V For Vendetta characters

Dietrich: father figure or donor as he helps Evey out at her time of need

Creedy: Henchman to Sutler

Sutler: main villain of the story

V: Protagonist or hero willing to lay his life on the line for the people

Evey: princess of the story, but turns in to a protagonist as by the end she doesnt need saving

Children of men Characters

Villain: he causes many problems for the protagonist through out the film.

Theo: Protagonist allows the narrative to progress with what he does

Jasper: Helper provides Theo with a home and protection.

Kee: princess, has to be protected.

Julian: The dispatcher, Tells Theo what his role in the narrative is.

Syd: Donor as he give Theo and Kee a safe place to sleep.

textual analysis mind map

Textual Analysis: Essay Plan

Thesis statement

The two Films i have chosen for my textual analysis are Batman Begins (2005) and Casino Royale (2006). In both films it is the start of them becoming hero's, I am exploring what happens in the narrative to make them heroic?  How it is shown to the audience through the Micro aspects such as Mise-en-scene. In my personal opinion both of these characters are physiologically damaged, the narrative shows this in many aspects through out many of the iconic scenes in each of theses films with the Mise-en-scene. I believe that the physiological issues behind the characters are what have made them the archetype of a hero's or more anti hero's. Each of the characters James Bond and Batman/Bruce Wayne are orphans as there parents both died when they were both young this could be one of the reasons why they are physiologically damaged, the reason they risk there life's as they both feel as they are to blame, for what happened to them, they feel they need some kind of redemption 

key scenes for analysis

How they are portrayed at the start of there heroism: Batman: on ice training with Ra's Al Ghul (Ducard) Casino Royale: The first scene with the flash back and office in Prague
 
How They Compare on the first time they are thrown in to action: Batman: His first appearance in the Batman costume. Casino Royale: Where he has the case scene through Madagascar.

How the love interest shape/change the hero: Batman: When Bruce meets Rachael again after he gets back from China. Casino Royale: When Bond meets Vesper for the first time on the Train.

How it affects the character Physiological state of mind: Batman: flash back opera to where his parents get murdered in front of him. Casino Royale: Le Chiffre torture Bond for the codes.

How each these link in to what is happening in the narrative: Batman: Wayne Manor burning down. Casino Royale: fight scene in the renovated building in Venice. (sinking)   

Conclusion 

Batman Begins and Casino Royale, both of the stories evolve in to them becoming the hero’s we know, but the things they do in the narrative make them anti hero's.  Each of these films different ways they become anti hero's.  In Batman he becomes a hero because he blames himself for his parent’s murder, he believes that he needs to be redeemed for the murder, so he goes out as a vigilante so he can feel some kind of redemption in himself. The reason he wears the Batman costume is because Bruce Wyane himself is a coward and needs something to hide behind. Where as in Casino Royale, James bond is a completely different character.  He does not hide behind anything he want to let people know he is a killing machine and he wants people to notice he is a threat to the enemy. The narratives are both similar in a way as they both start off with them at the start of there journey as a hero and the narratives both end in a form of revenge. 

Children of men

Children Of Men is a Dystopia film set in London in the year 2027, where no child has been born for 18 years and scientists have no reasons behind this. With their dwindling population African and East European societies decide to try to immigrate to England. Whist their own country’s dwindle in to darkness.

In a climate of nationalistic violence, a London peace activist turned bureaucrat Theo Faron, joins forces with his revolutionary ex-wife Julian in order to save mankind by protecting a woman who has mysteriously became pregnant.

-          Death

-          Depression

-          Hope

-          Punishment

-          Terrorism

-          Tragedy

-          Infertility of Mankind

-          Optimistic Future

-          Loss

-          Anti-Government

-          Immigration

-          Pollution

There are many massages that are portrayed throughout this film, for example the mise-en-scene of the film covers this in many aspects, through, the locations, by it being set in a bleak future portrayal of London. The low key lighting indicates the fact that the character of Theo is unhappy with his life and they way it has turned out I know this as the film is shot as if it is a documentary of his life, and it uses tracking shots and is filmed it continuous sequences. This gives it the style of a documentary. This film is also very gender stereotypical as during the film Theo is made to protect a girl called Kee who is the only pregnant woman in the world and they are trying to get her to the human project. Another massage that is portrayed is that facts the government have let the people down, by they’re being an influx of terrorism in there country this shows the government have lost all control and cannot protect its people.

I think there are two very influential scenes in the film.

The first scene that is set along the strand in London when he is in a café, getting a cup of coffee, then stepping out side putting his cup on the side and put some form of alcohol in it this shows that Theo has had enough of life and does not really care anymore. But it seems not to faze anyone around him like it is normal behaviour? Then the coffee shop that he has just been in explodes in some kind of terrorist attack, the sound shocks Theo but not the fact that a shop has just exploded this shows that the people of England are not that effected by terrorist attacks like this, it seems to be normal to them in the depressing future and no one has any hope. But this scene is also important as it introduces the audience to the protagonist.

The second scene that I think is important is the scene where Kee is giving birth to her baby in I a dirty apartment in the refugee camp. This scene can be linked in with the nativity story, as it seems there seems to be no good rooms left so they just have to be stuck with what they have been given, like Mary and Joseph. Also It can show that happiness can come out of darkness as the world seems to be cold and depressing, but when the baby is born it brings joy to everyone. 

What makes the hero's, heroic

Course Work Films: Construction of the hero Narrative and Genre. Stock Hero

Children of men mood board

This mood board shows the dystopian theme, for example the run down streets the people having no hope, terrorism, immigration and the police all armored up to protect them more this shows society has got to violent.

V For Vendetta Themes mood borad

Juxtaposition In Psycho shower

these two shots are both completely unrelated as they juxtapose as the shower seems clean and the water is running ans she is dead. It could also symbolize that its not her time to die by symbolizing things are still going on without her.

V for Vendetta Editing

In the first clip from V for Vendetta the main editing techniques that are parallel editing and graphic matches. The example of parallel editing is when they are getting ready at the same time. This shows multiple lines of action. You can tell they are going on at the same time as the television is going on in the background of each of the characters room. By using this shot it automatically makes the audience compare the shots and helps them start to understand the narrative but it also helps build suspense in the story as you wonder why two characters are simultaneously doing they same thing. Usually the length of shot will get shorter as the sequence progresses as this will build tension this continues to happen until the two things are linked, in the case of V for Vendetta it is when the both turn the telly off at the same time as each other. This is the match on action and this creates a link and a relationship between the two characters.

The use of juxtaposition in the domino montage is strong as the majority of clip in the sequence can tell you something about the narrative and what is going to happen in the story. Also it tells you about the characters, it lets you know such things as who is losing power now and who is in control of the society. 

An example of juxtaposition is in the two stills above. These are both completely unrilated things but when they are played together in the sequence ( 3.14 – 3.19) this can tell you a lot about what is happning in the story atthis time for example the dominos falling and the riots both together could indicate the fall of serciety. In V for vendetta this show that the people are fighting for their freedom.

Analysis of this sequence from V for Vendetta (cinematography)

In this sequence I have been given you are first introduced to the character of the high chancellor. Immediately you can tell he is of some importance due to the fact that his face is well lit, it is a close up shot at a low angle so it looks like he is looking down on people also it is in shallow focus.  The shot then changes to what seems to be a mid shot at a slight high angle with a man sitting down with a light shining upwards towards him, this may indicate the fact that he maybe an antagonist to the story as the light ifs coming from the floor that may say he is some kind on devil/demon figure, also as the camera seems to be a slight high angle could show he is talking to someone who has more power than he does.  The camera then changes to a long shot that actually reveals the setting of the scene, which seems to be in a secret location you can tell this by the dim lighting. It has also now revealed that the high chancellor is not there in person but is talking to the people there by some kind of conference call, as he is on a big screen this indicates that he thinks he is to good to spend time with the people who do his dirty work for him. The camera also shows some high angle shots of the five men that seem to be sitting at a desk with light shining up on them, which indicates evil/hell. Also it seems to be a Point Of View (POV) from the eyes of the chancellor this could maybe mean that he is angry with the men, as they may have done something to anger him. But you cannot really tell as the men’s faces do not seem to be in focus.

Alice in wonderland in the style of Giger

The way I have re-interprited this scene from alice in wonderland in the style of Giger is to turn change a few aspects to the miss-en-scene things such as the way it is lit, the colours and the props that are used the main thing i have done is having the table held up by a face hugger and having a skeleton imbedded it to the door. By doing this i have completely flipped the genre on it's head changing it from a family film in to a horror.

Analysis Of American Beauty

What is film studies

Genres Analysis Perspective Opinions Plots Motives Characters Understanding Messages enjoyable appreciation experience develop expression political meanings morals critic

28 days later

28 days later stills

V For Vendetta

 Film studies 
V For Vendetta is a film that is set in a dystopia of England, where the countries in the world have been struck with disease and poverty. England is the country that has come out best from this. America has become the world’s biggest leper colony in the world and asks England for money support. But the government in England has become corrupted and a High Chancellor, who has completely taken over the county and does what he wants, now runs the country. He has his own secret police called finger men.  Every civilian is not aloud out his or her house after a certain time of night. If they are caught   they get arrested and interrogated.
 The High Chancellor has passed laws so anything he does not like gets added to a black list and banned and destroyed such as pieces of art work, classical music, some foods and also religious texts like the Bible and the Koran. The Chancellor also has people who are homosexuals and disabled people beaten, arrested and even executed.
In the film the Government are portrayed as Nazi's and the High Chancellor is the equivalent of Hitler in WW2.

The character of 'V' believes the government are controlling the people. He believes that the people should be in control, not be dictated and believes they should get a say in they way the country is run. 'V' puts this message across to the government by a various number of terrorist acts such as, blowing up certain buildings, playing music considered as contraband, attacking members of the party's and hacking in to the national new network to deliver a treating message to the government and the people they have control over.  'V' has a personal vendetta against the majority of the party members in the government, as they locked him up, experimented on his body and others. He was the only one to survive them, but the facility were they experimented on him burned down on the 5th of november, in result of this, his body was covered in burns. This is the reason he covers his face with a mask, but the fact the mask is of Guy Forks face is a statement and a warning to the government saying "free the people or Guy Forks will succeed" this is my personal view on the mask.

The film is rather dark, mysterious, action packed, science fiction thriller. Its set out as if someone is telling the story of 'V's' and 'Evey's' relationship and how it escalates as film seems to revolve around how they grow closer to each other through all the dark things they encounter. Every other male character in the film that helps 'Evey' out seems to be linked in with 'V' in some way with what they do.

The way the film is shot film, you never see any of the characters outside in the day, the only time you see them outside is at night or in rooms. Whenever ‘V’ kills some one the rooms all quite dark and he always lays a rose on them. This adds mystery to the film and always leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next.

The underline message of the film is saying that the government should not run peoples life's, people should get a say in whatever happens and not be dictated to as people will rise up against evil and fight for their own rights.