Exam Question

17. Explore some of the ways in which placing your chosen film within a broader critical framework has helped to develop your appreciation and understanding of specific sequences.

Within the film, "Fight Club", directed by David Fincher in 1999, the use of the Freudian personality theory is prevalent when referring to certain characters. As revealed in the title sequence, we are taken on a journey through the Narrator's mind, indicating the fact that we are going to be witnessing the psychosis of his mind and seeing everything from his perspective. In the first sell-help group sequence, the leader of the group instructs everyone participating to "open ourselves up". Immediately, our other main character in the film, Tyler Durden, is spliced into the shot. The fact that we are seeing everything from the narrator's perspective portrays the idea that this new character is a figment of his imagination; a simulation disguised in reality. The fact that the composition in this shot has placed the leader of the self help group and Tyler Durden on either side of the crying man, indicates the idea that Tyler Durden could potentially be seen as the Id and the self help groups could be seen as the Super Ego to the Narrator. When referring to the Freud theory, the narrator can be seen as the Ego, due to his balanced, more subdued lifestyle. Meanwhile the other traits of personality can be represented through Tyler, the Id, who is the more primitive and irrational when it comes to making decisions and the self help groups, the Super Ego, which are more towards morality and compromise. The quick editing of tyler being flashed into the shot has been used to indicate the fact that the Id is still being censored by the Super Ego, keeping Tyler repressed, only being licensed occasionally to reveal the Narrator's true unconscious desires. Whilst this use of Freud's personality theory helps to develop my understanding in this sequence, it also contributes towards my realisation that Tyler is contributing towards the Narrator's crisis of masculinity by showing up at a time where the Narrator is about to do something that can be classed as feminine; in this case, crying. Tyler, also known as the Id is attempting to bar him from causing any demasculiniaztion to himself. In a similar way to this splice of Tyler Durden, he is seen three more times on occasions where the Narrator's unconscious desires are peaked. For instance, when the Narrator chases after Marla and she walks away from him, Tyler appears for a second and the disappears almost immediately. This use of editing and appearance of Tyler could illustrate the idea that Tyler is exposing the Narrator's sexual desires due to him being apart of the Narrator and knowing what he really "wants"; the word "wants" being a common trait of the Id.

Moreover, it is much easier to understand the car crash sequence when you match the scene with the Freud theory of personality. By thinking of Tyler as the Narrator's Id, it becomes clear as to why the Narrator is driven to let go of himself and allow the car to crash. Tyler brings out the worst in him. By placing Tyler in the drivers seat, we can see that he is about to take over and persuade the Narrator to doing what he wants. Pathetic fallacy has been used successfully to illustrate the state of the Narrator's mind and mimics his hysteria, worsening the emotional confusion that he is currently going through. The mise-en-scene of the red coat symbolises the idea of danger and rage, an emotion felt in the subconscious, which is finally breaking through. It is also the colour of the devil and resembles the idea of the angel and devil acting as the subconscious; the devil being the Id and the angel being the Super Ego. With the absence of the Super Ego in this scene, there is no doubt that Tyler, the Id is about to take over. The non-diegetic music resembles that of a broken alarm, almost warning the audience that something is about to happen, Tyler is going to take over. The fact that the two people in the back of the car repeat Tyler's rules indicates the idea that they are followers to a higher power; they see him as a God. This is similar to the way the Narrator feels towards Tyler; he sees him as a God and is jealous of the things he does and wants to be able to reveal his unconscious desires, just as Tyler actually acts them out. Even the use of the low key lighting represents the idea that he is in a dark place without the 'supervision' of the more moral Super Ego. Moreover, split lighting has been used to represent how Tyler is one half the Narrator and then vice versa, representing something more sinister that is about to take place.

Meanwhile as the film progresses, we can see that the position of the Super Ego gets transferred to a different character, Marla. The use of the name, 'Marla', is appropriate to the idea of her now being the Super Ego due to the fact that her name is an anagram of the word, "Alarm". She is a warning sign in order to try and persuade the Ego, the Narrator, from letting the Id, Tyler Durden take over. As the Narrator is seen once again in his 'spirit cave', the animal that once was a penguin has now transitioned into Marla; Marla can be seen as his guide for morality when later compared to Tyler Durden. This specific guide to morality is a key attribute to someone being classed as a Super Ego, which is reinforced by the fact that he is in his spirit world; in his mind. In the sequence after Tyler and Marla have intercourse, we never see them both in the same room together, indicating once again that the Id is just a figment of his imagination. In the kitchen scene, we are reminded that the film is set in the Narrator's psychosis, from the mise-en-scene of the worn down house and grimy conditions of the surroundings. From this we can take that he is confused and being told different things by the Id and Super Ego. The mise-en-scene of Marla wearing a dress juxtaposes with the masculine way in which Tyler is being shown, which mirrors the juxtaposition between the Id and the Super Ego. She is the exact definition of a counter balance to Tyler's aggressive and weaponised masculinity. Towards the end of the film, Marla becomes a significant part in the Narrator's life, shown through the end sequence, as Project Mayhem is taking place. The Narrator starts to care about Marla and wants her to be safe, indicating the fact that she has been able to get him to do the right thing and save the people he loves. The two characters are shown through a long-two shot, indicating the idea that they are in a place where they aren't being controlled by the Id. The explosions that surround them can represent the Narrator's confusion and manipulation by the Id ending, leaving the SuperEgo and the Ego to be one together. By creating this impression of Marla potentially being a Super Ego, I can begin to understand the differences between Tyler and Marla and the reason for having them both as a part of the Narrator's life. 

Plan for shoot for experimental film.

Coursework - creative project aims and context.

• A short experimental film.
• The target audience would most likely be towards the Art House Audience (galleries) and people who suffer with the constant feeling of being overwhelmed.
• I will apply influence from experimental films studied. For example, “Sleep”, by Andy Warhol and the closeups of certain body parts/facial features.
• The concept of the film will be about the struggles of a someone suffering from anxiety and the overwhelming feelings that we feel throughout this stage in our lives.

What is the importance of mise-en-scene and/or sound in creating meaning and generating a response in the films you have studied?

How far can it be argued that your chosen films provide a 'realistic' representation of the people and places they may focus on?

Within the film, "City of God", directed by Fernando Meirelles, the idea that it is impossible to keep a sustained relationship within areas of crucial development is shown and is represented in a more realistic way than the other films. During the sequence in the 1960's in which Shaggy attempts to escape the favela with his girlfriend, we are given the idea that due to social conditions, it is impossible to be in a constant, steady relationship. The fact that when we see the conflict in the escape vehicle, a handheld camera is used, without any non diegetic music, we get a real sense for the tension in the scene, which dramatically increases the sense of verisimilitude in the sequence. The girlfriend's decision to call Shaggy out for not being a man for not pushing the car straight away, is also one of the issues that the film manages to discuss as many woman in the time the film was set, felt like they had to be with a man who was brave and courageous. Shaggy being pressured into doing something he felt uncomfortable doing, is what leads him to eventually being killed, which is also one of the reasons why the relationship was going to end; masculinity stereotypes were a common way that lead en to violence and drugs. After Shaggy decides on pushing the car, we are shown through a very tight two shot him kissing his girlfriend, whilst also managing to include the mise-en-scene of the gun. I believe that Meirelles wanted to juxtapose the idea of love and hate, whilst also portraying the fact that the crime and violence will be what ultimately ends the relationship, in a similar way to many of the relationships within the City of God. The framing in the shot showing Shaggy pushing the car and his girlfriend watching over him, allows the audience to see in a realistic way how a woman and a man were separated from each other due to the social upbringing with crime affecting their relationship. This use of framing also acts as a microcosm of real life problems and how living in a poverty struck area will affect love due to reverting to crime to live or even just to escape. This is similar to how Wong Kar-Wai showed the same idea in his film, "Chungking Express".

Like Meirelles, Wong Kar-Wai strived to show the idea of failed relationships in his film due to the social conditions and because of Western Globalisation. However in this case, the film does not go to the same realistic extent than the film, "City of God". During the sequence in which Cop 633 must end his relationship with his flight attendant girlfriend, it is clear that relationships in Urban places are not meant to last. As there is a cut from the girlfriend on the escalator to Cop 633, we are shown that they are communicating through the mise-en-scene of glass and a window, which as a result reflects the barrier that is blocking them from taking the relationship any further. When referring to how realistic Wong Kar-Wai represented this issue that the people who inhabit urban environments, suffer from being unable to retain relationships, the only thing implying a sense of realism is that all throughout the sequence, only diegetic sounds are played, which immediately places us into the shot with the characters. However, unlike in the "City of God", there is no hand held camera in this sequence almost eradicating any sense of realism, in a way getting rid of any essence of a documentary. The idea of Western Globalisation affecting relationships is also a big factor when it comes to showing failed love realistically. Faye, a main character in the second story of the film, is highly influenced by American culture, which is reinforced by the constant playing of "California Dreaming" in the tighter one shots of when she is dancing around at work. The fact that her dreams and hopes in life are influenced by America and that they act as a barrier for her relationships, just goes to reinforce the problems of real life relationships; the idea that two people want two different things due to social upbringing and influences in life.

La Haine and City Of God - first practice exam question

Compare the attitudes to poverty conveyed in the films you have studied for this topic. La Haine and City Of God. (35)

Within the film,"La Haine", directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, poverty is conveyed through the mise-en-scene in the sequence when hubert arrives back home in The Projects around 35 minutes into the film. This sequence deals with the social and economic insignificance that surrounds therein characters in the projects. Through the static camera of Hubert walking through the door, we can see that he lives in an area similar to a council estate, which implies the fact that he and his family is poor and unable to afford a developed place to live. From the circular panning of the camera, i get the implication that the small apartment is actually quite crowded and confined, which is then reinforced by the later minimal camera movement in the kitchen; this mirrors the little space they have and acts as microcosm of everyone who lives in poverty, everyone who lives in The Projects. This can be reinforced by the fact that in the centre of Paris, where there is no poverty, the apartments are represented as very spacious and modern, unlike the current setting we are being shown. As Hubert enters the main room of the apartment, his sister asks for help with homework, however his inability to respond and give her an answer portrays the idea that he has had a lack of education, due to the economic situation everyone in the community has. The fact that his sister is focusing on education proves the fact that her environment is full of poverty and she is using this as a way of escaping it, unlike Hubert. Hubert's lack of knowledge is due to his male bravado that he uses as a front. This may even be due to the influence of friends, who have also been abused by the poverty.
As the camera pans into the kitchen, we are introduced to Hubert's mum, who is portrayed as a typical stay at home mum; her performance informed us that she is unable to afford textbooks for her other son's education, which strengthens the idea that their money situation is a result of extreme poverty. Despite the fact that Hubert lives in this poverty struck area, we can still see that his morals have not been affected and that he still stays positive as he contributes towards paying the gas bill, by placing money down on top of the fridge. As Hubert is referring to his brother, who is in prison, we are told that he has never passed an exam in his life, which indicates the idea that poverty has caused the majority of his family to have a lack of education. As Hubert moves into the living room, the mid-long shot that is used shows us the mies-en-scene of the sewing machine, which is later referred to as "cracked up". The fact that she has been unable to afford a new machine reflects the idea that they have been affected by poverty in a way that puts a barrier from being able to buy new household necessities. This idea can be reinforced by the black line that is directly centred within the shot, which separates the old household items from the empty area on the left hand side of the shot.

The mies-en-scene throughout this sequence is so realistic that the verisimilitude of the setting and degree of poverty has been dramatically enhanced, informing us on the issues that are actually taking place in both the time the film was set , which was the 1990's and modern day.

In a similar way, within "City Of God", directed by Fernando Meirelles, the attitudes to poverty can be shown through the use of mise-en-scene. As the film is spread over the space of approximately 3 decades, from the 60's to the late 80's, we can see how things have changed for the worse over time. At the beginning of the film, when we introduced to the characters in the 60's, the Mise-en-scene of the location depicts that the area is quite spacious and the fact that the characters are making the most out of the large area of land indicates the idea that they are happy with their environment. Even when it comes to the mise-en-scene of the clothing, we can see that although poverty runs throughout the City of God, they don't care about the lack of money to provide them with a better lifestyle.
As the film progresses, we are shown the same area of the City of God approximately 10 years later and how life has changed leading to a dramatic increase in poverty. The mise-en-scene of a horse on the streets has ben used to show how mistreated the City has become and how over time it has been abused by the economy as there are no places for animals to be placed, like a farm. The establishing shot showing the environment allows us to see how times have changed and how even though some areas have been developed, the city has become more compact, when compared to the establishing shot in the 60's. This shot from the 70's is similar to the way that favelas in Brazil look today and symbolises how nothing has changed. Additionally, the fact that we see many people walking about, not doing anything to better themselves and society is similar to the attitudes presented in La Haine as the characters in that film are also not doing anything. Whilst this shows the peoples lack of effort to get jobs, it also indicates the lack of opportunity for people and how the bad economy stops people from earning an adequate wage. Moreover, the difference in colour palette between the two time settings, from a golden tint to a more natural colour scheme, illustrates the fact that life has become more bleak due to lack of money, experiences and opportunities. This is similar to the bleak monochrome tonal palette in La Haine as the more natural colour palette enhances the verisimilitude of the situation.

Furthermore, there is one particular scene in which we are shown the three main characters sitting around with a younger person being unproductive through an establishing shot; this lack of activities to do reflects the minimal development of The Projects and the poverty which has caused this. For example, in particular, the boy that is talking to Vinz is wasting his time when he could be working on improving his education. This causes repetition within generations as the young boy is more likely going to follow in Vinz's and even Hubert's footsteps. The use of time jumps in this scene further strengthens the fact that they pass time by being unproductive and talking about aspects inline that won't benefit them in the future. An example of this is shown through the use of mise-en-scene of Said throwing pebbles and rocks at his friends, which portrays them as childish as these actions are something a child would do, despite their mature ages.
Directly after the jump cut, an establishing shot is used to show the mies-en-scene of the location, which is a council estate that resembles a prison like location. The fact that they are stuck in this environment indicates the idea that they are unable to escape this poverty as they don't have a steady financial income, unlike the people who live in Paris. Shortly after Said runs off to the oncoming car, we are shown a close up of Hubert's feet and the mies-en-scene of needles, which are used for heroin. Heroin is a fairly cheap drug that is used to escape problems; the main problem that people in that neighbourhood want to escape from is the fact that there is nothing to do as The Projects have not been developed enough due to the amount of poverty in the area. The fact that the amount of poverty and limited opportunities lead to people using drugs creates a circular narrative as the more the drugs get used, the less likely The Projects are going to be developed. The idea of this circular motion is a common motif throughout the film, implying that everything that happens, will always occur again due to certain circumstances; in this case, poverty.

Meanwhile, the use of the monochrome colour palette helps to evoke the bleakness and mundaneness of The Projects and like the mise-en-scene mentioned in the first paragraph, the verisimilitude of the situation has been heightened and therefore appears more realistic.

Research Project - Catalogue

Stanley Kubrick - How does Kubrick's use of distinct visual style, regarding composition, lead him to being classed as an auteur?

Films

Item 1  - "The Shining" (1980)
This film is useful for my focus film as each scene is well composed regarding balance and the rule of thirds. The constant use of balance and symmetry reinforces the fact that Kubrick's experience with composition in the past, results in himself becoming an auteur. Kubrick was given free reign to change aspects of the book by Stephen King, which meant he could use his own style and create the film with his desired visuals.
Item 2 - "Full Metal Jacket" (1987)
This film will be useful to strengthen my point as Kubrick's use of establishing shots and long shots allow him to use compositional techniques to a successful level. The shots show Kubrick's visual style at its finest through balance and symmetry, whilst also using his unique one point perspective.
Item 3 - "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)
I believe that this film holds many sequences in which balance, leading lines and other compositional techniques have been used, which helps me to reinforce my point about his distinct style making him an auteur.

Books

Item 4 - "Film Studies" written by Andrew Butler 
This book is useful as it provides me with the information to back up my point that Kubrick is automatically classed as an auteur due to his unique visual style.  The fact that it is published means that the book is very reliable and will provide me with truthful information to support my answer to the question.

Item 5 - "Stanley Kubrick; The Complete Films" written by Paul Duncan
I am going to use this book as a resource for my answer as it backs up the fact that he takes composition to a very serious level, leading to a distinct style. The book also provides information of his influences for his type of shots and how Kubrick has used his past work to create his most well known films.
Item 6 - "Stanley Kubrick; Revised and Updated" written by Paul Duncan
This book will be useful for referral when creating my response to the above question as it contains information to the key themes and visuals that Kubrick has used in his films however also provides a short biography about his time as a documentary photographer in New York. The fact that it is a published book, indicates that the book will be reliable as a reference.
Item 7 - "Art by Film Directors" written by Mitchell Beazley
This book shows me the life of Kubrick and how his young life was highly influenced by photography and how his candid shots led to him creating his meticulously composed shots. This book is reliable and will help me back up my answer with facts about his life including apprenticeships which led him to his directing career.
Item 8 - "Theories of Auteurship" edited by John Caughie
This book informs me of the reasoning behind auteurship and how a director can be classed as one. The fact that this is a published book means that this is a reliable source of inspiration that I can use when answering the above question. It refers to a director as an artist; I am looking at how Kubrick's art style of composition makes him an auteur.

Websites

Item 9 - Kubrick: Photos and Films by Candice Drouet - https://vimeo.com/189295140
This montage of photos and screenshots allow me to see that Kubrick has taken inspiration from his old photos from when he was a photographer. This reinforces the fact that he has used his knowledge of compositional techniques to create his films. This will guide me to using reliable sources and sequences to back up my answer.
Item 10 - "Vanishing Point: A Supercut of Stanley Kubrick's One-point Perspectives" - http://nightflight.com/vanishing-point-a-supercut-of-stanley-kubricks-one-point-perspectives/
This video of stills from Stanley Kubrick's most famous movies, in particular the ones that I am studying, exhibits his use of one point perspective to create his distinct compositions for example: leading lines and balance. This video will be useful and reliable when backing up my answer to the question.
Item 11 - IMDb - 2001: A Space Odyssey - Awards 
This is a reliable website that provides me with truthful information about the kind of awards that this film has won. The awards listed are relevant to the question that I am going to answer as it regards the art of the film and best director.

Articles

Item 12 - "Stanley Kubrick: Photos taken as a teenager" by Fiona MacDonald - BBC
This short article showcases Kubrick's experience with photography and how it has led him to create pristine, well composed scenes throughout his films. BBC is a reliable source for information about topics such as this.
Item 13 - "Motion picture: Expressive Elements of Motion Picture" - Britannica.com written by Dudley Andrew and Robert Sklar
This article provides me with enough information to back up my answer to my question as some examples are given for Kubrick's work and the fact that it contains information about motion picture design and auteur theory, which is the main aspect that Kubrick specialises in to make him an auteur. 
Item 14 - The Shining Review - Ian Nathan - Empire
This article is very helpful to my answer as it points out the long hours that Kubrick spent on plans and shoots to create his pristine visual style throughout his films, in particular, "The Shining". Empire is a well known film site that is providing me with useful points to use in my answer to strengthen my argument.
Item 15 - "Interiors: Stanley Kubrick" by Interiors Journal
This article provides me with enough information that will help me back up my answer when referring to composition within the three chosen films of study. This is a reliable source of information as "Interiors Journal" is a successful published journal.
Item 16 - "Filmmaker's Handbook: What is One-point Perspective?" - Screen Prism written by Jeff Saporito 
This article is going to be very helpful when writing my answer to the question as it contains details into the precision of Kubrick and his intense detail that goes into composition. It refers to Kubrick's style as 'Kubrickian'. It also highlights his main inspiration that influenced him to constantly use his one-point perspective; "The Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Documentaries

Item 17 - "Stanley Kubrick: The Cinematic Experience"
This documentary is very useful as it refers to the amount of hours he spent working on the visuals of his films and the composition. This video reinforces the fact that Kubrick is a perfectionist when it comes to the layout of the scenes and will help me strengthen my point in the answer I will give to the question. 

Interviews

Item 18 - "The Rolling Stone Interview: Stanley Kubrick in 1987" - carried out by Tim Cahill
This item will be useful when answering my question as it states that Kubrick takes inspiration from photography. This will back up my point that he uses photographic composition when directing the scenes. Despite the fact that it is not his own photography, he is still influenced by layout in photographs. 

Rejected items

"Kubrick on The Shining" an interview with Michel Ciment
This interview is irrelevant to the question that i am trying to answer as there is no reference to the visual style that i am looking into that Kubrick uses. Without any reference to the cinematography that I am looking at, this interview cannot be used to strengthen my point.

"Get Lost" Michael Koresky on The Shining
This article does not contain any useful information regarding the compositional techniques that Kubrick uses within his films. The article only contains information about the plot and the original book by Stephen King, which is not what I need to research into.

"Stanley Kubrick" - https://www.biography.com/people/stanley-kubrick-9369672
I don't believe that this website will be useful as there is no information about Kubrick's style or how he has been inspired to include such a distinct visual style within his films; this is what I would need in order to back up my answer to the question.

Film psychology: The Shining Spacial Awareness and Set Design - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sUIxXCCFWw&t=422s
This video will not be helpful when writing my answer to the above question as there is no reference to Kubrick's use of composition; the video mainly talks about the hotel and the locations in which  each room is, rather than how Kubrick has input on layout in the shots. Also the source is not as reliable as some of the others that I have listed as items.