RUN LOLA RUN
The
genre of this art house film is crime drama.
From this, it could be argued that this film is both targeted towards teenagers
both male and female most likely between 13 to 18 not only because this genre
is usually targeted towards this age group but also the fact that even though
the main protagonist is female the male also has an important contribution that
could also make males' interested. However, the age rating according to the
BBFC is a 15 because of the drug use. In
addition, due to the unique editing style this makes this a niche film creating a new form of action.
In this scene we see fast paced editing used through the short cuts to form a sort of
montage that increase the suspense and the tempo of the sequence.
This is also reinforced by the mise-en-scene. The lighting
in this particular scene first starts with natural high key lighting which is
used to establish the difference in the immediate change from the outside to
the television screen. Similarly, how in the room, the slight shadows in the
room hint to the audience to the shift of the mood. Furthermore, through the actors and
props this sequence conveys the
narrative through the facial expressions and body gestures we can see that both
characters at the beginning of the montage are frustrated which is emphasises
when props such as the card and telephone are thrown aggressively.
A key theme running through this scene is the
aspect of having limited time. This is clearly portrayed through the camera work and editing style. Within the
first fifteen seconds we can see a high angle
shot that both only establishes where the character is but also portrays
his emotions of frustration. As a result of the camera work, anticipation
is created from the continuous change between medium
shots, close up and extreme close up. One example being, the
dominoes and the constant shot cuts of the clock back to the main protagonist.
Moreover, the spinning shot and fast cut
editing only intensifies the scene which allows the audience to understand the
situation the main protagonist is in. The fast cut editing allows the audience
to visually see what is going through the protagonists mind the transition
between real visuals and animation is done subtly. The continuous shot from when the run first begins to
focusing on another character to distract the audience from the transition
until it has been made. This is effective in the way that it gives the audience
another perspective to look at the characters in as well as allowing the
audience to meet characters that are only shown as an animation. Even though, the form of animation is used
it still creates a form of tension that is needed to keep the audience
interested. In addition to this, the many establishing
shots of the protagonist. Another use of
quick editing used uniquely, is the short shots of what is to happen in the
future. There is not much of a sound
bridge however; the sound of the dominoes falling as well as the ticking of the
clock reflects the action of the film. These sounds are also complemented by
the fast paced music.
LA HAINE
La
Haine is a French black and white art house film set in 1955, which focuses on
a social political message about the French society at this time. The genre of
this film would be mainly crime but also
drama. The age rating for this film is a
15 which I would agree with as well as young adults. This is supported by the
BBFC, this film is a 15 because of the drug use,
strong violence, and other content. I personally believe that this
would be the best target audience for this film as it would be relatable to
this age group due to the themes on youth, friendship and violence. As well as
this, La Haine may also be mainly targeted towards males rather than females.
Evidently, this niche film is different
from others due to its use of black and white rather than the mainstream use of colour. Interestingly, the
scene starts with the time of the moment where there protagonists are which
hints its significance to the audience. Even though the film is black and
white, high key lighting is
still shown as there are no harsh shadows on the characters. With that being
said, this changes the further the clip continues as the shadows become
slightly darker to mirror the narrative. From the costume, it is clear to see that this was made to signify youth
as they are in hoodies and trainers, others may interpret this in a stereotypical
way in that they are involved in violence. Their friendship is reinforced
through the actors’ facial expressions-yawning, no aggression and
also their body language. Nevertheless, we see a shift in the mood when the prop of the gun
is shown however, no violence occurs until later on.
The
first shot shown is a close up that
can show the relationship between the two characters which is followed by a medium shot,
this gives allows the audience to understand their
friendship also shown at the ending of the scene. The medium shot fuels
the anxiety the audience feel as the other characters are slight in
sight signifying that other events will take place. The fact that this
immediately cuts to the two characters in
the background, implies their continuous significance to the narrative.
The use of a cowboy shot causes the main focus to be forced on the
violence and the pace of the characters that only seems to speed up. Shifting,
between the cuts of this face to his running legs, the audience are able to see
the gun foreshadowing violence through the action codes. The sound reflects the
point of the scene when the mood is calm the sound of birds helps to complement
the state of calmness, in contrast to, the diegetic sound of the gun
shot which is followed by dead silence. The sound bridge between the
beginning of the scene where the sound of ticking is heard indicating the
importance of time. This contrast with the clear distinction of the ending
where the ticking only gets louder hinting to the audience as to what is going
to happen next which is conformed when the screen goes to black and a gunshot
is heard. This ambiguous ending allows the audience to imagine what happened
next.
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
The genre of the arthouse film Eternal sunshine of
the spotless mind is a science fiction and drama. The age rating according to
the BBFC is a 15 because of the explicitly. I would agree to this age rating
due to the fact that the film is about themes that those younger may not
understand the themes as well has having some of the content only suited for 15
and older. This particular scene has been shot in an interesting way.
The camera shots at the beginning cuts to different
shots quite instantly however, not fast enough to be fast cut editing but
almost as a point of view shot. This is followed by a medium shot of both
characters. The camera work is shot in a way to signify privacy and secrecy
which gives the audience voyeuristic pleasure as it allows the audience to have
a forbidden
insight into the protagonist’s world. The continuous use of medium shot reinforces
the importance of these characters. Additionally, there is a use of slight blurring
also emphasises the idea of memory and fantasy. Meanwhile, the books in the
library are slowly losing colour which is evident in the end where the main
protagonist (Joel) is alone and all the books in the library have slowly turn
white to highlight the end of the memory.
DONNIE DARKO
Donnie Darko is a 2001 Sci-fi thriller film. Due to this,
it could be considered both males and females would be attracted as
an audience, most likely between early teens (15) to late teens and
young adults. This film is targeted towards young teenagers and young
adults as a result of the fact that these age groups are
mainly targeted by mainstream films therefore; this opens a new
platform for these young people to find an interest in niche
arthouse films. Additionally, the film allows the audience to understand
the wider concepts of the film that focuses on real life issues such as
depression shown through the protagonist Donnie Darko.
In terms of mise-en-scene
the low key lighting helps produce a dark, tense atmosphere which
also reflects the narrative. The camerawork is mainly close up and medium
shots. Instead of an establishing shot that is usually used to set the location
which in this case is a theatre, a close up is used as an alternative which
directly pans down to the two characters paying for the tickets. Additionally,
there is also a slow motion effect through its editing to signify its
importance to the audience also shown through the slow zoom. The medium close
up reinforce the intimate relationship between the two characters. Seeing as
the main focus is Donnie Darko, each shot reflects the tense atmosphere which
is also complemented by the sound bridge. The non-diegetic sound makes the
audience aware of the atmosphere which also complements the diegetic sound from
the horror film playing. The slow paced dialogue also reinforces the mood- dark
and tense.
IT FOLLOWS
The genre of the arthouse film It Follows is a mystery
thriller. The BBFC rated this 15 which I would agree to due to the restricted
content mainly due to the main narrative. The slow motion uses at the beginning
of the clip creates a tense atmosphere for the audience which is complemented
by the non-diegetic soundtrack. The distinctive handheld camerawork used helps
to intensify the tension. This is evident in the medium close up on the
protagonists legs that are rapidly running up the stairs. This is also
reinforced by low key lighting and also through the mise-en-scene. The actor’s
facial expressions contribute to the apprehensive atmosphere. The medium shot
is another aspect that adds to the suspense. It allows the audience to
experience the same fear as the protagonist (voyeuristic
pleasure). The anticipation of
what will happen next is high. When the footsteps are audible, this once again
picks up the momentum. This is contrasted when the sound is cut off as well as
the scene to a calmer one however, through the medium shot the main protagonist
is also seen allowing the audience to see two scenes at once.
