An Education

An Education.

An Education is a Drama set in the 1960's which was directed by Lone Scherifig and released February 2010. The film stars Carey Mulligan, Rosamund Pike and Peter Sarsgaard. The film looks into the life of a teenaged girl trying to balance education between her older boyfriend. The film was nominated for three Oscars in 2010, including one for Best Actress in a leading role (Carey Mulligan). The film however did win a BAFTA for Best Leading Actress.

An important part of the film is when we realise that the innocent conversation to begin with wasn't so innocent as first intended. When David starts to treat Jenny more like a girl friend, the audience have a more awkward response as we already know that she is a school girl. Although she is 16, the relationship still comes off strange and that there is something weird going on. Because the audience is positioned to see the point of view of the protagonist, we should feel the same way about the relationship as Jenny does. However, in my opinion, due to the fact that David lies to Jenny's father about his intentions and plans highlights the fact that both Jenny and David know that the relationship is wrong or wouldn't be understood by other people. A significant scene in the film is when Jenny finds out what David does for a living. The importance of this is that Jenny is that when Jenny tries to walk away form David after finding out what he does, he manages to persuade her to stay with him. This portrays to the audience that he has a hold of Jenny and can almost control her. People have tried to warn her about being in a relationship with an older man but she has ignored the majority of concerns. This allows the audience to interpret what type of relationship Jenny and David have and how it has affected Jenny's character.

The performance from Carey Mulligan is very important through out the films as the audience has to be able to see the development in her character and in her case how such a young person has a high maturity level in order to go out with an older man. Her performance allows the the audience to understand how an intelligent girl was dragged into a world she thought she wanted. Her performance shows a realistic interpretation in regard to issues around 'untraditional' relationships.

Exam Question

Exam question

'When watching documentaries, we are just as involved in narrative and character as we are when watching fictional films'. Discuss how far this is true in relation to your own studies of documentary spectatorship.

In relation to my studies, I believe this statement to be true as documentary is a part of film and therefore has the same affect as fictional films. We are introduced to characters in the same way and documentaries often form the same narrative structure commonly seen in in fictional films (Todorov's equilibrium). This is significant because this indicates that even though an audience is watching a documentary it still uses the same conventions within fictional films.

Because documentaries depict a true story the characters are more personal which in this case should makes it easier for the audience to be involved with the characters. The people shown in documentaries are also given back stories in order to make them more relatable and to make the audience sympathise with them more. For example in the documentary 'Undefeated' directed by Daniel Lindsay in 2011 shows the audience the life of a young american football team in Manassas. The importance of this is that the audience is shown the background of the majority of the key players in the team including Money, O.C Brown and Chavis. We see the struggle that the players face including absent fathers and poverty and because of this, the audience becomes involved in the film through the characters. They are able to relate and root for the characters just like they can in fiction films.

However, although the documentaries go along way to present the same conventions seen in fictional films in terms of characters and narrative, the way in which the story is presented is a lot differently. Documentary are shown in many different ways, expository, observational, poetic, participatory, reflexive and performative. Most use observational techniques. In the documentary The Imposter directed by Bart Layton in 2012 the film displays  a story of a family who was tricked by an older man pretending to be their lost young teen son. The film is shown through interviews and re-enactments which still allows the a story to be told like in fictional films even though it is told in a different way. This still means that the viewer is involved in the narrative and the characters within it. However, because the audience is viewing the film from an un-natural angel, one which they are not used to in fictional films, the audience may feel distant from the film. This is different from fictional films as rather the audience being able to experience the event taking place, they are now being told it through another persons opinions or ideas.

In conclusion I would still argue that documentaries still go along way in following the statement as they achieve just the same as fictional films. They still present the ideas of characters and still hold a strong conventional storylines that show a disruption in the state of equilibrium which is what the audience would get from a fictional film. The audience can still be involved in the same way, but documentaries tend to to depict an event in a more factual way.

Hacksaw Ridge.

Hacksaw Ridge.

Hacksaw Ridge is a drama based on real events directed by Mel Gibson which was released in November 2016. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Theresa Palmer and Luke Bracey. The film won two Oscars, best achievement in film editing and sound mixing, and were nominated for a further four Oscars. The film had an estimated budget of $40,000,000 and on the opening weekend received just over $15,000,000. 

An important aspect of this film is that it is based on a real story. At the end of the film the audience is shown the real people that were shown in the film and also their stories as to what followed the events. This is important because it provokes emotion within the audience as usually in films they don't get to see were the people end up. The end offers the audience a catch up of Desmond Doss's life and also his take on what happened. The fact that the audience knows that it is a real story makes the film more important as usually when watching films it is a form of escapism. In this case it is telling the audience a story from a real life perspective and the film is more about showing a part of history. 

Another important factor in this film is that when we first see Desmond Doss he is a young boy. This is significant because it shows us how he grew up and what shaped him into the man he was on the battlefield. We see why he doesn't want to hold a gun or kill anyone but also why he wants to save and protect his country. By seeing him grow up and go through certain stages in life, the audience becomes more connected to him and can start to relate to him. We also see how he falls in love with his wife which is important because through out the film, his main goal is to get back to her. By having an anchor back to his home town means that the audience are rooting for him to survive the war and make it back home. 

A comparable film to this could be Unbroken as it too gives a real life account of events that take place during the war. The film also shows the background life of the main character as it is a main way to relate to an audience because they feel as if they know the character. The films are very similar but they display different events and issues during war times. One shows a religious impact on a soldier and the other shows a soldier within a Japanese POW camp. They depict different issues. 

Exam Question.

Exam Question:
To what extent can the films you have studied for this topic be accused of reinforcing rather than challenging the stereotypes? (35 Marks).

Films tend to follow and reinforce stereotypes as a way of making the characters easier for the audience to understand or relate to. This however means that films reinforce negative stereotypes that out shine the positive representations seen in films. In the films I have studied they go a long way to both enforce stereotypes and challenge them by giving the characters common traits associated with the group that they fit in but show a more positive side to how the characters eventually overcome or don't follow them.

An example of a stereotype seen in a film I have looked at is that young boys from estates are violent and disorderly. The film in which this stereotype is enforced is La Haine (1995) directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. In this film the audience are introduced to three characters, Hubert, Vince and Saïd, who all live in a rough estate within France. The three protagonists are shown to be traveling around Paris causing havoc by having constant interactions with the police and even trying to steal a car. This shows to the audience that young boys living on estates are violent criminals. This film goes a long way to reinforce the negative stereotypes of young boys on estates as based on the issues that the film depicts, Paris Riots, the audience are shown the aggressive nature of the rioters through the three protagonists. The protagonists, although from different ethnic backgrounds, share a common stereotype as a group because other characters believe that because of where they are from and how they sometimes behave they are seen to be like the rioters at the beginning of the film. Although the characters don't always conform to the negative stereotypes forced upon them they cant escape how people perceive them.
However it could be argued that when the audience looks at the characters individually the film does challenge common stereotypes, especially looking at the protagonist Hubert. Hubert comes from an African background and the common stereotype associated with black people are that they are violent. Hubert however contradicts this as he tries to do everything to change what people expect form him. He runs his own gym where he helps people similar to him have somewhere to train and stay out of trouble. Rather than following what people think of him, he has tried to stray away from the common stereotype. This is significant as although as a group the three characters are negatively stereotyped, individually they all challenge (particularly Hubert) stereotypes associated with the the group that they are put into.

Another common stereotype that is often shown within films is that disabled people are dependant on other people and that they can't do things a 'normal' person can. Disability in film often follow negative stereotypes which aren't often challenged. However a film that challenges the stereotypes linked with disability is Rust and Bone (2012) directed by Jacques Audiard. The film challenges disability stereotypes by linking disability with femininity. Where this is evident in the film is the relationship between Stephanie and Alain. Stephanie is a double amputee following an incident at her work. One of the main issues that is depicted in this film is her trying to 'find' her femininity again and gaining her confidence back whilst dealing with her new disability. Whilst she sees herself as different and strange, Alain as a 'normal' women and is the same person he met before the incident. Their relationship is the main way the film challenges stereotypes. However, in the beginning of the film it could be argued that because of her behaviour and her reluctance towards her disability shows her conforming to the stereotypes that disabled people aren't the same as abled people. Because of the developing bond between Stephanie and Alain, it portrays the idea that it is a very normal relationship which the audience may not have expected due to Stephanie's disability. The relationship is just like any other relationship within other films and their for go against rather than enforce the negative stereotypes. Rust and Bone goes along way to challenge stereotypes linked with disability as it has made it clear that disability doesn't mean the person is any less capable than anyone else. The relationship is made to be like any other relationship.

In conclusion, In the films I have studied, they have all challenged stereotypes more than they enforce them. Although La Haine does mostly reinforce stereotypes, it also however makes a point to go against certain stereotypes in order to change the expectations of the audience. La Haine and Rust and Bone go along way to challenge stereotypes by showing the original negative perception of an issue and then turning it into something positive.

The Hitcher

The Hitcher

The Hitcher is a Thriller directed by Dave Meyers and written by Eric Red (and Jake Wade Wall) which was released in January 2007. The film is a remake of the 1986 The Hitcher in which the characters that originally survive are killed in this remake. The film stars Sophia Bush, Sean Bean and Neal McDonough. The budget for this film was $10,000,000, $4,000,000 more than the original film.

An important aspect of the film is the change in the fate of the characters based on the original. In the 1986 film the character Grace is killed by the antagonist whereas in this film the roles are reversed and Jim is put in the place of Grace and is killed. This is significant as it shows two things. The first being that although the film is a remake and follows the same story line it still goes out of it's way to update the film, leading on to my second point. The second being that it shows the development of female characters within films. In a lot of older films, women are seen as the victim in which the men have to save. However, from the role reversal it gives a more positive representation of women and that they aren't just in the film to be killed off in a brutal way. The film challenges the conventions of horror/thriller films by killing the man and making the women the hero.

The idea of women being stronger and more independent isn't just shown in that seen. Through out this film, Grace (Sophia Bush) knows how to handle herself and is a strong character. A scene in which this is shown is when she fights the antagonist in the hotel room. In this scene she is caught off guard and still manages to escape the villain by fighting him. She comes across as a tough character which is not normally seen within thriller films. Grace challenges the common stereotypes linked with women. Although the film follows the same story line, the fact that the roles are reversed makes it a stand alone film in my opinion, as it offers something different from the 1986 film.

The mise-en-scene in The Hitcher plays a vital role as it creates more tension and suspense. The majority of the film is set in the desert roads in New Mexico which means that their are very few people around to help the characters which is main problem encountered in the film. This adds elements of suspense because the characters are out in the open which means virtually anything can happen because their is no one around to stop it. The characters have no where to run and no where to hide which suggests to the audience that it is going to be very hard for the protagonists to escape the situation. A scene that shows the impact of the mise-en-scene in the film is when the antagonist kills an entire family in the middle of the day on the side of the road. This is significant because in a lot of thrillers the murders usually take place within hidden locations either locked away or somewhere excluded under the cover of the night sky. However, this film depicts a violent murder of a family in broad daylight where no one is around to save them. This shows to the audience that because of where the protagonists are, anything could happen.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is an Adventure Drama which was directed by Tim Burton and released in September 2016. The film includes stars such as Asa Butterfield, Eva Green, Samuel Jackson and Ella Purnell. The film is about a boy who finds a mysterious world that has been told in stories where he is the children's only hope of saving them. The budget for the film was $110,000,000 and on the opening weekend received just under the £29,000,000 being shown on 3,522 screens. The film is based upon a dark fantasy novel written by Ransom Riggs.

A key scene in the film is when Jake (Asa Butterfield) arrives in Wales in search for the children's home in his Grandad's stories. What is key in this scene is the mise-en-scene. When he arrives in Wales it is very gloomy, dark and run down which is the exact opposite as to what his Grandad told him. This is significant because Jake is trying to find out whether the stories he was told as a young boy were real or not as the rest of his family thought that his Grandad was delusional. By the mise-en-scene contradicting the stories it makes the audience feel as if everything they have been told or shown so far regarding the children's home is a lie/fantasy. The mise-en-scene is also important when it comes to the audience working out what type of environment they are in. Usually when the characters are in a dark and gloomy place it connotes the idea of danger or insecurity. Although the audience sees the dark environment they aren't shown the danger which suggests a false sense of security that the characters aren't aware of. Once the audience see the gloomy Wales town they are introduced to the bright and happy children's home. The reason why this is important because the children's home is not as normal as it may sound. The home is for peculiar children (children who have powers) and the only way they can stay safe is in a 'time loop' in 1943. The mise-en-scene completely goes against the gloomy town of Wales to suggest the idea of safety and security. This is significant because the main storyline is that they are in the time loop so they are protected from monsters who are trying to find them. The Home is brightly coloured, it has massive gardens filled with flowers and all the children appear to be happy.

The mise-en-scene does two different things in the films, the first being to show danger and sadness in Jakes everyday life and the first showing happiness and safety. The mise-en-scene is used to show the audience emotion within the environment they are in. This links in with the themes of family and friendship as to Jake it is all about him trying to keep everyone he cares about safe and hidden from the people after them.

Keeping Up With the Joneses

Keeping Up With the Joneses

Keeping Up With the Joneses is an action comedy directed by Greg Mottola which was released on October 2016. The film stars Gal Gadot, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm and Zach Galifianakis all of which are big names in the industry by not all are known for comedic roles. The film is set in the suburbs where a couple find out their neighbours are spies. The film had a budget of $40,000,000 but on the opening weekend made just under $5,500,000.

An important aspect of this film is definitely performance. Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher are known for previous comedic roles. Jon Hamm has had some comedic roles, (Minions) but is mostly known for more serious roles like Mad Men and Gal Gadot is mainly known for her roles in Wonder Woman and the Fast and Furious movies. The importance of this is that by having a mix of well known comedic actors and well known action actors could change how the viewer interprets the film. The doesn't take it self to seriously, purposefully making the characters appear comedic, but the characters act in a serious manner. They believe that everything they are doing is the proper response to what should happen in the situations they face. This makes the film, in my opinion, more funny because the characters almost seem oblivious. The performance in this film is significant because the audience know wha to expect from the film as due to the well known actors and the usual characters they play. The film almost mocks other spy films, like James Bond, because they are making fun of what is usually seen in spy films. Everything is not as smooth or as fancy as the audience may have seen in other films. The performance within the film backs this point up because the characters appear to be serious but still manage to get everything wrong or mess everything up.
A key scene in this film that clearly shows the impact of the performance is when Natalie and Tim (Gadot and Ham) show up to save Karen and Jeff (Fisher and Galifianakis). Karen and Jeff count down so they can run away and create a diversion, however, when they get to two Jeff runs off before Karen messing up their plan. This is significant because it shows both a serious and childlike side to the characters and also shows the main themes in the film which are Relationships and Friendship as they show how each character reacts to each other. Whilst they come up with a plan to get themselves out of the situation they mess it up by Jeff accidentally "getting a head start in his wife" and Tim and Natalie arriving to save the day as they usually do.

A film that could be compared to Keeping up with the Joneses is 'Kingsman: Secret Service'. Keeping up with the Joneses purposefully creates comedic elements through out the entirety of the film and contains the characters that are naturally funny, whereas Kingsman takes a more serious approach but also contains some comedic moments by showing what would really happen if 'normal people' were spies. Kingsman does the same as Keeping up with the Joneses in the sense that they mock spy films like James Bond by showing everything not to be as serious and fancy as films normally do.

Jack of the Red Hearts

Jack of the Red Hearts.

Jack of the Red Hearts is a drama directed by Janet Grilo which was released in may 2015. The film stars AnnaSophia Robb, Famke Janssenn and Israel Broussad and focuses on the story about a teenager who pretends to be a carer for an autistic young girl. The film shows not only just how the autistic girl lives her everyday life but how her family copes with it. The main theme in this film is family because of the focus on the family life and how they deal with the situations that arise.

A key component in this film is how the audience is shown the perspective of Glory's world. The editing in the film introduces us to how glory sees the world as vibrant colours are added to everything she sees. The editing is significant because even though the film is shown from the perspective of Jack (AnnaSophia Robb), the audience still gets to understand how Glory feels with everything going on.

A key scene in the film is shown at the end of the film when Jack comes back to help Glory like she promised at the beginning of the film. This is important because at the start of the film Jack's only intention is to get money which is why she lies about her identity to get the job. But as the film progresses the audience sees how Jack has grown to really care about Glory and her family. This is a significant scene because it changes our perception about teenager who live on the streets. She has a criminal record, she steals and she commits fraud which shows a negative representation of young teenagers. However by the end of the film, she decides to do the right thing and help Glory even though she has to give herself in to the police. We see a clear character development.

A film similar to Jack of the Red Hearts is 'The Fundamentals of Caring'. The reason why they could be compared is because they both show disability, arguably in a more positive light. Glory is shown to be smart and clever which could go against what the audience think about autistic children and in The Fundamentals of Caring shows that disability shouldn't be a barrier. The films are also similar in the sense that the carers both start of with little experience and aren't the most enthusiastic about their jobs, however both the carers develop and start to care about the people they are looking after. The films start off with a negative situation that leads them to a new path which creates a positive end.

The Way Way Back

The Way Way Back.

The Way Way back is a comedy drama directed and written by Natt Faxon and Jim Rash which was released July 2013. The film consists of well known cast including known comedy stars such as Steve Carell, Allison Janney, Toni Collette and Maya Rudolph, as well as younger stars like Liam James, AnnaSophia Robb and Zoe Levin. The film is about a young boy who goes on holiday with his unconventional family and ends up working at a water park where he makes some new friends.

Duncan (Liam James), from the beginning, comes across as an awkward character and very shy. This is particularly evident when he tries to talk to Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb). Their relationship grows more as the film goes on but Duncan still isn't quite sure how to talk to Susanna, which often brings up some awkward situations. A scene that is important in the film occurs after Duncan is involved in a family fight. Susanna and Duncan are sitting on the beach discussing what has happened. Duncan ends up trying to kiss Susanna and it doesn't end up happening. The reason why this is a significant part of the film because it shows the audience that Duncan finds it hard to make friends or interact with people. He comes across very antisocial which is a vital part of his personality. However by the end of the film we see that he has come to make lots more friends as his confidence starts to develop. From this the audience is able to see the development and progression Duncan has made and how far he has come with making friends which is a main theme in the film (Friendship).

Performance plays an important role within the film especially when it comes to the character Trent (Steve Carell). Steve Carell is mostly known for his comedic roles within films such as Little Miss Sunshine and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. What is important about Carell's role in the film is that it totally goes against what the audience may expect from him. In the film he plays a serious and overbearing step father which is not a role that the audience may associate Carell with. Performance is important because of this fact because it changes the expectations of the film. Although it is a comedy, it does depict some important issues of 'unconventional families' and cheating. 

A film could be compared to Perks of Being a Wall Flower in the sense of the character development. Charlie (Logan Lerman) starts of the same as Duncan. He is very shy and socially awkward who has very little friends. As the movie progresses like In The Way Way Back, Charlie becomes more confident and makes a whole new group of friends. The films are the same in the fact that they are part of a similar journey of becoming more positive and self confident.

Exam Prep.

19^th June 2014 ESSAY PAPER

“The complexity of spectator response suggests that documentary offers much more than just a window on some aspects of our world”. Discuss this statement with references to the films you have studied for this topic.

-Discuss: look at both sides of the argument referring back to statement and films watched.

-Stay away from plot. Discuss the statement in detail rather than plot.

-Spectator response. Reception theory, hypodermic needle theory. Talk about audience and the          different ways in which they respond.

-Documentary doesn't just tell a story it displays an issue. 'Complexity of spectator response', means how an audience responds and receives the text. If an audience cant or don't relate to the story (relating to the complexity of spectator response) then it offers much more than that but educates and informs them.

-Active and passive audience is related to spectator response. Some people may decide to be an active or passive meaning that documentary offers more than just a story of a life that the audience doesn't live in. 

Audiences respond differently to different media texts which is the main idea behind the reception theory. Documentaries don't only tell stories but depict real life events or people. This is significant when it comes to the how an audience/spectator may respond to a documentary because there are many ways in which they can respond. Because most audiences are used to fictional characters and story, when they do watch a documentary and are put into a real life situation or life they may not be able to relate to the relate to the documentary because they don't understand the message behind it. This links back with the statement as people who may be able to relate will be able to see past the story of the documentary and want to do something about the issues raised or people who cant relate may just see it as someone else's story. Due to 'the complexity of spectator response' a documentary may offer more or less to some people.

For example, in the documentary Undefeated directed by Daniel Lindsay (2011) some spectators may just see it as a sports documentary. In this case the viewers may not have been able to relate fully to the young boys who played on the Manassas football team and their situation. However some audiences may have seen past the initial story and saw that it is a film based on poverty and under-privileged students. Linking Undefeated with the statement it could be argued that because of the reception theory some spectators may be given more than just a look into another life/world. Depending on the way the spectator receives the documentary, it can change the overall impact of the film for the them. Undefeated is a clear indication of the reception theory as behind the main genre of sport other issues are raised.
Being an active or passive audience member could also demonstrate how documentaries offer much more than just a window. In the film Bowling for Columbine directed by Michael Moore (2002) it touches on the serious issue of gun crime in America. An active audience may decide to involve themselves with the information they have been informed with meaning that they become an active participant because of the film. However some spectators may not be influenced by the film making them a passive spectator. It could be argued that the film Bowling for Columbine is more relatable to an audience because of the issues that the film depicts. The issues raised are part of current events that the audience is more likely already aware of meaning that the film is not informing them about the issue but further educating them.

In conclusion, I agree with the statement as I think that because there are so many ways in which a spectator can respond or react to a documentary, it can offer more than just an insight into another life. Whether the spectator relates to the documentary is also important because it changes how big of an impact the message has on an audience. 

RATTER!!

Ratter!!

Ratter is a Thriller directed and written by Branden Kramer. The film was released in February 2016 starring Ashley Benson and Matt McGory. Ashley Benson is most well known for her role in the TV show Pretty Little Liars in which she plays one of the main protagonists, Hannah Marin. Matt McGory is also well known for his TV show appearances, in shows such as Orange is the New Black and How to Get Away With Murder.

The film is about a college student who gets stalked after her electronic devices get hacked. An important aspect of the film is that all the events that take place are shown through Emma's (Ashley Benson) Iphone, Computer and Tv camera. We never see her or her life from typical camera angles used in other films and only through the camera's that the audience can see on screen. This means cinematography is important because it physically puts the viewer into the film. Unlike in most films, the audience aren't positioned to see the point of view of the main character (but the antagonist). However by the audience being forced to watch everything through the eyes of the stalker. Although the audience sympathises and relates to Emma, the audience almost become the hacker as they have only been able to see the life of Emma because of the hacker. The cinematography is very signifiant through out the film because it creates more suspense. The audience only get to see certain things. The audience feel as if they have invaded Emma's life as we are not supposed to see the things we do because we know that the only reason why we can see is because of the hacker, who is the antagonist.

The ending is far from a traditional film ending that the audience may be used to seeing. It goes against Todorov's theory in the sense that the film doesn't have a restored equilibrium in the end. It ends on a dark cliff hanger. This is important because the audience is left with little information as to what happened to Emma or why it happened. This could be because the film wanted to highlight the issues as to what could really happen. Rather than Emma finding a way to solve the problem, she finds out to late and nothing could be done to save her. This makes it all to real for the audience as they have been put into a position where they can see what a stalker can really do and see. 

Exam Question.

'It is vital to understand the social and political context of films'. How far do you agree with this in relation to the films you have studied for this topic?

I agree with the statement to a certain extent as I believe that films that look at social and political issues/events are used to inform and educate the audience. I would say that in order to understand a film, the audience should know a bit of background information, but the film should allow them to understand the social and political context in more depth. From the films I have studied I have seen that they show a side to the audience that they never normally see, which means they are getting a better understanding of the issue/event. Even if the audience doesn't have much understanding of the social and political context to begin with, by the end of the film they are more informed and understanding. However, if the viewer is completely oblivious of the social and political issues raised in the film, then the message of the film would be a lot harder for the viewer to comprehend.

In the film La Haine, directed and written by Mathieu Kassovitz in 1995, follows the story of three young men after riots in France. The film is based on true events in France and focuses on police brutality against lower class people. The film touches on major political and social issues through out the film, such as the difference between the upper and lower class and police corruption and brutality, which was the main cause of the riots. At the beginning of La Haine, the film opens up with footage from the riots in France. The audience see's the violence that took place and the damage that was caused by it. From the start the audience understands that the riots were a major part in Frances history due to the pure scale of the events shown on screen. However, because the film starts with scenes from the riots, the viewer may be unclear as to what is going on and why it is happening. This means that it is quite crucial for the audience to understand the social and political context of the film as they need to know why they are seeing the things that they're seeing. This is important for this film in particular because the audience is being seen the events following the riots and not before or during.
However in the film City of God, directed by Fernando Meirelles in 2002, the audience is shown the lead up to how things got so bad in Rio. The film is based on the conflict around drugs within Rio but the focus is on the characters and what ultimately ends up happening to them. This film is too based on a real event which is important, but unlike La Haine we are shown the background story leading up to the events. Although there are social and political issues that the audience need to understand and acknowledge, they can still follow the story without it. City of God doesn't rely so heavily on the social and political context to tell the story where as la haine does.

In conclusion, from the films that I have studied, I would say that it is not vital nor non-essential to understand the social and political context but it depends on what message the film wants to get across and what it wants to achieve.

Beastly.

Beastly!!

Beastly is a fantasy drama directed and written by Daniel Barnz and was released in March 2011. The film stars Alex Pettyfer, who has been in films such as I am Number Four and Magic Mike, who plays the main protagonist Kyle. Vanessa Hudgens also stars along side him and has been in films such as Spring Breakers and is mostly known for her role in the High School Musical films. There are many well known actors within the cast for Beastly and is the main selling point in the film as they have stars such as Neil Patrick Harris, Dakota Johnson and Mary-Kate Olsen. However the film hasn't seen much success in terms of awards and nominations.

The film explores themes of love and beauty as Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) is turned into a 'monster' so that he can find true love. The film goes into depth about how the way someone looks is not the most important thing when it comes to relationships. A scene in which this is shown is when Kyle gets brave enough to talk to Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens) but only with a mask over his face. This is significant because it shows how insecure Kyle has become and that without his looks he believes he is not good enough. However, further into the film Kyle decides to show Lindy his true face in which she is not shocked by. This shows it is not just about someones appearance but also their personality. Mise-en-scene along with performance is significant in this film especially when it comes to Kyle's character. Firstly Mise-en-scene is important (specifically props and location). When we are first introduced to Kyle he seems to have everything. He has the looks, the designer clothes and the latest accessories and gadgets. This is important because at the beginning of the film the audience gets the impression that if you have the looks then you are successful. The events that take place at the beginning of the film backs this up as Kyle openly says that attractive people are better off. However, the later performance of Kyle where he is more shy and insecure contradict and contrast with the mise-en-scene. He still has a big house, lots of money and technology but he is no longer happy with his life. The thing that he desperately wants is friendship and a relationship. The mise-en-scene and performance contrasts with each other to show an important message which is that having loads of money and items doesn't make you happy, which is the opposite to what we saw at the beginning of the film.

This film is a modern day 'Beauty and the Beast' as it follows the same story line of a man being turned into a monster because of the way he behaved in the past and he has to find true love in order to make him human again. The film has very strong links with 'Beauty and The Beats' as it is based on the same fairy tale storyline of finding love which is based on more than looks.

Rust and Bone

Rust and Bone.

Rust and Bone is a French film written and directed by Jacques Audiard, released November 2012. The Romance Drama has been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the BAFTA's and Golden Globes. The film stars Matthias Schoenaerts and Marion Cotillard (who was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress at the Golden Globes and Best Leading Actress at the BAFTA's). The film follows a start of a relationship between Stephanie and Ali after Stephanie is recovering from a horrible accident and Ali trying to find ways to support his family.

Rust and Bone include themes of femininity and masculinity and focuses on it through out the majority of the film. 

Stephanie is a double leg amputee and tries to 'find' her femininity again by starting a relationship with Ali and by building her confidence. A scene in which this is shown is when she goes back to the club with Ali and she sees all the other women wearing short skirts and high heels. The camera focuses on the lower parts of the women's body because it is an insecurity that Stephanie has. This shows that Stephanie wants her femininity 'back' because she is looking at what she used to have and how she used her body to get attention from other men. Because she has lost her legs, she feels she she is not the same person. However by the end of the film she comes round to owning the fact that she has no legs. She even gets large tattoos on her legs to show the fact that she has accepted what has happened to her. This is significant because it addresses a topic that is not largely spoken about. The film looks at the almost psychological impacts of disabilities and how it does not only affect the physical aspects to living a normal life but the emotional impacts it has. The film looks at disability along side sexuality.

Ali has a son called Sam and does everything he can to look after him even though he is struggling himself. Ali moves in with his sister to help him take care of Sam whilst he finds work. Ali ends up fighting as a way of earning money. Through out the majority of the film, Ali comes across as quite masculine. He doesn't really show emotion and is very blunt when it comes to talking about certain issues that arise in the film. His masculinity is very important to him. However at the end of the film when he is talking to Stephanie, he begins to break down crying. He doesn't lose his masculinity but it shows another side to Ali that the audience hasn't seen. This is important because in a lot of films men are seen as dominant and in charge so it throws off the audience when he begins to cry because Ali has been strong and tough through out the film.

Sound plays an important part in this film as well, as there are a lot of scenes in which the sound cuts out (softly) in order to focus the audience on to what the characters are actually doing. The film doesn't rely so heavily on dialogue so most of what is going on is interpreted through the actors performance. The dips in sound also contrasts with what is happening on screen. For example, in the scene in which Sam falls through the ice, the sound is barely there creating more suspense. The absence of sound contrasts with the dramatic nature of the scene which slows the audience down. Ali doesn't have much time to save his son, so by taking out the sound drags out the scene making it more tense. The sound allows the audience to break from all the action and look at the performance and the emotion Ali is showing. There are other scenes in which the sound dips out and the micro-features sound and performance work together in order to show the emotion of the two protagonists.

Fight Club

The Lesson

The Lesson

The Lesson is an English film directed and written by Ruth Platt and released in February in 2016. The Lesson is a horror film with themes of Revenge, Death, Friendship and Relationships. The film is about two boys who are known trouble makers are kidnapped by their teacher and are brutally tortured if they don't comply with the rules.

Within the film, the majority of scenes take place in the teachers hidden room which means Mise-en-scene is very important. Because the film has a low budget, they cant really rely on special effects or major stunts to scare or frighten the audience. The reason why mise-en-scene is important is because it is what the audience can draw the most horror from. What also works along side mise-en-scene to create the sense of horror and suspense is Lighting. The low lighting with the dirty look of the shed is important because it gives the idea to the audience that something bad is going to happen. The low lighting masks and hides parts of the room and the characters in it, which suggests that the audience don't know all of what is going on. The dark lighting puts the audience in the same position as the character as they to are 'in the dark' as to what could happen to the characters.

An important scene in the film is at the end of the film when two of the characters are sitting on a sofa covered in blood and they blankly stare into the camera. This is important because it is the last thing the audience expects them to do. Rather than going to the police or find some help, they return home and almost carry on with what they would normally do. The fact that they are sitting in their house covered in blood (some in which is not theirs) could suggest that theoretically they have blood on their hands even though they are not necessarily responsible for the previous events that took place in the film. Also the scene adds a further disturbed and gruesome end to the film as the films genre sort of changes as it has the same feel as a psychological thriller. The audience expects one ending but they are given something unexpected making the audience question what genre the film fits into.