Please note this post contains some strong language and discussion of 'adult themes' which are integral to the analysis of the film.
A highly relatable mode of address is constructed. The pan across to other students emphasises their standoffish performance, creating a sense of isolation. The costumes and aesthetic of the students emphasises their individuality and personality. However, Fletcher is othered through his intimidating costume and appearance that emphasises his lack of humanity. The rehearsal setting is highly relatable to a middle class target audience, yet the classroom dynamic will be relatable to a wider audience
Fletcher is stereotypically intimidating through his appearance. His bald head emphasises the harshness of his features; the prominent veins, the beads of sweat, and the various bumps of his head. Fletcher is conventionally unattractive, and the montage of close up shots of his face reinforces this fact. In particular, the MES of his teeth, and the MES of the spit flying from his mouth, and constructs an abject mode of address for the spectator
As fletcher slaps Nyman repeatedly, a rapid fire montage of jump cuts construct a sharp, sudden, confusing and disorienting ideological perspective. Nyman's performance is understated, and he doesn’t even flinch, constructing a frustrating and upsetting mode of address. Fletcher screams ‘if you deliberately sabotage my band, I will fuck you like a pig’. This insinuates that Nyman is culpable and at fault, which introduces a central narrative theme of the film, and emphasises the conflict between student and teacher. The phrase ‘fuck you like a pig’ is a disgusting, abject, and highly threatening mode of address, and serves to violently dehumanise Nyman
The use of montage editing and the shot counter shot structure of the opening of the ‘not my tempo’ scene emphasises not only the importance of Nyman and Fletcher to the narrative, but also that they function as a binary opposition. The editing is choppy and staccato, and builds a sense of tension through constructing a sense of conflict
The binary opposition between Nyman and Fletcher is constructed further through the casting of Miles Tellers. Nyman is a hegemonically conventional character and will be highly relatable to the target spectator. The actor’s face is soft and shapeless. The MES of his acne scars create a sense of relatability and vulnerability that allow the spectator to further position themselves with Nyman and not with fletcher. This ultimately constructs a highly manipulative and highly leading ideological perspective
Hegemony – the rules and restrictions that we follow in society through consent
The contrast between the hot, orange lighting and the drab, warm mahogany walls construct an almost sexual undertone to the scene. It resembles a Jazz club rather than a conventional classroom, which may have connotations of sex, danger, drunkenness, and edginess. The lighting builds the hot, claustrophobic atmosphere, which is anchored through the MES of closed doors. This constructs a sense of conflict wit the cold, unfeeling teaching technique that requires the harsh repetition of a musical phrase over and over
How far are the conflicts in the films you have studied a representation of social, cultural and political problems? You must draw comparisons between the three films you have studied in your answer
Knee jerk reaction – The conflicts in these films are very much a representation of socio-political problems
Plan
Narrative – conflict – oppression – proxemics – propaganda – racism – discrimination – behaviour – close up – long shot – rapid fire montage – establishing montage – intercutting – crosscutting – whip pan – documentary – video game – abjection – prejudice – verisimilitude – apartheid – colonialism – segregation – individualisation – binary opposition – composition – MES – violence – war – Todorov – fields – ending – chronological – diegesis
What social political and cultural problems are presented in these films?
- Division, segregation, discrimination
- Abuse of authority (ideological state apparatus)
- Violence and the use of violence (abjection and transgression)
- Rebellion against authority
- Hegemony, rules, propaganda and so on
- The corruption of authority
- One way in which socio-political problems are ideologically represented is through the abuse of authority. This themes occurs to a great extent in all three films, and in each case reflects the ideology of the producer.
- An excellent of the abuse of authority in BOA can be found in the film’s many torture scenes. For example in the opening scene, an oppressive atmosphere is encoded through the use of harsh chiaroscuro lighting, and the dehumanising changing of the Algerian’s costume, which serves to present them as less than human. This further reinforced through the use of a fearful and highly stylised performance to the captive Algerian, who frantically waves his arms, screams, and attempts to kill himself. This highly confusing and alarming combination of elements constructs a clear ideology that criticises the French occupation of Algeria.
- The radically different yet still stylistically similar District 9 deals with the abuse of power in an extremely similar way. For example, in the raid on the township sequence, editing and cinematography are used to construct an oppressive atmosphere. The combination of ‘fantastical racist’ language such as ‘fuckin’ prawns’ serves to dehumanise the alien occupiers, constructing a highly conflicted mode of address for the target audience. Furthermore, the handheld cinematography coupled with the rapid fire montage editing constructs a highly confusing and unpleasant set of ideologies for the spectator.
- Realism
- Documentary
- Shakeycam/archival
- This serves to construct a clear ideology surrounding oppression, that ultimately aligns the spectator with the ‘prawns’