Film essay

Compare the attitudes to poverty conveyed in the films you have studied for this topic

In this essay I will be discussing and comparing the attidues to poverty conveyed in the films I have studied for this topic. Tsotsi (2005), City of God (2002) and La Haine (1995) are the films foreign films I've studied and all have the same themes even though set in different times such as poverty, conflict, violence and lack of authority. Each film reacts similarly and differently by showing the attitudes to poverty.


In the opening scene of Tsotsi is Tsotsi himself playing cards with his friends. Dices are shown in slow motion being thrown on the table to represent the hope and chance the characters need and want because of the poverty. Betting on their lives is the only way that the characters can possibly get out of the poor environment they are in as the dices symbolise their lives being thrown for a bet, it may go right, it may go wrong. 
Similarly in the opening scene of City of God, the theme of chance is again seen as the scene consists of a chicken run as the chicken getting ready to be killed runs away and is getting chased. The chicken symbolises the youth of the environment in City of God as they took their chance of escapism and followed it through. This shows us, the western audience, that chance/hope and betting are all daily activities and thoughts for the youth of the two films as needing to bet your life for the chance of escaping or getting out of the poverty is crucial and the number one motive. 


Escapism and "getting out of here" are themes in all three films due to the poverty the youth are surrounded in. In Tsotsi, he travels to the outskirts of his environment to get a gazing view of the city of Johannesburg. This shows us the inequalities of the two social scenes in the post- apartheid setting of South Africa. Tsotsi wanting to look at the city shows us that his thoughts are of wealth and living like the people working at the city as he is surrounded in poverty and only dreams an 'escape' to the sweet life. 
The same theme is in City of God as different characters go to the beach and smoke a joint and take a view of the sea and the transparent mountains in the distance. The relaxing scenes of which the characters engage in this gives us a peaceful and calm sense which juxtapositions the violence, poverty and conflict we are watching and feeling throughout the film. It is also binary oppositions as we have the setting of the beach which is peaceful and the favelas which are violent. This shows us the western audience that in environments drenched in poverty, the youth and people have to find these binary oppositions and these peaceful locations and states of mind to escape from the cruel reality they must return to sooner or later. 
This is the same in La Haine where we get numerous shots of the three young friends sitting around looking bored in different locations such as a kids playground. This shows us that they are somehow trapped in this never ending routine by the performance of the actors not enjoying all this sitting around and giving this impression they have to go and sit through it because of the poor environment they are in. This shows us that even though we see these binary oppositions and sense of escapism, the characters cant exactly leave so easily as it seems they are only viewing the future whereas actually reaching out and grabbing it, for example Tsotsi gazing at the city and Rocket smoking in front of the beach.


Violence is key in all three films and money seems to be the greater motive for it. In Tsotsi, in a brutal scene set in the interiors of a train, Tsotsi and his gang stab an innocent man because of his wealth and to steal his bag of money. This shows us that the only reason this youth is doing this is because of the poor environment they were raised in and that they have to turn to violence as a source of financial income. The western audience are also shocked as it the scene is held inside a train and is surprised how noone saw or maybe that noone cared as it is such a  common thing which reinforces the dramatic situation of how poor these environments are. 
On the other hand, In a scene in City of God money is not the motive but poverty is still the reason as Lil Zee holds ups a group of children misfits in the favelas and orders two of em to shoot and kill another one of the kids. The western audience are again shocked as the situation is so drastic that children are being ordered to kill their friends for no valid reason. Children in film and in life are such a delicate subject, so in City of God, the directors really wanted to show the brutality and horror that poverty creates in these environments by using children as a real punch in the gut in showing the reality of the environment by making it as candid as possible by shocking an audience that doesn't know anything about this.
 La Haine is similar along the lines of being violent as the opening scene shows us real life footage of Riots occurring in Paris. By using real life footage, the audience feel more as if they have to believe the rest of the film as they see it more as a fact than a story like with documentaries. But the clips of the youth and public throwing bricks, smashing glass and tipping cars alongside reggae music shocks the audience as they are told this is real and not actors doing this which makes it more effective as it is golden proof and evidence of the effects of being under poverty or a corrupt environment involving different classes on regards of the money in their pockets as the audience can see this is what happens when people are put in these situations and environments.


In conclusion, all 3 films have similar and different attitudes towards poverty for different reasons. Having studied 3 foreign films, I think that having the films in different settings such as outskirts, third world countries and the streets and also having it being in the language of the mother tongue of the setting, make the films more realistic in a way that the audience are engaged in learning about these situations and themes and not particularly too happy about it because they tell the truth about their own countries and their own problems and situations they are in. The audience can't look away but at the same time can't keep full attention to the films as they might feel embarrassed that maybe they didn't know these situations of poverty were going on or that maybe they hadn't ever seen scenes such as realistic in the films. The films are clear potryal of a democratic public standing up and saying "were not taking it anymore". Violence, corruption, and conflict are all themes factors created by poverty which is ignored and also enhanced by the government and authority as seen in City of God and in La Haine. which is also a clear representation of what is happening at the moment in America as two cases of white police officers shoot/beat innocent black individuals, and the public don't want to stand for the class segregation anymore just like in La Haine.

Simon Poggi personal statement

As a relatively social individual I find that film is a common interest to every one of all ages whether it be a Disney or a Tarantino there is something to be enjoyed by everyone. I would love to deepen my knowledge within film so that I can devlop this into a career.

Films are a diverse way to visually communicate and act as a portal of imagination, It allows the viewer to absorb into their own interpretation of the film and distance themselves from reality.  Films are also a way to communicate globally as the same film will be viewed across the world, Which I think makes it a powerful subject. I desire to study film at university as I believe it brings people together while using other sources of media such as music and art. Films have been my hobby for years and after looking into careers I realised I could put my passion into a career and I believe that by studying this course it will allow me to do so. By attending higher education it will not only open many opportunities within my chosen career which will be an advantage, but will also open my eyes to a completely different social scene with diverse people, and a mature lifestyle which I believe will enhance my life experience. 

Whilst studying Media GCSE, I noticed I gained an interest in anyalising key scenes from Television programmes, films and commercials. From learning what mis-en-scene, non/diegetic sound and lighting is and how it can completely transform a scene to convey meaning to the audience. It gave me the basic knowledge to understand how to set a scene up by knowing what appropriate sound/music to have, what settings and props are usually linked with the genre to ultimately understand what makes a scene. With knowing i want to enlargen my knowledge of film I took AS film studies as it was the more specific subject for me. Whilst analysing key scenes of movies I chose to study in depth, I found myself facinated on how much I can alaylise scenes minute by minute and how many things actually matter in the scenes.

- I often hear refrences to movie trademarks such actor look alikes and quotes which demonstrates how film is loved by its audience.

Whether it be an actor or a storyline I hear references used my a range of different peoplein day to day life

-excitement for new films cinemas

-previews events related to film

-heres johnny premier inncc

- bubba gump 

- universal, Disney, studios

-oscars

For my career I am particularly interested in becoming a director…

Asset to uni because- open minded 

I want to study film in higher education as I believe I already know more than an average person my age but because I want to fill my brain with entire knowledge of film and film making to then become a film maker. As I started getting more interested in film and what happens behind the camera, I started watching films from another viewpoint. I learnt that a lot of directors are actually auteurs as their film’s consist of the re-occurring themes, camera shots, music and all have the same style as their other films. 

-why do you love film

-What makes you so sure that film is what you want to study?

-who are you influence that inspired you into doing film at uni?

-why film of all subject why not media, art or science?

-how does film make you feel when studying it

-what have you done to work towards your carrier as a film director

-what will you do to be successful in becoming a film producer

Investigating Tarantino as an auteur by shocking and controlling the audience?

3 FILMS

Item 1) RESERVOIR DOGS - Quentin Tarantino (1992)

This particular film is important for me as it was his first major picture in 1992 and boomed with awards and memroable scenes but ultimately set the scene for the "violent-humorous" cult era that Tarantino is all about. The violence, the comedy, the characters and the blood is what Tarantino is known for and Reservoir Dogs opened the door for all of that.


Item 2) PULP FICTION - Quentin Tarantino (1995)

This film is majorly useful as it reinforces the idea of Tarantino being an auteur as the film follows in the same footsteps along the lines of the themes as Reservoir Dogs. With an All star cast on his fingertips, Tarantino was able to create an interwining storyline of romance, violence, vengance, redemption and comedy whilst still shocking the audience. Tarantino plays with our minds in the film by keeping the theme of the unkown vivid as we dont know what were going to see next or whos going to die next.


Item 3) KILL BILL - Quentin Tarantino (2003)

Known as probably Tarantino's most violent film and maybe Hollywood's, Kill Bill is very important in showing how violent Tarantino wants his films to be whilst still showing a structured interwined storyline. Very useful as upon its release, Kill Bill shocked a lot of audience members and made history as the most conterversy film made. Tarantino also shows us in Kill Bill that he likes to shock but also play with stereotypes as he chooses a female to be the protagonist of this neo-samurai film rather than a male.

INTERNET

Item 4) KRON news article, Tarantino defends use of violence in films
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGQaJcwAtpU
This video interview featuring Quentin Tarantino on the violence in Kill Bill was taken from youtube. It was useful because it shows us how passionate and delicate Tarantino is regarding his movies involving violence. The interviewer confronts Tarantino in asking why he uses so much violnce in films and if kids viewed it they would engage in violence in the future. Tarantino argued back in explaining the difference between film and reality and ultimately stating that violence in movies is fun. This shows us that Tarantino only believes in the movie, which means every theme in his movies whether its violence or bad language.

Item 5) Quentin Tarantino Angry Interview: 'I'm Shutting Your Butt Down' 
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ER_q0B1-I This channel 4 interview shows Quentin Tarantino promoting his new film Django Unchained. As the interviewer goes on asking questions about his use of violence, Tarantino kicks off and refuses to answer any more questions on that matter. " My fans know where I stand on violence", says Tarantino shows us that he has been questioned and tormented about his use of violence in his films for many years and has finally had enough of explaining the enjoyment in violence in films and the fact that films are a "fantasy" and "not real life". This is useful as it shows us that Tarantino is in fact an auteur as he justifies he has a distinct style and on going status quo in his movies that will never change.

Item 6) The most shocking Tarantino scenes by ShortList.com
Source: http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/the-most-shocking-tarantino-scenes This article on 'The most shocking Tarantino scenes' shows us that Tarantino has been shocking and manipulating the audience with his use of violence ever since his first movie. "Still, it shows Tarantino's signature mix of finger-clickin' good tunes and ultraviolence was there from the start", a quote from the article explaining the movie Reservoir Dogs,  reinforces that Tarantino is an autuer as his films have followed the same style and recepie ever since "the start" with Reservoir Dogs. The article provides clips of 'the most shocking Tarantino scenes' and a little synopsis. What is noticible is that all the clips are simliar as they all have a mini lead up to something the audience isn't expecting at all, which is what shocks us. This shows us that he is an auteur as all the clips from each of his films have the same style but still suprises us and shocks us as we dont know when and what to expect the violence.

BOOKS/MAGAZINE ARTICLES

Item 7)  Media Magazine Issue fifteen/Febuary 2006

Item 8) 'Royal with cheese: Quentin Tarantino and the blood-letting of culture'
Source: Media Magazine Issue 35/Febuary 2011
This article, 'Royal with cheese: Quentin Tarantino and the blood-letting of culture', was very useful in once again showing Tarantino to be an Autuer of all audiences. "Changing the face of American cinema by speaking to all auidences", a quote taken from the article showing us that Tarantino has the power to connect with a wide range of audiences which makes him an Auteur as audiences recognise his work and accept his unique and distinct styles. "Films such as Pulp Fcition (1994),  Reservoir dogs (1992), Kill Bill (2003/04) can be seen to emphasise the human element - these are films that deal explicity with human themes of guilt, forgivness and redemption". Another quote from the article stating that Tarantino is an Auteur as he deals with the same re-occuring themes that attracts a wide range of audiences. This makes him an Auetur as people can recognise his work by his trademarked themes such violence, gory scenes and witty dialouge which are all themes and icons now in Tarantino's contemporary filmmaking. This article was excellent in showing Tarantino to be an Auteur as it describes him and his work in a way that every Auetur is described.

OBSERVATION SURVEY

Item 9) Observational survey of peers engaging with text
I asked one of my friends to watch a Tarantino movie and to tell me what they thought of it and if tehy could pick out some major elements in his filmaking. The film was Pulp Fiction (1994), and my friend expalined after watching the movie that he was abit confused with the structure of the movie due to the non-linear structure that Tarantino is famous for. He also mentioned that the film was really violent but enjoyed it as it was served with dark comedy which helped him keep positive when watching the film ultimately stating that he laughed out loud at moments he thought he shoudlnt have. I then asked him to watch another Tarantino movie the following night. I chose Reservoir Dogs (1992), and he stated the same techinques and elements of Pulp Fiction but for Reservoir Dogs which made him realise all of his filmography follows a distinct and unique recipe for filmmaking. This was important for me as it shows a person who has never seen a Tarantino movie can realise that he is an Auteur due to the way he can control the audience's emotions and feelings especially using comedy and violence together. But also how all of his films are similar in a way due to the themes, techinques, actors, locations and dialouge, which means if you like one of his films, your most likely to like all of them.


INTERVIEW

Item 10) Family member interview on use of violence.
I interviewed a family member on their thoughts of Tarantino and their appreciation towards the idea of him being an Auteur. My dad who has seen all of Tarantino's works was very possitive in expessing his feelings towards him and by stating that he was infact an auetuer. On the otherhand my mum said that his work does contain alot of blood and gory scenes which can be un easy to watch, but thats what makes it a 'Tarantino movie'.

MIND MAP
SIMILARITIES                               CRIME CONFLICT &POVERTY
DIFFERNCES
TECHNIQUES
STORIES

Simon Poggi    

Aims and context - "Swinging Cats"


- The opening of a motion picture screenplay named "Swinging Cats"
- Influences are : Goodfellas, Reservoir dogs,  A Clockwork Orange.
- Target audience : unisex with age rating 18+, crime genre lovers.

Reflective analysis - "Swinging Cats"

I created a crime/caper film set in the fashionable swinging 60s London era. The film is mostly based on 3 professional criminals who take on a major heist for their boss in one of the many jewelries at Hatton Gardens, Diamond district of London. The heist doesn't go too well, but the three criminals seem to have get off scot-free until their boss assures them people know it was them, and orders them to 'ged rid' of the troubles.

After watching a video of screenwriter and director, Quentin Tarantino, talking about what makes a perfect screenplay? He mentioned that its all about the pen on the page, that you should make it all about the page and the making it pleasant for the reader to read it and understand it as a story and not as a technical movie. So I decided to make characterisation key and give the three characters really firm different personalities so they would each give their own unique style to the movie, and also make it more enjoyable for the reader as it can stretch their imagination for who these characters really are.
Johnny is a very slick, smooth talking young man who sweet talks the ladies to get information and pretty much whatever he wants. When brainstorming this character, my influences was the character of Warren Beatty in Bugsy (1991),  James Caan in Godfather (1972), George Clooney in Ocean's eleven (2001) and Alain Delon in Le Samurai (1967). I wanted to have a character with that kind of personality as every crime film needs it to glamourise the situation and let the audience be entertained as the female target audience want the character and the male target audience want to be the character.
Butch is very manly, more older and wise and leads the group of bandits in a way. My influences were Sean Connery in The untouchables (1987), Robert De Niro in Goodfellas (1990), Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959) and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942). I wanted a character like Butch to really represent a man and a leader, a man who dresses well, deals with the authority and makes sure everything runs smoothly but ultimately has a bad past like any other criminal. The character of Butch puts the organised in organised crime.
Sully, on the other hand, is very different as he isn't attractive as the other two characters, psychically and personality wise as he is very short tempered, loud mouthed, and very violent. My influences were Joe Pesci in Goodfellas (1990), Samuel Jackson in Jackie Brown (1997), Malcolm Mcdowell in A clockwork Orange (1971) and Bob Hopskins in The Long Good Friday (1980).  I thought a character like Sully is ideal for my movie as it brings even more drama into the situation and achieves interest for the trigger happy audience members due to his violence. Characters like Sully are used in movies to show the bad side of crime as they indulge themselves in blood soaking violence that puts the audience off, and just like every hollywood film, the character always ends baldly.

I chose to set my screenplay in the mid 1960's London as Ive always been really into the decade and thought it would just fit more into the crime genre and also setting it in the diamond district of London reinforces the heist situation of the movie. Music from british groups from the era such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The kinks, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The who and Deep Purple have always been influential for me from a young age so i wanted to write something about characters in that era. As London was very popular in the 60s, ultimately gaining the nickname, the swinging 60s, actors from around the world would visit to get a taste of 'the good life'. The retro style, the crazy hair, good music, and hippie flower movement was all happening in the 60s which is what I've always found interesting and fascinating. But what made me set my crime story in the 60s was the influential mob brothers, The Krays. Probably the most infamous British criminals alongside Jack the ripper, The Krays basically owned most of London and for me set a cult message as they were the first to inhabit the american mobster way of doing business which was what made them so iconic for London. As i researched more about The Krays, setting a heist/crime movie in London during the time was so ideal as in a way it actually what was happening at the time as London was violent and criminals such as The Krays (and my characters) ruled the criminal underworld.

The opening scene in my screenplay isn't actually the beginning of my story but actually mid way through. The idea of having a non linear structure came from Tarantino and Scorsese films as Ive always been interested how well they've worked and how they drag the audiences attention in such little time. The first time I watched Pulp Fiction, I watched it straight again after as I wanted to figure out the order of the scenes in my head, which is what I want my audience to do. By throwing your audience into the scene mid way through, they look around and look closer as they want to know where they are and where there possibly going, which is much more interesting for them. Also what influenced me to do a heist story without actually seeing the group of 3 entering the jewerelly store and robbing it, was Reservoir Dogs (1992) as the whole film is tense and were following these characters talking about a heist but never actually seeing it. This level of suspense also comes from the films of Hithcock as the simple element of not seeing something makes it even more scary/tense/suspensful. For example in Psycho (1960) You never see the knife penetrate Janet Leigh, but the audience still scream and close their eyes in terror.

I chose to have the character of Johnny speaking over the black as Ive always thought that its the best way to open a movie. From films such as Godfather, A clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, Casablanca and Annie Hall opening with a quote or a statement drags your audience in as its the first thing that is said, and the audience will use their judgement to carry on watching. By speaking over the black, the audience wonder who's speaking? what character it is? And why are they saying this?
The opening scene is set in a high class restaurant for aritrocats, politicians and people of wealth. I chose to have the scene in a classy restaurant to show the audience the rich and lavish London lifestyle, and also give to give them a sweet evil taste of what crime can buy you. I had the image of Ernie's restaurant in Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958) as it consisted of a lot of red bright colours and extravagant materials and furniture. the main colour was red, which symbolises passion, beauty and danger and blood which had a double effect and meaning. What made me want to have this very over the top restaurant was also Stanley Kubrick's amazing use of colours, shapes, symmetry and 60s retro as seen in most of films. I liked this as it makes the setting of the scene iconic as the audience would not only remember the characters from the film but also unforgettable setting of the scene if its done well. The costumes for the characters were chose to be suits as it represents business, gentlemen and wealth. As I've always been fascinated by protagonist's costumes in Scorsese films such as Goodfellas and Casino, I wanted to have my characters have similar flashy suits as it almost disguises their bad deeds, and sugar coats the danger that lys behind the blazers. Having the scene cut to different conversations helps the audience ask who these people are but also subconsciously introduces the main characters without making it too obvious as they listen to conversation to conversation and pick up on the different characters trademarks, for example Johnny's flirty self and Sully's short temper.
The opening scene ends with the 3 criminals killing the person they were conversing with and all link at the middle of the restaurant and exit together as a gang and as they walk in the street the camera pans across the street and we see the Jewellery store they were all talking about. I thought this would shock the audience as they wouldn't of expected the men to be together as they were all in different conversations across the room, and also being shocked about the murders. By having the shot of the Jewellery store at the end makes the audience jump of the seat and think 'thats the thing they were talking about!', which also adds a bit of irony as they walk past somewhere they've committed a crime right after they committed another crime. So as Pink Floyd's "Money" plays during the opening credits, the audience would ask themselves Who were they? why did they murder those people? How are they linked? Are they involved in the heist that they were speaking about? All these valid questions helps the audience focus themselves for the rest of the film and motivate themselves to find out the truth.

I re-watched a lot of movies that influenced my idea and story and researched certain particulars such as the setting, clothes and dialogue to make the screenplay correct and candid. I also read some screenplays such as Pulp Fiction (1994) which helped me with writing a scene with non linear structure and making characterisation important to illustrate to the audience who these characters really are and what they do. When showing this idea to peers and my teacher they said it could work really well if it was done well by showing different characters and trying to make the dialogue easy and simple to follow but also be dragged by it and not bored. Different scripts of Tarantino also helped me learn how to make an audience let out a laugh in situations of the story which aren't supposed to be naturally funny.










                                                                   

For my project in photography i have decided to base it on architecture because after looking at different photographers i found that i was interested in buildings and how they are able to completely change an image. I then developed this idea by looking at old buildings and comparing them to new. I decided to base my shoots in London as its famous for its buildings and city scales, and people travel across the world just to see it for its history which is portrayed through its architecture but by adding modern buildings are we losing the traditional image that its known for?

Battersea  Power station 
Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Battersea. I chose to focus on it as I believe it is one of London's' most iconic monuments but also one of London's most important monument. The power station has become a visual icon as it has been used in many popular culture references such as The Beatles film , 'help' and Pink Floyd's 'Animal' album cover, which reinforces it being a british icon as both of those group bands are english. But one of the reasons I've made an interest in Battersea Power station is because it links with my question about modern architecture as next to the power station, plans to build modern apartments are already mid way in process. I thought this was interesting as the power station is now seen with cranes and a building site. This was perfect in showing traditional against contemporary.

Young men from ethnic minorities are the main social group represented in both films. In City of God, we follow Rocket as a young boy but we also see a group of younger kids when Rocket is grown up called “The Runts”, who indulge themselves in crime due to the poverty surrounding them. In Tsotsi, the main characters are also teenagers which shows the audience that living in poverty and being surrounded by conflict ultimately influences young children to get involved in crime at a young age because the only people in that environment who have money and own a tiny percent of wealth are drug dealers and criminals. In a scene in City of God, Lil Ze, confronts “The Runts” and hands a gun to one of the children and orders him to kill one of the others after he had already shot them both in the foot. This shows the audience that the young characeters are getting involved in crime and getting hurt. The scene in City of God shocks the western audience as a man handing a gun to a child seems so abnormal and reinforces the conflict and disorientation of decency in the favelas and environment of Rio De Janerio.

Discuss messages and issues related to ‘poverty’ and ‘conflict’ in Tsotsi and City of God. Make particular reference to:

-Mis- en- scene (costumes, location, décor, props)

- Themes, binory opositions

- Characters

-Beginnings

- Endings

- Symobolism

Use the trailers in particular to springboard your ideas off.

You may occasionally refer to camera, editing and sound micro-elements if you feel it is relevant.

Photography essay

Is modern photography overruling classic?

In this essay i will be talking about how modern photography involving photoshop skills and slick camera viewpoints could be replacing traditional classic black and white images shot on 35mm film. 

As time goes on we are given the access to more and more new technology especially involving cameras and post production. Softwares such as photoshop can allow us to edit images in any way we want. We can transform an image into anything we want by adding, increasing, enhancing any feature or filter to attract the image to the viewers eyes. New digital cameras allow us to capture the image in an innovative way as we can control the shutter speed/ apature and white balance. Although all of these features are exciting and new, 35mm film is the birth and cornerstone of photography as probably the greatest and most historic photographs ever taken were on film.

The Auteur theory is simply the theory that the film director is the primary force of the whole motion picture. The Auteur, mainly the writer or director, uses their own original and personal styles to project their vision on to the big screen, so that when the audience view it, they can instantly refer to the movie to that filmmaker due to the originality.
The Auteur theory was originated in France in the 1950s by Francois Truffant and believed that the director overcame the writing, the audio, the visuals and was actually the author of the film.  Hitchcock is a critically acalaimed director and is why some people refer to him as an Auteur. Hitchcock uses unique styles in his films which make the viewer instantly recognise the director as they've unconsciously remembered a certain trademark or style in which they've seen in another Hitchcock movie. For example, the obvious theme of suspense that Hitchcock loves and re-uses in his films can be easily recognised and referred back to him as he started the suspense frenzy in films, and is what he most notorious for.

Vertigo (1958), directed by Alfred Hitchcock is a twisted, unpleasant, revealing, exciting, bumpy ride through themes such as confession, guilt, suspense and murder up and down the streets of San Francisco. The film revolves around Scottie (Jimmy Stewart), a retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigating the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her. Scottie's vertigo is acknowledged from the begining of the movie as the opening scene of the police chase is ended in a tragic death of the policeman himself. Scottie is then tormented by the view of the policeman falling from the height shown by the 'Hitchcock shot' of zooming in and out. Ironically, Hitchcock decided to set the movie in San Francisco which is famous for its steep and downhill roads. Having a character suffering from acrophobia in a setting such as this, is Hitchcock's infamous strategy to really bring out the characters in people. For example Kim Novak didn't want to wear grey dresses and Hitchcock insisted she did.

The theme of the male gaze is fluid throughout the film but starts with the opening sequence as Bernard Hermann's condescending soundtrack leads us from the mouth of Kim Novak in a close up to into her eye. The shot fades to a furious red which can symbolise danger, passion and obsession which are all valid themes in the film. As we enter her eye we get a spiral as the credits roll. The spiral reinforces the idea of the male gaze as we are entering the woman's eyes without maybe permission as her performance in the close up seems uneasy and scared. The spiral can also refer to Scottie's suffer from acrophobia as it gives a sense of vertigo and illusion of losing balance and spiralling out of control. The male gaze is also seen when we the audience are watching Scottie watching Judy try on different dresses trying to re-enact the perfect 'madeline' or maybe the 'perfect woman', as the film shows us Scotties real obsession is self conflicted as he isn't trying to make Judy into Madeline but actually his own impression of what the perfect woman looks like.

Colours appear frequently throughout the film, but one colour which really stands out is the colour green. Green can mean a numerous amount of things and if it was Hitchcock's intention to consistently use the colour green is simply an argument and will be never known. For example, at ernies restaurant, when Scottie first sees Madeline she is wearing a green stole that stands out vividly from the warm red of the room. Her appearance is quite unpleasant and gives this impression of a ghost. The colour green may have been used to symbolise ghosts and spirits. This is also seen in the scene at scotties apartment as the hotel sign is shining a green neon light on Judy as she walks out the bathroom looking like Madeline. The green light illuminates on Judy as if she's resurrected from death as Madeline which reinforces the idea that the colour green connotes ghosts and resurrection.

Corrupted authority or doubled faced people was very important to Hitchcock and is shown in many of his films such as Rope, Psycho and Vertigo. The reason for this may be because he was locked up in a jail cell at a very young age just to be taught a lesson. This may have been a conflict that had raised but also a motive for making movies. In Vertigo the theme of doubled faced is obviously seen as Kim Novak plays two different characters but the same person. This is also another fact that adds to the conflict to Scottie as the confusion pushes him even more into his spiral. This is what could make Hitchcock an auteur as he uses personal experience in his work to give it the unique style that every film wants.

Tsotsi Essay 

For this essay, I will be discuss the representations of poverty and conflict in the film Tsotsi.  Tsotsi (2005) directed by Gavin Hood and starring Presley Chweneyagae as the protagonist talks about the desperate situation in contompary post apartheid Johaannesburg, South Africa. We follow the  life of Tsotsi, a small time hoodlum fighting to survive but as he finds himself responsible for a baby he 'stole', he tries to change his ways and leads a road to redemption. As the film is seen as a 'rites of passage' type of film, a lot of themes and motifs are seen that link in with both poverty and conflict.

Straightaway, the theme of chance and fate is seen as we get close ups of the boys shaking their fists and throwing the dices. The dices symbolise chance and fate as you never know what they're going to land on, the element of 50/50 on landing on something  high or low connotes the risks the boys are taking as they've reached the point in their lives that if you don't risk, you can't win or survive. Having this scene at the start straightaway throws us in the situation that the boys and everyone else in the location is living. Chance and fate links with conflict as there is that fight of needing to survive and doing and pursuing things you don't want to, or don't want to risk as the possibilities aren't exactly the best but have to because of the economical situation which links with poverty. We then understand that the conflict comes from the poverty that surrounds Johaannesberg as it makes the people and the environment's atmosphere feel very hot and tense to us, the western audience.

Twice in the film, when the characters go throughout the train station we get a high wide shot of the interior of the station and there is an un missable billboard of an advert raising awareness of HIV & AIDS. This reminds us the western audience about the diseases and conflict Africa has towards these sort of illnesses and diseases. It helps us understand the sanitary situation which has been evolved because of the poverty South Africa is in, and also links in with conflict as the characters have to also fight to survive from these horrible and deadly diseases.
Already 3 mins in the film, we see the first murder assisted by Tsotsi and his gang. The victim is a middle aged man obviously much more wealthy and in a more stable economical situation that Tsotsi and his friends as his apreance containg a suit and top hat shows us doesn't need to 'survive'. This obviously reinforces the theme of conflict as Tsotsi and his gang pursue a close, tense murder just for an envelope of money. This again dramatises the situation the charters are in as killling another human is everyday life for surviving and for personal gain. The way close ups, and mid close ups are used during the stabbing scene gives us an example and understanding of how violent, hot, and nauseating the streets of Johaannesberg really are as we are almost disgusted but understand the situation of 'take or get taken' that the boys are living in. Also having the murder scene in a train makes the audience understand that conflict is everywhere and the fact that there isn't any social security or anything as such, murders, robberies and other crimes can be out in the open and in public places as if it isn't anything, this scares the western audience about the possibilities and could maybe foreshadow the rest of the film.

The motif of dogs is very significant in the film as it is mentioned throughout and mostly in key important scenes. The interrogation scene where Boston confronts Tsotsi about the murder in the beginning of the film is key as Tsotsi completely beats Boston as soon as he says the word dog. This shows us that Tsotsi has a troubled past when it comes to dogs or a special dog as it seems as he takes it personally. His actions also show us that he is self conflicted about his past and has still not overcome it. Another scene surround the symbolisism of dogs is Tsotsi talks to Morris the homeless cripple in a vacant location. Which again reminds us of the economical situation as Morris explains us he broke his back at a mining accident whilst working and has now become homeless, reinforcing the fact that there is no social security. Tsotsi refers Morris to a dog as his back is broken and has to move around in a wheelchair. The reason Tsotsi refers to Morris as a dog is because Morris' actions come across as hopeless such as a dog who crawls on the floor. But as soon as Morris asks Tsotsi what kind of man kills a dog? Tsotsi kicks his box of loose change and exits. This shows us he is defeinatly angry as whenever someone has confronted or questioned him about a/his dog, he switches and tries to end the conversation by some sort of violent action which shows us he is conflicted. Finally in a significant flashback scene we see Tstoti's father having an argument with his Tsotsi's mother and kicks his dog causing him to break his back. We see a young Tsotsi's facial expressions break as the noises of the dog crying haunt him. We finally understand the meaning behind his delicate and fragile secrecy about his dog and feel somewhat sympathetic towards him as maybe he has turnt out how he is because of his edgy past involving his father. Also that scene is key as the young Tsotsi runs away, his father calls him by his real name, David. This is significant as we have also known him just as Tsotsi and has never explained his name. This shows us how personal and important the flashback scene is in the development of the character and from that point on, he was no longer David but became Tsotsi.

Decency is also another important theme as it is a word introduced by Boston were he calls it something derived from education. After the murder in the train station, Boston feels sick and later on describes his accident the remaining bit of decency left in him. What Boston means by this is that the killing of the man made him feel sick as he knew it was wrong and that maybe him and Tsotsi and the others had gone too far, and that being sick is him being decent as he understands it wrong. He then confront Tsotsi asking him if he knows what decency is, this shows us that there is conflict within the gang swell on surrounding what is right and wrong and when is enough going to be enough. "Fuck decency" is a quote from another small time hoodlum as he is surrounded by the boys. When Boston has the same conversation with him, the man replays to him that quote. This shows us that the people from that environment and the situation of poverty has reached a negative mentality of there isn't a point or meaning in life, and decency in yourself if you can't do or get what you need or desire, so conflict seems like the easiest and only way really to do anything. It shows us that if you are always fed from the same crap spoon your whole life, you can't get anything better unless you fight for it.

Screenplay idea 1

The plot

3 men take on a heist, they think it goes well, slowly stuff about starts to unravel and peoples suspicions start to arise.

Opening scene

Set in a classy restaurant, we cut to 3 different conversations around the restaurant.
First conversation
Man in love with woman talking about life and love.
Second conversation
Man talking with a FBI officer, talking about entering the FBI.
Third conversation
Man talking to the restaurant owner about taxes and threaten him about his expenses.

As we cut from conversations, we notice they all add different outlooks and opinions about a recent jewerlly heist opposite the restaurant. As conversations end we see that the first man puts an tiny empty bottle of poison in his pocket and we see the woman slowly drinking her drink. We then see that under the table the second man has a pistol pointed at the the FBI's genitals. And the third man  slowly opens his briefcase and puts on rubber gloves and gets out a glove.

As they all exchange last words, the woman's head falls on the table, the second man blasts the FBI under the table, and the third man chokes the owner to death in the vacant room.
With everyone in the restaurant in terror they slowly stand up, regroup and walk out the restaurant together. As they walk out we turn to the right and notice the jewerlly store everyone was talking about.

Characters

Mickey (FIRST MAN)
The first man, bit of a ladies man the more good looking Bugsy Siegiel type. Wears blue with his suit,  cocky young but fearless. - Likes to kill with poetry, such as a kiss of death, poison, overdose, so his hands remain clean.

Butch (SECOND MAN)
Older ex-cop lost everything to his divorce nothing to lose kinda guy. Wears red with his suit, Bruce willis kind of guy quite rigid facial expressions, knows how to talk to authority in situations. - Like to kill the old fashioned pistol to the heart way, being an ex-cop knows a lot about weapons.

Sully (THIRD MAN)
The more violent, loves to kill type. Like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, loves to embarrass, curse, intimidate and cause pain. Takes what he wants and doesn't look back. - Likes to get his hands dirty and do his work himself, likes to murder un close so he can feel the other person leaving, so he gains more strength.


Screenplay 2

The plot

On his 50th birthday, Norman Oats gets fired, has the biggest argument with his wife about economical problems and considers suicide. After a outrageous situation at an all night diner, Norman is able to get his hands on some money and live his life with more happiness and flexibility. However the way he got the money haunts him and as investigations are on going on which causes him to turn into a  different person.

Opening scene

Opens up on his birthday as he leaves his house to go to his dead end card making job. As his hot water  doesn't work at home, his son losing interest in him, and his wife drifting away, alongside being ignored at work, we understand this man has no future and is hopeless and the mid life crisis has been going on for quite a while. A customer buying a get well soon card strikes his eye as Norman remembers his scar under his eye. He straight away gets fired and leaves. He spends his night drinking and driving as he contemplates life. He passes a bridge, as he does he has flashbacks to him arguing with his wife about money. He gets out and stands on the edge of the bridge and looks down. He drops his glasses by mistake. He decides its a bad decision and drives to an all night diner. Straight after he enters a thief does the same, he orders the cashier to empty the safe. Norman realises it was the customer from earlier in the day. Meanwhile a customer eating in the corner takes out his gun and points it at the thief, the thief turns around and gets shot but he also shoots the customer, and the customers aim drops and shoots the cashier. Norman is left with the bag of money on the table.

Characters

Norman Oats

A very bland man. His intelligence is hidden by the expectations of others. As he doesn't shine us with a terribly appealing individual our expectations of him are low. Very misjudged, and underestimated, Norman lives his life mentally alone as he enjoys watching James bond movies, Bogart and Cagney films, cycling, and his job at a card making store. His appearance usually contains cargo pants, grey bland sweaters and shirts with glasses. Doesn't speak too much only when 'told' to. Very much like Walter White. But throughout the movie his appearance changes from Dr Jekyll to Mr Hyde.

Film studies paper

Source A)
Why is Film Franchises important for producers and audiences?
Film franchises are important for producers because it’s were they get all their profit, and it’s important to keep interest within the franchise to the audience as they are the ones who can increase ticket sales and merchandise sales. Film franchises have a long history as the first film of the franchise sends of a cultural trend as it may involve a new style, interesting storyline or even something just plain innovative. So the audience would be excited about this new idea and as word of mouth increases, more people will watch it, then the production company will produce merchandise such as t-shirts, video games, and sort of like a fashion trend if the character has a certain trademark like a coloured top, audiences will want to buy that same styled top to be like the character which makes the film more realistic in a way. After the big success of the first film, the production company will come out with a sequel and given the response by the audience and the ticket sales, they will decided whether to make a trilogy or even more into a saga. Most sequels to film franchises talk about the story in another way or from a different point of view. For example in ‘The Godfather Part 1’ the protagonist, ‘Vito Corleone’ dies near the ending. This would hint to the audience that the film is not going to have a sequel because how can they if the character is dead. But then ‘Part 2’ shows the characters origins as we see the growing up of the character ‘Vito Corleone’ so in some way the story lives on and a new character rises (Michael Corleone). The same is in ‘Batman Begin), as the famous ‘Batman’ franchise shows the character’s origins in the film and explains to the audience how it happened. The way franchises work is that the first film was a great critically acclaimed success and the production company have to keep interest but also same story style to maintain the audience’s relationship with the characters. In most cases they would keep the same characters but different motives. For example the ‘Die Hard’ films have the same plot in every film, Bruce Willis stays where he is but the villains always change. Just like in ‘James Bond’. But also most franchises come from books. For example, ‘James Bond’ written by Ian Fleming has been made into 23 films all based on the books as it was greatly written and was something innovative.  Also ‘The Godfather’, ‘Twilight’, ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the rings’ are all books turned into films which makes it easier for producers as they don’t have to think of new ideas as they are all already written.  On item 1, the table shows the overall gross total of income for 4 franchise films, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘James Bond’, ‘Star wars’ and ‘Batman’. The films reach a gross amount up to $6.3 million. The reason why they reach such large numbers is because of the merchandise, DVD sales and alongside the reputation of the film. People don’t like risking things and especially not money, so when going to the cinema they want to see something they know they’ll enjoy and then is not a waste of their money. They also want to buy merchandise such as clothes wear, objects, games and DVDs as they follow and like their franchise. People seem to find the franchises more safe and easy as they know what they’re expecting because of their reputation and the film doesn’t have to fight to get the audience’s attention. The ‘The Dark Night Rises’ viral marketing campaign is an example of how being a franchise helps marketing a lot. The website for the 2012 film was initially just a black screen with some unusual chanting. As fans had to find a hidden hyperlink, it revealed a second website which was then used to share on social network sites such as Facebook and twitter. This technique allows fans to be more than fans and actually get involved as the company’s websites allowed them to try and find links and share them to the world. When they shared it over the net, the website revealed a picture of the film’s villain, Bane. Again this technique gives the fans a sneak peak about the film whilst not revealing too much. Film Franchises are all about the money, that’s why it’s so important to producers. Producers aren’t too fussed if their franchise of films go to the Oscars or gain any awards, what they are fussed about is starting a trend, a financial trend where kids, adults and everyone pays to see the movie, buys the merchandise, get the DVDs and repeat this after every 2 years as franchise is the easiest less risky movie investment that is guaranteed increase in overall sales.

How far do the endings of the films you have studied for this topic confirm their messages and values?

For the two films I have studied, key messages and values are crucial. Both films are set in a certain chosen location, social dome and state of mind that gives messages and values to the audience to understand. The endings of the films and in any film are important as it wraps up everything we’ve learnt or missed out and is revealed to us.

‘Get Carter’ directed in 1971 by Mike Hodges starring Michael Caine follows the character of Jack carter as a wealthy London gangster finding himself in the poverty of Newcastle to seek answers and vengeance for his brother’s death. The message of cynical darkness and ugliness of the North is dramatically shown by the poverty and social realism of Newcastle in the late 60s at the end of the film, as the protagonist is located in a muddy, dull wasteland of a beach chasing the man whom he thinks murdered his brother. As we get several wide shots of the rainy grey sky and dirty sand we are sickened by the surroundings we are witnessing and where Jack is lost in. As beaches and sea sides are conventionally known to be somewhat happy and bright, the beach the scene is set in is the complete reverse and contradicts the happiness of the beach. The wide shots also give this over giving sense of enormity in the situation as the dark sea seem never ending alongside with the troubled, muddy and over lapping hills of evil sand. The audience understand how poor and gritty Newcastle is as we’ve witnessed nearly most of it with Jack and to end in the hell beach hints to the audience that something significant and not good is going to happen. The darkness in which Jack finds himself internally is now external as everywhere he looks is wasteland and horror. This could suggest his mental darkness and cynical ways have met him at his last moment as the beach could suggest the way he has lived his life, in crime, darkness and in the shadows. The audience see the horror of the beach as sort of a purgatory for Jack as he has met the end of his life and is where he deserves.

‘Ill Manors’ Directed in 2012 by Ben Drew is an intertwining tale of different kids and adults living in crime in South East London. Redemption is a key moment and message in the film, especially in the ending as the character of Aaron rides in a cab to his parents after his best mate died, along with many other characters as well. As he rides in the cab his facial expressions seems as if he is in peace and not running anymore. After his mate Ed died he closes every tail leading to crime as he returns a gun back to the owner, symbolising he is ending his crime life, he also helps out a young teen girl in a fight, suggesting he is in the good side now and no longer the bad side, and choses to see his parents after many years of foster care. His facial expressions in the cab could suggest that he has also changed his state of mind and has had an epiphany where as everyone in that location has the same negative state of mind but he has learnt now.  Also redemption is seen when Chris stands by the river Thames over viewing the o2 and throws his gun in the river symbolising that he is maybe finished with the criminal thug life, as the gun falling in the river could symbolising he is throwing in the towel in crime. The message the audience get in the end is positive as redemption can come at any time and to not feel like you’ve lost it. Also the reflections of the Olympic stadiums in the cab suggest the values of life, as under all that dirt, filth and crime, is a happy, safe and healthy environment suggesting you shouldn’t ever give up.

Another message that Get Carter gives to the audience at the end of the movie is the continuous and conventional moral of the gangster/crime genre that authority always wins. In most gangster movies the ending is justified by the police, FBI and any source of authority winning and taking over the criminals/bad figures. This is shown by the Newcastle police breaking in Kinnear's, the main criminals house and finding drugs,prostitutes and arresting the character. This message is important because it shows to the audience the consequences of the criminal life. The audience throughout the film are being made to witness Kinnear's wealthy, exciting criminal life as he indulges himself in drug business, pornography and excess, and to show the audience that life isn't this easy, they have to add the realism of authority breaking in and making arrests. The audience also enjoy seeing authority win in the end of movies as it has been for the past decades because it makes them feel safe that the criminals are put behind bars at the end of the film. 

The message of change is shown in Ill Manors in end as most situations and characters change right at the end leaving the audience a lot to think about and question. For example the young teen girl that helped Aaron take care of the baby gets herself in a fight, as she did earlier in the film, but this time she stands up for herself and fights back at her enemies. The audience could think that she's brave now as she fights back and stood up for herself as before she would just take the beating. But the audience could also argue that she fights back because of all thats happened leading up to that point, that the death of her best friend, Ed, and the madness of the baby and the prostitute has made her not afraid of life anymore. The young kid that Jake walks with to score the bag of weed in the beginning of the film was beaten and humiliated by infact Jake as he betrayed him to enter a gang, but at the end we see him holding up another kid asking for his money. This shows us that the bullied turns into the bully as he is repeating what had happened to him to others. The audience feel sympathy towards him as he is insecure and the only reason he is acting this way is because he was treated so badly by his best friend. As he lifts his head up we see that he still has a black eye from the beating that he had taken, this shows us how quick things can change given any situation. It also shows us the delicate matter of how something tragic and scarring can change someone for every which is the whole theme and meaning of the film as Ben Drew shows the audience the tragic early lives of the main characters.

Location is not only the place where a film is set but it is also the time, date and age in which the film is set. In just one cut in a film it can transport you from one location, day and time, into another. The location of a film is the platform of every movie, as soon as the audience understands where the film is located; they understand the characters involved and typical situations. Get Carter directed by Mike Hodges 1971 and Ill Manors, Ben Drew 2012 have both various significant locations and are in fact the locations which impact the lives and situations of the main protagonists in the film.

Get Carter opens up with a wide shot of the protagonist, Jack Carter (Caine), as he gazes outside a window of which seems to be an apartment in London. Carter is dressed in a nice black tailored suit which shows us that he is wealthy and with one hand in the pocket and the other holding a glass of scotch, he gives the audience a James Bond kind of vibe as he comes across as a stereotypical London spy or some sort, also the non-diegetic music in the background reinforces the crime/spy genre. Few moments later we see the interior of the apartment and the mis-en-scene shows us that  it is luxurious, expensive and classy as we see different shades of gold, marble tables, scotch and bourbon bottles of crystal accompanied by crystal glass, which reveals us that Carter is wealthy, classy and sophisticated. But it also shows us that London is a place of wealth and class as the apartment is located there. The audience understand that Jack belongs in this environment as it is his comfort zone and if he is distanced away from his location, he is out of his comfort zone.

Ill Manors opens up with a time lapse wide establishing shot of the chosen location of the film which is south east London. The shot slowly zooms in as the frame is in fast motion which reveals us that the location of this film is key for the narrative of the characters in the film. Having it in fast motion simply dramatizes the location itself and lets us live in the location for a day as we see cars zooming past and people buzzing away until the sun slowly goes to set and darkness invades the screen. In the shot we see the multibillion dollar Olympics investment already half way through development as it contrasts the council estate high rises next to it. We also see a peaceful area of large suburban houses with a gentle park opposite, and the city on the top right which contrasts the estates again as it is a place of wealth and business. Having the establishing shot of the location, Ben Drew shows us that in London everything is un balanced, as you can have a rich big mansion and in the next road you can have a block of gritty flats, and next door to it you can have big business buildings. Ben Drew shows us this through his establishing shots but also by his lyrics later on in the film where he says, “David Cameron’s broken Britain”, the smart alliteration explains us that what Ben Drew is saying, we are seeing it.

As Carter arrives in Newcastle we get a different opinion to it than of London as we get a few establishing shots of the industrial working class of Newcastle along with the grey, cloudy wet weather as it all seems so negative. The establishing shots dramatize and enlarge the enormity of the tightness and limited space of the community in Newcastle as all the houses are small and tight with each other which give the audience a sort of claustrophobic feeling. The interior of the house where Carter arrives in Newcastle is the exact opposite and it some way contrasts the interior of the London apartment as it is gritty, grey, ugly, and dirty and nearly falling apart as wallpaper is ripping off and the materials of the house are all refusing to stay together. All these things about Newcastle scares the audience as it isn’t pleasant to view but also we feel scared for Carter as we know he is out of his comfort zone as he is use to the high life of London. Newcastle seems dangerous and should not be explored which is why it intrigues us more as Carter explores the rough streets of Newcastle for his ultimate motive to find out what happened to his brother.

Ill Manors has a lot of locations in which are stereotypically known to the gangster/crime genre, and one of them is the abandoned warehouse which young Jake is accompanied by his ‘older’, Marcel. Ben Drew uses the power of juxtaposition as the sun is shining, birds are tweaking and the sky is blue and right in the middle is this grey, rusty dangerous abandoned old warehouse. Abandoned locations is ideal in gangster genres as it hints danger as it is abandoned for a reason but also because no one ever goes there so anything can happen without supervision.  Inside the warehouse is a man tied up to a pole with a cloth wrapped around his mouth. The torture scene is typical in the gangster genre as characters torture over characters to get certain information or because they have crossed the line someway. Ben Drew reminds us that even though technology is moving on and more different people are getting into the world of crime, e.g - kids, the old tactics of gangs such as torture still live on.

In Get Carter, we know that Newcastle is a place of crime, grittiness, dullness and poverty, but if you pay the right price you can still live the high life. Kinnear’s house is a massive mansion with a trophy girlfriend, American style Cadillac’s, and throws big drug, sex parties.  This shows us that anywhere, any location, even if it is poor, if you break the rules and do things your own way and lead a life of crime, you can have big houses and indulge yourself in vast parties. This shows that to live how you want, you have to break the law and hurt people. This also shows the motivation of the people up north wanting have a better life and live as if they are in London.

In Ill Manors, along with Get Carter, the location of the pub is ideal and significant in both films as it has turned into the British gangster hangout spot in Crime movies. In Ill Manors the pub is the location for the drug dealing and prostitution of the young woman. The pub in the film is known to hold criminals and bad people as Ed goes in there to offer the men the young woman to prostitute. The pub is significant in the British culture to be a relaxing place to have a drink and a laugh, and similar to American movies with their bars, Ben Drew uses the location of the pub as a stage for the violence and grittiness we see, as it is always there, even until the very last scenes of the film when it is burned down. 

Location in the two films is important as it conveys meaning to the audience by explaining different situations and different aspects of community and society. Location in both films is also a state of mind as many characters in the films want to achieve something and reach somewhere, for example Carter wants to live with a peaceful mind at rest in South America as he keeps saying it throughout the film. In Ill Manors, many of the characters want to live and be somewhere with aims but it is their current location that drags them down from their dreams. 

How important is location to the films you have studied for this topic?
(Get Carter)

Key location is ideal for any movie with any genre. Location sets the scene and the rest of the film and is what supports and sustains the whole film. Location is not only the setting but the time, day and age as well. Location can create deep meaning and also question the audience which creates over all interest in the film.

Get carter (1971), directed by Mike Hodges and starring Michael Caine as "Jack Carter", talks about a British gangster from London travelling to Newcastle to find out what really happened at the time of his brother's death. The film opens up on a wide shot of Jack Carter gazing outside a window of what appears to be a luxurious  apartment. This directly gives the audience the impression that London is a high society place filled with luxurious apartments and as Jack Carter is dressed in a well tailored suit, it suggests that people from London are pretty wealthy as well. As the scene goes on we see the interior of the apartment, the mis-en-scene reinforces the wealth of London as we get a close up of Jack pouring scotch into a crystal glass from a crystal bottle. The chosen materials and props show the audience that the protagonist is wealthy and that London is a wealthy city meaning that it is also Jack's comfort zone and if he is taken away from London, he is out of his comfort zone.

The first impression of Newcastle on the other hand is that its a city filled with poverty, violence and grittiness as we get several establishing shots of the industrial sceneries in Newcastle. Also the colours in the shots are much more grey and bland as its gives the audience a negative atmosphere but could also symbolise the ugliness and grit of Newcastle. As jack enters the house where he is staying, he talks to the landlady, we get a low angled shot of the two walking up the stairs. As she is the first woman from Newcastle we have met in the film and the way she is introduced is through her backside shows how men thought about women in the late 60s and early 70s. The house were he is staying is as gritty as the outside of Newcastle as the walls are of a dirty grey with ripped wallpaper and tight small rooms, this shows the audience the vast difference in economy north England has rather than in south as poverty affects most charcters in film.

Although criminals in the film such as Kinnear have advantages and a certain amount of wealth that other characters don't in the film. The film shows us that although set in a poor place, the criminals and gangsters with the money are still able to live with luxury  and differently than the orthodox working class. Kinnear owns a massive mansion, american style cars and has big parties, which shows the audience that in the north you have to break the law to get what you want and to live a single inch of luxury. Woman again are seen as trophies and objects as they are ordered to fetch drinks by their gangster boyfriend which refers back to the time this film was made and how women were seen and portrayed in films and in real life up north. 

The final scene were Jack chases Eric through the muddy dirty wasteland of a beach really shows the audience what north of England really is. As seasides and beaches usually symbolise happiness and summer, in Get carter it symbolises the end, death, and ugliness as the beach is filled with rubbish, industrial items and is covered in trash and muddy dirty sand. The audience understand that Jack really is in a hell hole as he has to run through mud in the fake beach. Also ironically the two men both wear fine suits which contrast the unattractive wasteland beach they are running through. The scene uses a lot of establishing shots to show the enormity of the dirty seaside but also to show the never ending leading grey sea which symbolises the never ending search that Jack has but is now about to end. The scene also uses a lot of shots of the sea water rolling in to refer back to how his brother was killed and left in the water. But it could also refer to the last bit of nature as something bad is about to happen. The shots of the sea is also a juxtoposition of the two men wanting to kill eachother as they run through a peacfeful yet dirty beach. 

Overall location is important in the film chosen as it signifies meaning and shows the audience the context of time and setting of the film. It also lets out different styles of atmospheres and feelings and emotions for the audience. 

How authority figures are represented in the films Get Carter (M.Hodges 1971) & Ill Manors (B.Drew 2012)

 Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions and enforce obedience. The theme of authority is on-going in most crime/gang movie as it shows the limits in which the gangsters and criminals can operate, for example if there weren’t the obvious authority of the police, the gangsters wouldn’t have to downfall and would automatically win. But authority in gang/criminal movies also comes as the criminals themselves, as most gang movies include a hierarchy in which the gang leader has the power and gives the order.

In Get Carter, Jack is straight away represented as an authority in film as we open up on a wide shot of him dressed in a dapper suit with a glass of whisky, glaring out the window. By opening up on Jack straight away it shows the audience that Jack is the main source of attention as all our eyes are on him which shows he is already above us and does have authority. Also by having him dressed in a well-tailored suit, shows us he is of a high class which again reinforces his authority as he is wealthy enough to have a suit like that, and wants people to notice his wealth to stand his authority out. Also the shot has quite low key lighting as it makes Jack’s figure stand out more and tells us he is the one we should be focusing on and he is the one the story is about which gives him the authority of attention. As the scene moves on we enter the interior of the building in which Jack is in and we see other men dressed similar to Jack with trophy women sitting by their sides and glasses of whiskey and champagne. The rest of the men also have authority as they are dressed just like Jack so are obviously wealthy but Jack stands out more in the scene as he isn’t sitting down and is walking around, which shows he holds the most authority as it seems he doesn’t need to sit down and his tall standing figure gives him that dominance that the others lack. Having the women in the scene lounging around wrapped next to the men show that the men and Jack have succeed somewhat in life and their trophy is that of beautiful women that everyday middle class working men don’t get, which shows his and the other men’s authority as they are superior to other people. The props such as big Cuban cigars, whiskey and champagne are typical clichés of gangster movies or also film noir style movies were the men who have the most power and money have the ability to treat themselves with such things, as they were expensive. The opening scene explains the origins of Jack’s environment as he associates with men of authority and his own dominance and superior power as well, which is shown by the opening shot, the props and the nature of the trophy girls.

 In Ill Manors, authority is also shown in the crime life as in Get Carter. In one scene in Ill Manors, Kirby leaves prison and shows us he has authority which is somewhat ironic as he holds the most power and authority whilst he is leaving a place of well-known authority which is the prison. In a way this scene defeats the stereotypical moral that police always win as Kirby has survived through prison and still holds authority or has even boosted his authority because of his time in prison so has automatically won. Ben Drew edits the mid shot of Kirby walking out of the prison in slow motion to let the audience see him very carefully as he exits a place of authority with more authority. The performance of the acting makes him look even more superior as he smiles and smirks as if he is “too cool for school” as he is walking out which shows that he is mocking the authority of prison and shows he doesn’t care and gives us the impression that he has more important things on his mind which lets us believe he has quite high authority. As Kirby walks slow motion, Drew puts on of his own rap song in the background which keeps repeating the words “Mr drug dealer”, which fits the scene as we basically understand the song is addressed to Kirby as he is a drug dealer. This shows us his authority as people know he is a drug dealer and people know of him, he also wears a long trench coat as he looks like a 60s pimp which again reinforces his authority as he is dressed superior to others.

In Get Carter, authority is also seen in an obvious way in final scene were Jack is face to face with his brother’s killer and chases him through the beach. Jack is seen as the man with the most authority in the scene as the killer is running away from him using all of his strength just to get away from him. This shows us Jack’s ultimate power as the killer is actually trying to get away from him which shows us Jack has the ability to do anything and the fact that people like the killer fear him, it shows the authority he has over him. The audience start to wonder and ask questions about what will Jack do when he catches him, and as the audience realise that Jack has this huge power and authority, it just shows the audience that anything can happen at this point. We then also get a low angle shot of Jack ordering the killer to drink the bottle whiskey, as he shouts "drink it, drink it!". By using the low angle shot with Jack looking down at us seems as if he is talking to the audience which shows them he has the authority and as the audience are looking up to him they understand he has the most dominance. As Jack shouts and orders the killer to drink it, it shows the audience that he really does have authority as he is ordering someone to do something and not getting no for an answer which is the basic definition of authority.

Authority in Ill Manors is similar to the authority in Get Carter as ordering and pushing around confirms to the audience that authority consists of that. In a certain sequence of scenes, Aaron and Chris order and push around a young woman in to different kebab shops and takeaways to pay back for a lost phone by having sex with the owners. The fact that the two men are ordering this young woman to go in and sell herself to these strangers gives them the authority over her as she follows them and does whatever they say because she fears them. Fear shows the audience who has the most authority as who ever fears more has less authority. As the young woman tries to defend herself and refuse to go in the random shops, Chris violently pushes her around and really shows his ugly side which makes her fear him more which ultimately downgrades her status more and helps his authority stand out as the audience understand who has the power in the scene and in the storyline in the film.

In conclusion,  the two films show us that authority is held in the hands of the characters that show the most power and dominance, and ultimately in the gangster genre authority is mostly shown through violence as the characters have to show their status through their actions.

How far do the narratives of your films dramatize the problems facing key characters?
The narratives in the two chosen films, Get Carter and Ill Manors, dramatize a lot the problems facing the key characters. Drama is a genre which is built on tragedy and situations that involve over exaggeration which makes the audience feel mixed emotions. All the key characters in the two films have their own personal problems, and the way the films are shot and the way in which the narratives are shown, dramatize those problems to the audience.

The key significant character in Get Carter (1971) is Jack Carter himself. Throughout the film we know and we see Jack’s struggle in searching the murderer of his brother. The death of his brother is the main strand of the narrative which is in his mind and is the main problem in which he is facing as he has dived into a sea of trouble, gangs, and violence just to seek justice for his brother. A significant scene, in which the audience have been waiting for the whole duration of the film, is the final scene where a crazy Jack chases the restless murderer of his brother in a secluded northern beach. As we get a wide shot of the two men who are the only ones in the scene, faded music invades the beach as Jack gets closer to the murderer. The audience are relived that they are witnessing this showdown as it is the most significant scene in the film’s plot which is the search for this secret intelligent man who is now powerless, dropping on the floor with sand in his mouth. The way the scene is shot in a wide shot to describe the secluded setting, the music fading in, and the significant relentless chase, all contribute to making this scene dramatic which ultimately makes the problems that Jack is facing even more dramatic as the audience doesn’t know what will Jack’s reaction be. The drama in the scene at this point affects the audience as they feel mixed emotions for the two characters. They would feel scared for the murderer as Jack’s reaction is not clear yet, but they would feel a bit uplifted as Jack has reached the end of his aim and found the man he and the audience where searching for, but really the audience would also feel excited and on the edge of their seat as the dark lonely setting in which the scene is set dramatizes everything as a whole. 

Another main strand in Get Carter is that Jack is out of his comfort zone. As we know Jack is a well-known London gangster who has travelled up to Newcastle for the search of his brother’s killer. In the film we see that Newcastle in the early 70’s was very different to London as it was much more industrial, tight and much more poor than the city. We understand that Jack feels as if he is in a strange land in a particular scene when he walks into a local pub and the locals start to stare at him. Jack is wearing a fine black suit as he walks through a bunch of northern blokes and locates himself in front of the bar. As he does this we get a series of shots of different men taking sips of their drinks and following Jack with his eyes. Jack feels out of his comfort zone because if he was in London no one would have stared at him because they know of him, but up north the locals aren’t familiar with him and get a feeling that he isn’t from around there so they stare to understand who he is. This dramatizes the situation as the audience expect either one of the men or Jack to react towards each other because of their differences. At one moment in the scene, Jack asks the barman for a pint of bitter, the barman goes to prepare it in a round glass but Jack clicks his fingers and demands it to be in a thin long glass. This shows the difference between Jack and the locals of Newcastle as we get a shot of the men looking at him drinking from round glasses as he wants to drink it from a long glass to try and show that he isn’t from around there. As this happens all the diegetic music, laughter and chatter starts to decrease as it promotes that something might kick off or happen between the men and Jack. This makes the audience prepare themselves for violence or conflict as they understand that Jack is not in his comfort zone and is surrounded by men he does not know at all.
A main problem in Get Carter is also family ties. Jack faces a main problem in the film which is his niece Doreen. Doreen has lost her dad and has no mother which Jack feels he is responsible for her and wants her to be treated well. This is significant to the sub-genre of the film which is gangster, as family is a very big theme in gangster movies which shows that even violent gangsters come very emotional and destructive when it comes to family. In a certain scene in the film, Jack lays alone on a woman’s bed as she takes a bath upstairs. Out of boredom or pure sadism, Jack finds a pornographic tape and chooses to watch it on a projector. As he sits up with interest, we have a mirror behind him with the tape playing in the reflection. As he watches it he gets excited, gives nasty grins and smokes a cigarette. Suddenly he sees a familiar face in the tape, and as he does, so do we exactly the same time in the reflection. We the audience and Jack both realise that his niece Doreen is in the tape. He continues to watch it but starts to feel angry and disgusted with himself. This scene is very dramatic as its almost a bad karma for Jack and his evil ways as he was first getting excited about the tape but then realising Doreen is in it made him think about what he has done and how disgusting he feels. The scene was dramatized also by how it was shot, as we get a long mid shot of Jack on the bed with the mirror and film playing in the reflection without any cuts or transitions, so when he sees his niece, so do we, and we also get his candid disgusted expressions and his mood changing as the film goes on. This makes the audience feel nearly the same emotions as Jack feels which is disgusted and surprised, but also makes them feel scared as they’ve only seen one side of Jack Carter which is the cool gangster side, but now they’re being introduced to this angry unstoppable Jack which the audience don’t know how he will react. The scene doesn’t share much sounds as it indulges the audience in this dramatic life changing moment for Jack and doesn’t get any distractions from any other noises. The performance which Michael Caine gives and the way the scene was set up dramatizes the situation a lot as we see a scary and different side to Jack, but also it involves us the audience by letting us watch the tape and receiving Jack’s reaction at the same time which helps it be more dramatic but also more realistic.

Ill Manors (2012) has more than one narrative as it shares a whole bunch of different storylines with different characters who have different problems but somehow all intertwine with each other. One character in Ill Manors, Aaron, faces a personal problem when an unstable woman leaves her baby on the train and he is the only one at the scene at try’s to help her get it back but fails which leaves him with a baby in the pram. Aaron is a character who is involved in South East London crime but with a sense of morality. As Aaron is about to get off the train, he looks out at the station and sees a bunch of armed police men waiting. As he is carrying a gun, dressed as an urban thug and paranoid about getting caught, he takes his hat off, sorts his clothes out and hides the gun with the baby. As he gets off he walks through the policemen with the pram thinking he is going to get stopped but doesn’t. The fact that Aaron takes his hat off and sorts his clothes out gives the message that the police and authorities tend to search and stop young lads with a certain appearance without any particular reason. Also by putting his gun in the pram with the baby dramatizes the situation as no one would put a weapon with a baby as it is dangerous and outrageous but at the same time it shows how messed up situations in the film are, as characters have to do certain things to reach certain things. As he walks through the policemen the scene goes in slow motion and high tempo music starts to fade in. This dramatizes the situation as the audience are expecting him to get caught or asked to stop, but with the slow motion it also expands the tension as the audience are waiting for him to get passed the police without getting stopped. The music adds to the drama as it starts getting more tense and serious and the audience are at the edge of their seats because they don’t want him to get caught but are excited and intrigued to what will happen next. Aaron’s baby problem is dramatized through the slow motion and the music a lot as it builds up tension and suspense for the audience to watch because it gives Aaron a 50/50 chance of either getting caught or getting through.

Another main problem/theme in the film which affects the characters and is over dramatazied in the film is the ugly nature of prostitution which affects two main storylines. Ben Drew explains to the audience that prostitution is a daily habit in the lives of some of the characters and is a daily consumption of the local area in which it is set. In one particular scene, Aaron and Ed prostitute a 'local whore' to a range of different shops, kebab takeaways, in order to reimburse money for Ed's lost phone. Ben Drew really dramatises the situation as we get a long sequence shot fast forwarded of the two young men and the woman walking in and walking out of shops. By Drew having the characters walking in and out of the shops and edited in fast motion shows the enormity of the situation as they are visiting more than one shop and the woman is being forced to perform certain things to more than one person. The audience also feel very sympathetic towards the young woman as she can't escape the situation she has fallen in, and also like the 3 fallings of Christ carrying the cross the audience can see the tiredness and fear that the woman is feeling as she moves slower and slower every time the shop visits increase. As the situation isn't enough, Ben Drew adds his own rap music in the background to add tension as it refers to the tough and rough life that the characters each live in. This all adds to the drama in the situation as the audience feel disgust towards what they are seeing as they understand how significantly horrible the scene is, as this poor woman is being forced to have sex with a load of different shop owners as the fast motion doubles the effect on the audience, and the music score in the background excites the audience as it fits the violent ugly genre.

In conclusion, the narratives in the two films dramatize the problems the key charcters are facing a lot by the way the scenes are shot and also the dramatic nature of the situations. By over exagurating the drama in the films the audience feel more emotionaly connetced.