I believe the mise-en-scene was vital to set the scene of this film. For
example, through the costumes
of the girls the audience can understand that they are quite young as they are
wearing casual clothing i.e. hoodie, trainers and jeans, and the protagonist is also
carrying a backpack which suggest she’s a student. This implies that the film
is set around this particular group of teenagers. Through their dialogue we can see they
are using informal
language and making remarks, which is not uncommon which once again
links to their youth. The setting
is quite urban, as the 3 girls are sitting on a bench at what seems to be the
back of a building, which suggests the film is based on urban life. The lighting used is natural, which makes the
scene seem bolder. The cinematography
used is quite important as well, the use of medium shots allows both gestures and facial
expressions to be shown which helps the audience get a better understanding of
the characters. Through the medium
shot the audience can sense that the protagonist is intimidated by the other girls
through the lack of responses and eye contact she makes. The use of the shot reverse shot is
vital as we get to see the characters engage into a conversation. At one point
we get a long shot
as the group of boys approach the girls at the bench, and the protagonist is in the
right corner of the shot. This use of framing is quite creative as it shows how she is
watching them from a distance, despite being out of focus the audience know
that she is still there and observing. Straight cuts have been used as a transition when editing, this is not
surprising as in film and television production, the vast majority of transitions are straight cuts. This film mainly
fits the conventions
of an arthouse film
because it is foreign
and is based around urban
life. The target
audience for this film would be the middle class as they usually watch arthouse films at arthouse
cinemas which are quite pricy, and this particular film would be an interesting
insight into the lives of teenagers who live in the French ghetto. Young adults
would also enjoy this film as it is likely to be relatable in some way. The
BBFC rating of this film is 15 because of the strong
language, violence, and drug use.
The Falling:
The cinematography and the editing of the start of
this scene are quite creative. The use of fast-paced editing halfway through the scene to
sum up her past in her thoughts is quite effective in setting the scene, as the
audience begins to understand the importance of her past in the storyline. The cinematography is simple,
but I have noticed that a shot
reverse shot that is usually used in conversations between characters
has not been used when the protagonist
meets up with her friend, and instead the camera slowly revolves around them
without breaking the 180
degree rule. There is then a slight panning shot as they go inside the school. The
scene ends with a long
shot of the girl who was ringing the bell alone, which is quite ominous.
The mise en scene
such as the costumes
and the location
links back to the setting
of the scene (the school) as they are wearing school uniforms and are at a
school. The dialogue (a
voice over) is very unclear at the beginning of the scene as the
audience don’t understand what she is talking about, this creates enigma codes for the
audience as they begin to wonder what this has to do with the rest of the film
and what she is trying to convey. I believe sound has been used successfully in this scene. A sound bridge is created as
the audience can hear the bells ringing through the flashback until the
audience finally get to the scene where they see the girl ringing the bell. I
believe this film fits the conventions
of an arthouse film
because of the concept and storyline of the film, and that the target audience
of the film would be mainly for young adults. The BBFC age rating for this film
is 15 because of the strong sex in the film.
Boyhood:
I believe the
cinematography of
this scene is quite simple yet bold. The
scene is mainly a medium
shot of their conversation (apart from the long shot of their friends in the distance), and
as their conversation gets deeper the camera also moves closer, which
emphasises on the importance of their conversation. This shot also allows the
audience to see their facial
expressions to understand the emotions they are feeling. The fact that a hand-held camera is
used is quite effective as it gives the whole scene a natural feel, the same
effect wouldn’t have been given if a steadicam was used as it would have made the scene less touching
and moving for the audience. Through the mise en scene we can see that natural lighting from the sunset as been used,
this gives the scene a sense of warmness, and the fact that it’s a sunset links
back to it being the ending scene as sunsets suggest the ending of the day. The
use of casual clothing in their costumes links back to the fact that they are young and links to
their laid-back and relaxed attitude. The
use of diegetic sound
i.e. the breeze and the sound of birds rather than music helps the audience to focus on the dialogue of the scene and
makes the scene very natural, it also helps the audience to relate onto the
realness of the film as boyhood was filmed over the course of several years.
The fact that no cuts
were used in their conversation when editing is quite interesting as the one continuous shot with the camera moving
closer ended up being more effective. This film links to the conventions of an arthouse film because the
concept of it is quite creative and experimental, and it actually worked out
very well. When it comes to target
audience I believe not only the usual middle class adults would enjoy it
but also teenagers/young adults and those of different classes aswell because
of the realness of the film and the entire concept of following the life of one
boy as he grows up. According to the BBFC this film is a 15 because of strong language, sex references, drug use
The White Ribbon:
The mise-en-scene
of this scene links to the time period (around 1913) and setting of this film
(Germany). Through the costumes,
we can see the young boy is wearing what a German child would have worn in 1913
and the woman is dressed quite modestly in a black dress as a woman of that
time period would have. Their dialogue is the main
factor that contributes to the audience understanding the setting as they speak in German. The use of low-key lighting helps to bring out the shadows and the highlights of the characters amongst the black and white filter. The
cinematography is
quite experimental as we first view them having their conversation from the
door frame, and then it goes into a shot reverse shot throughout their conversation. The fact that
the young boy is shot at a slight low angle compared to the woman emphasises how vulnerable he is
and how much he seeks the knowledge of the woman who is older because he is
looking up to her, and she is looking down on him while she explains the
concept of death. The use of straight
cuts through editing
helps to create a fluid motion between each shot, the black and white filter helps the audience to link back to
the time period it was set in because it is often associated with the past.
There is no music, which
I believe is a good thing as it allows the audience to focus on the dialogue; however there
is the diegetic sound
such as the sound of the boy and woman eating while they have a conversation
which is something everyone can relate to, it helps to emphasise the naturalness
of the scene. This scene fits the typical conventions of an
arthouse film
because it is a foreign film;
it is also quite a strong film in terms of the concept such as this one scene where
death is discussed. I believe the target audience for this film would be the middle class audience or
those who are interested in arthouse
films. The BBFC age rating for this film is 15 because it contains child
abuse references.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
This scene is once again quite experimental as shown through mainly the cinematography and the editing, the simplicity
of the scene helps to emphasise the emotions of the characters. The use of a medium long shot
emphasises the lack of movement in the scene, until the character on the bed
gets up and the camera slowly follows this movement through a tilt. The lack of camera movement and cuts
creates discomfort in this scene as the audience aren’t used to this, and don’t
know what to expect, the lack of dialogue also creates a sense of pressure on the audience as
they wait for something to happen. The diegetic music plays throughout the whole scene, and is used to
convey the relationship between the two. The pacing of this scene is also quite interesting,
and adds onto the tension of the scene. For example, when the man spins the
disco ball there is about 8 seconds before it goes to the next shot, which isn’t what
the audience would be used to if they were to be watching any other film as
there are usually several straight
cuts within a few seconds. The last shot is a medium close up, where the female character continues
to stand in the same position until the male character walks into the shot. The fact that
he stands so closely behind her creates an action code which suggests that there is some sort
of intimacy or connection between the two, this is confirmed when she turns
around and gazes into his eyes before she goes into some sort of embrace. The
scene eventually ends with a cut to a floating balloon with no sound, this contrasts the
tension that was taking place previously throughout the scene. The fact that a black and white filter
has been used adds onto the convention of an arthouse film being artistic and experimental, and
makes the film seem more visually appealing and intriguing, and it is also a foreign film (Persian)
which adds onto the typical conventions
of an arthouse film
being foreign. The target
audience of this film would be the middle class, or those who are into horror films and are
looking for a horror film that is quite different than the usual films we are
seeing in the present day as A Girl Walks
Home Alone at Night is quite different in terms of its style. Someone who is interested in the artistic concept of a film would also most likely choose to watch this film as the cinematography of this film is very creative. The age rating according to
the BBFC is a 15 because of the drug use,
strong violence, and sex content.
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