Shots and Angles: Shawshank Redemption

Shawskank Redemption - Prison Bus Arrival
To set the context, the main character, Andy Dufresne, has been charged with the murder of his wife. This second scene in the film sets the landscape for the majority of the film, because Andy is in the prison bus.
So, this shot pans towards the prison, giving a wide shot of its surrounding walls and landscape. This gives the audience and idea that there isn't an easy escape from this prison because of the guards in the watchtowers and above the prison gates. Again, there is barbed wire and we can tell the prison covers a large area because the camera angle changes to a birds eye view, showing current convicts running towards the prison gates, and a megaphone speaker system has to be used to let all the guards know of an arriving bus. The megapphone indicates how old the film is. As the camera pans from a wide shot to a birds eye view, it loses sight of the bus and I feel this is done to convey the scale of this massive building it is going into.
There is also music behind the imagery, and this music sounds orchestral, again, maybe its a metaphor to convey the size of Shawshank Prison. Its also quite sorrowful and reflective and that can relate to the main characters situation because he is innocent of the crime, but he is being sent to prison and he feels shocked, depressed about it.
The birds eye view of the prison shows the current inmates rushing towards the gates to boo at the bus, and this is part of the mise en scene. The director wants prison to live upto its reputation by it being intimidating, dull and dangerous and we get a sense that its dull because all the inmates are wearing the same colour overalls. Its intimidating because the convicts are booing the new arrivals, plus in the next part some inmates bet on the new arrivals to see how long they will last. And dangerous because, obviously, there are hardened criminals in there so they don't really care for anyone but themselves.

American Beauty Scene Analysis

 

American Beauty: Scene 1

The scene starts with a voiceover, with a extreme wide shot showing the neighbourhood. The voiceover is Lester looking back over his life before he dies, basically giving a rough outline of his life.

His tone is dreary, not very exciting so gives us an idea that looking back he wasnt happy with his life and we can tell from the fact he masturbates in the shower and calls it the 'the only high point of my day...' which gives a sense his sex life isnt what it used to be, when he wakes up he is in bed alone in a dull room and the fact that his wife wears the trousers in the relationship since she drives both him and his daughter to work/school.

And in the car, Lester is slouched in the back, sleeping and this gives an idea that he is like a stereotypical teenager; masturbating in the shower is also a giveaway to this. We can tell he is more like a teenager because of the way his wife and daughter treat him. He himself knows they think he is a 'loser' because of the way they look at him after he drops his breifcase. He is also unsocial like a teenager, because after the scene of being, kind of trapped in the shower, that metaphor of being trapped is shown again by him looking out the window and seeing his wife talk to his neighbours. this shows he isnt interested in social action with friends; this also creates a teenage-like image because its like he is shy to go outside.

 

 

American Beauty: Scene 2

Again, in the second scene we analysed, every scene tried to incorporate the red, white and blue. I feel that is a metaphor for the family being together, like the red, white and blue of the american flag and it represents America, i feel the 3 colours represent the family being together. This is a motif because it keeps reaccuring.

The music and the zooming in view sets the scene as well; the music is unattractive, boring, old fashioned 'elevator music' and again because husband and wife are at either side of the table, the music and the table are a metaphor for the emotional gap between the two and the music illustrates the mental strain on Lester, even though its his wifes choice.

We also get a contrast of characters; while his wife is sat up tall and straight on the lighter side of the table, Lester is on the darker side, in the shadows, and is slouched again.

before the end of the scene,  a boy is filming Lester and the camera shows him in the camera screen, again showing he is trapped; that is another motif.

At the end, we see Lester throw a blue towel on the work surface next to a black and white family photo. Another thing, a blue and white vas is in and, i think that by having a towel and picture in the frame, i think it suggests that he is throwing in the towel on his family, on his life because we know already his character is depressed and not happy with his life at that time.

American and British Industry Summmary

Today, 90% of the international film industry is dominated or 'oligopolied' by the Big Six American conglomerates. These conglomerates are seperate and own the Big Six film companys; such as Paramount is owned by Viacom and 20th Century Fox is owned by New Corp. These film companys produce most well known films like Jackass: The movie and The Hangover, Hangover 2.

However, the British film industry is a lot smaller than the American one, mainly because films in the UK are made by independent companys like BigTalk Pictures who produced Hot Fuzz and Paul.These aren't run by conglomerates with many subsidiarys, they are small companys and thats why we dont see many films being produced by them.

The Gaze

 Eva Mendes Image

In this image, we see the woman in the advert in an open pose. This would suggest that she is being suggestive and flirtatious with the audience, even though she isn’t breaking the fourth wall. The product is trying to be sold through sex appeal, the fact she is oiled up may look like she is sweaty or wet because she has been doing exercise or having sex, since they’re product is underwear. Again this appeals to the male and gay female market.

The Gaze

 

Freddie Ljunberg Image

 

In this picture, we see the actor who is male, breaking the fourth wall and getting the audiences attention by looking seductive and maybe a bit suggestive because of how he is modelling the boxers. This could be aimed at both male and female markets because they show his chest, higher and lower abdomine; plus the fact he is wearing nothing apart from the product being advertised. We can also tell this because he is flexing or showing off his muscles by holidng the bar at the top of the picture.

Representation: A Simple-ish Explanation

Artificial - This is what most media such as films and soaps are. They arent real life, but they are scripted, staged and, therefore, made to look like real life.

Perceive - Most media of today can appeal to most of the senses, mostly sight and aural. That is how the institutions market their films.

Representation - All types of media, whether it be video games, films or TV dramas, are all representations of a artificial reality

Demographics - This type of data can be used by film companys to determine where and what country they want to market their products in.

Identities - These are shown in many different ways. Stereotypes are one way in which identitys are shown.

Representation 1 - Patched trousers means he may have low income or not much money, so he has to mend his clothes. May not have a job because he is dressed scruffy and isnt making much effort to go to work. Probably homeless because of mix of dress.














Representation 2 - Tweed jacket shows he has a job and job is well paid. From all the paperwork and facial expressions, he has a serious job or is in court. Makes an effort to look good because he has stubble and a stylish hair cut.















Representation 3 - Looks like an upper class woman because of her fur coat and bright dress. She looks like a misunderstood person.