Short Film 'Connect' Analysis

-

 CONNECT

Narrative feature 

Feature establishing protagonist - what information do we find out? How is it conveyed?

  • We are presented with a woman standing on a crowded bus as she gradually changes her view of the world. It starts with her waiting for the bus in the dark at a bus stop, and when the bus arrives, everyone begins pushing each other out of the way competing for available seats, therefore causing her to be the last to get on the bus where she's obligated to stand. 
  • The bus begins to move and the woman puts her headphones on, which could portray an attempt to drown out her surroundings and escape from reality.
  • She is filled with a sense of hostility and ignorance from the rest of the people on board, shown when she pictures a man pulling out a gun and shooting a lady to take her seat. 
  • Her view of the hostile environment on the bus changes when she makes contact with a passenger. She brushes the hands of that passenger, forming a connection/bond with him. 
  • After that, she perceives the other passengers on the bus in a different light, dancing in unison which symbolises their common connections which is how they're all waiting to arrive at their destinations.
Establishing other characters - what information do we find out? how is it conveyed?
  • On a busy bus, everyone is sat emotionless, however, if you look deeper into their lives, you will see people travelling home from long shifts at work, struggling with their own problems.
  • She pictures the man shooting a woman in the head for his own self-gain. This could be a metaphor for people's selfishness and hostility
  • The woman perceiving everyone in the bus as hostile could symbolise the common approach to strangers daily, however, she gradually sees the connection that they all have.
Establishing location (time and place) - what information do we find out? how is it conveyed?
  • The Oyster Card and Oyster Card reader suggest that it's set in London
  • Takes place in a busy city, shown through the rush to get on the bus
  • It is set on a bus which is a mode of transport, this creates a sense of realism
  • The confined space of the bus could be acting as a microcosm for wider society, portraying the different perspectives that people see in the world
Creating Enigmas - what are they? how are they created?
  • When the man pulls out the gun, we expect to see the journey on the bus to turn into a journey of violence
Narrative Binary Oppositions

  • Isolation Vs Connection
  • Her positive outlook and the negativity of the people on the bus
Crisis - how was this conveyed?
  • On the bus, she reaches for the man's hand repeatedly showing that she feels some sort of physical connection between them
  • When he brushes his hand against hers they both smile and look happy, which juxtaposes from the overall moon on the bus with people sat looking straight-faced and not speaking to each other
Resolution - is it a closed or open narrative?
  • It's an open narrative as there are many other achievable scenarios
  • The woman and the man could probably meet again at some point
  • Her point of view towards society has changed
Meaning and Effect

What did you think was the intention of the filmmaker(s)? Intellectual message? Emotional Response?
  • The director's intentions could be that the film focused on the people on the bus acting as a microcosm for wider society. 
  • The way she views people reflects the way people view the world.
  • She watches a man shoot a lady just to take her seat which acts as a metaphor for selfishness
  • The violent connotations could be highlighting the terror that is happening all over the world; it can happen anywhere from anyone
  • The fact that the rest of the people on the bus paid no attention to what happened could portray people in society who overlook situations like these and show a lack of support for those in need.
How was the response/intellectual message best achieved?
  • Long takes to emphasise a form of realism
  • Cuts between her point of view of the people on the bus and close-ups of her, which shows us what she is imagining
Aesthetic binary oppositions
  • No aesthetic differences between the woman's imagination and reality
Effect of these oppositions
  • Blurs the lines between reality and her imagination
  • Makes the audience question whether her interaction and connection with the man was real



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why is the short film "Wallace & Gromit" engaging?

-
Image
      Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers How is it engaging?  The director of Wallace and Gromit successfully makes the film engaging to the audience by using several different filmmaking techniques. For instance, he uses the stages of Todorov's Narrative Theory which assists the audience in understanding the story and the plot of the film in an organized and structural manner. According to this theory, the film will start with an equilibrium which in this case is Wallace and Gromit peacefully living together and having breakfast in the morning. This is greatly highlighted through the soft chill music in the background of the scene.    Next is an action or character disrupting the equilibrium which is the penguin's arrival and him taking over Gromit's role in the home. This disruption is shown through the way the music changes upon his arrival and becomes eerie, immediately emphasising how the penguin is a threat; essentially acting as a warning to the ...
Read more

No Country For Old Men: Opening Scene

-
Image
 NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN In the opening sequence, we are introduced with a voiceover of a mysterious character who we don’t know yet, however, it is evident that he’s going to be a significant character in the movie. Diegetic sounds are clearly used such as the sounds of the police officer and the closing of the police car door, as well as the sound of the protagonist placing an object on the front seat of the car. The non-diegetic sounds of the wind blowing softly emphasize the isolation of the setting and atmosphere, which as a result, makes the placement of the characters strange. The lack of soundtrack during the killing of the policeman illustrates the lack of importance of the character’s death, mirroring the lack of empathy the main character has. Moreover, Chigurh's first dialogue is threatening along with his expression. His voice is monotone and he slightly smiles as he shoots the police officer. This gives the audience the impression that he also may be a psychopath....
Read more

The Grandmother: Analysis

-
Image
 THE GRANDMOTHER  DAVID LYNCH How does David Lynch turn these ordinary aspects of life into surreal nightmares? Being born: - Jittery and twitchy movements in a stop motion manner - The parents come in straight up while the child comes in sideways, which could symbolise him being born in the wrong place and may not fit in - Aggressive and violent movements may be foreshadowing how the boy's parents will treat him during the film - We only hear animal noises, which makes the film seem animalistic. It may also be a representation of how newborn children perceive the world and are still unable to comprehend words - Barking and crawling, which is inhumane Growing up: - The boy is mostly been neglected by his parents - Sorrowful and isolating atmosphere - Grey undertones with an overall dark ambience, which makes the environment seem cold - Pasty white colour that consumes their faces made vivid by the high contrast film making the boy seem sickly. Also, the red lipstick suggests t...
Read more