Unit 26 Film Studies

Task 1

The simplest way for a producer to attract an audience is with the trailer. The trailer helps the audience associate the film with a genre, and if they are interested in the genre of the film, they will want to see it.

The attraction of seeing a film from a particular genre can rely on many things. For example, the elements of an action film are fighting, explosions, guns, money, death etc. If someone likes these sorts of scenes, then action films appeal more to them, so therefore they are attracted to that particular genre.

The term Hybrid is used when one film includes the codes and conventions of more than one genre, so it can’t be labelled as just a horror, or an adventure. An example of a Hybrid film is the first Scream, where we see a mixture of horror and comedy.

Case Study

The Action Genre

Films associated with the action genre:

• Die Hard
• James Bond Casino Royale
• Transporter
• Terminator
• Lethal Weapon
• The Matrix

Codes and Conventions of the action genre:

Iconography

• Fast Cars (Transporter)
• Gadgets (James Bond)
• Guns and Weapons (Terminator)
• Masculine main characters, normally with a muscular build (Jason Statham, Daniel Craig, Arnold Schwarenegger)

Storyline

The story line normally consists of the main character, normally being the “good” guy trying to defeat the bad guy, while also trying to save someone he is in love with. There is nearly always a female involved in the action, and they are shown as an object of attraction so this helps the film appeal to the male audience.

Locations

Locations normally involve capital cities like London, Paris, New York and Tokyo, but recent films have started to use more run down areas, like the favelas in Brazil.

Typical Situations

• Time ticking down
• A race to kill/save somebody
• Love interest
• Blood
• High emotion moments
• Car chases
• A general fast paced feel throughout
• Missions to be accomplished/ trials to be endured.

This is a scene from James Bond Casino Royale:

Mise en Scene:

This scene is set on a building site in Madagascar. The two main characters that the camera focuses on in this scene are James Bond and the man he is chasing (free runner). Daniel Craig plays a very serious role in this scene; his facial expressions show anger and at times exhaustion. The free runners facial expression shows fear as he tries to escape from James Bond. Daniel Craig is dressed in light trousers and a short-sleeved shirt, which reflects the setting he is in, a hot country. The free runner is wearing trousers, a jacket and a rucksack, which isn’t the conventional outfit for being in a hot country but it shows he is used to the hot climate. There is a range of different camera shots in this scene. When one of them are about to jump, it will be a long shot to show the distance of the jump, the scene is very up tempo, so the camera is always moving to help express the fast pace of it. When either of them is climbing something, the camera goes to a bird’s eye view shot, so the actor is looking up at the camera. There are also some low angle shots to exaggerate some of the heights.

Characters:

James Bond – At the beginning of this film James Bond has just earned his licence to kill and achieved his -00 status. He is sent to arrest a bomb maker in Madagascar, where he stumbles upon Le Chiffre’s terrorist cell and is then sent to defeat him in a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale.

Narrative:

The narrative in Casino Royale centres around the theme of terrorism. Casino royale follows a linear narrative and is portrayed in a naturalistic style, although there are flashback scenes at the beginning of the film. Todorov produced a structure which implies that all films have an equilibrium, disruption, recognition of disruption, attempt to repair disruption and reinstatement of equilibrium. Although Casino Royale has significant elements of this narrative structure it only fits to a certain extent as there are sections within the film which do not correspond to this structure. For example the flashbacks at the beginning where we see James Bond achieving his -00 status and the unexpected twist at the end of the film.

Themes:

This James Bond Film includes many of the themes you would usually associate with the action genre. There are fast paced scenes, for example the chase scene at the beginning. There are also high emotion slower scenes, like the scene in the shower. Like in most James Bond films, James Bond falls for a woman, so love is another theme we see in this film, however this time the woman betrays Bond which is unexpected and gives the audience something different to think about.

The Matrix, directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves as Neo and Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus is an action packed science fiction film aimed to give the audience a look into a simulated reality created by sentient machines to pacify and subdue the human population, while their bodies’ heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source.  I have decided to use the successful 1999 film ‘The Matrix’ as a comparison to Casino Royale. They are both action films but ‘The Matrix’ associates action with science-fiction to give it a more futuristic feel and attract a different kind of audience.

This scene from The Matrix is a chase scene following Neo as he flees from the Agents. This is a conventional action scene but with an un-realisitic element to it, giving it the sciene-fiction twist.

Comapared to Casino Royale, what we see in this scene is completely different. The chase scene in The Matrix is set in a virtual reality, where we see Neo running through a market, down backstreets and through rundown buildings. What Neo is wearing stands out, as everyone around him is wearing bright clothing, so the black clothing of Neo is easily visible, making it easier to follow him as he pushes past the panicking crowds in the market. The agents are also easy to identify as they are wearing black suits therefore standing out amongst the brightly coloured clothing of the people.

Neo – being the main protagonist, also referred to as ‘The One’ and ‘Mr Anderson, started the film as a computer hacker, trying to understand what the Matrix is. After meeting with Morpheus and choosing the red pill, he becomes part of the Matrix and develops into this fast, dynamic, bullet dodging action based character. What makes him different from James Bond, is the fact his attributes are not realistic and are “programmed into him” for example, running along walls, leaping huge distances and the most famous of all, dodging bullets. This makes him different from your every day action hero and this is what adds to the science fiction side of the film.

The narrative in The Matrix is somewhat different to what we see in Casino Royale. Masculine narrative involves men gaining recognition and approval from other men, and is often based around the relationship between an older and younger man. The story of the Matrix has a strong masculine narrative centered around the main characters of Neo and Morpheus. Due to the fact that relationships between men are the basis of the story, elements are introduced early on to indicate that Neo is heterosexual. This comes in the form of Trinity. However she is not the average love interest. In the first scene we see Trinity has characteristics traditionally associated with masculinity; she is tough, serious, fit, aggressive, and commanding. Her overall appearance is quite androgynous; short dark slicked back hair, muscular body and pale angular face make her look very masculine. But her beauty, grace and the tight black pvc cat suit she wears underlines her femininity. This makes her attractive to  both sexes, a characteristic embraced by modern society.

Commmon themes that we see in The Matrix are:

REASON TO LEAVE HOME:
Neo is asked to follow the ‘white rabbit’ and does so.

MESSAGE, TICKET OR MESSENGER:
Trinity is the messenger who meets Neo at the party.

CORRIDOR, TUNNEL OR BRIDGE:
Neo takes the pill and falls down a drain

MEET THE GURU:
Neo meets Morpheus.

MEET THE GANG:
Neo meets the gang

BAD GUY:
Neo learns about the Matrix and meets the agents.

THE PRIZE:
Realization of his powers over the matrix is Neo’s prize.

Some themes are similar to the ones in Casino Royale, for example, chase scenes, and a love interest, however in The Matrix it is the bad chasing the good, instead of the good chasing the bad which is what we see in Casino Royale. Apart from all this, The Matrix and Casino Royale are two very different films which share very few similarities, this shows the vastness of the action genre and how it can be mixed with other genres, like science fiction, to create a whole new experience for a whole new audience.

Task 2

The auteur theory is the theory that the director’s film reflects the director’s personal creative vision, a bit like that of an author of a book, but in this case, an author of a film. To recognise an auteur, there would be consistencies throughout many of their films, particularly in theme, narrative and even actors used. Auteur theory has influenced film criticism since 1954, when it was promoted by film director and critic François Truffaut. This method of film analysis was originally associated with the French New Wave and the film critics who wrote for the French film review periodical Cahiers du Cinéma. Auteur theory was developed a few years later in America through the writings of The Village Voice critic Andrew Sarris; he wanted Hollywood films to be taken seriously. Sarris used auteur theory as a way to further the analysis of what defines serious work through the study of respected directors and their films, he would evaluate directors according to three things, Technical competence, personal style and interior meaning.

A quote from Sarris himself “The strong director imposes his own personality on a film; the weak director allow the personalities of others to run rampant”

To be considered an auteur, a film maker must have a body of work that can be analysed for re-occurring themes and considerations, whether they occur intentionally or un-intentionally, it does not matter. In addition to this an auteur must have a differentiating style, almost instantly recognisable, without having to wait for the credits to see who directed the film.

I have chosen Tim Burton as my case study. Burton is an American film director, producer, writer and artist. He is most famous for his dark, quirky themed movies, such as Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Corpse Bride, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and blockbusters such as Batman, Batman Returns and Planet of the Apes.

Tim Burton’s films have a very distinct style and he often deals with similar themes in his work. Quite often the lead character is separated from society in some way, like a misfit of some sort. For example in Edward Scissorhands the main character can’t even touch another person. Other examples of this character type include Batman and even Jack Skellington from The Nightmare before Christmas. The style Burton uses in his films can be labelled as gothic, the films Batman and Batman Returns are prime examples of this style. The main character, Batman, even though he is the “goodie” comes across as quite a dark and mysterious person. Burton doesn’t follow the conventional superhero, if you look at Superman and Spiderman, they both wear colourful costumes and interact with the people around them, whereas Batman, wears all black, only comes out at night, and doesn’t like hanging around for people to see him.

Another thing Burton is recognised for is the use of stop motion animation in his films. The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride are good examples of his work and he doesn’t let the animation get in the way of his style, once again both of these films are quite gothic. He is also known for re using actors; Johnny Depp has starred in seven of Burtons films and will star in his eighth later on this year alongside Helena Bonham Carter, who has previously starred in six and a seventh appearance gone May this year.

                

Task 3

What is a British film?

What is the definition of a British film? Does it mean a film with British actors? A film directed by a British film-maker? Or even a film portraying the British lifestyle and culture? All of these factors can contribute to what makes a film British, and in this article I will explore a few of my all-time favourite British films and answer the question, what makes these films British?

In 2006, Menhaj Huda and Noel Clarke combined to create Kidulthood, a British drama about a group of troublesome teenagers who begin to lead lives of violence, sex and drugs. The film was funded by the UK Film Council and cost only £600,000 to make. British films are often funded by the National Lottery and UK Film Council and I think this contributes a lot to the film being British, comparing it to Hollywood blockbusters that cost millions to make, British films are more realistic and true to life because of the lower budget and unknown actors used in most of the films. Apart from being funded by the UK Film Council, the cast involved in Kidulthood were all British, along with the Director, Menhaj Huda, and writer, Noel Clarke, who also starred in the film himself. The film was shot in areas in London and even the soundtrack for the film was written by London hip-hop group Arkane. As you can see everything about the making of this film is British, from the cast and the production crew, to the locations and music. I think Kidulthood as a British drama portrays the lives of some British teenagers in and around the more thuggish areas of London fantastically and that is what makes this film British as it is something only the Brits can really relate too.

Another film I believe is British that I want to touch on is Hot Fuzz. Hot Fuzz is a British action comedy about a top London cop who is transferred to a small village and paired up with a witless new partner, on the job they come across many suspicious accidents and events.  There isn’t really a tradition of cop films in the UK, if you compare us to the USA, they have very successful cop films with the likes of Lethal Weapon and Bad Boys. Hot Fuzz was directed by Edgar Wright, a British film-maker, who produced this film after his highly successful Shaun of the Dead. He stuck with the same British duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost for both of his films, as they worked brilliantly together in Shaun of the Dead. Simon Pegg also helped write Hot Fuzz . It helps make the film British if the writer is British himself, because he can include elements of British humour or culture into the screenplay, and I think Simon Pegg does that in this film. It was funded again by the UK Film Council but cost a lot more to make than Kidulthood. It has an all British cast and production team. The film was produced by Working Title Films, a British film production company, this along with the funding are two important factors in making the film British. So again, there is nothing not British about this film, location, actors, director and production crew are all British.

The last film I’m going to talk about won many awards in 2008, winning Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards, it won seven awards at the BAFTA’s including Best Film and four golden globe awards including Best Drama Film. The director won Best Director at the 2008 British Independent Film Awards for this film along with many others, but is this film British?, if you haven’t guessed already I am talking about the extremely successful Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle and written by Simon Beaufoy. Slumdog Millionaire is classed as a British Romantic Drama about a boy who grew up in the slums of Mumbai and appears on the Indian version of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ exceeding expectations therefore causing suspicion amongst the game show host and  law enforcement officials, the film mixes elements of adventure with crime. The film cost $15,000,000 to make which isn’t a great amount if you compare it too how much it made at the box office, $377,910,544. The film was set and filmed in India, using a cast of Indian actors, except for the main character, played by British actor, Dev Patel. The music for the film was composed by A.R Rahman, an Indian composer. The film portrays Indian culture and life in the slums. There is not one British thing about the actual film, however behind the scenes is where you will find the British impact on the film. Director Danny Boyle and writer Simon Beaufoy are both well-known British figures in the filming industry. Danny Boyle has directed films such as 127 Hours, 28 Days Later and Trainspotting. While Simon Beaufoy is most famous for writing The Full Monty and later assisted Danny Boyle in writing 127 Hours. The film was funded in Britain and distributed by Pathé (UK) and Fox Searchlight Pictures who specialise in independent and British films.

In conclusion, in my opinion a British film is determined by the funding and producers behind it, not the actors or actual storyline but the best British films  will have an all British cast and production crew, which are filmed in Britain, funded by British sources and include a storyline influenced by British culture.

New British Cinema and Its Audience

Task 1a

Case Study

Spiderman 3

Spiderman 3 is the third film in the Spiderman series, written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. Spiderman 3 is a 2007 American superhero film based on the Marvel character Spiderman, the film casts stars such as Toby Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco and Thomas Haden Church. While Peter Parker basks in his success as Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson continues her Broadway career. Harry Osborn still seeks vengeance for his father’s death, and an escaped convict, Flint Marko, falls into a particle accelerator and is transformed into a shape-shifting sand manipulator.

Spiderman 3 premiered on April 16^th, 2007 in Tokyo and was released in United States in both conventional and IMAX cinemas on May 4^th, 2007. This film stands as the most successful film in the Spiderman series, Marvel’s second most successful film and Sony Pictures Entertainment highest grossing film to date. The marketing campaign had a big part to play in the success of this film.

In New York, the hometown of Spiderman’s fictional universe, tourist attractions, arranged events and exhibits were held to the lead up to the release of Spiderman 3. The unique campaign included a spider exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, workshops on baby spider plants at the New York Botanical Garden and Green Goblin mask making workshops at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.

Being a Marvel superhero film, it has one advantage over other action, thrillers or horrors for example, and that is the release of action figures and toys to tie-in with the film. Hasbro, who hold the license for Marvel Characters, released toys such as a deluxe spinning web blaster, along with several different action figures aimed at both children and collectors. On May 4^th, 2007 Treyarch also released Spider-Man 3, the action game for all consoles, it was loosely based on the Spiderman 3 film.

The official trailer for this film gives the audience a feel of anticipation and excitement around the film without revealing too much of the story. It introduces the main characters and shows a different side to Spiderman which makes this film look different to the first two. This creates suspense amongst the viewers and would encourage them to go and watch the film when released.

On its international opening day on May 1, 2007 in 16 territories, Spiderman 3 grossed $29.2 million, an 86% increase from the intake of Spiderman 2 on its first day of release. In Europe, the film broke Italy’s opening-day record set by 2006’s The Da Vinci Code. In Germany, the film surpassed the opening day gross of Spider-Man 2. In France, Spider-Man 3broke the opening day record set by Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith in 2005. Spider-Man 3 set a then record $59,841,919 take for its opening day in the United States, breaking Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’s $55.8 million record for the highest single-day tally of all time. So as you can see the films advertising and marketing campaigns paid off.

Task 1

British cinema and its audience

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