Compare the ways in which key themes in your chosen American films are presented.

In Natural Born Killers the messages are very much made apparent through visual codes such as use of green lighting as a connotation of sickness and jealousy. However, in Badlands Terrance Malick uses more philosophical approach to the hidden meanings of the film. The key themes of Natural Born Killers is that the violence we see on television causes us to become less phased by what we see in real life and are therefor more susceptible to commit or be a victim of violence. Both films use the idea of the 'American Dream' in that everybody wants to be known.
Kit lacks identity, he is constantly trying to be James Dean. Towards the end of the film, Kit strikes James Dean's famous 'crucifix pose' which is one of the common themes - the influence of television upon people.  We also are never made aware of Kit's background - he is a rootless character. The idea of rootlessness is highlighted in the scene in which Kit and Holly have sex, Holly mentions that there is a tree whose roots are washing away which is symbolic of the two characters.
There is a very high aspect of true 'Americanism'; when we first see Holly she is wearing blue shorts and a white top and she has red hair - these colours make up the American flag. Having these colours show that Holly has a small amount of the American Dream already come true for her. This is true within the use of that Holly is practising her cheer-leeding skills and he house is surrounded by a white picket fence - these two things are typically American things.
Badlands has an aspect of trying to replicate old Western films. This is made apparent through that when there is a news report there is a sepia filter over the film which is a connotation of the 'Wanted' posters which were found in Westerns.
There is frequent use of the idea of entrapment and freedom. A bird cage is referenced when Kit and Holly are in Kato's house. The bird cage is then seen again when they've set up their living arrangements in the wilderness. Kit physically throws the cage away, indicating that the feeling of being trapped is gone from the couple's lives. The cage indicates that the couple are trapped however when they're at Kato's house it's on the prairie so it indicates freedom. In addiction to this, the wide open areas also indicates that they're isolated from society.
The idea of nature symbolism is uses throughout the film particularly as a reflection upon Holly's character. When She and Kit are on the Prairie she says she feels like a "wild animal". Further on when they are living in the wilderness, wild animals are kept in a cage showing how Holly's character feels trapped. The death of animals are kept frequent throughout the film. The first time we're introduced to Kit, we see him touching a dead dog which foreshadows death in the future. Holly's father kills her dog, Holly throws away a dead fish, Kit leads a cow to its death. The death of an animal usually is a connotation of impending doom.
Kit has a 'sub-idea' of the American Dream and it's that he wants to be somewhere he is above the law. When he is captured, he wears his hat to try to show this to the officers but the officer throws it out of the window. Being that becoming famous is part of the American Dream, Kit and Holly attempt to do this by their killings which will ultimately make them infamous. When in the wilderness, Kit and Holly dance to the song 'The Dream Is Over' which foreshadows that this will come true once they are caught.
In Natural Born Killers the idea that the media is strongly influenced on people's personality is key in this film. Throughout the film there are transitions showing quick shots of adverts and other TV shows so it's as if the audience are flicking through parts of the film just like they would when watching TV. The shots often come quickly in a subliminal fashion, suggesting the media influences its audience in a subliminal way. In the beginning of the film when we see Mickey and Mallory commit their first murders in the diner scene, Mallory's actions are influenced by the music which is being played on the duke box. The song is a song by L7 which were a an all female band who played in an aggressive manner and were very popular in the 90s. We see in the Redcloud scene the projection of 'too much TV' on Mickey and Mallory. Being that Redcloud is the only one not influenced by the media, is able to see how the media have corrupted the characters.
Just like in Badlands, nature is mentioned a lot in the film. Mikey has tattoos of snakes on his arms which are a connotation of Mickey's characters as well as that Mickey and Mallory have rings with snakes on as a symbolism of their 'marriage'. All the animals involved in the film are predators - just like Mickey and Mallory's characters. Any animal which is not a predator is usually seen dead; Mickey refers to himself as a rabbit when he was younger which shows that his child like innocence is now dead.
Natural Born Killers is surreal; A fantasy with some comical elements. Badlands is not, it's more mundane and realistic.

How important is location to the films you have studied for this topic?

Both films are set in South London which is a place renowned for crime occurrences. It is clear that Wild Bill is set in Stratford because throughout the film we can see the Olympic stadium being built just outside the block of flats. Being that London is the capital of England and it is a common ideology that it is filled with posh people, the contrast between that and the issues raised in the film creates a different representation of Britain.
In Wild Bill there is a high importance of the location within London. The flat in which they live looks out onto the Olympic stadium - they are looking onto wealth but are unable to touch it. The scene in which Bill and Roxy are out on the balcony and Roxy tells Bill about Jimmy's involvement in crime, we see the Olympic stadium in the background. The wealth is always there but they are unable to access it due to their social handicap. Also, surrounding the apartment block is a fence which connotes that they are trapped in this environment and lifestyle.
In Harry Brown the environment is one of the key aspects of the film. Harry lives in a similar underclass housing estate as Bill does. In the beginning of the film, we see a long shot of Harry leaving his flat, there is a clear contrast between the outside of his flat and the outside of the surrounding ones as there is no graffiti on Harry's; this shows that Harry has high morals and likes to take care of his environment. Harry walks along the path and stops when there's a fork in the road and looks over to the subway where there is gang of youths. The subway is a connotation of the crime which occurs in this area - it is the underbelly of London.
Harry stabs gang member Dean in self defense and it takes place on a canal. To get to the canal, Harry walks down a set of stairs which is a visual metaphor for Harry descending in crime; following this stabbing is when Harry's criminal activities start to take place.
In both films the characters feel safe in their homes. In Harry Brown, the scene in which Harry is looking down onto the violence occurring, he is peering through his window. The light inside the house is very high key with a yellow tint on it which connotes the feeling of warmth and homeliness. In Wild Bill after Jimmy disposes of the cocaine down the drain, he runs home and curls up in bed which gives him a sense of security.
Finally, in both films the resolution takes place in the local pub which is a key element of Britishness. A pub is a common place for the locals to go to and socialise and is often the centre of British soaps.

What is the significance about setting and/or place in your chosen American films?

In both Badlands and Natural Born Killers (NBK) the setting plays a large role in the representation of the characters and the narrative. Oliver Stone who directed NBK used the desert as a connotation of freedom amongst the lovers which is a common feature of the 'Lovers on the lam sub-genre'. The use of desert and wilderness is also used in Terrance Malick's Badlands for the same reasons. One of the genres of this sub-genre is 'Road'; the fact that they're on the road and have no grounded place or home shows they feel they should not abide by normal rules and that they're different.
The setting is particularly important in the scene in which Micky and Mallory turn off the road. There are shots of desert animals such as wolves and snakes which is a symbolism of Mickey and Mallory's true mindset. There is a tilt shot of Mickey as he is vomiting from taking magic mushrooms, it starts from his shoes that have snakes on them. The snakes are a connotation of evil and sickness due to their common green colour. As it tilts up to his face we see they're in a very wide and open space, almost as if they're abandoned or lost there.

How far do American films (Badlands + Natural Born Killers) depend on well established narrative genre conventions?

One of the main conventions in 'lovers on the lam' (LOTL) is romance. In Badlands it's presented in a less passionate way than in Natural Born Killers (NBK) in that we see no real romance amongst Kit and Holly, this is a connotation of the immaturity and innocence of the two; however in NBK the romance is very obvious and strong amongst the two. We see them cut their hands and press them together to transfer their blood into each other's blood streams; this is seen as a commitment amongst some. They do this action in their 'wedding ceremony' that Mickey performs. In Badlands they don't do much to commemorate their love other than that Kit wants to take home a rock, the day they first had sex.
Holly never seems too bothered about their love or making a mark like Kit does. This is to show her innocence, it's saying that a girl of  her age isn't aware of love in the real world and the consequences of it all. In NBK whenever Mickey and Mallory commit murders, they keep one clerk alive to tell the tale of Mickey and Mallory Knox - they are making their mark and hiding in plain sight.

British Independent Film: Submarine

Plot Summary: 15-year-old Oliver Tate has two objectives: To lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life.

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance/Coming of Age

Director: Richard Ayoade

Release Date: March 2011

Marketing: A distinctive marketing campaign was set along side the soundtrack written and performed by Arctic Monkey's Alex Turner.

Certificate: 15

Box Office: $4,581,397

Budget: $1,900,000
                                                       

British Blockbuster: The Hobbit- The Desolation of Smaug

Release Date: 13th December
Genre: Fantasy
Production Budget: $560000
Box Office: $299.634,000 (estimated)
Certificate: 12A
Marketing: The first trailer was released in the ad break of the X Factor, the marketers obviously knew millions of people would be watching and it would be the perfect time to premier a film they know will be majorly successful. Posters were on buses, bus shelters, billboards etc and lots of merchandise was released such as posters, t-shirts, figurines and jewellery .
Plot Summary: The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug.
                                                               

Foreign Film: Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth is a dark-fantasy written and directed by Spanish director Guillermo del Toro.




Plot summary: In the fascist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.

Production: $13, 500, 000

Box office: $37, 623, 143

Certificate: 15

2006 release January

Genre: Dark-fantasy
                                                    
             

American Independent Film: Donnie Darko (2001)

Donnie Darko deals with the controversial issue of mental illnesses. He suffers from schizophrenia and there is a deeper meaning to this as the schizophrenia is made apparent to the viewers in that the viewers are very involved in the multiple personality.
There are 4 production companies involved with this film- Pandora Cinema, Flower Films, Adam Fields Productions and Gaylord Films. All of these production companies have only produced independent films.

It had a budget of $6 million and had a box office of $1, 270, 522.
Director: Richard Kelly
Release Date: 26 October 2001 (Halloween time)
Certificate: 15

Awards:
Best film to not receive a proper release in Canada-Toronto Film Critics Association Awards
Best Feature- Sweden Fanatic Film Festival
Best Film- Catalonian International Film Festival
Best Screenplay- San Diego Film Critics Society Awards
Premiere Award- Geredmer Film Festival
Audience Awards- Cineygma Luxemburg International Film Festival
Best Screenplay
                                                  -Chlotrudis Awards
Best Actor (Jake Gyllenhaal)
Silver Screen Awards- Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival
Young Filmmaker's Showcase- Academy of Science Fiction etc