Individual Scene Analysis The Dark Knight
(I would have embedded the video onto the blog but it said "Embedding disabled by request" on YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1pyPY8w1TI
A conflict between two opposing forces is an essential ingredient of all action movies. The opposing views clash, and in the struggle for dominance the audience becomes engulfed in the story. In the movie The Dark Knight we see the classic idea of “good versus evil”, but the Director, Producer, and Writer (all three are Christopher Nolan) portray the Joker in slightly different ways to show the depth of his villainy. The antagonist in The Dark Knight acts with malicious intent and his lack of morals show his colors as a truly evil person. Through the interactions of the Joker with his environment, the Director reveals the idea of the Joker being able to corrupt and destroy the situation around him while bringing about a sense of chaos and confusion.
The Joker’s actions initiate conflict in the movie, and the way he carries out his actions are just as important to notice. The Director uses dolly-shots, close-ups, and sound-effects to help create the notion of the Joker being crazy. The Director chooses to use a dolly-shot in shots one and six. The movement of the camera flows perfectly while the buildings in the background explode. This creates a feeling of stability because the camera never loses focus and the smooth run of the camera pairs up nicely with the laid-back attitude of the Joker as he exits the hospital grounds. Then compare the dolly-shot to the reaction-shots of the civilians; the cameras in those shots are shaken rapidly to create a sense of chaos and confusion. Close-ups are another method used by the Director to incorporate the ideas of evil and immorality. In shot one the image of the Joker fills the entire screen. He has a calm expression on his face and even mimics the sound of the explosions to come. The Joker knows that the hospital will be destroyed and still carries out the actions in a humorous manner; this contributes to the idea of him being crazy because to us his actions seem unthinkable. In shot three the close-up reaction-shots of three reporters are shown, inviting the viewer to compare their expressions of terror to the Joker’s composed way of carrying himself. This builds on the idea of him being evil and crazy. The close-up at the beginning of the scene can also be viewed as expressing his dominance over the situation. The sound-effects add to the conflict. A large portion of the clip contains the sounds of the exploding hospital and this highlights the chaos and disorder brought about by the Joker. In shot six the explosions subside and the audience is led to believe that the blasts have ended. Then, after the Joker presses the detonator repeatedly the explosions start up again, The Joker, apparently surprised by the new blasts, hurries off. The idea of the Joker being startled by his own work demonstrates how chaotic the situation is. The juxtaposition of the sound effects of the Joker and the civilians contains vital information also. The scenes with the Joker in them are relatively quiet (aside from the explosions). He rarely makes any noise, and when he does, he does it humorously; compare this to the shot in the bus (4) with all the people screaming. The contrast between the two shots creates a disorienting mood and shows how the Joker differs from normal citizens; this sets him apart from the rest of society and creates the idea of him being the bad guy.
The environment surrounding the Joker plays a key role in the Director’s way of portraying him as a deranged lunatic. Through the use of aerial shots, costume, and location the Joker can be seen as a virus that infects the whole society of Gotham. In shot seven the Director films the explosion of a hospital building from an aerial view. This shows the enormity of the actions committed by the Joker and the disorganization he brings with him. The costume used by the Joker adds to the confusion of the situation. Throughout this entire scene the Joker wears a nurse’s uniform. A nurse assists people by helping them heal; this differs greatly from the way the Joker acts. The confusion of the costume he wears and the actions he carries out helps develop the idea of him being crazy. The Joker wearing the nurse’s uniform separates him from the classical “noir” and this change in the typical bad-guy brings about confusion. The setting of the entire scene contributes to the thesis statement of the Joker being able to corrupt the city. The Joker decides to blow up a hospital, a place where people go to become better, and this shows him to be a poisonous person. Near the end of shot six the Joker leaves the destroyed hospital scene by entering a school bus. The school bus (filled with innocent people) can be seen as a symbol of innocence. The Joker entering it and leaving the scene shows how he spreads throughout the city – much like a virus - spreading chaos and disorder.
Through the Joker’s interactions with his environment he can be viewed as an unrelenting antagonist who will stop at nothing to bring about chaos. The Director’s portrayal of the Joker differs greatly from the typical stereotype of a villain; this creates a disorienting mood and sets the Joker apart from the rest of movie villains because he can be viewed as someone who is truly evil and psychotic.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Group Screenplay and Scene
Group Screenplay and Scene Clip
(Conor O’Shea / Mitchell Davenport / Alan Watanabe)
Screenplay: ACT 3 - SCENE 3: BANQUO’S MURDER AND FLEANCE RUNNING MONTAGE
BANQUO’S MURDER
EXT. Castle Doors – Day establishing shot.
Shot 1
MURDERER 2 exits the front door to the left with a gun.
MURDERER 3 exits the front door to the left with two samurai swords.
MURDERER 1 exits the front door, stops and pulls out a sock and puts a nectarine into it and swings it multiple times before exiting to the left.
Shot 2
The Murderers enter their vehicle from the left side.
Murderer 1 gets into the driver seat.
Murderers 3 and 2 get into the back seats.
The car starts and backs out and then drives off the shot to the right.
Shot 3
Establishing shot of a street corner.
The Murderer’s car comes onto the shot from the left side and turns a corner onto the main street.
The car then parks on the side of the road.
Shot 4
INT. Car – Day
MURDERER 1: Who asked you to come with us?
MURDERER 3: Macbeth.
MURDERER 2: We don’t need to worry about him; he’s laid it out just like Macbeth said.
Murderer 1: Then join us; the sun is setting sending business men to their ruins, and our mark is approaching.
Murderer 3: Hold up I hear something.
Shot 5
EXT. Road – Day
BANQUO and FLEANCE enter on a road.
Camera zooms out to show Banquo and Fleance walking right by the murderer’s car.
The camera then zooms back onto Banquo and Fleance as they approach the camera and stop.
Shot 6
Shot of Banquo and Fleance on the side of the road.
BANQUO: Give us a light there ho.
Fleance hands Banquo a matchbox and a match.
Banquo strikes the match and the camera then zooms in on the match.
Shot 7
INT. Car – Day
Murderer 2: Then it’s him the others expected are all inside.
Murderer 1: His car is being brought around.
Murderer 2: A light!
Murderer 3: It’s him.
Murderer 1: Stand ready.
The murderers then exit the car and move towards Fleance and Banquo.
Shot 8
EXT. Road – Day
Banquo: It shall rain tonight.
Murderer 1: Then let it come.
Murderer 1 then strikes Banquo with a sock-nectarine.
Banquo staggers to the ground and Murderer 2 comes out and shoots him in the back.
As Banquo gets up Murderer 3 comes up from behind and cuts him with a samurai sword.
Shot 9
Banquo’s blood splashes on the ground and the camera then zooms in on it.
Shot 10
As Banquo lies on the ground dead Fleance gets on his scooter and leaves the scene to the left.
While this happens the Murderers run across the street into their car and exit the same way Fleance did.
Shot 11
INT. Car – Day
Murderer 1: Was that the wrong way to do it?
Murderer 3: That’s one down; his son got away.
Murderer 2: We’ve missed the main mark.
Murderer 1: Well let’s get back to Macbeth and tell him how much is done.
Murderer 3: Dude, what’s with the peach?
Murderer 1: It’s a nectarine.
FLEANCE RUNNING MONTAGE
Shot 12
EXT. Stadium – Day
Fleance is seen running up the steps of the stadium on the left side and then runs on the top of the stadium then down the stadium then up the stadium. The camera zooms in and out.
At this point the body of Banquo is seen next to Fleance as he runs up the stadium and the camera pans over to show Banquo’s body.
The Camera then moves back onto Fleance who runs down the stadium and out of the shot. The camera then zooms out.
Shot 13
INT. School Hallway – Day
Fleance is at the end of the science hallway as he runs down.
Then there is a poorly done slow motion scene where Fleance runs past the body of Banquo and then down the rest of the hallway and then exits the scene to the left.
Shot 14
EXT. Outside of the Cafeteria – Day
Fleance runs down the first few steps and then moves over the handrail.
He then runs down the side of the steps and does a 360 off of the little cement block on the bottom.
Fleance then runs past the body of Banquo and jumps onto another cement block.
After that he goes under a handrail and then over the handrail and runs off to exit to the right side.
Shot 15
Fleance is then seen running up the steps past the football field.
Shot 16
Fleance then stops at a chess-set where the legs of Banquo are seen.
Fleance then kneels down and looks at the set and knocks over Banquo’s pieces.
FLEANCE: King me.
Shot 17
Close up on the face of Banquo (who is dead).
Shot 18
Close up on the face of Fleance who looks deeply at the face of Banquo then runs off again.
Credits
SCENE CLIP
Due to school budget cuts the film has been downgraded and the sound crew has been fired.
(Conor O’Shea / Mitchell Davenport / Alan Watanabe)
Screenplay: ACT 3 - SCENE 3: BANQUO’S MURDER AND FLEANCE RUNNING MONTAGE
BANQUO’S MURDER
EXT. Castle Doors – Day establishing shot.
Shot 1
MURDERER 2 exits the front door to the left with a gun.
MURDERER 3 exits the front door to the left with two samurai swords.
MURDERER 1 exits the front door, stops and pulls out a sock and puts a nectarine into it and swings it multiple times before exiting to the left.
Shot 2
The Murderers enter their vehicle from the left side.
Murderer 1 gets into the driver seat.
Murderers 3 and 2 get into the back seats.
The car starts and backs out and then drives off the shot to the right.
Shot 3
Establishing shot of a street corner.
The Murderer’s car comes onto the shot from the left side and turns a corner onto the main street.
The car then parks on the side of the road.
Shot 4
INT. Car – Day
MURDERER 1: Who asked you to come with us?
MURDERER 3: Macbeth.
MURDERER 2: We don’t need to worry about him; he’s laid it out just like Macbeth said.
Murderer 1: Then join us; the sun is setting sending business men to their ruins, and our mark is approaching.
Murderer 3: Hold up I hear something.
Shot 5
EXT. Road – Day
BANQUO and FLEANCE enter on a road.
Camera zooms out to show Banquo and Fleance walking right by the murderer’s car.
The camera then zooms back onto Banquo and Fleance as they approach the camera and stop.
Shot 6
Shot of Banquo and Fleance on the side of the road.
BANQUO: Give us a light there ho.
Fleance hands Banquo a matchbox and a match.
Banquo strikes the match and the camera then zooms in on the match.
Shot 7
INT. Car – Day
Murderer 2: Then it’s him the others expected are all inside.
Murderer 1: His car is being brought around.
Murderer 2: A light!
Murderer 3: It’s him.
Murderer 1: Stand ready.
The murderers then exit the car and move towards Fleance and Banquo.
Shot 8
EXT. Road – Day
Banquo: It shall rain tonight.
Murderer 1: Then let it come.
Murderer 1 then strikes Banquo with a sock-nectarine.
Banquo staggers to the ground and Murderer 2 comes out and shoots him in the back.
As Banquo gets up Murderer 3 comes up from behind and cuts him with a samurai sword.
Shot 9
Banquo’s blood splashes on the ground and the camera then zooms in on it.
Shot 10
As Banquo lies on the ground dead Fleance gets on his scooter and leaves the scene to the left.
While this happens the Murderers run across the street into their car and exit the same way Fleance did.
Shot 11
INT. Car – Day
Murderer 1: Was that the wrong way to do it?
Murderer 3: That’s one down; his son got away.
Murderer 2: We’ve missed the main mark.
Murderer 1: Well let’s get back to Macbeth and tell him how much is done.
Murderer 3: Dude, what’s with the peach?
Murderer 1: It’s a nectarine.
FLEANCE RUNNING MONTAGE
Shot 12
EXT. Stadium – Day
Fleance is seen running up the steps of the stadium on the left side and then runs on the top of the stadium then down the stadium then up the stadium. The camera zooms in and out.
At this point the body of Banquo is seen next to Fleance as he runs up the stadium and the camera pans over to show Banquo’s body.
The Camera then moves back onto Fleance who runs down the stadium and out of the shot. The camera then zooms out.
Shot 13
INT. School Hallway – Day
Fleance is at the end of the science hallway as he runs down.
Then there is a poorly done slow motion scene where Fleance runs past the body of Banquo and then down the rest of the hallway and then exits the scene to the left.
Shot 14
EXT. Outside of the Cafeteria – Day
Fleance runs down the first few steps and then moves over the handrail.
He then runs down the side of the steps and does a 360 off of the little cement block on the bottom.
Fleance then runs past the body of Banquo and jumps onto another cement block.
After that he goes under a handrail and then over the handrail and runs off to exit to the right side.
Shot 15
Fleance is then seen running up the steps past the football field.
Shot 16
Fleance then stops at a chess-set where the legs of Banquo are seen.
Fleance then kneels down and looks at the set and knocks over Banquo’s pieces.
FLEANCE: King me.
Shot 17
Close up on the face of Banquo (who is dead).
Shot 18
Close up on the face of Fleance who looks deeply at the face of Banquo then runs off again.
Credits
SCENE CLIP
Due to school budget cuts the film has been downgraded and the sound crew has been fired.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Scene Analysis Proposal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1pyPY8w1TI
Movie: The Dark Knight
Scene: This scene takes place about 3/4 of the way through the movie. The Joker just met with Harvey Dent in the hospital and helps him exact his revenge. The actual scene contains The Joker exiting the exploding hospital as he enters a school bus.
Scene Run Time: 1:03
Description of the Scene: The scene starts with the Joker walking down a Hospital hallway in a nurse uniform. He mimics the sound of an explosion as he presses the detonator for the bomb; The Joker then leaves the scene and the hallway he was walking down is shown exploding in sporadic patterns. There is then a cut scene to the front steps of the hospital where it shows The Joker walking down the front steps of the hospital as more explosions are coming from within. The scene then changes to the reactions of the three news reporters standing outside of the hospital; they are shocked and quickly enter the school bus. The scene then cuts into the bus looking from the back seat to the front; the school bus is shaking violently and shows how the people inside are disoriented (180 Degree Rule). Another quick cut scene where it shows a news reporter being grabbed into the bus. The scene then changes to The Joker again, this time it shows the complex hospital structure in the background. He walks about 30 feet before the explosions begin to stop. He lifts his arms out and looks back in disbelief at the buildings still standing. He then focuses his attention on the detonator and presses the buttons on it over and over again until the explosions begin from the background. The camera then follows The Joker as he enters a school bus. The bus leaves the scene and what remains is a large building exploding. As the building begins to collapse the scene changes to a long shot of the building from an aerial perspective. The building is completely destroyed and a large plume of smoke rises from the debris.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Comparing Themes (Journal 16)
Theme 1: There is a theme of family through out most of these plays. They all support a strong unity among family members and all plays show how if a family is tightly knit they can over come most problems. In both Antigone's there is a sense of family loyalty. Antigone wants to bury Polynices even though he was not the best family member. In the same play Ismene wants to help Antigone later on in the book because she is afraid of being alone when Antigone dies. In Oedipus the whole play revolves around his family life and how it has affected him negatively. In Medea, Medea is angry with Jason because of his lack of compassion towards her; this leads to Medea killing her two sons. All these plays exhibit a large role of characters who are closely related together.
Theme 2: Gender roles were seen through out most of these plays. They were very different because of the conflicts presented and who they involved. In Oedipus, Jocasta was the only female who played a some-what major role in the story. She was there to aid Oedipus and she seemed to have a lot of power at her hands. In Medea the gender roles switch a little bit. Since she is the person most people hate women are looked down upon. Jason tells Medea how he dislikes women and how they are no good besides giving birth to children. In both Antigone's the gender roles are a mix between Oedipus and Medea almost. Antigone and Ismene commanded some power but they were still expected to do very little in the story because they are women, it is a surprise to Creon how Antigone acted because he never expected it from a women.
Theme 2: Gender roles were seen through out most of these plays. They were very different because of the conflicts presented and who they involved. In Oedipus, Jocasta was the only female who played a some-what major role in the story. She was there to aid Oedipus and she seemed to have a lot of power at her hands. In Medea the gender roles switch a little bit. Since she is the person most people hate women are looked down upon. Jason tells Medea how he dislikes women and how they are no good besides giving birth to children. In both Antigone's the gender roles are a mix between Oedipus and Medea almost. Antigone and Ismene commanded some power but they were still expected to do very little in the story because they are women, it is a surprise to Creon how Antigone acted because he never expected it from a women.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Antigone Word Choice (Journal 15)
In the first argument between Creon and Antigone there are sharp contrasting viewpoints between the two characters. Antigone devoted to helping her brother believes it the right thing to do. Creon on the other hand believes that it is illegal and Antigone should be put to death for it. This conflict brings about a yes/no argument. The two characters are so different Anouilh chooses to have them say they exact opposite thing, yes and no. This also brings about the idea of Creon becoming the king, he talked about how it was hard to decide yes or no on taking up the role of the leader; this can apply itself to Antigone's situation on whether she should have buried her brother or not.
This book was originally written in French and then translated into English; The fact that it is translated means that the authors voice was lost somewhere between the two versions, no matter how minuscule the change is it will still make a difference. In the English version of Anouilh's Antigone there are a lot of vague terms; this could leave the book up for interpretation to the reader/audience. One vague term mentioned was the idea of happiness. Creon and Antigone argue over what it actually means to them. They both come to their own conclusion about the idea and it is very different. This demonstrates how the characters view the situation they are in and also gives us some insight on how that person is. Antigone seems more like a person who does not care about the rules and does what she thinks is right. Creon on the other hand is the king so he has to take a lot of responsibility and cannot please everyone because there are certain things he must do as a king.
This book was originally written in French and then translated into English; The fact that it is translated means that the authors voice was lost somewhere between the two versions, no matter how minuscule the change is it will still make a difference. In the English version of Anouilh's Antigone there are a lot of vague terms; this could leave the book up for interpretation to the reader/audience. One vague term mentioned was the idea of happiness. Creon and Antigone argue over what it actually means to them. They both come to their own conclusion about the idea and it is very different. This demonstrates how the characters view the situation they are in and also gives us some insight on how that person is. Antigone seems more like a person who does not care about the rules and does what she thinks is right. Creon on the other hand is the king so he has to take a lot of responsibility and cannot please everyone because there are certain things he must do as a king.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Character Traits (Journal 14)
In the play, Oedipus the King, I will be playing the part of the messenger. The messenger does not come from Thebes so he is not familiar with most of the things there except he knows that Oedipus is the king of the city. The messenger is most likely a humble person since he is speaking to royalty. He still brings bad news to Oedipus though so he messenger might have a worried tone.
"Strangers, please, I wonder if you could lead us to the palace of the king... I think it's Oedipus. Better, the man himself-you know where he is?" (211) This sentence shows that he is not from this area so he will be new to the whole experience and he will not know what has been going on.
"Polybus was nothing to you, that's why, not in blood" (218). The messenger might have a concerned tone since he knows more about Oedipus's past than most people.
"Strangers, please, I wonder if you could lead us to the palace of the king... I think it's Oedipus. Better, the man himself-you know where he is?" (211) This sentence shows that he is not from this area so he will be new to the whole experience and he will not know what has been going on.
"Polybus was nothing to you, that's why, not in blood" (218). The messenger might have a concerned tone since he knows more about Oedipus's past than most people.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Antigone 4 Literary Techniques (Journal 13)
Repetition: "He will do what he has to do, and we will do what we have to do" (11). The repetition of the word "do" shows how Antigone and Creon have different view points on the subject at hand. They will act on their own thoughts and this foreshadows future events.
Metaphor: "Wasn't I a miserable little beast when we were small?" (10). Antigone used to think of herself as a little beast when she was small. This gives us some background information on her past and shows how she thinks about her self.
Simile: "[...] clawing away like a hyena [...]" (25). Antigone is again described as an animal. She is also being related to a hyena, a wild dog that is very aggressive. This simile gives us insight on how Antigone might behave if she does not get her way.
Hyperbole: "A thousand arms will seize our arms. A thousand breaths will breathe into our faces" (12). Ismene tells Antigone how she feels about the situation and how Creon might react if they disobey his law. This hyperbole shows how fearful Ismene is of Creon, this also shows a difference in the characters of Ismene and Antigone because they might react differently to this law.
Metaphor: "Wasn't I a miserable little beast when we were small?" (10). Antigone used to think of herself as a little beast when she was small. This gives us some background information on her past and shows how she thinks about her self.
Simile: "[...] clawing away like a hyena [...]" (25). Antigone is again described as an animal. She is also being related to a hyena, a wild dog that is very aggressive. This simile gives us insight on how Antigone might behave if she does not get her way.
Hyperbole: "A thousand arms will seize our arms. A thousand breaths will breathe into our faces" (12). Ismene tells Antigone how she feels about the situation and how Creon might react if they disobey his law. This hyperbole shows how fearful Ismene is of Creon, this also shows a difference in the characters of Ismene and Antigone because they might react differently to this law.
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