Category: 9 ENG.3

Warm Up

Marion and Marlon are all stereotypes. Can you explain how this is so? Do you know what this says about Christofs idea of a perfect/utopian world?

Learning Intentions

• Explore how and when film vocabulary should be used in written responses
• Refine understanding of process for analysing images
• Identify important quotes that relate to the main themes of the film

Success Criteria

• I am developing my abilitly to write analyse paragraphs that use film terminology to link visual evidence to the directors message or important themes
• I am confident that I know what each section of the image analysis is aking me to do
• I have found at least six quotes that link to the main themes of the film; I feel confident that I know what the three main themes are

Task

Working in pairs, look at the image below and answer the following questions. Remember: C.A.M.E.L.S.

 

1. Identify the cinematography- which techniques, angles and shots have been used and why?
2. Identify the characters/setting within the still and objects (if relevant).
3. Describe/contextualise the event in the still.
4. Explore the character(s)/setting in detail in this still i.e how are that presented to us? What role do they play in this still? Do they serve a purpose? Are they stereotypes? Does the producer (whether it be Christof or Weir) want us to view them in a particular way?
5. Is there something highly symbolic in this still?
6. Identify the theme(s) –at least 2-that this still applies to and discuss these in detail.
7. From whose perspective is this shot (Weir’s or Christof’s), and is the producer presenting a view/moral/message through this still?

ANSWERS

• Extreme close up, low angle – shows sincerety of Christof’s emotions and the fact that he has aged. This shows how long he has been ‘looking down on Truman and the depth of love and care he has taken to create a perfeect life for him
• Christof is alone looking down at a display of Truman and the end of his world
• Christof is being over protective of Truman and is trying to find a way to convince him that he doesn’t have the courage to leave Sea Haven
• Weir wants us to view Christof as an over protective, if somwhat misguided father figure; this is illustrated through the use of an extreme close that reveals a warm, gentleness in Christof’s facial expression
• This image relates to the themes of utopia/dystopia and the limits of a simulated reality. At this point in the film, Truman has reached the outer limits of Sea Haven and has discovered a door that allows him to escape. The patronising response of Christof when he suggests that Truman doesn’t have the courage to leave, illustrates the extent to which Christof believes that Sea Haven is a perfect place to live. Clearly, Truman doesn’t feel this way having struggled to overcome his phobia of water and battled his way through a raging storm in a tiny boat. Weir illustrates that everyone has a different perspective and what is good for one person may be bad for another. Truman has not been satsified by his similated life in Sea Haven, which is why he has fought so hard to escape. This illustrates that Peter Weir believes people are driven by an inate curiousity that can only be satisfied by a full, uncontrolled life. In other words, Peter Weir is suggesting that freedom is the most important thing to a human being and that an individual will stop at nothing to achieve it.

• Identify the cinematography- which techniques, angles and shots have been used and why?
• Identify the characters/setting within the still and objects (if relevant).
• Describe/contextualise the event in the still.
• Explore the character(s)/setting in detail in this still i.e how are that presented to us? What role do they play in this still? Do they serve a purpose? Are they stereotypes? Does the producer (whether it be Christof or Weir) want us to view them in a particular way?
• Is there something highly symbolic in this still?
• Identify the theme(s) –at least 2-that this still applies to and discuss these in detail.
• From whose perspective is this shot (Weir’s or Christof’s), and is the producer presenting a view/moral/message through this still?

1. This is a medium close up shot at eye level. This has been done to show the expression on the face of each character and to show how close they are to each other.
2. Marion, Truman and Meryl are visible in the frame, along with a photo on the back wall and a photo album they are looking at.
3. In this scene, Truman’s mother, Marion, and his wife, Meryl, are sat either side of Truman and all three are looking through a photo album of Truman’s life.
4. Marion and Meryl are sat extremely close to Truman; it appears as though they have him trapped in between them. This is reflected in Truman’s facial expression, which is strained and resentful. Marion is dressed in black and Meryl in white, which mirrors the rigid, unyielding nature of their relationships with Truman.
5. The proximity of Marion and Meryl to Truman is symbolic of the struggle between a mother and wife over their son/husband.
6. This scene explores the themes of authenticity and the limits of a simulated reality. Truman is being manipulated by the actors playing Marion and Meryl, as they pour over the photo album of Truman’s life. They attempt to distract Truman from his growing suspicions about the authenticity his world, but their over enthusiastic reminiscing about Truman’s life feels contrived to him. They are good actors, but Truman doesn’t believe them. Truman’s wariness in this scene suggests Peter Weir understands the relationship between authenticity and trust. Truman doesn’t believe in the authenticity of Marion and Meryl’s words, so he doesn’t trust them. The fact that Truman doesn’t trust who he is meant to believe are his mother and wife, indicates that Weir wants the audience to understand that real connection and freedom can not be simulated and any attempts to do so are doomed to fail. Truman is real, and he can be fooled by that which is fake.

 

 

 

 

 

1. Identify the cinematography- which techniques, angles and shots have been used and why?
2. Identify the characters/setting within the still and objects (if relevant).
3. Describe/contextualise the event in the still.
4. Explore the character(s)/setting in detail in this still i.e how are that presented to us? What role do they play in this still? Do they serve a purpose? Are they stereotypes? Does the producer (whether it be Christof or Weir) want us to view them in a particular way?
5. Is there something highly symbolic in this still?
6. Identify the theme(s) –at least 2-that this still applies to and discuss these in detail.
7. From whose perspective is this shot (Weir’s or Christof’s), and is the producer presenting a view/moral/message through this still?

ANSWERS

Warm Up

How would you describe the character of Truman Burbeck during the first part of the film? How does it develop? Can you represent this visually.

Learning Intention

• Continue exploration of themes
• Review TEEL

Success Criteria

• I can say which theme is the most important in the film
• I can explain how to write about film using TEEL

Observation

When explaining the importance of a theme, or character, or moment in a text, it is important to explain how it is important in terms of the overall purpose of the text. In other words, the importance of something in a text is related to what the creator of the text intended the reader to understand: the importance of something links to the message.

Writing about film

This involves a similar process to that used when writing about a novel. You are trying to explain why the director created he characters and choose the setting that they did. The difference with film is that you have to look for different things and use different language to describe what you see.  In Media this language is used to talk about the production and story elements of a film.

Production elements refer to elements that you can see on screen in a narrative.  Story elements refer to the aspects of a narrative that relate to the storyline

Let’s view the opening scenes of The Truman Show. This will allow us to discuss one aspect of production elements called Mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene refers to the artistic look and feel of a shot. It encompasses a range of elements, including lighting, costume, make up and the positioning and movement of actors.

We are going to use the following process:

• Watch film
• Note the production techniques that are most obvious (eg. camera, acting, lighting, editing or sound)
• Identify the purpose each production technique
• Analyse, making sure to move back and forth between describing the production technique and the purpose for its use
• Set the scene (What is going on at this point in the film?)
• Describe the use two or three production techniques and explain their purpose

Observations

• The character of Meryl is speaking as her off screen self
• Close up of Christof speaking about the The Truman Show and why it is so popular
• Truman’s first lines are: I’m not gonna make it; you’re gonna have to go on with out me.”

Task

Using the observations as evidence, write a TEEL paragraph for the following question: How does Peter Weir use production techniques to explore big ideas?

Due next lesson