The Grand Budapest Hotel - Weekly Film Analysis

'The Grand Budapest Hotel' is a 2014 comedic coming of age adventure drama directed by Wes Anderson, the film inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig. The film follows the adventures of a renowned concierge 'Gustave H'  and his lobby boy 'Zero' in the legendary 'Grand Budapest Hotel' in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka between the first and second world war. After watching the film it becomes very clear why the feature film had won 4 oscars in Production design, costume design, hair and make up and best achievement in written music. The impressive use of the micro features; mis en scene and sound created a believable fictional world giving the audience a particular feeling into what the atmosphere would actually be like in this stunning hotel allowing the audience to become completely absorbed by the story and lost in the stunning visuals/audio displayed by the film. The film included themes of love, friendship, greed, and pride as we follow the two protagonists (Gustave H and Zero) in their past adventures during the film as a writer recalls the events told to him by the owner of the hotel Mr. Mustafa, the story is told (narrated by Mr.Mustafa) with a non linear structure in the form of chronological flashbacks (part 1 to part 5 in the film). 

Firstly the oscar winning mis en scene used from the outset of the film was key in providing us with information about the characters personality , but how and why the hotel had transformed over the years. We instantly realise the change as the flashbacks begin and the various bright vibrant colours put in place by production design completely change the atmosphere inside the hotel as we see it return to its former glory, thriving with happy customers and immaculate mis en scene indicated the success of the hotel at the time and conveyed the important theme of 'pride' as we soon find out it is all down to legendary concierge 'Gustave H'. Sound was also very important in the films success as not only did it add suspense to certain incidents by emphasising and indicating the possibility of danger or severity of a situation, it was also key in creating a particular atmosphere reflecting different locations, characters and events that occurred throughout the film. For example Alexandre Desplat composed music used inside the hotel (when it was at its peak) that was busy and fast paced reflecting the atmosphere and mood of the characters and in some cases the current event that was occurring in particular scenes throughout the film. The incredible cinematography displayed throughout the film from Robert D.Yeoman was perfectly measured in order to capture the various shots (particularly the hotel) in almost symmetrical composition, this allowed the full extent of the beautiful mis en scene created by production designers Adem Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock to be captured in a completely unique way, resulting in the unbelievable visuals making the film a one of a kind . A variety of shots were used during the film in order to create suspense (often zooming into a character from long shot to medium or close up shots) to reveal their emotions and allowing the audience to see their facial expression in detail giving us a clear indication of the different individual personalities. 

In Conclusion I think all of these micro features were key in the films success as they allowed the audience to become completely absorbed by the purposely colourful complex mis en scene displayed beautifully by the intelligent cinematography , and a particular mood was created with the help of the purposely suited music allowing the viewer an almost escape from reality as the clever combination of micro features gave you a real insight into what this fictional hotel would be like in reality. 

12 Years A Slave - Micro features Analysis (2nd Draft)

12 Years a Slave is a 2013 drama adaptation of the 1853 Slave narrative by Solomon Northup, a New York born state free African-American man who is kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery.Solomon works on various plantations across the state of Louisiana for 12 harsh years before his release. The film directed by Steve McQueen was nominated for 9 oscars and won just 3 in total, the film also won another 223 various awards.12 years a Slave was produced by a number of people including Brad Pitt (who was also featured acting during the film) and director Steve McQueen, various production companies included; Plan B Entertainment,Film 4 Productions and Regency Enterprises, in 2013 the film was distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures and Summit Entertainment to soon achieve a box office of $187.7 million with a budget of only $22 million. 

 I chose to analyse this particular scene in '12 Years a Slave' as it was one of the most hard hitting moments for me in the whole film, the scene features the protagonist Solomon as he fights for his life after being hung by the slave owners assistant Tibeats. Within the scene there are many micro features that are used in order to portray how a horrifying situation like this would of been viewed as normal for many people at the time. I will be looking at how performance,cinematography and sound is effective in doing this throughout the 3 minute scene. 

Firstly the use of cinematography is very effective through out the scene as a variation of shots are used in order to show the surroundings of Solomon but also to give the audience an idea of how long he had to endure the severe pain for as the day continued. The establishing shot was purposely dragged out for the first 1 minute,24 seconds of the scene to emphasise the length of time Solomon has to endure this horrifying pain and suffering for, but also using this shot constantly builds up suspense as we (the audience) become unsure if he will survive this possibly fatal occurrence, we are finally relieved as we change to a close up of him receiving water providing us with hope of his survival. I think the composition of this particular shot was purposely constructed like seen in the film in order to display the complete juxtaposition of the bright colours in the trees and the grass compared to what Solomon was experiencing as he tiptoed in the dark muddy pit in order to stay alive, I thought this conveyed the theme of major injustice as he suffered this extreme punishment for standing up against a man who intended to whip him for no reason but because he enjoyed doing it. A medium long shot is also used pointing the camera towards the slave owners house as we see Solomon hanging ,I think this again shows major injustice and  hatred as we know if the slave owner was stood on his balcony he would want Solomon saved immediately but the overseer acted completely oblivious to him even being there, suggesting he isn't fazed by watching such a horrific act like this shows pure hatred. A close up of Solomon is used when someone attempts to help save his life by giving him water, in the close up we see him covered in mud where he has been thrown around by the group of men who hanged him, this for me showed how some people(Tibeats in this example) completely dehumanised Black people as Tibeats treated him inhumanely by hanging him in a dirty muddy pit to die. I think the grand white house in the background of the shot is purposely in this scene to again show how unfairly and disgustingly Black people were treated during this time compared to White people, we know Solomon really should be at home with his loving family in his own house, but instead has been hung outside someone else's for something so little as standing up for himself. Finally a long shot is taken in which Solomon is placed central still hanging as the day becomes evening, I thought this again emphasised the normallity of this situation for many people back then as he was ignored during the day then forgot about as people went to sleep, the weather in this shot also possibly symbolising his life as the sun goes down and his life runs out. 

The performance of all the actors in the scene made it seem like this horrifying event was a normal everyday occurrence (which is possible) as all but one person acted almost completely oblivious to what was happening to Solomon, other slaves probably avoided aiding Solomon as they also did not want to suffer the same severe punishment. One of the best examples of this is were we see an over the shoulder shot of Solomon which includes young children playing in the background, we see the young innocent children laughing and playing with each other not even acknowledging Solomon's situation. This could suggest that they are so used to such traumatic incidents that it no longer bothers them, or more likely that most people just faced the tremendous fear of such punishments happening to them and therefore did not become involved. Chiwetel Ejiofor who plays Solomon Northup was also key in making this scene all the more accurate as he did not attempt to struggle or escape the noose as he knew no one apart from the Slave Owner would help to save his life. This could possibly portray the theme of loneliness Solomon endured as a slave as he clearly had no one willing to risk their own lives in order to save his, this is made obvious by the other actors in the scene(due to their convincing performances) as most of them do not even acknowledge him, never mind attempt to save his life. 

Finally I thought sound in the scene was key in providing the audience with an accurate description of the severe pain Solomon endured throughout the incident and how his surroundings completely juxtaposed with what he was going through. Throughout the scene we constantly hear the buzzing of the insects in the fields surrounding Solomon, this buzzing could usually be associated with a hot summers day, which in this case it is for many people not having to suffer Solomon's punishment, in contrast to that we hear Solomon chocking quitely as he struggles to stay alive. I thought this comparison could possible represent the insignificance of Solomon's life to many people on the plantation as they probably couldn't even hear him as the buzzing of the insects was louder than him chocking. This could also show how many people at the time attempted to avoid and forgot about the horrors happening in the world, just like how the noise of the insects was louder than Solomon dying allowing people to block out what was actually happening to him. A lack of sound was also evident through out resulting in the scene being possibly more shocking than if dialogue/sound was included , this is because focus is completely kept set on Solomon, due to the audience paying close attention to the minimal sound used as they are concerned if Solomon will survive due to his fading chocking, his life threatening situation was made clear by the quite realistic chocking noise put in place. 

In Conclusion I think the cinematography,sound,and performance used in this scene was very effective as it allowed an insight into how badly Black people where treated during the Slave Trade era ,and gave an accurate visual description of some of the sort of horrific incidents that many people endured and experienced in that time. I personally think the main theme this scene presented was the major injustice many people suffered due to the evil hatred and power of others,just like Tibeats who was clearly not as well educated as Solomon but had complete power and authority over him due to the laws of Slavery at the time. The combination of these micro features used in this scene resulted in a highly emotional experience for the audience as suspense is created leaving the audience in general concern for Solomon as he continues to fight for his life through out the traumatic scene. 

Key Case Study Information

'Living With Crime'- British Film Case Studies 

FISHTANK (2009)

Director: Andrea Arnold  
Producer: Nick Laws, Kees Kasander. Executive: Christine Langan 
& David M. Thompson
Cinematographer: Robbie Ryan 
Film Editor: Nicolas Chaudeurge 
Key Characters: Mia (Katie Jarvis), Conor (Michael Fassbender), Joanne (Kierston Wareing)
Budget: 1.8 million
Challenges:  poverty, violence, survival 



THE SELFISH GIANT (2013)  

Director: Clio Barnard 
Producer: Tracy O'Riordan
Cinematographer: Mike Eley
Film Editor: Nick Fenton 
Key Characters: Arbor (Conner Chapmen), Swifty( Shaun Thomas), Kitten (Shaun Gilder)
Budget: £1.4 million 
Challenges: poverty, exploitation, violence, survival, discrimination 



MY BROTHER THE DEVIL (2012)

Director: Sally El Housani 
Producer:
Cinematographer:  David Raedeker 
Film Editor: Iain Kitching 
Key Characters: Rashid (James Floyd), Mo (Fady Elsayed), Sayyid (Said Taghmaoui)
Budget: £650,000
Challenges: discrimination, poverty, survival, violence 



71 (2014)

Director: Yann Demange 
Producer: Angus Lamont, Robin Gutch 
Cinematographer: Tat Radcliffe 
Film Editor: Chris Wyatt 
Key Characters: Gary Hook(Jack O'Connell), Thommo (Jack Lowden)
Budget: 8.1 million 
Challenges: survival, discrimination, violence 

Ex Machina - Weekly Film Analysis

Ex Machina is a 2015 sci-fi/drama directed by Alex Garland in which a young programmer is chosen to take part in an experiment where he will determine weather the A.I (artificial intelligence) possess human qualities, the film displays themes of mystery,loneliness,identity,love and murder as Caleb (the protagonist) attempts to help Ava (the A.I) as his communication with her begins to form a unusual relationship. 

I thought the mis en scene used through out the film was very important in reflecting the intelligence which the film revolved around as we see mostly straight geometric shaped corridors giving the house a very modern expensive feel to it. The particular house used also provided the audience with a sinister feeling as the house was extremely spacious and mostly made out of concrete possibly symbolising a prison like environment in which Ava is trapped inside and unable to escape from due to the clear high tech security systems which have been installed. From the outset the audience gets an insight about the experiment as it is clear a lot of money and intelligence has gone into the project in which Caleb will participate in, this almost happens immediately when Caleb arrives at the house and his picture is taken by the hidden camera and he is given a keycard. This use of expensive, eye-catching mis en scene as we proceed to see the interior of the house could possibly foreshadow the ironic plot twist to come as the audience gets an idea of how the house is run by intelligent technology, later on in the film we see the house literally being dominated by the immensely intelligent technology that the house was designed to restrain. Cinematographer Rob Hardy did an excellent job in using various shots in order to accurately portray the tension between Caleb and Nathan throughout the film, but also to create the eery sinister environment contained inside the house. Low angle mid shots were used to reinforce the effect of the enclosed prison like environment, these shots could make the audience emphasise with the trapped situation as the moody grey concrete walls and thin corridors add to this almost claustrophobic like set.  

In conclusion I thought Ex Machina uniquely delivered the message of how increasingly advanced technology may be dangerous to humans as the various micro features used emphasised just how intelligent A.I's could possibly be in the future leaving the audience thinking about the film and if such advanced technology is possible in todays current world. 

Goodfellas - Weekly Film Analysis

Goodfellas is a 1990 crime/drama directed by Martin Scorsese, the film explores themes of family,betrayal,violence,drugs and greed as Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and his friends (also fellow mobsters) work themselves up the mob hierarchy, gaining a lot of money and a negative reputation along the way. Goodfellas became one of the most iconic gangster films in history as Scorsese effectively portrays what life is like as a gangster, various micro features are used throughout the film to give us an insight into the different characters in the gang and the changes Henry Hill experiences as he pursues his dream of 'being a gangster".

I thought the editing used in the film as the shot is paused and Henry Hill gives us specific detail on the situation in the form of voiceover was extremely effective. This unique editing technique used by oscar winning editor; Thelma Schoonmaker allowed the us to learn more about the protagonist as he explained and gave his opinion on the current situation in the film. I immediately realised this editing style was also used in 'The Wolf of Wall Street' where again it is extremely effective in allowing the audience to explore the protagonists in more depth giving the audience a real insight into their personalities. As well as the film being directed by arguably one of the best directors in history, the film featuring some of the most talented actors mostly specialising in gangster films added to the realistic perspective created my Scorsese. The stand out performances in my opinion came from Robert De Niro,Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci as there individually developed characters came together to form the mob of "goodfellas or wise guys" as they called themselves, their individual performances created three characters all striving for ultimately the same goal (money and power) ,but as seen in the film their strong personalities (created with stunning acting) hindered this as constant conflict between characters in the film continued throughout.

In conclusion I thought the combination of micro features displayed in this film created a realistic insight into the life of dead and living gangsters who lived in the period of time from 1955 to 1980. This incredible film allows you to be informed about the lives of the various gangsters while using micro features in order to keep the audience intrigued by the real life story ,with elements like the unique editing style, and the stunning performances creating  realistic gangsters who are able to tell the story of the 'real' gangsters in a believable manner. 

71- Film Analysis

71 is a 2014 action/thriller directed by Yann Demange, the film follows a young British soldier who is abandoned by his unit in Belfast where he must try to escape the deadly labyrinth of streets, while trying to avoid the severe threat caused by the 'troubles' happening at the time in 1971. Director Yann Demange received the 'British Independent Film Award for Best director' after directing '71' in his film debut. We are able to gain a perspective about the chaos and anarchy that continued in Belfast for many years as the film uses the protagonist Gary Hook (Jack O'Connell) to allow the audience a clear insight into the various intense situations many soldiers endured,as Hook attempts to escape the brutal war zone.Themes of violence, confusion and religion are evident in the film.  

Cinematographer Tat Radcliffe did an excellent job in using a variety of shots to portray and intensify how dangerous the deadly streets of Belfast were in 1971, in the key scene where Hook desperately attempts to escape the IRA gun man a handheld camera is used following the protagonists and antagonists through the war battered streets of Belfast. This use of the handheld camera allowed this particular scene to grip the audience as it effectively intensified the already deadly situation, it was successful in doing this as these shots along side the running and gunshots produced an extremely fast pace intense scene leaving the audience unsure about the fate of Hook. The grim reality of the war in Belfast was also made clear by the camera in this scene being purposefully shaky leaving an almost scrappy imprecise effect on the audience, mirroring the grim streets of Belfast where Hook scales walls and runs through broken buildings and debris in order to save him self from the incoming bullets. The theme of confusion is displayed cleverly throughout the film as we see many actors performances change as they are unsure of what side they have taken in this war of religion, this clearly shows us how people unwillingly took part in the brutal conflict in order to protect themselves against the opposing religion (Catholics and Protestants). 

In conclusion 71 successfully covered the topic of 'living with crime' while giving the audience a detailed insight into the chaos and despair people suffered during 'The Troubles' in Ireland. I thoroughly enjoyed this film as the use of cinematography effectively created a gripping action film, which also allowed me to gain knowledge of the 'troubles' in Ireland resulting in me being educated about the on going crime Belfast suffers over this divide caused ultimately by religion.

Age Of The Dead- Weekly Film Analysis

                                      

Age Of The Dead (originally called 'Anger of the Dead') is a 2015 post apocalyptic drama/horror directed by Francesco Picone, the film is an extended version of Francesco's short film 'Anger of the Dead' produced in 2013. The film follows a linear narrative structure as we follow 3 protagonists on their quest to reach an island not affected by the virus, themes of desperation, survival,mystery and murder were seen throughout the film as the protagonists strive to reach the Island immune to the virus. 

The Micro feature that stood out for me throughout the film was editing which was also done by the director Francesco Picone, I thought the fast editing editing style used was key in providing the film with suspense and really emphasising the severe danger being felt by characters as the fast pace infected cannibal zombies attacked them. Cinematographer Micro Sgarzi used multiple close ups of various zombies throughout the film in order to make the film as scary as possible, the combination of close ups and fast editing was important during the film as it made the situations much more sinister and thrilling due to us seeing a detailed close up of the blood thirsty zombies, and then a quick glimpse of them running connoting their extreme speed. Finally I thought Aaron Stielstra's performance as 'Rooker' (the antagonist) was impressive as he played a convincing psychopath, his character was well developed by writer (Francesco Picone) and his motive for his actions were later revealed. His character being introduced gave the film a sense of mystery as his motives were not at first clear, but he also allowed the story to become slightly more interesting due to his character complicating the protagonists situation due to his clear insane intentions involving a particularly important character. 
Overall I thought the micro features; cinematography and editing were effective in enhancing the horrific post apocalyptic 'zombies'.This made them seem very sinister and dangerous due to the various extremely detailed close ups used ,and the low angle shots of the zombies running clearly indicating their speed, this combined with the fast cut editing made the film thrilling for the viewing audience as the protagonist's lives were continuously at risk.  

Get Off My Land - Short Film Analysis

'Get Off My Land' is a 2007 short drama film where a supposedly lost man and women encounter a land owner who becomes more sinister than he first seems towards the end of the short film. This short film explores themes of crime,murder and class as we see the conflict between the two men intensify, resulting in a unexpected end to the film as the conflict suddenly turns very serious.

I thought cinematographer George Steel successfully created meaning in the first establishing shot of the two 'lost' characters as we immediately realise due to the medium close up on the mans white shoes that he is completely out of his comfort zone in the muddy countryside environment, this shot was key in foreshadowing the confrontation soon to come between the farmer who wasn't out of his comfort zone at all, this made clear by his costume. I thought the amount of sound used throughout the short was successful in creating suspense, during the confrontation apart from the dialogue and the faint noise of the wind there was silence in between dialogue between the two characters, this continued until a loud diegetic sound is put in place as a gun is fired. I thought this was done in order to shock the audience as the loud gun shot clearly indicates the dramatic increase in the severity of the situation as the farmers true character is revealed through his actions. I thought the time of day the short film was shot in was also effective in symbolising the death which occurred as we see the sun going down in one shot as the 'landowner' walks away from the women, I think the disappearing sun possibly reflecting her emotions as she is experiencing the loss of her undisclosed partner. Finally the long wide angle shot at the end of the short showing the birds fleeing the trees could be viewed as slightly ironic as the character who originally wanted to flee the situation (like the birds fleeing from the sound of danger) has just been killed, her death amplified by the non diegetic gun shot put in place. 

Understanding The Concept Of Audience- Film Trailers

All three of these trailers which promote three completely different films were constructed in order to inform and interest people and create an audience for the film when it is released in order for the various producers to make money as many people cannot help but go and see the film after watching the trailer. According to the uses and gratification theory many people are drawn into watch various genres of films for many different reasons,some being; entertainment,diversion,education,social interaction and personal identity. Film trailers always include their best shots in their trailers and continuously tease the audience with either important,thrilling or suspenseful moments captured during the film in order to provide the audience with enough information about the the film to decide weather it will satisfy their various needs/pleasures included in the users and gratification theory. 

From the outset the Shutter Island trailer will draw an audience due to the protagonist of the film being played by Leonardo DiCaprio, as Leonardo is a well loved actor world wide many people may be immediately drawn to watch the film in order to see his performance and converse about him or the film, either way his star power was why they originally took interest in the film, where as an unknown actor may not have the same effect. 

The Impossible quickly educates us by dating when the horrific disaster occurred immediately interesting many viewers as they want to be informed about these real life events which are developed during the full length film, including the dates of the disaster and informing the audience it is based on reality is enough to draw many people in as people naturally want to be educated about such important life changing events. The trailer also includes  ( in my opinion) the most dramatic scene in the whole film immediately shocking the audience leaving them sympathetically intrigued and desperate to find out what happened to the real-life family.

Lord Of The Rings provides the audience with a believably fantastical story due to the reality of the fantasy world being so well constructed through characters and various technical codes through out the long developed sequel. As this is the second trailer and already has a large audience due to the previously released books and film I thought it focused on making the trailer dramatic as possible, including many key moments that can be seen in the full film leaving the audience dying to see how the fantasy world changes in comparison to the first film. Made obvious by the trailer this film will allow much of the audience to become completely absorbed by the fantasy world as the sequel continues allowing many people to escape reality for a short amount of time, and completely forgot about their possibly boring day to day lives. 

Otherwise Engaged- Short Film Analysis

Otherwise Engaged is a short film which offers a comedic view on our modern societies  obsession with social media and documenting anything and everything on you're mobile phone. The short film is directed by Alicia MacDonald in her debut film and covers themes of  romance and obsession to deliver the clear message of how many peoples lives today are completely consumed by technology and various social media sites. 

I particularly liked the use of cinematography as they took a 'selfie' together and we got to see them through the eye of Meg's mobile phone camera. This was key in conveying the theme of 'obsession' with social media as immediately after the proposal the couple were determined to share the special occasion with their Facebook 'friends' rather than enjoying the special moment in reality, maybe even suggesting how people escape reality by focusing on how people see and judge them through social media. This obsession was made even clearer at the end of the short film as we see the couple both on their individual phones telling each other who had liked their post, emphasising how important they felt people liking this post was for them. The performance of both actors also added to the realistic outcome of the short film as both characters were clearly not able to 'enjoy the moment' of the engagement, we see this when Meg hypocritically tells her fiancé to 'enjoy the moment' while looking at her mobile phone and not even making eye contact with him on this romantic occasion, this made it evident of just how consumed people are by social media as she literally can't help but be on her phone telling people about her engagement, rather than spending this special moment naturally with her fiancé. 

Layer Cake - Weekly Film Analysis

Layer Cake is a 2004 British crime thriller directed and produced by Matthew Vaughn, in his directional debut. The Film had a budget of $6.5 million and a box office of $11.9 million. This film may of also contributed to Daniel Craig getting the role of James Bond as he got the role 1 year after the release of 'Layer Cake',where he was very effective in the role of XXXX (an up and coming drug dealer). We can compare this British gangster film to 'Snatch' as I thought many methods of cinematography and editing were similar throughout both films, in further research I discovered both films were edited by Jon Harris explaining the similar editing style. 

There were various ways cinematographer Ben Davis gave the film a unique effect, as many different shots were used in order to portray how XXXX reacted to different situations but also was important in emphasising key scenes during the film. In the scene were XXXX commits an important murder in order to possibly save his own life there is a unique shot used where as he goes to fire the gun it zooms out ,and then back into the two characters, I thought this technique produced suspense in the scene as we were unsure if the protaganist would go through with the murder. Minimal sound was also used in this scene as we only could hear the trickling of water coming out of the hose pipe until the gun was fired,  the diegetic sound of the gun was also very sudden mirroring the cinematography which was used shocking the viewer. Both micro-features were very effective as they portrayed the character XXXX was indeed capable of murder and that this event was possibly insignificant to him, I thought the quietness of the silenced bullet possibly mirrored the insignificance felt by him as he knew he had to go through with it in order to save his own life. We later go on to find out this was not the case as his views on the situation changes leading to a complete contrast in cinematography and editing as instead of the slow calm feeling portrayed by the murder scene we see short fast clips as he finds out the truth resulting in complete chaos. 

In Conclusion I thought the use of micro-features was key in showing us how the protagonist XXXX reacted to certain situations and how they truly effected him, they also allowed suspense to be created through sound and cinematography making the film interesting to watch and creating important suspense, leaving the audience un-sure what could possibly happen next. Finally I thought the performance of Daniel Craig was outstanding as he created a convincing character who at first seemed like a genuine business man with an ordinary goal of becoming rich, but as the story becomes more complicated and he becomes all to involved in the 'Layer Cake' his performance adapts to this, leaving the audience with a strong insight about the dangers you may face as you become involved in 'The Layer Cake' in reality. 

My Brother The Devil- Film Analysis

'My Brother the Devil' is a 2012 British social realism written and directed by Sally El Hosaini, the film shows the life of two Egyptian brothers named Mo and Rashid who live in Hackney, East London. I thought the film displayed themes of prejudice due to ethnicity,age,love,family and sexuality. The Film also covers the main theme of 'living with crime' in modern day society as the older brother Rashid (who is originally highly involved in crime) try's to escape the life of crime as one of his friends is killed bringing him realisation of how serious and dangerous his lifestyle has become. We watch him attempt to prevent his brother following in his footsteps as he undergoes major predjudice from his former gang because of his sexuality.

Mis en Scene was key in conveying the change in the relationship between the two brothers through out the film, we begin with both characters wearing vibrant colours (pink and blue t-shirts) possibly representing how their relationship is positive as they are communicating and getting a long. As Mo finds out Rashid is homosexual we see the film become darker and pathetic fallacy is used to symbolise the deterioration of their relationship. In terms of cinematography many shots are used to again show how the brothers relationship changes through out the film. At the end of the film the two are captured in a warm looking environment with the flats behind them, i think this shows how even though they may not be able to immediately escape their reality due to lack of money (shown blatantly by the high rise flats) ,their relationship has improved and they now feel able to carry on with their lives as brothers due to Mo excepting Rashid's sexuality, shown by the warm comforting environment.

In conclusion i thought the micro features used in the film were very effective in delivering the message of self acceptance as we see the brothers finally make peace at the end of the film, and that Mo completely respects Rashid for who he really is. I thought as we saw the two brothers sitting facing different directions at the end of the film , it showed how even though there might of been differences between them ,they were both willing to accept each other for who they were, the close relationship of the two was also shown in the composition of the shot as they were positioned next to each over, symbolising their close brotherly relationship.  

Short Film Plan- Classmates

http://prezi.com/j4sxsgb0hwx8/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

The Selfish Giant- Film Analysis

The Selfish Giant is a 2013 Drama with aspects of Crime and Social Realism, released in 2013 by  Artificial Eye, Film4 and The British Film Institute the film explores the life of two young male protagonists (Arbor and Swifty) who take up illegal work as they are excluded from school in an attempt to improve their poverty stricken lives. I thought the main themes of the film were friendship,exploitation and poverty.  Micro features are used throughout the film to give us a clear insight into what life is like for two young boys who attempt to improve their families financial situations by firstly collecting scrap metal and then cutting more valuable cables as the 'Selfish Giant' allows them to become more involved in this dangerous illegal line of work.   

We immediately see Arbors anger expressed as he repeatedly hits the bottom of his bed at the start of the film, this short scene is filmed in a close up angle allowing the audience to see the genuine rage Arbors character experiences, in juxtaposition to Arbors frantic rage we see Swifty introduced as quite a calm character as the close up also features him holding Arbors hand in attempt to calm him down. This gives us the impression that they possibly have almost a brotherly friendship as Swifty knows exactly how to control Arbors anger and obviously cares for him as he repeatedly comforts him until he eventually becomes calm. This later on becomes ironic as Swifty again trys to help Arbor but in a different situation, the close up of the two holding hands is again used possibly symbolising their friendship and how Swiftys compassion for Arbors angry personality was never going to benefit him. 

Mis en scene was also key in allowing the audience to gain a perspective on the harsh, grim reality some people have to face, for example we see that Swiftys family have to eventually sell their sofa in order to pay rent, this clearly shows that they are experiencing poverty as their living room is now bare as the sofa was their only remaining possession. Dirty old looking clothes are worn by both protagonists on a day to day basis, this connotes their families obvious lack of money, and may even show how hard the two boys are willing to work (collecting scrap metal) in order to try and improve their families situations. 

In conclusion I thought the mis en scene gave us a clear image and allowed us to gain a perspective on what live is like for many people experiencing poverty in England (Bradford), the overall performance of the two boys also made the film all the more realistic as local dialect was used. Finally I thought The Cinematography used throughout enhanced the emotion felt in the believable friendship between Swifty and Arbor as various shots were used, like the close up of Swifty comforting Arbor in his moment of rage at the beginning of the film. 

12 Years A Slave - Micro features Analysis (1st Draft)

 12 Years a Slave is a drama adaptation of the 1853 Slave narrative by Solomon Northup, a New York born state free African-American man who is kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery. Solomon works on various plantations across the state of Louisiana for 12 harsh years before his release.I chose to analyse this particular scene in '12 Years a Slave' as it was one of the most hard hitting moments for me in the whole film, the scene features the protagonist Solomon as he fights for his life after being hung by the slave owners assistant Tibeats. Within the scene there are many micro features that are used in order to portray how a horrifying situation like this would of been viewed as normal for many people at the time. I will be looking at how performance,cinematography and sound is effective in doing this throughout the 3 minute scene. 

Firstly the use of cinematography is very effective through out the scene as a variation of shots are used in order to show the surroundings of Solomon but also to give the audience an idea of how long he had to endure the severe pain for as the day continued. There was a  complete juxtaposition of the bright colours in the trees and the grass compared to what Solomon was experiencing as he tiptoed in the muddy pit in order to stay alive, I thought this  conveyed the theme of major injustice as he suffered this extreme punishment for standing up against a man who intended to whip him for no reason but because he enjoyed doing it. A medium long shot is also used pointing the camera towards the slave owners house as we see Solomon hanging ,I think this again shows major injustice and  hatred as we know if the slave owner was stood on his balcony he would want solomon saved immediately but the overseer acted completely oblivious to him even being there, suggesting he isn't fazed by watching such a horrific act like this shows pure hatred. A close up of Solomon is used when someone attempts to help save his life by giving him water, in the close up we see him covered in mud where he has been thrown around by the group of men who hanged him, this for me showed how some people(Tibeats in this example) completely dehumanised Black people as Tibeats treated him inhumanely by hanging him in a dirty muddy pit to die. I think the grand white house in the background of the shot is purposely in this scene to again show how unfairly and discustingly Black people were treated during this time compared to White people, we know Solomon really should be at home with his loving family in his own house, but instead has been hung outside someone else's for something so little as standing up for himself. Finally a long shot is taken in which Solomon is placed central still hanging as the day becomes evening, I thought this again emphasised the normallity of this situation for many people back then as he was ignored during the day then forgot about as people went to sleep, the weather in this shot also possibly symbolising his life as the sun goes down and his life runs out. 

The performance of all the actors in the scene made it seem like this horrifying event was a normal everyday occurrence (which is possible) as all but one person acted almost completely oblivious to what was happening to Solomon, other slaves probably avoided aiding Solomon as they also did not want to suffer the same severe punishment. One of the best examples of this is were we see an over the shoulder shot of Solomon which includes young children playing in the background, we see the young innocent children laughing and playing with each other not even acknowledging Solomon's situation. This could suggest that they are so used to such traumatic incidents that it no longer bothers them, or more likely that most people just faced the tremendous fear of such punishments happening to them and therefore did not become involved. Chiwetel Ejiofor who plays Solomon Northup was also key in making this scene all the more accurate as he did not attempt to struggle or escape the noose as he knew no one apart from the Slave Owner would help to save his life. This could possibly portray the loneliness Solomon endured as a slave as he clearly had no one willing to risk their own lives in order to save his, this is made obvious by the other actors in the scene(due to their convincing performances) as most of them do not even acknowledge him, never mind attempt to save his life. 

Finally I thought sound in the scene was key in providing the audience with an accurate description of the severe pain Solomon endured throughout the incident and how his surroundings completely juxtaposed with what he was going through. Throughout the scene we constantly hear the buzzing of the insects in the fields surrounding Solomon, this buzzing could usually be associated with a hot summers day, which in this case it is for many people not having to suffer Solomon's punishment, in contrast to that we hear Solomon chocking quitely as he struggles to stay alive. I thought this comparison could possible represent the insignificance of Solomon's life to many people on the plantation as they probably couldn't even hear him as the buzzing of the insects was louder than him chocking. This could also show how many people at the time attempted to avoid and forgot about the horrors happening in the world, just like how the noise of the insects was louder than Solomon dying allowing people to block out what was actually happening to him. 

In Conclusion I think the cinematography,sound,and performance used in this scene was very effective as it allowed an insight into how badly Black people where treated during the Slave Trade era ,and gave an accurate visual description of some of the sort of horrific incidents that many people endured and experienced in that time. I personally think the main theme this scene presented was the major injustice many people suffered due to the evil hatred and power of others,just like Tibeats who was clearly not as well educated as Solomon but had complete power and authority over him due to the laws of Slavery at the time. 

Soft & Wasp - Short Film Analysis

Soft and Wasp are both short films set in modern day London which illustrate a specific stereotypical group of people and are surrounded with similar themes, both of the films are based around the responsibilities of a pearent in two completely different circumstances. I personally think the performance of all actors in both films were outstanding, as all characters were effectively very believable in both films resulting in the hard hitting relatable topics of bullying and poverty being shown in a different perspective due to use of predominantly cinematography and mis en scene. 

In 'Soft' we see a young boy being bullied by a large group that we later on find out to be his age and expelled from school. I think the antagonist was clearly shown by his costume as he wore an eye catching white track suit, I thought this specific use of costume showed him to be a dangerous character (almost psychopathic) as not many people would wear white tracksuits showing he doesn't really care what people think of him possibly making him more reckless than the other bullies he was with, his actions also clearly showed him as this psychopathic character as not many teenagers would push a grown man they don't know to the floor randomly. The use of digetic music being played by the son upstairs clearly showed the relationship between father and son being broken as I thought the music acted like an audial barrier as the son didn't even want to acknowledge his Father, this also could of been the boys coping mechanism of bullying as he may of been listening to the music so loudly in attempt to forget the bullies existence. In terms of cinematography i thought the use of the POV mobile phone camera was very effective as we knew immediately when the camera came on that the scene would become violent as the teenagers focused on filming the group leader carry out some sort of attack on various characters, i thought the clever use of this micro feature also gave us an insight into peoples thoughts on bullying like this as they see filming these occurrences as funny not relalsing the seriousness of the sitution and the upset it may cause, showing us the mindset many bullies have in todays society. 

In 'Wasp' the film is based on a rough estate in London where a young mother attempts to balance out her own social life with the lives of her kids. I thought this film displayed a perspective on a shocking lifestyle people may have to endure in result of having no money, the storyline was only made more shocking as the kids involved in it were so young. I think the cinematography used was very clever as the shaky camera enhanced the feeling of poverty as it seemed like the film may of been low budget because of this, where as if filmed professionaly the film wouldn't of seemed so low budget resulting in a cleaner, better flowing film which doesn't mirror the context of the film itself. The Mis en Scene also added to the topic of poverty as the bare footed mother who only had mouldy bread and sugar emphasised how the seriousness of their situation giving us a clear image of exactly how poor the family are. The metaphorical Wasp also gave us a message of how they are desperate to escape their poverty stricken lives just as the wasp was so desperate to fly out of the window, I think it was ironic how the wasp could of possibly killed the young brother at the end maybe symbolising how hunger could of killed the child but he escaped it by eating food his sister found on the floor just as the wasp flies out of his mouth and he escapes possible death. 

I think both of these films covered extremely hard hitting themes that many people may forgot about in todays society due to it no effecting their own lives, it was a clear reminder that bullying and poverty is still very much active in todays era. I think the clever use of Cinematography and Mis en Scene was key in enhancing these themes as in 'Soft' the POV phone camera used made the teenagers more relatable to young people today and the Mis en Scene in 'Wasp' gave us a clear description of how many people sadly have to live in todays society due to a lack of money. 

Fishtank - Film Analysis

Fish Tank is a 2009 socially realistic British drama directed by Andrea Arnold, Mia Williams is the protagonist in the film and we get an insight on what it is like for a 15 year old girl trying to reach her own personal achievements (becoming a dancer) and what her relationships are like with her family and other characters while living on a poverty stricken estate in east London.The film is in a chronological linear structure as we get a glimpse of Mia's life over a week/ two weeks.  

Micro-features are used in the form of various POV and over the shoulder shots throughout the film in order to make us feel like we are actually there giving us a real insight on what life is like for Mia, it also allows us to symphasise for Mia as seeing much of the film in POV shows us  precisely what she sees from day to day life living on a rough estate. In terms of mis en scene we immediately realise Mia is pretty much neglected by her mother due to her not having many possessions, her cheap tracksuits and speakers help the audience to quickly make judgement on her due to her possibly being associated with a stereotypical troublesome teenager. We also know she drinks and smokes which adds to the thought of this but we later on find out that really even though she may just come across as a sterotypical troublesome teenager due to all these factors and her attitude towards people at the beginning of the film (as she swears and head butts another young girl), she later on shows that she is not just this, as throughout the film her character develops and we see her show compassion and love towards other key characters including Connor and her sister Tyler. Her determination in order to achieve her goals is also evident but unfortunately much of this is altered due to the film being realistic of her circumstances and it being very hard for her to achieve her goals as she has no money and no support from her mother. We see her being let down continuously through the film as we find out Connor who first comes across as a possible father like figure ultimately seduces her and then proceeds to have sex with her, the other major let down was when she turns up to a long anticipated dance audition which results in her walking out as she finds the audition to be for pole dancing at a strip joint. I think both of these plot twists were put in place to give us a harsh sense of what reality is like for many deprived young people, these were possibly so effective as we know Andrea experienced poverty as a child in the uk allowing much of the language and props used to be a accurate description of what it is really like. 

In my opinion Andrea Arnold effectively used cinematography and first hand experiences in terms of the mis en scene used to create a hard hitting film giving us a strong insight on what life is like for some young people, I thought Connors character was key in doing this as even though his sexual intentions towards Mia may be seen leading up to the Climax in there storylines, he was still a likeable character (possibly due to him acting like a Father to the sisters and providing Mia with the camera allowing her to pursue her dream), his character may of been used to explain that people are deceiving and manipulating in todays world and may not be who we think they are, this was clearly shown as we later find out he lives a more sustainable lifestyle having his own house and family compared to Mia who lives on a rough estate and has broken relationships with her mother.

Ralph - Short Film Analysis

'Ralph' is a short film directed by Alex Winckler, the short film features a 16 year old English boy who travels to Marseille in France to declare his love to a girl we know to be named Claire. The film is laid out in a linear structure, resulting in Ralph's actions being filmed chronologically throughout as we see what he experiences from when he arrives to Marseille to when he eventually finds Claire towards the end of the film.

The Director purposely uses a long shot from the outset when Ralph arrives in France at the train station to show the loneliness he is feeling and maybe even foreshadow the loneliness he will feel in the future due to being lost in a foreign country and having no one to help him on his journey to find Claire. Cinematography is further used at the train station to emphasise his lonliness in the form of a crane shot, the crane shot shows Ralph centre frame as he stands in the middle of the train station with only his suit case, this gives the audience the impression Ralph is completely lost in an unknown environment as many people walk around him like he's not even there. Mise en scene is used also to convey thoughts of Ralph being an outside as he wears a bright red t-shirt making him stand out from the crowd, making him look out of place in his surroundings. A long panoramic shot is used to show him crossing the bridge again showing his loneliness but also the graffiti in the background could possibly suggest he is entering a dangerous area, I think this shows the determination of his character as he travels around an unknown place (possibly dangerous) carrying his heavy suitcase, also the lengths he will go to in order to find Claire. I think the suitcase prop could possibly signify the emotional baggage he is carrying as we see him struggling to pull it around as he searches for Claire, as soon as he realises Claire has found love in 'Lorenzo' it is like closure happens on his love for her, this is also shown as he walks comfortably down the road after the waiter, almost like his emotional baggage has been lifted by this. Both the use of realistic every day background noise and the french dialogue also added to creating the relatable experience of being lost in a unknown/foreign place. I personally liked this short film as I thought it created a realistic relatable experience very quickly as we saw Ralph struggle to pursue his love for Claire and eventually find new love for the waiter, leaving us wondering if his journey ended in love or just disappointment.