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Film Studies - Section B - "Get Out" and "Carol" -…
Film Studies - Section B - "Get Out" and "Carol"
"Get Out"
"Sunken place"
Sound
Pleonastic diegetic sound of cup and spoon clinking, creates tension, this motif is established here
Dramatic non-diegetic sound placed when Chris falls into the sunken place, capitalises on tension
Cinematography
Flashback has a gauze placed over it, warping of the edges also adds to the dreamlike feel
Shallow depth of field shows what is and what isn't important
Camera progressively zooms in on the conversation, builds additional tension
Chris surrounded by negative space when he falls into sunken place, long shot shows his isolation, also shows his entrapment
Mise-en-scene
Gesture code
Chris' eyes tense up, showing his anxiety from the hypnosis
Chris starts scratching at the armchair, consistent motif of comparing black people to animals, categorising their behaviour
"Auction"
Mise-en-scene
Props
Bingo cards used to euphemise the situation, make light of it, and also demonstrate its secrecy
Portrait picture of Chris is reminiscent of a funeral portrait picture, cements the idea of the death of his identity
This is similar to the idea of slavery, and when the people became slaves, their identities were destroyed and their cultures were also eviscerated, a similar idea is shown here
Dress code
Dress code of audience is similar to that of a funeral, further emphasising the idea of the death of the identity of Chris
The dress code worn by Chris and Rose are casual and informal, juxtaposing the dress code worn by characters in the "auction" sequence
Cinematography
Proxemics
Dean Armitage placed centrally, framed in the middle as a way of allowing the audience to understand that he is the focus of the shot, show he is important
Depth of Field
Varying depths of field are used to show what the focus of each shot is throughout the sequence
Sound
Anxious / chilling music played throughout this sequence and the meanwhile sequence, similar to teacup and spoon sound
Sequence doesn't consist of any dialogue, adding to the secrecy of the ordeal and the events occurring
The meanwhile sequence juxtaposes the sound used in the "auction" sequence, as the sound is slightly friendly sounding and uplifting, this juxtaposes the events going on in the auction sequence
Spectatorship theories
Christian Metz
Mirror theory
An audience might see themselves and their own personal ideals in a character in a film, e.g in a protagonist
The imperfect distorted reality of a film creates an idealised character
Laura Mulvey
"Male gaze"
Women are the recipient of being looked at, the observant object, whilst men are the observers
Berger / Soloway
John Berger adds to this by suggesting that men are used to looking, whilst women are used to being looked at
Multiple spectating selves
Social
Make meanings in ways which are not very different from others with a similar ideological formation to other people
Cultural
A spectator might make different intertextual references to other films / pop culture based on their understanding of other pop culture
Private
Carries the memories of a person's own experiences and ideas, which are very different to other people's ideas and perspectives of a film
Desiring
Bring conscious and unconscious energies to a film's content that have little to do with the film's narrative
Smith
Recognition
Identify who the protagonist is
Alignment
Align with the protagonist's goals
Allegiance
Form an emotional bond with a character
RAA
Blumler and Katz
Uses and Gratifications theory
Films are watched for four main reasons
Diversion
Escapism from the real world
Surveillance
Education
Social Relationships
Creating friendships with others / reinforcing relationships with others
Personal Identification
To form one's own personal identity
Hall
Reception Theory
Media producers will place hidden codes and message which the audience must find and decode to interpret with their own understanding
Comprised of three components
Preferred reading
The dominant / hegemonic reading, audience understand the message and agrees with it
Oppositional reading
Audience understands the message of the film but decides to disagree with it
Negotiated reading
Audience agree with some aspects of the messages put out, but also disagree with some aspects of it
Additional context / knowledge / cultural references
Use of "Redbone" at the start of the film
Making connections between Childish Gambino and life as an African-American
"Stay woke" - stay awake (don't submit to hypnotisation") and also stay liberal
Using "Run, Rabbit, Run" and also making the black community out as prey
Animalistic imagery is constantly placed throughout the film, to make black people seem like the "other", and make out white people as being the predators
Dean Armitage discussing deer as pests
Indirectly referencing Black Americans and other people from different cultural backgrounds and how they are "pests"
When Chris hits the deer with his car, Rose does not react, which foreshadows her emotional detachment regarding murder and killing others
“I would have voted for Obama for a third term if I could…”
Dean claims he isn't racist / political racist
This line is scripted by the family for him to say as a way of luring them in (like prey) to get the "prey" to trust him
Jesse Owens
Dean makes the link between Jesse Owens and his father's loss to Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics, in which Hitler was humiliated as his "master race" lost to a person of African descent, which drove his father to rage and influenced his son to continue this
"Is it better?"
One of the characters asks Chris this question, relating to intimacy
bell hooks' book "We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity" relates to this, suggesting how black men should assimilate to white areas of society, and how black men are objectified and commodified
"Carol"
"Strange girl" sequence
Mise-en-scene
Dress code
Therese
Dichotomy - black and white dress code, demonstrates the conflict in her mind regarding her sexuality, also makes her look younger
Carol
Wearing grey (combination of black and white), red shirt underneath + red hankerchief shows her hidden passion for Therese leaking out
Props
Carol juxtaposes Therese's age by smoking a cigarette confidently
Gesture codes
How each character holds a cigarette
Carol
Confident + experienced, shows how she's older than Therese
Therese
Inexperienced / lack of confidence, shows her age
Looks up and around frantically, shows her nerves, adds to the idea of power dynamics
Cinematography
Use of negative space for high angle of shot of both Therese and Carol, creates an awkward atmosphere
Use of chiaroscuro lighting
Framing of the scene in general subverts filmic conventions, framed awkwardly
The camera zooms in on the characters as the conversation continues, shows growing confidence in the characters
Carol blocks part of the camera's frame sometimes throughout, adds the awkward atmosphere
Camera tilts up and down depending on the focus of the camera, as a way of demonstrating power dynamics throughout this sequence
Haynes uses Hays Code filmic conventions as a way to align with the ideas of the time, and the state of the film industry in the 50's, also as a way of showing their hidden relationship / sexuality
"Toy Shop"
Mise-en-scene
Dress code
Therese has quite a masculine dress code, black waistcoat and green jumper
Carol wears a large fur coat, and a matching red scarf and cap, showing her subtle passion for Therese, and these elements are essentially "hidden" by the large fur coat
Colours of Therese's dress code links to the props in the toy shop, showing a sense of belongingness
Cinematography
Use of shot-reverse-shot of each character's perspective shows that this sequence isn't inherently from Carol's perspective
Over the shoulder shots are either slightly panning up or panning down, depending on the perspective of the character
Further emphasising the idea of power dynamics of the two characters and their relationships
Cultural references
Discussing ideology for both films
Althusser, Ideological State Apparatus
Not necessarily epistemic in nature
Not based on truth
Network of interconnnected beliefs and values within a society
Dominant ideology / hegemony (dominant belief)
Ideologies are often controlled and influenced by the elites and their behaviour