Preliminary Research - Film Studies
Introduction
For my Film Studies coursework, I am required to produce a screenplay which is 10 pages long, equivalent to 10 minutes of film, along with an analysis of my screenplay and evidence the pre-production documents and research I conducted before creating my screenplay. In this document, I will include all of the preliminary research I constructed and any notes that are relevant to my screenplay. Furthermore, this document will include information about short films and screenplays along with the narrative conventions, dramatic qualities and the structures of short films and screenplays.
Research Notes - Birth of a Killer
The film's title is simple and self explanatory, the title 'Birth of a Killer' tells you exactly what the screenplay is about. This was a deliberate choice to play into a certain moral effect that I want my screenplay to evoke in the viewer. My screenplay is about a fictional serial killer and his personal story, from his birth, to the moments of his first kill and exactly what caused him to become who he did. I want my screenplay to evoke thought in the viewers and make them consider their own moral compass. My script focuses on a popular psychological debate on whether serial killers are born or made; the narrative will be driven forward by my main protagonist and his actions and the viewers can make their own decisions on whether they believe he was born a serial killer or made into one by his living conditions and his lack of human connections.
Serial Killers
A serial killer is a person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic, predictable behaviour pattern. One serial killer I am choosing to research is Jeffrey Dahmer; this is because his story has similarities to my protagonist and I believe by researching a real serial killer, I can be more knowledgeable about their traits and characteristics and portray my serial killer in a realistic and emotive way. To further my knowledge on Jeffrey Dahmer and serial killers in general, I watched the Netflix series based on Dahmer's Life: 'Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story'. This series follows Dahmer and his upbringing and provided me with valuable insight of his life before he became a killer. The series does not explicitly tell you whether he was born a killer or was made one by his negative relationships with his parents and difficult childhood and leaves it to the viewer to decide.
 |
| Poster for the Dahmer series. |
I wanted my protagonist to resemble Dahmer and his traits as Dahmer portrayed by Evan Peters in this series is an accurate representation of a real serial killer, meaning my protagonist would resemble a realistic serial killer if I took inspiration from Evan Peter's performance in this series.
To effectively evoke the question on whether serial killers are born or made in my screenplay, I needed to ensure I was taking inspiration from a serial killer who is a key part of this discussion. Many people have contrasting opinions on Jeffrey Dahmer, some believe he was born a killer, others believe he was made into one and some people believe both of these statements to be true and that he was born a troubled boy and got progressively worse as he grew up due to his traumatic upbringing.
 |
| Poster for the Dexter series. |
Nature versus Nurture
The Nature vs Nurture debate is a long-standing debate in society and biology about the relative influence on human beings of their genetic inheritance and the environmental conditions of their development. This debate has existed for over a century discussing the extent to which genetics or external influences, such as nutrition and comfort, influence a child's growth and development. I researched into this debate as I believe it is interlinked with the 'Is a serial killer born or made' debate due to how they both discuss how a person is either born the way they are or moulded into who they are based upon their upbringing, relationships with others and life experiences. I believe that researching this debate significantly benefits my screenplay as it provides me with valuable information on human psychology and the continuous turmoil of those who believe that we are born the way we are and those who believe we are moulded by our surroundings.
John Bowlby
John Bowlby is a British psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who I decided to research due to his immense experience and interest in child development. He formulated the famous attachment theory, which is a psychological, evolutionary, and ethological theory concerning the relationships between humans. A key part of this theory being that young children need to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for normal social and emotional development.
Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment suggests that attachment is imperative for a child's survival. Attachment behaviours in both babies and their caregivers have evolved through natural selection. This means infants are biologically programmed with innate behaviours that ensure that attachment occurs. Although Bowlby did not rule out the possibility of other attachment figures for a child, he did believe that there should be a primary bond which was much more important than any other, this primary bond was usually the mother. This is relevant to my screenplay because the narrative is driven forwards by the relations between my protagonist and the people around him; a key part of my screenplay is the effect of relationships and the dire, negative results that can occur if a person does not form a healthy bond with a primary caregiver and is instead neglected.
Casting Considerations
There are a few key roles in my screenplay that I need to consider the casting for. If I had an unlimited budget and was free to choose any active actor/actress for my roles they would be as followed:
Adult Arthur (Protagonist) - Played by Charlie Plummer
I believe that Charlie Plummer will be able to act as the whole of Arthur. The reason I would cast Plummer is due to the fact that he is 24, which is a similar age to what Arthur would be in the script, and he is a relatively unknown/less famous actor. A lot of famous films have more unknown actors as their main protagonist while having famous actors play side characters or other main characters, this is because it allows younger actors to showcase their talent while still having recognisable names to bring more viewers.
Furthermore, he has also acted in a serial killer film before, called 'The Clovehitch Killer'. Although he did not play the serial killer in this film, the fact that he has been a key part of a film with similarities to mine leads me to believe he is a perfect candidate to play Arthur.
Blonde Woman - Played by Anya Taylor-Joy
I believe that Anya Taylor-Joy is the perfect casting for this role is due to her expressive performances and doll like appearance. The role of the Blonde Woman is not a major part of my screenplay, however I think that Anya Taylor-Joy's performance could make this role meaningful and much more emotive than other actresses.
She has proved she is capable of providing phenomenal performances in psychological horror/thriller films, like mine, as she acted in 'Last Night in Soho' and 'The Menu'.
Arthur's Father - Played by Jake Gyllenhaal
I consider Jake Gyllenhaal to be the most suitable actor for the role of Arthur's Father; this is due to a plethora of reasons. Firstly, he is now 43 years old, Gyllenhaal has had a long and successful acting career but he is now reaching the age where he could play certain roles like being a father. Furthermore, Gyllenhaal's wide cinematography cements him as an actor with great range suitable to play many different roles.
The role of the father in my screenplay is a difficult role to portray as Arthur's father is extremely masculine, firm and has abusive tendencies. I believe that Jake Gyllenhaal has the range to play a harsh father like this. The films he's starred in such as 'The Covenant', 'Southpaw' and 'Prisoners' evidence that he can play a firm, strong character.
Arthur's Mother - Played by Rebecca Ferguson
To add to this, Rebecca Ferguson has worked with Jake Gyllenhaal before; they both played the two lead characters in the 2017 film 'Life'. Therefore, they are well acquainted with each other and are familiar with each others acting styles. That is why I believe they are both suitable to act as Arthur's parents.
This is a storyboard for the first 3 scenes of my screenplay. I created this pre-production document to visualise what my screenplay would look like if It was to be made into a real film. This is the document that I would be shown to everybody working on the film along side me so that we are all aware and can visualise what the scenes can look like. A storyboard needs to contain certain things such as a drawing of what is occurring in the scene, the shot types, how long each scene will be, any sound or audio in the scene, and which scene or shot it is.
Storyboard
Audio Notes: The first shot of my storyboard is silent, then at the end of the shot there is a click of the light as the it transitions into shot 2. The click of the light is soon followed by the bright light itself turning on and revealing the scene. The black screen and quote from the first shot dissipate as the light turns on and we have now transitioned into shot 2. Throughout the rest of the first scene there is a buzz sound of a faulty light, this creates tension and keeps the viewer on edge while also making the scene more realistic and increasing verisimilitude. At shot 5, there is the diegetic sound of quiet footsteps as Arthur begins to walk and then the diegetic sound of a creaky door as Arthur opens it to leave the room. The sound of a light buzzing and door creaking are genre conventions of a horror movie.
Transition Notes: The transition between shot 1 and shot 2 is a quick dissolve, a light switch turns on and very quickly dissolves the black screen from the first shot. My aim here is to create a distinctive transition, instead of normally dissolving from one shot to another I wanted to implement audio that causes the dissolve to occur. The turning on of a light switch causes the light to dissolve the black screen and present the setting of a bedroom.
Pace - scene 1 is slow
Scene 2 is frantic - reflecting his entry into the world and the early events that shaped his personality. The pace of these scenes juxtapose eachother.
Audio Notes: In scene 3 shot 3 there is the diegetic sound of a baby crying. Then, the scene changes to scene 4 where there is diegetic sound of school ambience (people talking, laughing, footsteps). Throughout the shots of scene 4 there is also a bell that rings. Then Arthur walks to a classroom where there is the diegetic audio of a teacher talking.
Audio notes: In scene 4 shot 5, Arthur is walking outside of the school and entering a tree lined street. The diegetic sound of outside ambience like nature and the occasional car can be heard in this scene. Then, in scene 5 Arthur has entered his house and we can hear the sound of the TV however the dialogue on the television is unintelligible. In shot 4, Arthur accidentally stumbles over a table and knocks over a vase, this grabs the attention of his father and he begins to shout at Arthur. This diegetic dialogue of shouting can be heard in this scene as long as the background noise of the TV.
Cinematography
I intend to use cinematography in my screenplay as a dramatic device and to create meaning, emotion, tension and entertainment for the readers. As I am writing a screenplay, I cannot physically show my cinematography, however I am going to include my cinematography choices in my screenplay so that the reader can still read about my choices and envision how it would look if my screenplay was made into a film. I am going to use wide shots and establishing shots to showcase the setting to the viewers and close up shots to portray the emotion of a character. Furthermore, I am going to consider the lighting and ensure that I am using lighting to reflect the horror genre of my screenplay like low-key lighting and chiaroscuro.
Mise en scene
Mise en scene refers to everything that the audience can see on the screen, like the actors and their positioning, props, costumes and sets. I plan to use these aspects of mise en scene to create my screenplay and I am going to implement each one into my script. Firstly, due to the fact that my screenplay is set throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the set design and costumes have to reflect this. I am going to ensure that when I am describing the appearance of my characters, they will reflect the time period they exist in whether this be through their clothes, hair or anything else related to their appearance. For example, I could explain how a female character in my script has a perm, which was very common in the 1980s and would make my screenplay more realistic as it represents the time it is set in. To add to this, I am going to include the positioning of characters in my screenplay, I can do this to increase the verisimilitude and realism of my screenplay and to portray horror conventions depending on how I use character positioning, Since I am writing a screenplay and not creating a short film, I will write down these positions rather than showcase them on a film.
Editing
I believe that I will primarily use slow-paced editing throughout my screenplay. I am going to use editing as a dramatic device to drag out tension-inducing scenes and instil fear. However, I will utilise fast-paced editing when action occurs in my screenplay, for example when my protagonist (Arthur) is in the midst of killing another person I may deicide to use fast-paced editing to amplify the action and severity of the situation. However, for the most part slow-paced editing will be used to convey the genre of the film (horror/psychological thriller).
Sound
Sound (or the lack of it) is one of the most important factors in horror films and is a major genre convention. This means it is imperative I use sound creatively and distinctively while also still conveying horror genre conventions. One example of sound that I am going to write into my screenplay is the buzz of a light, this diegetic noise would create tension and keep the viewer on edge. I plan to use sound both to convey the horror genre and to increase the realism of my screenplay, what I mean by this is adding in natural sounds like birds chirping, the wind, footsteps or any action that makes a noise. Not all sound will be scary or used to create tension.
Short Film Analysis
Narrative Conventions of a Short Film
Narrative conventions are techniques that are commonly used in films and in storytelling to create meaning and it is a familiar way to give information to the viewers. Some of these narrative conventions are a plot that includes a complication, conflict, climax and resolution. These conventions are also linked to a commonly used technique called the 'Three Act Structure''. The Three Act Structure is a storytelling model, and it is loosely defined as a narrative with a beginning, middle and end. The beginning is a set up with the inciting incident, then there is middle where action begins to rise; usually around the middle the viewer is introduced and well acquainted with the key disequilibrium in the film. Finally, there is the end which is where the action climaxes and a resolution arrives as the film concludes. This narrative structure is used frequently in short films due to the fact that they don't have much time to set up an elaborate story with non-linear story telling; therefore it will follow the three act structure where the spectators can easily comprehend each plot point and how the action builds and is dealt with.
Dramatic qualities of a short film are constructed through a wide range of narrative techniques, many directors use techniques such as: dramatic devices, character development, and the use of dialogue in their short films. These techniques assist the creation of a short film and implementing them into a short film amplifies how entertaining the film is to the spectators and effects their judgement on the film. Due to the fact that short films do not have a long runtime, it is difficult to successfully add a technique like character development as there isn't enough time for the viewers to get used to the character and notice their change; this means that for it to be effective in short films the character development needs to be quicker than in a feature film. Short films utilise dramatic devices like dialogue, conflict and comic relief.
The Ellington Kid - (2012, Directed by Dan Sully)
Instantaneously, the visuals of this short film grip the viewer, the sharpening of blades and chopping of meat paired with the quick and blunt diegetic sound grabs the viewers attention from the first 10 seconds of the film and connotes action and danger. Through these visuals, we are also made aware that the short film is set in a food establishment, which is further expanded on with an establishing shot of the Kebab shop. From the accents and costumes of the two characters the viewers are first introduced to the spectators can come to the conclusion that the setting is in a low class area, most likely in South London; this is because the informal accents and dialogue filled with 'banter' and slang represent a less developed part of the city filled with crime and poverty. There is a lot of fast paced editing implemented into the film, this is because there is action and chase scenes in the film and the fast paced editing conveys the danger and severity of the situation of the boy being chased, portraying how the whole situation is fast paced and life threatening. Furthermore, fast paced editing builds tension quickly and informs the viewer that they are watching an action scene as we can tell by the genre conventions.The film makes use of comic relief as there are two characters who relay the story that we see throughout the film. These two characters are quite immature in their behaviour and dialogue and their interactions with each other is what brings a comedic factor to the film. The film mixes comedy with action, however it is done exceptionally well due to the fact that they are segregated. The comedic factor comes from the two boys sat in the kebab shop relaying a story and the action comes from the story itself which is visualised to the spectators. This means that the comic relief characters never actually witness the action and are used as devices to portray the story to the viewer in past tense while also bringing comedy into the short film.
Tight Jeans - (2008, Directed by Destiny Ekharaga)
Tight Jeans is a very interesting short film, this is because it is set in one location and a majority of the dialogue is comedic and informal which would make the average viewer believe that it is a simple film with no real meaning and is for comedic purposes. Although the film is comedic, it is also used as a vessel to make you check your own morals/racist tendencies disguised as a innocent comedic film. I believe that Ekharaga used this effect deliberately, as racism and comedy are two very opposing themes and a viewer would not expect a film with the purpose to make you realise your own unintentional racist thoughts to include such a large amount of comedic diegetic dialogue throughout it.Set in a poverty stricken/lower-class area of the UK, we see three black young adults sat on a wall. Through the use of their dialogue we are made aware that they are waiting for their friend as he is the only one with a car, this further evidences the fact they are in a less developed area. Additionally, their accents and use of slang symbolises the low class area they come from. These factors are all key to creating these characters and making them an effective way to de-normalise racial stereotypes. To add to this, their costumes are used to resemble their personalities, the boy wearing a blue jumper is much more relaxed and a voice of reason unlike the other two and blue has connotations of calmness and peace. The boy wearing red is more aggressive in his speech and more energetic than the other boys and the colour red is often used to portray anger and violence. However, the boy in the middle is wearing a orange and grey stripy jumper, perhaps this is to elucidate how he is more of a 'wildcard' which makes sense as he is the character that has the most comedic dialogue and spurs the narrative along.
The name of the short film 'Tight Jeans' comes from the shot where a white man walks past wearing tight jeans. In this encounter, we see the three black men watching the white man as he walks past. The reason that this is a key shot and why the film is named after this shot is because this is the scene which is intended to make you realise your racist stereotypes. In this shot, most people would assume that the black men are going to go up to the white man and harass him or attack him, however they have a harmless conversation about his jeans and it is conveyed to the spectators that they are not a threat. Ekharaga expected most people to assume that three black men in a less developed area would pick on a lone white man and the viewer realises that the men are not a danger and the fact that their brain automatically assumed they were dangerous is a racial stereotype.
Slap - (2015, Directed by Nick Rowland)
Slap has quite a long run time for a short film, this is because Slap has a detailed narrative and it requires a longer run time as it is essential that the viewer can watch the character development of Joe Cole's character (Connor) as it is a key part of the plot. Slap is a film which explores sensitive topics such as sexuality and masculinity and specifically in Slaps case, both sexuality and masculinity co-existing in a teenage boy. We follow Connor as he traverses into a journey about his identity and the viewer witnesses the struggles of a conflicted boy who doesn't feel free but is ashamed of the person he wants to be.
As the narrative builds, we see Connor grow in confidence and become less ashamed of who he is and how he dresses. He dresses up in a dress, heels and makeup to go to a party and as he see him walk along the street he is framed directly in the centre of the road and the shot; this portrays how he is the main focus and the viewer needs to pay attention to him. The positioning is deliberate in this scene and the director used the Rule of Thirds here and the fact that he is walking in the middle of the road and not on the pavement illustrates how he has evolved into a more confident person and doesn't care as much as he used to.
As this scene occurs, there is non-diegetic rock music that the spectators can hear; this further elucidates how this is a big deal and a key scene in the film. As all of his close friends and his girlfriend joke at his outfit at the party all the diegetic sound fades out and non-diegetic solemn music begins to play, this portrays Connor's discomfort and that a disequilibrium has been created as he is no longer feeling confident and free. This disequilibrium progressively worsens throughout the party as Archie tries to kiss Connor, resulting in Connor attacking him and Archie telling Lola and everybody else in the party that Connor is gay and likes to dress up with makeup and feminine clothes. This causes an argument between Lola and Connor where Connor attempts to explain himself but Lola is disgusted in him and slaps him multiple times, this is the scene where the film title came from. However, the film title has a double meaning, it stands for the actual slap that occurs in this scene but also represents the makeup that Connor applies to himself, slap is a UK slang word which means makeup. This is a key scene in the film because it portrays how Connor attempted to come out of his shell and made an extremely difficult decision to show his true self to his friends and it backfired completely. It is a realistic representation of masculinity and problems navigating the line between masculinity and femininity.
Over - (2015, Directed by Jorn Threlfall)
Over is a very distinctive film which heavily utilises non-linear storytelling in its narrative, so much so that it can confuse the viewer but perhaps this was intentional. This film plays with the idea of time, using long and wide shots to convey a quiet neighbourhood yet the viewer is aware that some sort of crime occurred but we aren't aware of what specifically happened.
The story unfolds but to the viewer it doesn't, with each sequence we are given another piece of the puzzle yet we as the viewer have no knowledge on what has happened and each scene provides more confusion instead of context, this is a result of the non-linear storytelling. It makes the short film function as a puzzle, we have to piece the scenes together but it is impossible until we are given every scene to decipher what truly happened; it is a waiting game filled with tension and confusion until the whole narrative is revealed. It is a very intelligent way of building tension out of an otherwise very explainable crime. What happened was a man fell to his death, he was hiding in the wheel well of a plane from Angola to London Heathrow and fell out of the plane when the landing gear was lowered as the plane neared the airport, his body was near frozen due to the time spent hiding in such a cold environment. One sentence can explain the whole situation in its entirety, yet Threlfall managed to create a captivating and tense narrative by twisting time. The use of non-linear storytelling is what makes this short film so confusing yet powerful, the text on a black screen at the end of the film is what tells us the events that took place, without this text many viewers would still be confused even though we watched each scene and this is because we could not piece them together and required the context given to us to fully understand. The suspenseful and unsettling non-diegetic music paired with this text leaves the spectator uncomfortable as the movie comes to an end, which is fitting as we just received information on how a man died.
The mans grave in Twickenham, West London has nothing marked on it and has no way of telling who the man was or what happened to him. This conveys how he was simply forgotten about; once the shock factor faded away and all the evidence was removed from the scene of the event everything and everybody functioned normally as they did before the event. His death was in vain and yet there was no mourning period or acknowledgement to the man who passed.
Echo - (2011, Directed by Lewis Arnold)
Echo is a short film that follows Caroline, a 17-year-old girl who receives a phone call notifying her that her dad has been involved in a tragic motorbike accident. However, we learn as the narrative unfolds that this isn't the whole story. Caroline is distraught and distressed on the street after receiving the phone call about her father's incident and two members of the public offer her help and end up paying for a taxi to take Caroline to the hospital. Then, we see her leave the taxi after a few short moments and count the money given to her by the two people who tried to help her. This is the first instance where the spectators come to the realisation that Caroline may not of been telling the truth and it was an elaborate act to scam people and take their money. We witness Caroline attempt this scam act again as the narrative unfolds. As this is a short film that relies heavily on emotions to portray its narrative, a lot of close up camera shots are implemented into this short film to convey the emotion of the character in the shot. The viewer can infer that Caroline is a troubled girl, this introduces the idea that what Caroline is doing is not purely to scam people out of their money and could also imply that this act is an unhealthy way for her to deal with her trauma linked to what happened to her father. It is easy to decipher that her father was in a motorbike accident and it isn't entirely a lie made up by Caroline to make money; this is evident when her little brother says 'How does he know about Dad' in regards to another man that Caroline attempted to scam with the same act, this line of dialogue from her little brother (Ollie) is significant because it provides evidence that their dad was in a motorbike accident. Furthermore, the title of the film 'Echo' links with this theory that what happened to her dad is true. There are multiple meanings to the word echo, one being 'a close parallel to an idea, feeling, or event'. This elucidates how Caroline may of received a phone call notifying her that her father had been taken to hospital in a motorbike accident before, and now she mimics this phone call frequently in the same/similar spot it happened, not only to make money but also as a way for her to relive and accept her trauma. This film is not just a narrative about a misbehaving teenage girl but also a story for the effects of trauma and loss and how that can detrimentally effect someone, especially in their teenage years where their mind is still developing. This idea is further solidified by the fact that her father is not seen throughout the entire narrative of the film, implying that he is absent or could possibly be dead. The films final scene is her once again receiving the phone call about her father being taken to the hospital, however it is up to the viewer to infer whether this is another echoed event that has happened many times before, or whether this is the genuine call she received and she is not acting; if so, this would mean that the film has non-linear storytelling due to the fact that the final scene shown in the film takes place before every other scene. However, this is not confirmed and is only speculation.
Operator - (2015, Directed by Caroline Bartleet)
Operator focuses on the harrowing daily experiences of a 999 operator dealing with extreme and dangerous situations. In most depictions of dangerous incidents where an operator is dialled, it is usually shown from the point of view of the person experiencing the accident however in this case the viewer can only see the operator. We see and hear exactly what the operator can, we are not given any extra information and we do not see the house fire at all in the film. This is to place the spectators in the position of the operator and make us experience what it feels like to be a 999 operator, being able to hear the terrors but not being able to do anything about it except provide support and send help to the location. The majority of camera shots in the film are close ups of the operator's face (Laura), this is so the viewer can witness the stress she is experiencing and so we can clearly see her facial expressions. This short film outlines the difficulty of the job of an operator as they have to remain calm and collected no matter what they are hearing on the phone, it is a job that takes a lot of mental strength and such a job can have a mental toll on the person. Due to the fact that the visuals are restricted to the operator's office, the film relies on sound and dialogue to build tension and convey the severity of the situation. The spectators hear the fire crackling through the phone and the distress of the woman in the fire worried about her and her son's life. We can hear the contrast between the calm operator in a quiet office to the distressed and screaming women in a burning building however we cannot see it which builds suspense and tension as we cannot see if the woman is safe or not which puts us in the same position as the operator.
This film was partly funded by the fire brigade's union, further establishing how 'Operator' is a realistic short film which provides an accurate representation of the job and the extreme situations the operators can be in. It is certainly a job that does not get the credit that it deserves and this film helps cast light on this job and the appraisal that the workers deserve.
The Arrival - (2016, Directed by Daniel Montanarini)
The Arrival is a short film which has the run time of 5 minutes and focuses on a woman who contemplates whether to keep her baby or not while waiting for the father of the unborn baby to arrive. A unique feature about this film is that it is filmed in only one setting throughout the entire film, a small cafe which the viewer can infer is next to a train station due to the diegetic sound of trains passing. From the first minute of the film, we can decipher that the woman is a very indecisive and unassured woman as we can hear her thoughts and hear how she is unsure whether she ordered the right drink and unsure what to tell the man who she is waiting for.
A very subtle but meaningful tactic used in this film is the constant slow zoom in of the camera. Throughout the entirety of the film the camera is in one place and does not move, however it slowly zooms in which is difficult to notice as you watch. The effect of this camera zoom is linked with the narrative. At one point, the lights turn off in the cafe and the camera zoom gets noticeably quicker, here we see a close up of her face so the viewer can see her discomfort with the decision she has to make as we hear the roar of a train. Once the lights turn back on, we hear her inner monologue again but there is a change to what she is thinking about. Her thoughts go from considering whether or not to have the baby to thinking about what the baby would be like and what physical features it would have and whether it would grow up to be a good person. I believe that the slow camera zoom from the start to the end is deliberate to match with how her thoughts go from whether she should keep the baby to what the baby would be like; the camera shot changes from a long shot to a close up, which is much more personal, and that is why the spectator hears her more personal thoughts as the camera comes closer. This is a very personal and sensitive film because the narrative is based upon a situation that many women go through in their lives and that is why I believe Montanarini purposely implemented the slow zoom to make the film more intimate.
The Fly - (2014, Directed by Olly Williams)
The Fly is a film which explores morals and humanity, especially surrounding crime, in a very comedic manner. We are introduced to a man who is the getaway driver for a bank heist, he has to wait 3 minutes for his accomplices to finish the job and the entirety of the film is set outside the bank on the street where the criminal is waiting in his car. The film is set in England, this is clear to the viewer due to the setting and the accent of the criminal. The title of the film comes from a fly (insect) that is extremely prevalent throughout the course of the film; we see the criminal get very agitated at the fly and he makes multiple different attempts to get rid of the fly which doesn't seem to want to go away. It is comedic in the fact that a criminal on a very important job is getting so worked up over a fly and that each time he tries he fails to catch the fly which is what provides the comedic factor to the spectators. This is a film which explores morals and humanity because we see the criminal gradually grow more agitated and annoyed at the presence of the fly which could have multiple meanings and I believe Olly Williams deliberately left it unanswered so the viewer can infer for themselves. One of these reasons being that he is not completely at peace with the fact that he is a criminal and he may regret it, he is so easily effected by this fly because he was already on the edge; this could be because he regrets his prior decisions and conveys how he still has morals and humanity inside of him. We watch him descend into delirium at such quick speeds because he is unhappy with himself and his exterior wall is swiftly broken down by something as little as an annoying fly. Another reason is that it is because he is in an extremely stressful position, he may really want this heist to succeed and is scared of getting caught which is why he is so on edge, this reason portrays how he doesn't regret becoming a criminal and he just wants the heist to be a success.
Comments
Post a Comment