Marking of students presentations

V for Vendetta and Children of Men characters analysis

V for Vendetta:

V – he is the main character in the film. He is the freedom fighter and has beliefs that the government are wrong.

Evey – she is the second main character of the film and is one of many people that has a curfew. V convinces her to fight with him for freedom.

Sutler – founder and leader of The Party. Founder of the norsefire and is the dictator of Britain.

Prothero – He is “The Voice of London", and is a mouthpiece for the Norsefire government. 

Creedy – He is both Norsefire's party leader and the head of Britain's Secret Police, the Finger.

The people – they support V’s belief that the people should be free from the government’s control, and they protest whilst wearing the mask of V, so they symbolise that V is an idea and he is very powerful.

Dietrich –has religious books and has a haul of possessions, which are priceless and could get him in a lot of trouble with the government. He is homosexual, which could also have got him in trouble as the government disobeyed homosexuals. 

Children of Men:

Theo - typical everyday guy who has given up with life, and probably has a boring life. He is devastated as his child died during a flu pandemic. He is important as he has to look after another character called Kee - he is the hero.

Kee - she has the most important role as she is the only pregnant women in the world and has the human race in her hands as she is the only one that can carry it on. She is an african immigrant and had to be protected by Theo as she could be kidnapped by the immigration officers.

Jasper Palmer - he is a wise, benevolent and pot-smoking old friend of theo. Even thought there is a gloomy future for humankind, he still keeps a humorous, optimistic but practical attitude.

Julian Taylor - the tough and intelligent leader of the underground rebel group, the Fishes, and also Theo’s ex-wife. Although their marriage ended because of their only son’s death, Julian still entrusts Theo with the fate of humankind.

Syd - is a soldier at Bexhill’s refugee camp and a friend of Jasper’s. He is a person of no allegiances and acts upon his will.  

Luke - the calculating and pragmatic co-leader of the Fishes. Due to his frustration with the government’s branding of the Fishes as a terrorist organization, Luke orchestrates Julian’s death and plans to use Kee as a tool to gain support for the Fishes’ revolution.

Essay Draft

For my Textual analysis I am comparing the ways in which both films Submarine and LOL present the theme of coming of age through the MACRO elements: Messages and Values and Themes.
Submarine is a 2010 British coming-of-age comedy-drama film adapted from the 2008 novel of the same name by Joe Dunthorne, directed by Richard Ayoade. The main character Oliver Tate is a fifteen year old boy who struggles with school popularity but when he meets a girl he is determined to impress her. Meanwhile his mother’s ex-boyfriend moves in next door, so Oliver tries to ensure his parents stay together.
The second film I am analysing is LOL, a 2012 coming of age comedy-drama-romance film directed and co-written by Lisa Azuelos. The film is a remake of the 2008 French film LOL (Laughing Out Loud).  In a world connected by Facebook and other social networks, Lola Williams and her friends navigate the peer pressures of high school romance and friendship while dodging their sometimes overbearing and confused parents.

Both films present the theme of coming-of-age in different and similar ways and I am doing a Textual Analysis to find out how the directors have done this and the reason why they have done it. Submarine and LOL, both include the same aspect of a typical coming-of-age film which is sex. The only way for a teen to grow up and 'mature' is by losing their virginity which is clearly shown in both film's as it's something that makes someone take that big step from childhood to adulthood.

The first point I am going to analyse is how teenagers struggle to grow up and become their own people by having freedom of speech. One of the two key scenes that show this idea is when Oliver’s mother is talking to him (Submarine). The scene is set in his bedroom which symbolises his only place of freedom which his mother has invaded. The way the characters are positioned in the frame shows that they are not very close and Oliver wants her to give him personal space. His mother is sitting higher than Oliver, which reinforces her control over him, whereas he is lying down looking vulnerable and under pressure. Also, the other film LOL has a scene when the main character is in a similar situation which is when Lola is in the bathroom with her mother and sister (introduction scene). Lola’s mum is not happy about her ‘grooming choices’ and is not letting Lola have her own independence to do what she likes. The director has set the scene in the bathroom to reinforce the idea that a bathroom is an intimate private place and Lola’s mother is interfering with Lola’s privacy. The dialogue clearly shows that Anne is being the dominant character and Lola doesn’t want to be told what to do. The lighting is mostly shown on Lola and Anne which illustrates that they are the most important characters in the frame and the little sister is just part of the background. The main message that both of the directors are trying to put across is: the obedience of mothers can make teenagers really irritated and it’s best to let them grow up at their own pace without treating them like children.

Secondly, family members such as your mothers/fathers play a huge part in a coming-of-age film but not always for the good reasons. Parents can be depicted in negative ways just like how I explained it in the previous paragraph. The scene in Submarine when Oliver witnesses his mum cheating on his father with her ex-boyfriend clearly conveys this idea. The lighting in the frame is very dark which creates a lurking, ominous feeling and reflects Oliver’s role during this scene as he is technically spying on his mother doing something bad. When it cuts to Oliver’s mum with her ex-boyfriend the flashing lights which reflect on the van turn from blue to red, which could represent the calm atmosphere turning into doomed destiny. Then it cuts to Oliver on his bike, with fireworks edited into the background to reflect how his mind is conflicted and confused with many thoughts of the act he has just witnessed. He has to be the mature grown up character to figure out how to save his parents from splitting up. Likewise, in LOL the scene when Lola hears the conversation between her mother and ex-husband talking reveals that they have also been secretly sneaking around behind Lola’s back. The main prop is her diary which is a typical object a teenager girl would own and it’s set in her room which indicates she is the only one that knows. Her facial expressions in the frame suggest how shocked she is by them not telling her about it. The room is messy with shoes and clothes on the floor and she is wearing slouchy clothing with her hair in a messy bun which the director has done to depict that she physically acts and looks like a teenager but mentally feels like she is an adult. Both scenes tell the audience that family can affect young people even if they are growing up. Also, some adults may have grown up the irony is that they still act like teenagers as they are sleeping around with people.  

Thirdly, one of the most common aspects of a typical coming-of-age film is sex which both films include. The scene I am going to talk about in Submarine is chapter 4. During it the viewer finds out that Oliver and Jordana have just had sex, this is because of the micro aspect: mise-en-scene. The scene is set in Oliver’s parents’ house and mostly his own room. This conveys they idea of secrecy and intimacy, and as there are no adults around, Oliver and Jordana are the adults in the house. Oliver had invited Jordana to have sex with him but she firstly didn’t want to do it but in the end they do. The first room they go into is the kitchen, and they have a romantic meal which is a typical ‘adult like’ date, then cuts to his parents’ bedroom. It’s foreshadowed that something would happen as the colour ‘red’ appeared a lot and many props, such as the bed throw and lights, were red which represents love and romance. The light is low-key and gives the impression that Oliver wants Jordana to be comfortable and a sense of privacy. The director has also done this as when the lights are low in Oliver’s parents’ bedroom he knows they are making love so he wanted to do the same. It then cuts to Oliver lying in his own bedroom, and he is not wearing any clothing on top and the viewer is not quite sure if his wearing any bottoms as it’s not shown but we get the idea he isn’t wearing anything at all. The viewer is informed that Oliver and Jordana have just had sex and have now grown up physically. Likewise, in LOL there is a scene when Lola and Kyle have sex in Paris. The scene is set in a French family’s house, as the teenagers are on a trip. Lola and Kyle are in a single bed when the viewer is revealed to something happening between them as they are the only ones in the room and are wearing underwear. There is little dialogue but it tells the audience a lot as the director has to make sure the viewer knows what is happening; Lola says that it’s her first time and the frame cuts to her mum saying the same thing but says it’s her first time since the divorce. These two different shots are parallel edited as the characters are positioned in the same place and are doing the same thing. The light is also low-key to convey privacy and close intimacy; there is only a bit on light shining on their faces to convey they are the only people in the frame and there is no other important or interesting things for the audience to look at. The micro aspects indicate the key messages that have been put across, which are that teenagers have officially grown up when they loose their virginity. The main message the director has put across in LOL is that adults can get caught up in similar situations at the same time as teens but they don’t actually realise that they can help out one another.

Overall, the two films Submarine and LOL have clear connections and contrasts to present the theme of coming of age through the MACRO elements. The two main characters in Submarine have a strong relationship which relates to the two main characters Lola and Kyle in LOL. The directors of both films have included a downfall through the narrative to show the audience how difficult it is for teens to turn into adults. However, they are affected in different ways as Oliver Tate is trying to save his parents’ marriage while in LOL, Lola is trying to figure out her real identity. Coming-of-age is portrayed in a different way to how society thinks it would be. This is because teens are depicted as animalistic, whereas in Submarine and LOL they are illustrated as mature people looking for their self identities and trying to get what they are looking for in life. Adults think that adolescents can never really grow up at such a young age as they don't know what it's like to have such big responsibilities and be able to make their own choices. Whereas, particularly in LOL, the director is trying to put across that many events that happen are very similar between adults and teens; which is ironic as you wouldn't think they could get caught up in similar situations when they can. My personal opinion concluded would be that it's not easy for adolescent’s to go from being a teenager to a young adult as there will always be something in the way that you will have to overcome to become more independent.

Essay Plan Presentation

Essay Plan

MACRO: Theme of Coming of Age

Point 1: Struggle
Examples: Oliver and his mum talking in his bedroom (Submarine) and Introduction - Lola in the bathroom with her mum and sister (LOL).
Analysis: look at mise-en-scene: costume- how it represents the character's personalities and lighting of the scenes to create a mood/feeling. Go into the details of both scenes (what's happening)
Synthesis: explain how and what themes and messages are put across by the two directors of coming-of-age.

Point 2: Family
Examples: Oliver witnesses mother going into ex-boyfriends van (Submarine) and when Lola hears phone conversation between her mum and ex-husband,.
Analysis: Talk about how the characters are being represented and how they react to these situations. Also look at the mise-en-scene: costume, setting, and facial expressions/body language.
Synthesis: talk about how family can turn you into a more independent person and how the directors put across the themes/messages: adults can act like teenagers sneaking around and teens look more like adults in both films.

Point 3: Sex
Examples: When we find out Oliver and Jordana have just slept together (Submarine) and also when Lola and Kyle sleep together (LOL).
Analysis:  Lighting and what they are wearing to tell the audience what is happening and the setting and lighting of both scenes.
Synthesis: Explain the main element of a typical coming-of-age film which is presented in both films and messages.

Point 4: Resolution of both films
Examples: The ending scenes
Analysis: Look at the mise-en-scene: lighting/colour, setting, how characters are positioned and costume
Synthesis: How the characters overcome their problems and whether the ending is positive/negative and how their relationships are concluded. (The endings are positive for both Submarine and LOL). 

Conclusion

Overall, the two films Submarine and LOL have clear connections and contrasts to present the theme of coming of age through the MACRO elements. The two main characters in Submarine have a strong relationship which relates to the two main characters Lola and Kyle in LOL. The directors of both films have included a downfall through the narrative to show the audience how difficult it is for teens to turn into adults. However, they are effected in different ways as Oliver Tate is trying to save his parents marriage while in LOL, Lola is trying to figure out her real identity. 
Coming-of-age is portrayed in a different way to how society thinks it would be. This is because teens are depicted as animalistic, whereas in Submarine and LOL they are illustrated as mature people looking for their self identities and trying to get what they are looking for in life. Adults think that adolescents can never really grow up at such a young age as they don't know what it's like to have such big responsibilities and be able to make their own choices. Whereas, particularly in LOL, the director is trying to put across that many events that happen are very similar between adults and teens; which is ironic as you wouldn't think they could get caught up in similar situations when they can. 
My personal opinion concluded would be that it's not easy for adolescence's to from being a teenager to a young adult as there will always be something in the way that you will have to overcome to become more independent.  

Thesis Statement

For my Textual analysis I am comparing and contrasting the ways in which both films Submarine and LOL present the theme of coming of age through the MACRO elements: Messages And Values and Themes. 

Submarine is a 2010 British coming-of-age comedy-drama film adapted from the 2008 novel of the same name by Joe Dunthorne, directed by Richard Ayoade. The main character Oliver Tate, is a fifteen year old boy who struggles with school popularity but when he meets a girl he is determined to impress her. Meanwhile his mothers ex-boyfriend moves in next door, so Oliver tries to ensure his parents stay together. 

The second film I am analysing is LOL, a 2012 coming of age comedy-drama-romance film directed and co-written by Lisa Azuelos. The film is a remake of the 2008 French film LOL (Laughing Out Loud).  In a world connected by Facebook and other social networks, Lola Williams and her friends navigate the peer pressures of high school romance and friendship while dodging their sometimes overbearing and confused parents.

Both films present the theme of coming-of-age in different ways and I am doing a Textual Analysis to find out how the directors have done this and the reason why they have done it. Submarine and LOL, both include the same aspect of a typical coming-of-age film which is sex. The only way for a teen to grow up and 'mature' is by loosing their virginity which is clearly shown in both film's as it's something that makes you take that big step from childhood to adulthood. 

PEAS - domino

Point (focus - theme) : TORTURE

Evidence: The scene when Evey is abducted and tortured

Analysis: Her hair is shaved off to symbolise her femininity and fear being removed from her

Synthesis: This presents the theme of torture through the character Evey, to illustrate the belief that Torture is morally right in some aspects as it turns her into a brave, strong character.

Textual Analysis Presentation

I am comparing and contrasting the ways in which both films Submarine and LOL present the theme of coming of age . 

Propaganda Poster - V for Vendetta

Children of Men - Mood Board + Messages/Ideas

- Hope

- Faith

- Illegal Immigration

- Terrorism

- War

- Religion

Voyeurism and The Male Gaze - HW

Shots and Angles used in Psycho & V for Vendetta shower scene 

Psycho:

During the beginning of this clip, there is a close up of Marion's face and the door. We can see she has shut the door for privacy as she is about to shower. The viewer can see that she is alone for a few moments and she thinks she is alone but the irony is that someone is about to interrupt her alone time. She is presented as a vulnerable character due to the fact she is not wearing clothes after she takes her robe off. We see a close up of her feet/legs and back which conveys her as an attractive character to male viewers. We as the audience are invading her privacy which reinforces the idea of the male gaze.

While she is in the shower the audience notices a shadow of someone entering the room. This is when we clearly understand she is not alone. The camera uses racking focus to draw the audiences attention to the shadow behind the curtain. The director has made the camera zoom in and out of the shadow to make it more obvious someone is there. The camera cuts off her face which could foreshadow her life is about to be cut off (end). The silhouette of the killer makes it look mysterious and it must be a man as he is penetrating her with the knife, even though he is dressed as a female. 

By the end of the clip, the camera uses pan to move with the water and blood flowing down into the drain. The camera uses an extreme close up of the plug hole which then turns into an extreme close up of her eye to emphasise her soul and life draining away from her. This type of method is known as graphic match. 

V for Vendetta:
The shower scene in V for Vendetta is not as intimate as the one in Pyscho. This is because there is not as many close-ups, and Lewis Prothero's body is not as revealed. The camera uses pan to follow his movements and racking focus is used to keep our attention on the background images as well which shows his a powerful man. 
The photo on the left shows a silhouette of a mysterious body entering his private space, creating suspense for the viewer. He is being interrupted by V, just like the man interrupted Marion in Psycho. The bottom left image shows a high angle shot over Lewis' shoulder, to reveal to the audience V's reflection on the TV. The TV is turned off to convey the idea Lewis' power has gone and now V is in charge of what will happen next. 

 Likewise, the image to the top right shows an high angle shot over V's shoulder to represent how vulnerable and powerless Lewis is. The bottom right image shows a canted, low angle of V's face to also reinforce the idea that he has more strength.



Overall, I would say that the shower scene in Psycho is more voyeuristic due to the fact it has more intimate, close-ups of the females body parts which reinforces a more sexual view to the male audience. For example, the close-ups of her feet, back and side-boob. In the V for Vendetta shower scene, the character is presented as more powerless and vulnerable, rather than sexual.

300 word analysis - Editing Techniques and Narrative Meaning

 The director, James McTeigue has used editing techniques to introduce us to the characters V and Evey. The main technique used is continual editing: the match on action. Here McTeigue presents the two views of both V and Evey getting ready in their rooms at the same time but in different places. This creates suspense for the viewer due to the fact we don't know how they will meet and when.

Secondly, another editing technique used is graphic match and parallel editing. The two images on the left show V and Evey both turning off the TV with the remote. This could convey the idea that there is a connection between both characters. The viewer has established that these characters are important and we should focus on them.

Moreover, we can see there is a relationship between both V and Evey as there is many similarities between many of these shots. McTeigue has purposely done this so the viewer gets the idea that the two characters will be together for the rest of the film. The graphic match of the two images conveys the idea that both of these characters are heading in the same direction. They are both walking at the same pace which creates a lot of suspense, and gives us a clue they are getting closer to meeting. 

Furthermore, McTeigue uses rhythmic pattern to convey the mood of the characters. As the tension builds the music gets faster/louder, which reveals how nervous Evey is when she gets caught by two men as she is out after curfew. The viewer gets the idea that V will appear any moment. As V arrives the music calms/lowers, therefore Evey's nerves calm down as she knows there is someone here to help her. Although, Evey does not know who V really is yet.

The Use of Juxtaposition in The Domino Montage:

The dominoes and the people of the city are juxtaposed in this clip. The population is symbolised as very weak and powerless just like the dominoes, and they get shot down one at a time. It's effective as the viewer can tell the shots of the people who are wearing V's mask are knocked down to mirror the actions of a domino. It could also mean V's plans are being destroyed, or his killing the people of his own kind. 

V for Vendetta Clip analysis - Cinematography

During the beginning of this scene, the viewer is informed that V's scheme has in fact worked. The image on the right shows us the Bailey being blown up, with many buildings in the background slightly blurred out to keep us focused on the havoc V has caused. The methods used are called shallow focus and wide shot, and they are shifting the viewer over to the destruction and demolished building. It reinforces the power a single person can have and how easy it is to create such a huge explosion.  
Evey is the vulnerable character during this scene due to the fact a man she has not known for long has just pulled off a scheme and could be seen as danger to herself. This is a total contrast with V's emotions as he is very happy, and he feels like his accomplished something. The colour orange is used for the colour of the explosion which means enthusiasm, energy or happiness, mirroring V's emotions. The director, McTeigue, has purposely used shallow focus on her face to make it even more obvious that she is in shock and it puts us into her shoes. There is also space within the frame which tells us that something is happening in front of her.

Near the end of the scene, we can see that there is a conversation between a group of men and Chancellor Sutler. With the use of close up, he is bigger than the rest of the men in the frame, therefore it makes him look powerful and more dominant to the others. It also shows that he has a higher class and he's the one in charge. There is the colour red in the background which could represent death, evil and blood which gives us a negative idea of what will happen later on in the film. There are silhouettes of the men watching him, which reinforces the idea that they are weaker characters and are less important. The director could have done this to also keep us focused on what Chancellor Sutler has to say. The men seated are looking up to him which could also convey the idea that Sutler controls/possesses them, again giving us a negative opinion of Sutler. 

Mise-en-scene

 The first design (top centre) shows an alien version of Alice in wonderland's main character Alice. This design was inspired by the film Alien (1979). The second design is also inspired by Alien, and it is the costume for Alice when she turns small. I would use blue and green hues for the background, and black and white or grey for the costume colours.

V For Vendetta Analysis

V for Vendetta Analysis

I feel V for Vendetta is a Thriller, Action, Sci-fi film. The government are fighting with V and he is fighting back. In nearly every scene we find that V is not happy with the way the government are treating him therefore he planned on bombing the Parliament creating even more conflict. There is also some romance included in the film.
V for Vendetta uses the shots as a way of capturing the tension of action shots. Close shots also create tension and reveal the emotions of characters. For instance, close shots of V’s face show his anger and tense but also his upset. The shots are taken in many different angles when it comes to the fighting/action scenes and this makes the viewer feel more involved with the fights as they can see every detail of what’s happening. V for Vendetta is quite a unique film and has its differences to other films. The film is set in the future, but it doesn’t feel like the future to me. My idea of the future is bright and colourful, but in the film it is mostly dark and deluding. This makes the film mysterious and ominous. The director is obviously trying to highlight that the dark atmosphere adds more depth and meaning to why the terrorism is happening.
Throughout the film we find out that V is a very powerful character and wants to fight for his freedom. He is also very persistent with getting his way and will not stop until he gets what he wants. V has a very close relationship with Evey and in the end they fall in love and eventually V dies after they kiss, also killing their destiny to be together and end the film in tragedy.
V for vendetta is clearly an action film which means there was a lot of fighting. V had killed many officers, government and people higher in the hierarchy to V. This is quite ironic as the viewer would feel the higher class people would have higher power. V and Evey are quite close to each other and after they met, both of them had the idea that they could both have their freedom. Evey was with V for every step of his plans which made them become closer. V is found out to be a very kind man, even though he had caused havoc and rebelled against the government.

25 word treatment for a sequel to The Last Song:
Ronnie is under a lot of pressure as it’s the 1 year anniversary of her father’s death. She can’t cope with her emotions and starts thinking about committing suicide.