Component 1 Section C British films

James Bond
Bridged jones diary
Dr. no
Star wars
indiana jones
Harry potter
sherlock holmes


Films or movies produced, directed or filmed anywhere in the uk or directed by a person from the Uk. The story must be based in the uk or a large part of the filming taking place in the Uk


Fish Tank
Hand-held camera
Documentary feel
establishing shot
Blue colour palette
All the sound is diegetic
Lack of artifice
documentary
social realism

Levi-strauss' Binary opposition

narrative tension is based on opposition or conflict. This can be as simple as two characters fighting, but more often functions at an idealogical level.

theorised that since all cultures

Conflict in screenwriting

At the very core of every piece of film or television their is a conflict

Propp's theory

8 character types
- Villain - Conor
- Helper - Tyler
- Princess or prize - Billie
- Her father - Joanne
- doner - Conor
- Hero - Mia
- False hero - Conor
- Dispatcher - Val


Todorov theory
1) Equilibrium
2)Disruption of equilibrium by an event
3)A realisation that the disruption has happened
4)An attempt to repair the damage or disruption
5)A restoration of equilibrium

Action codes - what will happen next
she falls over - will he catch her?
She has been caught - what will he do with her

Enigma codes - The audience questions why
why is there a shoe on the floor


The three act structure

Act 1) Setup
Act 2) Confrontation
Act 3) Resoloution

the Oedipal trajectory:

Sigmund freud's = Oedipal complex 

jacques Lacan's = Mirror stage 

oedipal trejectory - Males - summary 

- a male child will love his mother 

- then feel disconnected 

- and will want to have sex with her to connect with her 

- he then these his father 

- and finds a mate which looks like his mother 

Female version 

- The mother is a first love of the child 

- she then has penis envy and then hates her mother 

- and tries to have sex with her father as she turns to her to provide it 

- she must conform other wise she will be punished 

- they eventually come to their senses 

Scopophilia - enjoying seeing people having sex or naked 

Phantasmagorical - dream like 

Suture - A medical term which means stitching up

One application is shot reverse shot

The series of shots establishing the view point of two characters allowing the spectator to adopt the first one and then another position

Thus the spectator makes sense of off screen space and becomes stitched into the film

“the spectator is sutured into the diegesis of the film”


Mia and Conor sex scene 

use of suture / shot reverse shot 
over the shoulder shot of mia to conor 
shot reverse shot of her and conor's conversation showing it from her perspective but instead it gives the audience a sense of realism as though they are fully emerged into the film 

use of props 


use of lighting 


Oedipal trajectory 
Mia seeing her parents having a sexual encounter 


Hyper naturalistic lighting 


Feminism is the critical approach 

absents of father figure 

Opedipal trajectory 

Phallic object - way he holds the bottle and how he holds the can 

phantasmagorical - the lighting and her dancing - dream like 

Suture - stitching in by the viewpoint of the camera over the shoulder - shot reverse shot 

Shot/reverse 

Male gaze 

socopophilia  - enjoying watching her 

old and young 

men and woman 


Sutre/ shot/reverse shot character alignment

how useful has an ideological approach been in understanding binary oppositions in your chosen films ?

The ideological approach in understanding binary oppositions is presented by the shot reverse shot which sutures the spectator into the diegesis of the filmic text. The camera angles of the shot reverse shot aligns the spectator with Mia. This is done through the over the shoulder shot showing Mia but also her point of view which is Conor sitting sprawled out on the couch. Arnold wants us to align with Mia as she wants to give the audience a better understanding of the hardships Mia has suffered as though she has been forgotten by the government. Arnold wants us to look past that and have a  deeper understanding to how Mia is still a person who suffers at the hands of society. Which uses her experiences that we see from her perspective such as Conor raping her to give an understanding of what happens in these areas.




The Midpoint twist of act 2 has many different features.

The ideological approach in understanding binary oppositions is presented by the shot reverse shot which sutures the spectator into the diegesis of the filmic text. The camera angles of the shot reverse shot aligns the spectator with Mia. This is done through the over the shoulder shot showing Mia but also her point of view which is Conor sitting sprawled out on the couch. Arnold wants us to align with Mia as she wants to give the audience a better understanding of the hardships Mia has suffered as though she has been forgotten by the government. Arnold wants us to look past that and have a  deeper understanding to how Mia is still a person who suffers at the hands of society. Which uses her experiences that we see from her perspective such as Conor raping her to give an understanding of what happens in these areas.

when the scene begins, mia sees Connor and her mother partake in sexual activity however Connor looks after and protects Joanne by putting her to bed, in terms of the oedipal trajectory mia seems to be seeking a paternal figure, identifying herself with her mother. However, there is binary opposition within mia around the way she feels about Connor, specifically she doesn't know whether she wants him as a sexual partner or a father figure. the sexual nature of the scene is heightened by the set designers use of phallic objects, for example, the vodka bottle Connor places on his lap. 

The scene in which mia and Conor have sex is placed within the midpoint twist of act 2. The feminist ideological approach in understanding binary oppositions.This is presented by the shot reverse shot which sutures the spectator into the diegesis of the filmic text. The camera angles of the shot reverse shot aligns the spectator with Mia. This is done through the over the shoulder shot showing Mia but also her point of view which is Conor sitting sprawled out on the couch. Arnold wants us to align with Mia as she wants to give the audience a better understanding of the hardships Mia has suffered as though she has been forgotten by the government. Arnold wants us to look past that and have a  deeper understanding to how Mia is still a person who suffers at the hands of society. Which uses her experiences that we see from her perspective such as Conor raping her to give an understanding of what happens in these areas.



25 
There is a tiger on the back of the door to show how he is a predator

Benji + sapphire 

Ben + Xander

one of the inciting incidents in the set up stage of act one is when Conor puts Mia to bed. This is a key scene in the film as it demonstrates the main themes of feminism and clearly shows the binary opposition of Conor as a father figure but also a sexual partner. The use of the binary oppositions of Conor to Mia is portrayed through the camerawork. An example of this is throughout the scene the camera focuses on Mia's hands and feet, foreshadowing the sex scene later in the film. Mia is a passive object in this scene, not only emotionally but physically. She is also passive as she has nowhere else to go, is stuck in the cycle of poverty as will here children be. She is passive as she has no way out of that especially as she is a woman. where as Conor can easily escape this as he is a male. But also because he is financially stable.


The scene in which mia and Conor have sex is placed within the midpoint twist of act 2. The feminist ideological approach in understanding binary oppositions.This is presented by the shot reverse shot which sutures the spectator into the diegesis of the filmic text. The camera angles of the shot reverse shot aligns the spectator with Mia. This is done through the over the shoulder shot showing Mia but also her point of view which is Conor sitting sprawled out on the couch. Arnold wants us to align with Mia as she wants to give the audience a better understanding of the hardships Mia has suffered as though she has been forgotten by the government. Arnold wants us to look past that and have a  deeper understanding to how Mia is still a person who suffers at the hands of society. Which uses her experiences that we see from her perspective such as Conor raping her to give an understanding of what happens in these areas.



Conor putting Mia to bed scene in this scene the feminist idealisms are shown through the colour palette in the scene the colours mainly used are red and orange, Arnold does this to signify danger through the character of Conor. Binary opposition is used


We need to talk about Kevin

Propp 8
-Hero
-doner
-villain
-false hero - Collin
-Princess dad
- dispatcher
-princess/ prize
- helper

Cinematography - lychee scene 

Storyline is chronological order 
Plot is the story we follow 

If we need to talk about Kevin was seen as a storyline in chronological order the scene where he hates the lychee will be seen as a climax of act 2

Wide shot with a deep depth of field camera is standing still 

In the scene from he hospital to the prison there is always two people in the shot . franklin and then a prison guard who are both metaphors for her being held down and unable to leave stuck in that life. 

There is a wide shot showing all 3 people eating in the shot 
then a medium close up of each person

extreme close up of the lychee 
natural lighting 
over saturated red 
unreliable narrator 

Mise-en-scene 
- The scene starts with a inverted reflection of Kevin on the table representing the two sides of Kevin  
- There is an emphasis on the clean white napkin demonstrating how he is very clean and organised 
- He picks up the lychee and stares straight at eva showing how he is trying to hurt her 
- Eating the lychee and letting the juice go everywhere makes the spectator feel very uncomfortable 
- T-shirt with red spots show blood
- House is a cold setting there is no warmth


- unreliable narrator
- two storylines
- non-linear narrative

Editing

- very long cuts
- graphic matching - second shot is without Franklin but there's still a security officer (metaphor for Franklin guarding Eva's life)
- slow-motion when he's peeling the lychee
- jump-cut when he's peeling the lychee

Performance

- both Eva and Franklin's facial expressions are matching
- non-verbal communication throughout the scene
- when Eva speaks, she has a cracked voice about Kevin
- Eva looks to the floor when talking to Kevin
- body language - Eva and Franklin's hands under the table
- when Kevin eats the lychee he looks at Eva

Point 

Example 

Analysis with binary opposites 

Spectator response 

Feminism 

How has an ideological critical approach given you a deeper understanding of binary opposites in the narrative of your chosen films? 

In the scene in which Eva tries to bond with the infant Kevin by rolling the ball to him, we see Kevin and Eva presented through the binary opposition of mother Vs child. Both characters are mirrored in the way they are sitting initially they are positioned in a medium close up over the shoulder shot reverse shot, before a cutaway revealed them to be in medium shot in opposing stances. Kevin 'taunts' Eva by copying her facial expressions and actions. In terms of mine-en-scene, the apartment is decorated neutrally, with african face masks hanging on the walls, presumably from Eva's travels and therefore represented of her personality. This mirroring and opposition suggests not only that of Mother Vs Child but also Maternal Vs freedom. There is a strong sense through the film that by conceiving Kevin, Eva has essentially lost her liberty; she is an unwilling mother. The shot reverse shot makes both characters seem intimate, but the cutaway shot reverse shot reinforces the idea of separateness; the idea. From a feminist ideological approach, Eva exists in a patriarchal society whereby the woman's role is to stay at home and care for her child even though professionally, she is the more successful than Franklin. Previously, she has gone against the patriarchal ideals by being the main breadwinner; however, now she is confined to the house and raising a child she never wanted. Aside from suffering from postnatal depression, she seems to have had Kevin only because society deemed it necessary. In terms of spectator response, we are encouraged to align with Eva because it's her story. Therefore, due to being an unreliable narrator, she represents Kevin as innately emotionless and predestined to become a killer. However an active spectator might take issue with this and find that the fault lies with her. 

Point 

Example 

Analysis with binary opposites 

Spectator response 

Feminism 

Eva's conflict with Kevin's development continues into his adolescents this is apparent in the scene where she invites him to miniature golf. This idea is demonstrated through the mist en scene specifically through costumes, colour palette and framing. Kevin is wearing a blue T-shirt and red jacket whilst Eva is wearing a purple jumper. These colours are monochromatic with blue and red combining to make purple, emphasise that, regardless of how much Eva resists it, she and Kevin are similar. This is also implied via the framing with each of them occupying opposing side of the frame - Kevin right and Eva left, which effectively places them next to each other. Binary oppositions are also represented in this scene; specifically, mother Vs child. It seems as though Eva wants to gain a connection to Kevin an does this by mocking a 'traditionally day out'. On one hand Kevin is reluctant to spend time with Eva, which is evident via his confused facial expression, but on the other hand,  Kevin might have felt as though he wants to fill the void between them and in doing so, would help the spectator to see how they are similar. Ramsay suggests that Eva is forced by society to have a closer bond with her son due to he being considered as the main parent for the child. 

The golf scene establishes Eva as a character who leans towards the nature side of a nature Vs nurture  binary oppositions. Meanwhile, Kevin leans more towards the nurture debate. As they queue for miniature golf they stand next to each other  in medium close ups. Through the use of mirroring it is apparent how similar Kevin and Eva really are. This is shown by their facial expressions, hair style and casting. However Kevin and Eva's conflict is portrayed via their costumes. Eva is dressed for winter with dark clothing whereas Kevin is dressed for summer in bright clothing. the binary opposition that is set in motion in this scene in is Mother Vs child. This is evident through the contrasting costume used; we see Eva wearing dark clothes as though 

In the scene in which Kevin commits the shooting in his school, we see cuts from Kevin to Eva. The idea of the conflict between Eva and Kevin is expanded in the scene. This idea is demonstrated through the way Kevin non-verbally interacts with his mother in the scene in which he is being arrested and as his head is down on the police car; when he is being driven away he looks back and gives Eva the look as if to say "you haven't gone home, have you". The fast pace editing with quick cuts shows the spectator the fast movement and confusion for Eva. This aligns the spectator with her and distances them from Kevin. The binary opposition we see in this scene is the mother vs child and nature vs nurture; this scene answers all the questions amassed. We see how although Eva is Kevin's mother she is still horrified by his actions. Through the look Kevin gives Eva we know that he  knows she has not gone home to see her murdered husband and daughter. However, she still goes to see Kevin in prison, showing how she puts her maternal love above her hate for him for murdering the rest of the family. The spectator response is questioning the reliability of the narrator as there are parts where we see points Eva wasn't there, giving the spectator a good reason to question her. An example of this is when we see the auditorium with the flashing police lights. Eva would have not have been present for this scene so when he bows there is no way she would have known this. Furthermore, she has misconstructed the scene - the setting is at night and the police sirens suggest he has already committed the crime. However, there are no bodies on the floor, so we realise this is taking place in her imagination; we might then begin to question which parts of her narrative actually happened, and which parts have been fabricated. From the feminist idealogical approach, Eva is seen as another woman who is forced to stay home and look after her children. She had to abandon her professional life doing what she loved; to stay home and look after Kevin while Franklin, who is the male, went to work and was given the option to keep his career. Eva then started to resent Kevin, leading to him being socialised negatively and some could say that is what led to Kevin commenting the act of murderer.