the perspective of Sick Boy's baby showing us that their world is revolting and dangerous and therefore their ideology is less desirable then ours.

Another binary opposition I would like to explore is that of 1980's vs. 1990's. The demographic see the 1980's through the character lens of Renton and the group however, we see 1990's through the character lens of Diane , a school girl from Leith. From the moment we meet Diane on screen she asserts her dominance through her confident demeanour. When Renton meets Diane the audience automatically realise that she has the control in the convosation. This can be interpreted as the 1980's (Renton) being pushed and controlled by the 1990's (Diane) showing how society is moving on from the 80's. We see this when Diane lectures Renton on how "Life is moving on. You can't sit in your flat all day smoking pot. The world is moving on, everything is changing. Drugs are changing. Clubs are changing. People are changing. You have to move with the times or be forgotten about.". This shows how Renton knew he had to change or he would be stuck in a pit of the 1980's and stay the heroin junkie he is perceived to be throughout the film.

An additional binary opposite I would like to discuss is that of group vs. the individual, this leads the demographic to reflect on political ideologies, the individual representing a capitalist idea and the group portrayed as a socialist idea. Renton is portrayed as an alienated individual throughout Trainspotting. We are shown this through the camera as he is shot apart from the rest of the group. In the opening scene he lies in a corpse like and unconscious manner in another room from the others, this shows the physical barriers between him and the rest of the group. In my opinion, this could be used to imply that he is not the same type of addict as the rest of the group but rather he is less of a threat to society and himself. This allows us, the audience, to sympathise and emote with him more than the other characters. However, this could be argued that if the audience saw the story through perhaps Spud or Sick Boy's point of view, would we as the audience align ourselves with Renton. Would we sympathise with him or rather have an oppositional reading to him? Renton betrays his friends ( as previously stated in the first paragraph) which reinforces that a strong willed , possibly even a capitalist individual is more powerful then a group of socialists.

A male vs. female binary opposite is not at the forefront of the films messages or ideologies however plays a massive part in the subliminal messages through out the film. In the motion picture, the narrative is delivered to us through Renton's point of view, a male voice and a male story. Women are seen as "extras" in the film and do not play a huge role narratively. This is shown in the opening scene the camera lingers on Alison (the only female addict) as Renton describes the feeling of Heroin as orgasmic. We can also tell that female characters do not play a massive part in the narrative as the camera has a different style of movement and cuts away from their reactions much quicker. We can also link the ideology of group vs. individual to Alison as when baby Dawn  dies , Renton doesn't show the same amount of empathy as the rest of the male group does.

To conclude, binary oppositions have shown the audience through the narrative that without them, there would be no conflicts to be resolved and no narrative journey. Binary oppositions allow the screen writer and director to put hegemonic and counter beliefs against each other and explore the messages and power of opposing ideas.

How Useful Is An Ideological Critical Approach Been In Understanding The Narrative Resolution?

How Useful Is An Ideological Critical Approach Been In   Understanding The Narrative Resolution?

This is England (Shane Meadows 2006), is the story of a gang of British teenagers and their endeavours over the course of the summer holidays. The narrative is centred on young skin heads in the 1980's, specifically twelve-year-old Shawn, a lonely and isolated boy growing up in a grim, costal town after his father died in the Falkland's war.

Over the course of the holidays, he finds comfort in his new-found friends where he discovers a world of parties, drugs, love and racism. Shawn meets Combo, an older, racist skinhead who has recently been released from prison. As the targeted demographic, we begin to see the films ideology through the character lens of Combo and his actions. One of the primary scenes we see of Combo is him harassing the towns ethnic minorities which therefore illustrates a nationalist image of Combo to the audience. We again recognise this in the scene where Combo gifts Shawn with a Union Jack. This scene intertwines with another ideology that runs through the film; "masculinity"

Trainspotting; Overdose scene 1

Trainspotting; Overdose Scene

At the outset of the scene, we see Mark Renton pounce into the low shot of the bedsit. The audience automatically makes the assumption that Renton has reverted back to his "old" drug abusing self. Renton and Swanney ( the supplier of Heroin), make the exchanging of drugs seem a comical and restaurant like through the use of the dialogue.

The scene then moves on to Renton passed out on the floor, when Swanney then says "Sir, would you like me to call a taxi.", this is a continuation of the inside restaurant joke which actually means "Should I call an ambulance ?". The camera quickly shifts to a longshot of an ambulance which the demographic actually assumes is for Renton but ironically the ambulance drives past Renton in the middle of the road.

Throughout the scene, the non-diegetic music which is playing is written and sung by a Heroin addict and the lyrics is a metaphor for overdosing and death via drugs. The overdose does not come to a shock to the nurses & doctors at the hospital but implies that it is a second nature to them. In the 1980's Heroin and drug abuse was not uncommon, we see this in how supportive Renton's parents are after the over dose and during the detox. 



Maggie Thatcher Information

Information On Margret Thatcher

School Milk Controversy;

The Conservative government had to find substantial cuts to meet election pledges on tax.Removing free school milk for the over seven’s became the most notorious saving introduced.Edward Short, then Labour education spokesman said scrapping milk was ‘the meanest and most unworthy thing’ he had seen in 20 years.It earned Mrs Thatcher the nickname, Milk Snatcher, and haunted her throughout her career. In 1985 she was refused an honorary degree from Oxford University because of her education cuts.After the war under Clement Attlee the 1946 Free Milk Act was passed providing `one third of a pint to all children

under the age of 18.Previous research had linked poor nutrition, low income and underachievement.

Unions;

 

Margaret Thatcher's governments weakened the powers of the unions in the 1980s, in particular by making it more difficult to strike legally, and some within the British trades union movement criticised Tony Blair's Labour government for not reversing some of Thatcher's changes

 

Miners;

 

Margaret Thatcher, like her predecessor governments, closed coal mines because they were uneconomic tax guzzlers and the unions were preventing the opening up of new energy sources which could benefit the British people and the economy.In early 1984, the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher announced plans to close 20 coal pits which led to the year-long miners' strike which ended in March 1985.In 1964, 545 mines where open, but Labour governments shut down 326 of them, more than half. When Thatcher took over, the pace of closures actually slowed, with only 6 closing in her first year as Prime Minister.