A2 Film - useful revision links for 'Vertigo'

Colour symbolism in Vertigo

Costume and Identity in Vertigo

Love, Desire, The Image and the Grave in 'Vertigo'

Use of profiles in 'Vertigo'

A2 Film - Useful article on the symbolic use of setting and location in 'Vertigo'

Very useful article regarding the symbolic use of the setting and various locations in Vertigo

Vertigo - more than just the streets of San Francisco

A2 Film - Emotional Response: "Fatal Attraction"

In this blog post you are asked to analyse at least four sequences from the film, Fatal Attraction.

You need to identify how the cinematic and narrative techniques used affect your emotional response. These should include the following elements:

Mise en scene (Setting, location, lighting, props, costume, character placement)
Performance
Cinematography - angles, movement, framing
Sound - dialogue and music
Editing - pace and detail

Narrative techniques such as enigmas, cause/effect, and use of dialogue should also be considered in framing an emotional response from the audience.

You should also consider how the audience is being 'positioned' to feel potentially different emotions for different characters.

Also consider how the audience theory of 'structured interpretation' may affect an audiences' emotional response. This will depend on factors such as age, gender, class, social background, religious beliefs, moral beliefs, education, social status, marital status etc.

Sequence 1 - Lying in the Park

Sequence 2 - A Married Man

Sequence 3 - Bloody Farewell

Sequence 4 - Alex is pregnant

Sequence 5 - Alex comes over

Sequence 6 - Not being ignored

Sequence 7 - Boiled Bunny

Sequence 8 - Bathroom Brawl

AS Film - useful Michael Caine interview regarding the making of 'Harry Brown'

For those considering revising 'Harry Brown' for the forthcoming exam, it is worth checking out this interview with Michael Caine. In it he talks about why he choose to do the film and his south-east London background. Might be some useful quotes regarding the issues of 'context' and representation.

Michael Caine interview

AS Film - past exam papers

FM2: British and American Film

 

Section A: Producers and Audiences

Section B: British Film Topics

British Film: Social-Political Study – ‘Living with Crime’

Section C: American Film – Comparative Study

Questions from Summer 2012


Questions from Winter 2012


Questions from Summer 2011


Questions from Winter 2011

A2 Film - Nine questions regarding the Emotional Response to 'Schindler's List'

These nine questions are designed to get you thinking about how you may have responded during the recent screening of Schindler's List.

Not everyone will respond in exactly the same way, and perhaps your own response may contrast markedly with others in the audience. Equally, you might respond exactly the same as others, depending on your 'take' of the film.

The film can cause wildly differing opinions and this is to be acknowledged within the framework of this particular unit. Many have found the film to be harrowing, sad, tragic and giving way to feelings of anger and helplessness, even guilt; others have found the film to be over-emotional, sentimental, and historically inaccurate. Some see it as Steven Spileberg's masterpiece, others have seen it as a 'Hollywood-ised' version of events.

So, in short, there are no right or wrong answers to these nine questions, but be prepared to back up your points, ideas and thoughts, regardless of your views on the film.

1. Did you feel ‘manipulated’ by the film at any time - such as use of emotional music, acting or visuals? Was this a positive or negative manipulation?

Give examples…

2. How much were you aware of the Holocaust and Oskar Schindler before watching the film? How might this have enhanced or changed your opinion?

3. Were there any particular sequences or moments in the film to which you had an emotional reaction?

Give examples…

4. Did you find anything negative about the presentation of the film? If so, what might this have been?

5. How might this film compare with any others you may have seen about the Holocaust?

6. How did you feel the German characters were represented in the narrative? Were there any specific examples of where this representation could be examined?

7. How far do you feel that Spielberg’s Jewish background helped or perhaps hindered the telling of Schindler’s story?

8. Consider the environment in which you saw the film – how might this have had an

impact on your response to the film?

9. How might the use of black and white film affect the way an audience may respond?

In the blog entry of 21st April there are a selection of sequences from the film…

Analyse at least five of them for cinematic technique – mise en scene,

cinematography, sound and editing – to see how they might impact emotionally

A2 Film - Schindler's List exam preparation - sequences

In conjunction with the questions you discussed in the lesson, here you will find fifteen sequences from Schindler's List.

Analyse at least five of them for cinematic technique – mise en scene, cinematography, sound

and editing – to see how they might impact emotionally…

"That's Oskar Schindler..."

"Today is history..."

The Girl in the Red Coat

Mozart or Bach?

The Balcony

"It will take more than this..."

A small pile of hinges...

"It's not that kind of a kiss..."

"Power is when every justification to kill - and we don't..."

"I pardon you..."

"The list is life..."

The shower

"He who saves one life..."

The execution of Amon Goeth

"Where should we go?" (final scene)

Fade to Black: Get Carter - parts 7 and 8

Fade to Black: Get Carter - parts 7 and 8: Carter kills Brumby, calls Kinnear about Paice, kills Margaret and plants her body in Kinnear's grounds Kinnear is arrested, Carter ch...

Re-blogged from April 2012

Fade to Black: Get Carter - part 5 and part 6

Fade to Black: Get Carter - part 5 and part 6: Set up by Margaret, meets Brumby at car park, goes back to Glenda's apartment, starts watching the film Jack sees Doreen in film, lock...

Re-blogged from April 2012

Fade to Black: Get Carter - part 4 of 8

Fade to Black: Get Carter - part 4 of 8:  Meets Brumby, arrival of Pete and Con from London

Re-blogged from April 2012

Fade to Black: Get Carter - part 3 of 8

Fade to Black: Get Carter - part 3 of 8: The phone call to Anna, threatened by Thorpe

Re-blogged from April 2012

Fade to Black: Get Carter - part 2 of 8

Fade to Black: Get Carter - part 2 of 8: Part 2 - the funeral, Jack meets Margaret, the race track, Kinnear's house, meets Glenda

Re-blogged from April 2012

'Get Carter' - Crime Genre Themes: 1

This post will look at how Get Carter can be recognised as a crime film, with the emphasis being placed on its 'Britishness'. It will consider how the following generic themes are represented throughout the narrative, with examples taken from the film:

Revenge

Family

Honour

Justice

Moral code

Betrayal

Violence

Death

Retribution

Revenge

Carter wants revenge for the death of his brother, Frank

The Fletcher brothers can be seen to be extracting revenge against Jack. He was warned not

to go to Newcastle, and also sent evidence against the porn film gang, which probably include

the Fletcher brothers. 

Family

Jack, Frank and Doreen. There is a possibility that Doreen may be Jack's illegitimate daughter 

through an affair with Frank's wife.

Honour

Jack wishes to uphold the honour of his innocent brother, who tried to stand up against the 

criminal gang - in doing so he will seek revenge

He also protects the honour of his niece, or possible daughter, Doreen, for having been made 

to appear in the amateur porn film. The last shot of Doreen in the porn film shows Albert Swift 

on top of her, and the facial expression would suggest that it was not a pleasant experience.

Justice

Strongly linked to revenge.

What is delivered by Carter is 'criminal justice' - this is to say that he sorts the problems

himself, rather than go to the police. He does involve the police when sending evidence of the 

Fletcher's involvement in the porn film to Scotland Yard (he is planning to leave the country with 

Anna, so this would be his 'revenge' on the Fletchers', rather than trying to kill them, perhaps). 

He also alerts the police to the whereabouts of Margaret's body aftyer killing her, and in doing 

so, sets up Kinnear for her death.

 Moral Code

The moral code which Jack follows is dictated by his life as a gangster. His belief is that only
those who deserve punishment should receive it, and the innocent should be left alone, or
protected. This would have been true of gangsters like the Kray Twins, whose lifestyle the 
characters of Carter and the Fletcher brothers were modeled on. There is also a sense that if
one to break the accepted moral code (like Paice, for example, in killing Frank) then one
should expect some form of violent retribution as a consequence.


Betrayal

A key generic theme in crime films, betrayal lies at the heart of Get Carter. Margaret betrays
Frank, Margaret betrays Jack, Jack betrays Gerald, Anna betrays Gerald, Jack (possibly)
betrayed Frank (assuming Doreen might actually be his daughter), Jack and Cyril betray each
other (Jack to the hit man, Cyril to the police), Brumby betrays Jack. In a lifestyle built on an
accepted 'moral code of honour' (see previous themes), there is also a strong sense that you
should trust no one should you chose a life a crime, or a life of crime chooses you.

Violence and Death

Get Carter certainly has its share of these two linked generic themes, which are natural by
products of a criminal lifestyle, particularly where men like the Fletcher's and Jack are
concerned. 

Throughout the narrative there occurs the following violent incidents:

Carter witnesses a pub brawl between two women, much to his amusement
Carter attacks Thorpe in an attempt to get information
Carter hits Margaret on the bridge for betraying him to Peter and Con
Brumby is attacked by Carter in his own home
Keith is beaten up by Kinnear's gang (the attack is unseen, but the result is not)
Carter stabs Albert twice as he kills him 
Glenda is almost drowned by Jack in her bath
The shoot out on the ferry ends with Peter being shot by Carter
Glenda is trapped in the boot of Jack's car as it is pushed into the dock
Brumby is thrown from the roof of the car park by Carter, dying in the process
Margaret is terminally drugged by Carter in order to frame Kinnear
Paice is beaten by Carter at the beach and his body dumped into the sea
Carter is shot by the hit man on the beach as he attempts to get rid of the gun

Retribution

Perhaps the key theme to Get Carter - and for nearly every crime film - retribution is the end
result of a life lived through crime.

For Jack, the retribution he delivers to those involved in the death of Frank and those
responsible for Doreen's appearance in the porn film (who are more often than not, the same
people), is completely justified. His presence in Newcastle is felt the moment he walks into the
bar by the railway station, as he looks and sounds different to all those around him. It is obvious
that he means business, and he will not stop until he has metered out his brand of justice and
retribution. 

His own death does, initially appear shocking, as it comes at the very moment
where he has succeeded in avenging all those connected to Frank's death. However, his fate
had been sealed the moment he went against Gerald's orders at the very beginning of the
narrative, by going to Newcastle. The hit man - 'J' - was on the train from London in the same
carriage, and it is his gun which inflicts the ultimate retribution on Jack, not forgetting he was
also having an affair with Anna, Gerald's wife.

'Get Carter' - Narrative Structure

In this blog post we shall consider the narrative structure of Get Carter. Included in this will be the following:

Act Structure
Enigmas
Problematic
Cause and Effect
Character Arc

Act Structure

Syd Field’s 3 Act Theory:

  Act One – the Set Up

  Act Two – Confrontation

  Act Three - Resolution

Act 1 - the Set Up

Carter plans to go to Newcastle to find out who killed his brother

Warned not to ‘interfere’ by his gangster boss

Ignores warning and goes anyway

Arrives in Newcastle

Arranges a meet with Margaret

Meets Doreen, his niece, at Frank’s funeral



Act 2 - Confrontation

Meets with various characters who may have information

Albert Swift

Eric Paice

Cyril Kinnear

Cliff Brumby

Two ‘heavies’ are sent to bring him back to London

Carter begins to unravel the reason for Frank’s death

Sees the porn film – connects Frank’s death to Brumby, Kinnear, Swift and Paice

Kills Swift and Brumby for film involving his niece

Allows Glenda to die for same reason, after killing Peter during the ferry shoot out

Sends evidence of porn film to police and tips them off about Kinnear’s drug and vice 

links

Arranges for Paice to be ‘sacrificed’ by Kinnear for his ‘silence’

Carter kills Margaret – part revenge for her involvement with Frank, and to help set

up Kinnear

Act 3. Resolution

Kinnear is arrested

Carter kills Paice – revenge for his active involvement in Frank’s death

Carter is killed by hit man 

Enigmas

Who killed Frank?

Who knows what and who is involved and how?

Is Doreen actually Carter's illegitimate daughter?

Will Carter get revenge? 

The Central Problematic

What if you go against the wrong people, while seeking justice?

Cause and Effect

Frank is killed (cause), Jack wants answers (effect)

Jack goes to Newcastle (cause), gets 'justice' (effect)

Jack goes against his bosses orders (cause, beginning), gets killed (effect, end)

Character Arc

Jack is unaware of who killed his brother at the beginning

As narrative progresses, he gains understanding of the murder, also shows a 

softer side of his nature towards his niece, Doreen.

Plans new life after gaining complete revenge

Killed in last scene