1. Film and Literary Analysis
Mrs. Thomas – Film and Lit

2. Elements of literature that are most common in film…
Characterization
Setting
Point of view (POV)
Symbol
Irony

3. Characterization:
What defines, motivates, or is unique about a particular character?
Writers and film makers both use…
Actions
Thoughts
Emotions
Speech
Age/physical appearance

4. Character: The Remains of the Day (James Ivory, 1993)
Film Clip: The Remains of the Day ( A Racy Book)
In this scene Mr. Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) is a butler who has spent much of his life in the service of the lord of the mansion. Recently, an housekeeper, Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson) has come to work in the house, and they appear to have become infatuated with each other, though neither has acted on it. As the scene begins, Mr. Stevens is nodding off in very low-key lit study while reading when Miss Kenton enters, bringing flowers she has picked for him.

5. Questions:
What does Mr. Stevens reveal about his character through his word choice, movements, and gestures?
How does lighting and the nondiegetic sound affect the characterization of Mr. Stevens?
How do the framing choices (close-ups, long shots, etc.) reveal emotion in this scene?

6. Setting:
Setting includes both time and place, the “when” and the “where” of a film or piece of literature.
More importantly, how does the setting affect character, theme, and/or plot?
Does the setting play a symbolic role in the film?
How does the film maker’s choices about lighting, editing, sound, framing, etc. impact the effect of the setting?

7. Setting: Falling Down (Joel Schumacher, 1992)
Film clip from Falling Down (opening sequence)
After the initial credits, the first image we see is an extreme close-up of a nose, then the eye, still in the extreme close-up. There is no sound, then the diegetic sound of someone slowly breathing. When the camera pulls back, we see a man in a short-sleeved shirt and tie, played by Michael Douglas, sitting in his car stuck in traffic on the highway.
Pay attention to
nondiegetic and diegetic sounds
Length of shots and cuts
Camera movements

8. Questions
How do the changing rhythm and pace of the editing affect your response to the setting?
Discuss the different framing choices that the director uses in this scene and their effect on us.
Describe the mise-en-scene of this sequence and how various elements in the setting affect the man’s decision to leave.

9. Point of View (in literature)
In literature, POV is usually in one of three categories…
First-person
Third-person, limited
Third-person, omniscient

10. Point of View (in film)
Film uses “focalization” in a way that is similar to how a narrator is used in literature.
Focalization offers a way to describe film shots by identifying the point of view behind the shots.
Three types of focalization classifications:
Subjective
Authorial
Neutral

11. Subjective shots
Aligns the audience clearly with one character’s point of view
Established through eye-line match
Shows us what the character is seeing
This is the closest to first-person narration in literature.
Sometimes the audience is not given information because the character does not have it either.

12. Authorial shots In these shots the director is like the author.
Authorial information is given directly to the audience without also giving it to a character.
Authorial information can also be lighting that comments on a character’s state of mind or music that signals that danger is on the way.
Authorial shots and information is the most like a third-person, omniscient narrator in literature.

13. Neutral shots
Most shots are a neutral focalization, not from a character’s perspective (subjective) or from film director’s perspective (authorial)
Neutral shots are the most like third-person limited perspective.

14. Biggest difference between literature and film point of view
Most films, unlike literature, switches from subjective, neutral, and authorial shots depending on what the director intends.
Usually, literature maintains one POV.
The director’s decision to change POV often leads to interesting discussion and analysis of film.

15. Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)
POV changing example

16. POV: A Christmas Story (Bob Clark, 1983)
Besides being from Ralphie's point of view, the subjective shots also seemed to be distorted, as if filmed from inside a fishbowl. Why were they shot this way?
Most of the humor seems to come from the POV shots; how would this scene have been different if it had been filmed neutrally?
What subjective shots from Santa's POV would have been interesting or funny to see?

17. Symbol A symbol is what it is and it's something else, too.
A symbol has a literal meaning and a metaphorical meaning.

18. Symbol tally sheet Film Title Object # of visual references
# of dialogue references
Literal meaning
Metaphorical Meaning
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
cactus rose
Psycho
birds
The Piano
link
piano

19. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (John Ford, 1962)
James Stewart plays Ranse Stoddard, a lawyer from the East who has come to bring justice to this backward region, John Wayne plays Tom Doniphon, a rugged rancher who lives by the Western code that might makes right, and Vera Miles plays Hallie, a waitress who is drawn to Ranse's educated ways but also attracted to Tom's strength. In this scene, Tom gives Hallie a gift of a cactus rose. Record the references to the cactus rose in your chart.

20. Questions: Liberty Valance
Trace how each of the three main characters feels about the cactus rose. What does that say about their conflicts?
What was Ranse implying by asking about a real rose?
After looking only at this clip, with which character to you most sympathize? Why this one?
How do you think the symbol of the cactus rose might play out in the rest of the film?

21. Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
Marion Crane, played by Janet Leigh, has stolen money from her employer and, in running away, has ended up at the hotel of amateur taxidermist and full-time mama's boy Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins. He has brought her some food to eat and he suggests that they eat in his parlor... Record references to birds in your chart.

22. Questions: Psycho
How did Hitchcock's framing choices lead you to see that the birds were somehow important?
Think back on what Norman said about the private traps people get into. How does this relate to the bird symbol?
How do the birds seem to represent Norman, and how do they seem to represent Marion as well?

23. The Piano (Jane Campion, 1993)
The main character, Ada, played by Holly Hunter, has not spoken since she was six years old. Her father has arranged for her to be married to a man in New Zealand, whom she has not yet met. Sam Neill plays her husband-to-be. In the opening scenes, Ada arrives in New Zealand with her daughter.

24. Questions: The Piano
Describe the several ways in which the director made the piano take on a greater importance than simply a musical instrument?
How could the nondiegetic music of the final shot be seen as internal diegetic? What effect does this have?
Besides being a voice for Ada, what else do you think the piano signifies for her?

25. Irony Irony in film... is NOT a surprise or twist at the end of a film
is when something in the film hints that the meaning intended by the director is the exact opposite of what he or she appears to be presenting

26. Imagine the visual pictures that might correspond to this song...
YouTube: What a Wonderful Word

27. Imagine the kind of music and lyrics that belong with the following film clip...
Good Morning, Vietnam

28. How would you define irony in this clip?

29. What irony is NOT...
Ironic parody Youtube