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


                                                       

UK Film - I Give It A Year

Plot Summary: I give it a year is a British Rom-Com which sells the whole idea of being British and has a very Bridget Jones feel to it. Having this, it appeals to those audiences of whom watched and liked Bridget Jones. Newlywed couple Nat and Josh are deliriously happy despite their differences, though friends and family aren't convinced that they can last. With their first anniversary approaching and attractive alternatives in the mix, can they last?

Release Date: It was released in February 2013 for the reason of that it's valentines day and many people would go to the cinema with their 'valentines' near to or on the day. It is key to cinema to have Rom-Coms released throughout February, especially British ones as the idea of 'British love' is sold greatly amongst other cultures.

Certificate: 15 There are strong sexual references and dialogue throughout. Having a Rom-Com certified at a 15 allows room for strong sexual references which relates to its audience on a higher scale and ultimately bringing in a larger audience.

Budget and Box Office: The actual budget price isn't available, however the director said it was a limited budget as he is a 'great believer in that great comedy doesn't need to cost a fortune'. It made a £32.5k at US box office over all. It was majorly successful in the US as British romance is desirable.

Reviews: It had mainly positive reviews with a trend of people saying it didn't focus as much on the romance as it did on the comedy which somewhat defeated the romance theme. Many also said that it would make Hugh Grant and his fans proud. On Rotten Tomato's 'Tomato-meter' it scored 55% and audience scored it as 43%.

Stars:It features 3 key actors who made their debut in TV shows. Stephen Merchant, Olivia Coleman and Alex Macqueen. It also features other actors popular in British Cinema such as Minnie Driver and Rafe Spall. Having TV stars feature in a film appeals to the audiences who watch the shows they're in which is cleverly done as that in this method it brings in male audiences as well as female.

Marketing: It was mainly advertised on Facebook as it's cheap and many people will see it as it's the largest social network site. Following the release of the film, a soundtrack was released which, obviously, features love songs. It has also been released on DVD.

Director: Dan Mazer

The Great Gatsby

Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of the famous novel 'The Great Gatsby' was a blockbuster of 2013 for a number of reasons. Generally when a film is made based on a book, it doesn't flop and is in fact majorly successful. Luhrmann cast Leonardo Di Caprio in his 1995 remake of Romeo + Juliet, this being a successful film ultimately created a definite success for The Great Gatsby prior to its release. It also stars Carey Mulligan who starred in the successful film, along with Ryan Gosling, 'Drive'. The Great Gatsby had a budget of $105 and produced $348.8 at box office.

It is classed as a Romantic Drama however it may also be classed as a Greek Tragedy due to the downfall of nobel characters regarding their harmatia of naive idealism.


It has been certified as a 12A, however Common Sense Media says it's suitable for 14+.

This film was marketed using different images from the film to show all the different angles of the story. The posters focussed on the lavish style of the film and the lifestyles the characters lead to create an image of the main setting of the film and to enforce this amongst the potential viewers. Being that this film is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the trailer and posters do not stray away from this and have kept a similar feel about the visual story as opposed to the literature.

Prior to the film's release, the Brooks Brothers premiered the 'Gatsby Collection', which is a line of men's clothing "inspired by the costumes designed by Catherine Martin for Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby". Following this, Tiffany & Co unveiled windows at its Fifth Avenue flagship store "inspired by" Luhrmann's film and created in collaboration with Luhrmann and costumer Catherine Martin. The jewellery store also premiered "The Great Gatsby Collection" line of jewellery designed in anticipation of the film.

It was released May 10th 2013. As May is in summer time, and The Great Gatsby is set in the summer of 1922, this appeals to the audience as they would feel related to it being that they would currently be living in summer time and following the stereotypes of summer times which are highlighted in the film.

It received mainly positive reviews speaking about how Luhrmann portrayed it well whilst keeping the original literature apparent. Although this caused a backfire on some as they felt too much attention on keeping faithful to the novel, it lacked the faithfulness in theme, character and impact. Many did say that Leonardo DiCaprio was a poor choice to portray Jay Gatsby. Many commented on the colour and theme of the riches in the film and how the entire film focussed on the gold element which some appreciated but some surpassed as tacky and stereotypical.

The Counsellor

     



Production budget: $25million
Domestic total: $16,816,402

Total lifetime grosses:
   Domestic : $16,816,402     35.9%
    Foreign$30,000,000          64.1%

Domestic summary:
   Opening weekend: $7,842,930
     (No. 4 rank. 3044 cinemas, $2,577 average)
       percentage of total gross: 46.6%

Widest release: 3,044
In release 33 days/ 4.1 weeks



This film is sold to the audience on the idea of drugs and violence. In the running titles there are big named actors with their awards underneath their names. This lures the audience in to believe this will be a good film due to the actors cast. However, the reviews are seemingly negative and has had few positive reviews.

I will be producing a short film based on the Horror genre and I will be making this apparrent by using some of the main conventions of that genre.
I plan on using lots of jump cuts to keep the viewer on edge and create a sense of disjointedness within the main character. At this moment I have not made a clear decision on what the narrative will be, however I have a brief outline. It will follow the main stereotypes of the Horror genre but with some controversial changes.

• Target audience of 15-25 year olds, interested in the psychological area 
• Either a short film or a film trailer based on the Horror genre with psychological aspects
• Use and adapt existing themes and ideas from Horror films
• Use dutch and other such unconventional angles 
• Editing will be the main focus of the sequence and will play a big part in the feel of the clip

Film Noir

 In this short film we created a Film Noir themed setting by using the available architecture in and around college. Such objects as grave stones and spiral staircases are popular conventions within the Film Noir genre.
The film begins with a close up of a hand and the shot is held for 2 seconds and then zooms out to reveal it is a dead body. The two seconds in which the viewer is unaware of whose hand this is or anything to do with it, the viewer is anticipated as to what this hand will show. This is shot at a dutch angle to show the obscurity and unorthodoxness of the situation.
It then cuts to a female standing in the doorway and then stepping over the dead body.The viewers are unable to see her face so it creates mystery as we are not yet sure as to who this character is, what she represents and her involvement in the situation. After she steps over the body, the camera follows her as she walks past and down the stairs. Following this, it cuts to a slow motion shot of her continuing down the stairs, however the camera is now at the bottom of the stairs as opposed to the top which shows she now has dominance of the situation and ultimately the rest of the film.
The next scene is the female continuing to walk away from the camera, down a path, in a graveyard, towards the church. In this shot, she is in centre frame, which , again shows she has dominance over the situation and she is able to determine what happens next.
Following this, the female meets a male and they talk whilst holding each other. In this shot the viewers cannot see her face as it is filmed from behind her so the mystery of this character continues. The shot fades out and into the next one which shows the male and the female walking out of the grave yard and closing the gate. The viewers are still unable to see the female's face, they may feel confused as to what her motive is and why she has killed this man. It is implied that she has killed this man who is her husband/partner to be with this other man. Typically, in the Film Noir genre, the female is 'Femme Fatalle' and she performs the murder or wrong doing to be with somebody else.
The film ends with a tilt shot of the male and female walking towards the camera. The camera tilts only as far up at the female's neck and then cuts to a  close up of both male and female's feet. At this point the viewers are anticipated as the camera tracks upwards as it creates suspense as they believe they may be able to see her identity. However when it gets extremely close to showing her face, it cuts away.
We were aiming to achieve mystery and I feel we have achieved this effectively primarily with the use of keeping the female's identity concealed.

Draft: Slumdog Millionaire opening scene analysis

The scene begins with an extreme close up of Jamal’s face, this reflects the intensity of the situation as we’re able to see his expression. Immediately we are able to see that he is the protagonist and the film will focus on how he feels with his emotions and his point of view. The lighting is low key and has a gold/yellow element to it which could suggest money and riches.  It could also mirror the heat in the country, as it’s a very warm colour, showing us it’s set in India. It cuts to Jamal filmed from an over the shoulder shot of the first man which makes us, as viewers, feel closer to the situation that is occurring.  On the screen it introduces the year and the place as Mumbai, 2006. This immediately lets us know that the film is set in a developing country and that this justice system is corrupt. The interrogator blows smoke into his face as a way of intimidating Jamal and to show his authority.

On the screen the text shows a question and multiple-choice answers. This is in the style of the game show so we as viewers are able to relate to this as it’s a very popular show. Through the use of this we are also able to see a clear insight as to what the film is about. It begins with the 2 most obvious answers that he cheated or that he is lucky, which is a reflection on how people view him.  It cuts to money being thrown into a bathtub.  We can only see the hands of this person and not the face so this character is anonymous and mysterious but the viewers see him as having authority because of all the money he has. There is a lot of references to money in this opening.

 The presenter of ‘Who Wants To Be a Millionaire’ is the second one to speak in this scene and he introduces the show. Low key lighting is used and it lights up the presenter’s face when he’s speaking then changes to Jamal’s face. Half of the presenter’s face is in the dark and half is lit up, this makes us feel as though he cannot be trusted and it foreshadows his evil potential for future events. When Jamal and the presenter initially walk out, the shot is from behind and they occupy an equal amount of space in the frame, however towards the end of the frame, the presenter moves into Jamal’s half of the frame. This makes us feel somewhat uncomfortable and empathising with Jamal as though personal space is being invaded. When Jamal and the presenter sit down, the scene is shot from a bird’s eye view to show that the presenter and Jamal, although it doesn’t initially seem this way, are in the same position in the sense they have someone of a higher authority controlling them. This authority could possibly be a religious figure as India is a very religious country. However, it could also be a physical being which lets viewers know the television, as well as many other systems, is corrupt in this country. We see the host sit Jamal down in his chair and raise his hand to pat him on the shoulder, this is when the scene cuts back to the interrogation and the hand that hits Jamal, matches the position in which the host’s hand was. This is an insight as to how he cannot be trusted and he isn’t what he seems. This makes us feel shocked and curious as to what is going to happen next.

Generally in a film we don’t find out how it ends until the ending of the film. However with this film, the beginning of the film shows how it ends and the duration of the film is flashbacks, two of which occur in the opening sequence.

The interrogator asks Jamal his name and slaps him in the face once more to which the scene cuts back to Jamal on the game show looking in a daze and unsure as to where he is. 

The interrogation is similar to Jamal’s entrance onto the show as he is being asked questions and is feared. It’s unusual to see someone with the opportunity to go on this game show to look so serious and terrified, generally people are excited so the change of normality in this intrigues the viewers as to why he is feeling such a way. This causes us as viewers to feel intrigued as to why Jamal is feeling this way. Some viewers may feel it’s due to that he will be cheating as that is what we were introduced to initially.

It suddenly cuts back to the interrogation part as an extreme close up of Jamal’s head being plunged under water. The bucket his head is in is red which causes the water to look red. This symbolises blood and danger which makes us feel that there is impending doom. The part of the scene where it is showing Jamal on the show, it is a flashback as when Jamal is being interrogated, he is remembering what has happened as that is the reason for the interrogation. This brings us closer to Jamal as this is the beginning of us viewing his life as flashbacks. During the section in the scene where it’s set on the show, the camera shows the behind the set workers showing multiple screens with Jamal from all angles which shows he is being watched and isn’t able to escape it. The presenter is mocking Jamal’s job and making the audience laugh, which is another insight as to how things work differently in a developing country due to that Jamal is being made fun of. Having this behaviour on the British version of this TV show wouldn’t be permitted. This shows he has dominance and power over Jamal.

The scene then cuts to a female at a train station, filmed from an overhead shot which shows she is vulnerable and foreshadows future events of someone acting upon her vulnerability. We as viewers are also curious as to what she’s looking at, assumingly something which makes her happy because she’s smiling.

Following this, the scene cuts back to the interrogation section, in a tracking shot from behind showing a man walking into the room. The camera slowly moves up his legs as he is walking. At this point we are unaware as to who he is, he seems to us that he has authority. It then cuts to a long shot in which his identity is revealed to him being a policeman.

The interrogator puts on his police uniform to which the viewers then realise that this is a corrupt justice system as they are torturing him.

When the two policemen are speaking to each other, Jamal is always in shot which shows the importance of him within their minds. We see when it’s been shot showing all three characters that the setting is very dirty and there is a blood stain on the floor which indicates it may be Jamal’s blood or it’s someone else’s.

The camera angles are similar to that of Inglorious Basterds in he interrogation scene. The framing is shared between the two characters to show how physically close they are. It also features characters of a lower position in hierarchy in contrast with the higher. Both these scenes use violence but in different forms; Slumdog Millionaire uses it in a threatening sense with no initial intention of killing Jamal. However, in Inglorious Basterds, the soldiers act in a very hostile manner and kill the Nazi in the first instance he does not give the information the soldiers required.