Friday, 18 September 2015
Thursday, 17 September 2015
Monday, 14 September 2015
Friday, 11 September 2015
Narrative Theories
Vladimir Propp - 7 Character
Mr. Vladimir Propp is famous for his 7 character theory. He taught us the narrative theory that in films there are 7 characters. These are as follows: The Hero (who seeks something), The Villain (who opposes the hero), The donor (who helps the hero by providing some sort of magical object), The dispatcher (who sends the hero on his way), The False Hero (who falsely assumes the role of the hero), The helper (who gives the hero support) and finally the Princess (also known as treasure, who is the reward for the hero).
EXAMPLES OF THESE CHARACTERS IN REAL FILMS:
CHARACTER ------------ BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ------- DOUBLE INDEMNITY
Hero ------------------------------------ The Beast ---------------------------------------- Walter
Villain ------------------------------------ Gaston ------------------------------------------- Phyllis
Donor ----------------------------------- The Enchantress ---------------------------------Undecided
Dispatcher -------------------------------- Belle ------------------------------------------- Keyes
False Hero -------------------------------- Gaston --------------------------------- Undecided
Helper ------------------------------------- The Cursed Furniture ----------------- Lola
Tzvetan Todorov - Narrative Structure
Todorov is famous for simplifying the narrative structure and calling it the theory of equilibrium. His theory is split into five stages of narrative structure. These are as follows: A State of Equilibrium, Disruption of Equilibrium or Disequilibrium, Recognition that the disruption has occurred (which is sometimes known as period of disequilibrium) and finally the resolution and the return of equilibrium. Once again I did my own interpretation of this using the Disney Movie: Beauty and the Beast:
Equilibrium ---> Adam is human, he lives in a castle with his servants who are also human. Their lives are happy. Belle and her Father also live together happy - the village is happy and there is no disruption.
Disruption ----> Adam is turned into a Beast for not being kind to an enchantress - his whole castle is cursed and the only way to fix the problem is for Adam to have somebody love him. After all this, Belle's father is travelling and finds Adam's castle to take shelter in. Adam is upset with this and captures him. Gaston thinks Belle is the prettiest in the village and wants her to marry him. She does not want to. Belle decides to trade her life for her Father's and she is now the Beasts prisoner.
Period of
Disequilibrium -> Both the Beast and Belle dislike eachother, but the Beasts servants know that Belle is the one who will fall in love with him, they try to coax him to be kind and gentle to her. As the time goes on the two grow fond of each other and begin to warm to one another. Things are looking good until one night the Beast gives Belle a magic mirror that enables her to see whomever she wishes. She looks at her father and realises that he is very ill. The Beast (now quite in love with her) let's her go to him. Upon her return she finds her father trying to get the village folk to go and save Belle but they all think he's mad. When Belle returns she shows Gaston the mirror and it shows him the Beast. Gaston wanting to be the hero gathers up a mob and hurries to the castle to kill the beast. Gaston locks Belle and her Father away...
Resolution --> Hope is regained when Chip a little tea cup manages to free Belle and her Father. Belle races to the castle to help the Beast. She finds both the Beast and Gaston fighting to the death on the roof of the castle. It's very close but Gaston strikes the Beast with a knife and the Beast is injured. The Beast uses all his strength to shove Gaston off the castle, Belle and the Beast watch as Gaston falls to his death. Belle helps the Beast onto the balcony and tries to comfort him, but he's injured and there's nothing that she can do. As the Beast closes his eyes, Belle whispers, "But I love you". This has broken the curse, The Beast returns to his human form as do all the servants. Belle and Adam marry and equilibrium is returned once again.
Roland Barthes - Action & Enigma
Roland Barthes was a semiologist and is famous for introducing us to what are known as the action code and the enigma code. The Action code is a narrative device by which a resolution is produced through action. The Enigma Code is a narrative device that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved.
Claude Levi-Strauss - Binary Opposition
Claude was a French anthropologist and ethnologist who recently passed away in 2009. He is often referred to as 'The Father or Modern Anthropology' He is famous in media for what he called 'Binary Oppositions'. These are where there is a conflict between two qualities or terms. Some examples of these binary oppositions are as follows: Weak/Strong, Hero/Villain, Good/Evil, Man/Woman, First World/Third World, Protagonist/Antagonist, Young/Old and millions more.
Tuesday, 1 September 2015
Double Indemnity
Double Indemnity was released in 1944, an American film noir from America. The film was directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Buddy DeSylva. The film is based on a novel (also called double indemnity) written by James Cain in 1943. Although the film did not win any, it was nominated for seven Academy Awards. In 1998 the film was marked as number 38 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 best American films from the twentieth century. In the more recent year of 2007 it was marked as number 29 for their 10th anniversary list. Double Indemnity is known as one of the classic noirs .
The Femme Fatale - Phyllis Dietrichson
Phyllis is a very well-dressed young lady who clearly likes to look good and impress. She is married to Mr Dietrichson and as the film progresses so do her feelings for Walter Neff a man she met whilst looking for life insurance for her husband. She is dressed in fairly light colours with heavy jewelry and curly blonde hair. This makes her come across as innocent and yet extravagant and wealthy. Along with Walter, Phyllis is involved in murdering her husband in order to get rich from the life insurance the Walter put in place without Mr Dietrichson's acknowledgment. When police and Walter's boss 'Keyes' suspect something Phyllis and Walter panic. Phyllis is a very manipulative woman who is reluctant to be found accountable for her husbands murder.
The Fall Guy - Walter Neff
Walter is a smartly dressed man in a suit and tie along with a hat. He likes to look presentable. He is an insurance salesman and that is how he met Phyllis Dietrichson. He helps Phyllis sell her husband life insurance without Mr. Dietrichson's permission. Walter and Phyllis create a plan to kill Mr Dietrichson in order to benefit from his life insurance. Both Neff and Phyllis begin to get paranoid and their love for each other isn't as strong as it originally was. After the murder, Phyllis plans to kill Walter but when faced with the opportunity she cannot bring herself to do it. Walter, however can and does. In the end Walter is found in his boss' office confessing. His boss walks in mid-confession and with some struggle, Walter is arrested and taken to prison. Even though his plan was going so well in the beginning, it all goes wrong and Walter Neff has fallen.
Lighting
The lighting in Double Indemnity is very dark and contrasting. A lot of the scenes are shot in the night to create extra suspense and contrasting lighting using street lamps, blinds and headlights. Contrasting lighting is very popular in many film noirs, the lighting technique is often referred to as chiaroscuro lighting. Which means light-dark in Italian. The lighting in Double Indemnity is very low key and includes a lot of shadows made my many different props such as blinds, lampshades, people and much more. To the left are two screenshots from the film that represent the use of blinds which are very popularly used in film noirs. Shots from the film like below of Phyllis looking at a man's shadow on the wall and the silhouette with crutches are used to create suspense as the viewer doesn't know who the character is, nor does Phyllis in her situation. The screenshot of the mysterious man on crutches (also from Double Indemnity) also creates suspense and tension. It is also a dark shot making a 'mysterious man' very visible yet very unrecognizable. The misty fog makes the scene very eery and creepy. The use of the lighting behind the man gives a very clear contrast between the man and the background making him stand out very clearly. When it comes to making my own film noir, lighting is a feature that I would like to look at in great detail in order to get it exactly right so that it resembles pre-existing classic film noirs. Key things I will include are: blinds, shadows and high contrast.
Themes of Disorientation
In the film there are a few themes of disorientation, however not a great deal. One of these is the use of mirrors, although they're only shown one or two times, they are still included in the film which I feel is important. To the right is a screenshot from Double Indemnity in which Walter and Phyllis are talking to each other by looking into the mirror rather than looking directly at each other's faces. This is a unique angle as it shows both the characters backs and faces. Mirrors are often used in film noirs and would be something to consider for my own film noir when it comes to making it.
Cigarette Smoking
In the film Double Indemnity, almost EVERY ONE smokes. Including Phyllis, Walter and Keyes, three of the most important main characters. Each of these characters smoke in tense situations for example: Phyllis begins to smoke when she is about to shoot Walter. Walter smokes as he is dying and trying to escape Keyes' office. Phyllis and Walter both smoke average size cigarettes. Keyes however, smokes much bigger cigars and when he does, he never has a light. Walter always has to offer him a light, Keyes never asks. However, at the end of the film, Keyes lights a cigarette for Walter as Walter is incapable and no longer in control. It's interesting how cigarettes, cigars and smoking is used in film noirs (including this one) to create tense themes and situations. It is also interesting and something to take note of, that in this film in particular the cigar smoked by Keyes is used to represent that he is in control, he has the power as he is the boss and he wins in the end as he finds Neff guilty and neither Neff or Phyllis get away with the murder of Mr Dietrichson. It's something that I will take into consideration in my own film noir.
Use of Camera, Editing and Sound
In Double Indemnity there are multiple tracking shots as the camera follows the characters walking around the house, office, streets, etc. The photograph to the right is a perfect example of a tracking shot used to create tension and suspense, The camera follows Phyllis Dietrichson as she walks down the stairs to where she first meets Walter Neff. This is an important shot as it is where everything first begins. There are also a variety of close up shots of faces including Walter, Phyllis and others. The example seen to the right, is of Phyllis and Walter kissing. This is an important shot as it shows the relationship that the two have. It shows their intimacy and love for each other that helps to drive the murder that the commit together. There are also multiple shots that are known as 'static shots' in which the camera stays in one place as the characters walk around the set freely. These shots allow a lot more action and movement to take place in the frame showing a lot of space and it also gives room for props that may be important in a scene. Often, a static shot involves one character close to the camera in the foreground and one in the background. This could be used to represent the importance of one character to the other. In regards to sound, there is one specific song written by Miklos Rozsa that is constantly replayed throughout the film to create suspense, tension, panic or even to show action. The short clip to the left is the opening two minutes of double indemnity that includes this specific song that Miklos wrote. It involves brass instruments, strings and bass percussion. Along with the recurring soundtrack, there is a voice over from Walter Neff as he tells the story of the murder he committed. The voice over is happening in present time for us and the rest of the action is all past tense, until we see Walter Neff in Keyes' office confessing. Voice Overs are also very popular in Film Noirs and would be something for me to consider when creating my own film noir.
From watching and researching Double Indemnity I have been able to learn a lot about the conventions of classic film noir. I now known more about lighting, characters, costumes, camera, editing and sound. This will all benefit me when I come to creating my own film noir. I will be much more experienced in creating a film noir that is relevant to the film noir style as it is a style that is very specific. From this piece of research I would like to remember to use high contrasted lighting in my own film noir.
LightingThe lighting in Double Indemnity is very dark and contrasting. A lot of the scenes are shot in the night to create extra suspense and contrasting lighting using street lamps, blinds and headlights. Contrasting lighting is very popular in many film noirs, the lighting technique is often referred to as chiaroscuro lighting. Which means light-dark in Italian. The lighting in Double Indemnity is very low key and includes a lot of shadows made my many different props such as blinds, lampshades, people and much more. To the left are two screenshots from the film that represent the use of blinds which are very popularly used in film noirs. Shots from the film like below of Phyllis looking at a man's shadow on the wall and the silhouette with crutches are used to create suspense as the viewer doesn't know who the character is, nor does Phyllis in her situation. The screenshot of the mysterious man on crutches (also from Double Indemnity) also creates suspense and tension. It is also a dark shot making a 'mysterious man' very visible yet very unrecognizable. The misty fog makes the scene very eery and creepy. The use of the lighting behind the man gives a very clear contrast between the man and the background making him stand out very clearly. When it comes to making my own film noir, lighting is a feature that I would like to look at in great detail in order to get it exactly right so that it resembles pre-existing classic film noirs. Key things I will include are: blinds, shadows and high contrast. Themes of DisorientationIn the film there are a few themes of disorientation, however not a great deal. One of these is the use of mirrors, although they're only shown one or two times, they are still included in the film which I feel is important. To the right is a screenshot from Double Indemnity in which Walter and Phyllis are talking to each other by looking into the mirror rather than looking directly at each other's faces. This is a unique angle as it shows both the characters backs and faces. Mirrors are often used in film noirs and would be something to consider for my own film noir when it comes to making it.
Cigarette SmokingIn the film Double Indemnity, almost EVERY ONE smokes. Including Phyllis, Walter and Keyes, three of the most important main characters. Each of these characters smoke in tense situations for example: Phyllis begins to smoke when she is about to shoot Walter. Walter smokes as he is dying and trying to escape Keyes' office. Phyllis and Walter both smoke average size cigarettes. Keyes however, smokes much bigger cigars and when he does, he never has a light. Walter always has to offer him a light, Keyes never asks. However, at the end of the film, Keyes lights a cigarette for Walter as Walter is incapable and no longer in control. It's interesting how cigarettes, cigars and smoking is used in film noirs (including this one) to create tense themes and situations. It is also interesting and something to take note of, that in this film in particular the cigar smoked by Keyes is used to represent that he is in control, he has the power as he is the boss and he wins in the end as he finds Neff guilty and neither Neff or Phyllis get away with the murder of Mr Dietrichson. It's something that I will take into consideration in my own film noir.
Use of Camera, Editing and Sound
In Double Indemnity there are multiple tracking shots as the camera follows the characters walking around the house, office, streets, etc. The photograph to the right is a perfect example of a tracking shot used to create tension and suspense, The camera follows Phyllis Dietrichson as she walks down the stairs to where she first meets Walter Neff. This is an important shot as it is where everything first begins. There are also a variety of close up shots of faces including Walter, Phyllis and others. The example seen to the right, is of Phyllis and Walter kissing. This is an important shot as it shows the relationship that the two have. It shows their intimacy and love for each other that helps to drive the murder that the commit together. There are also multiple shots that are known as 'static shots' in which the camera stays in one place as the characters walk around the set freely. These shots allow a lot more action and movement to take place in the frame showing a lot of space and it also gives room for props that may be important in a scene. Often, a static shot involves one character close to the camera in the foreground and one in the background. This could be used to represent the importance of one character to the other. In regards to sound, there is one specific song written by Miklos Rozsa that is constantly replayed throughout the film to create suspense, tension, panic or even to show action. The short clip to the left is the opening two minutes of double indemnity that includes this specific song that Miklos wrote. It involves brass instruments, strings and bass percussion. Along with the recurring soundtrack, there is a voice over from Walter Neff as he tells the story of the murder he committed. The voice over is happening in present time for us and the rest of the action is all past tense, until we see Walter Neff in Keyes' office confessing. Voice Overs are also very popular in Film Noirs and would be something for me to consider when creating my own film noir.
From watching and researching Double Indemnity I have been able to learn a lot about the conventions of classic film noir. I now known more about lighting, characters, costumes, camera, editing and sound. This will all benefit me when I come to creating my own film noir. I will be much more experienced in creating a film noir that is relevant to the film noir style as it is a style that is very specific. From this piece of research I would like to remember to use high contrasted lighting in my own film noir.
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