Secrets and Lies Representation Analysis

Secrets and Lies
Representation Analysis

Children Of Men Analysis

'Children of Men' Analysis

The opening sequence of ‘Children of Men’ features various filming techniques and signifiers that have different purposes and meanings.

This film follows the codes and conventions for big budget films, showing the production companies (Universal and Strike) before the film begins. There is no sound during this part which brings the audience’s attention to the screen because it gives the illusion that the sound isn’t working. We can also tell that it is a big budget movie because Universal funded it, and Universal usually funds big block busters.

Following the silence of the production companies, we can suddenly hear dialogue. The speech is in very formal English accents and includes facts and figures (not like a conversation between two people), and this indicates that we are hearing a British news report. Hearing the two news reports before seeing anything means that the audience can focus on what is being said. For instance, one of the presenters mentions that immigration has been banned and that many people are being deported back to their home countries. The audience now knows that the movie is not set in present day Britain.

The institutional information appears in block white writing against the black background after the first few stories. The voices of the news presenters continue and this makes the audience impatient to know more because when you see the first few words it makes you think you’re about to find out more about the movie.

The screen goes black again and then the female presenter says ‘Death of the youngest person on the planet.’ This news story is confusing to the audience because people have babies all the time. As soon as the words are said, a shot of a crowd of people appears. None of the people in the shot look confused so the audience knows that what the reporter said isn’t a mistake and that in the movie there are no longer children i.e. No one is having babies anymore.

Everyone in the scene is wearing dull colours like grey or black and none of them are smiling, so it gives us the idea that the setting isn’t cheerful.

We can tell that this crowd of people are in an English cafe because there are pastries in a container in the corner of the screen, the word ‘Caffe’ is on the wall, there are people holding coffee cups and also we can tell that it is set in England because there are two policemen wearing the conventional British holster and badge and one of them was wearing a police hat.

All of the people in the frame have their eyes fixed on a common object that the camera can’t see. However there is a TV placed directly opposite the camera on the other side of the room as evidence that they are all watching a TV.

As well as the dialogue from the news report, we can hear passing cars and honking. This suggests that it is rush hour or a busy time of day, especially since the cafe is packed and there are a few characters wearing smart clothes like they are on their way to work.

No one is moving in the cafe and they all stay fixed on the TV behind the camera, but a man bustles his way to the front of the shot to get to the counter and order a drink. This singles him out and the audience is immediately aware that the man is a main character. When he looks at the screen he is still fiddling around in his pockets, which shows he isn’t as affected by the news as everyone else.

The shot changes to a screen (presumably the one everyone is watching) showing a montage of the youngest man’s life. At the bottom of the screen it says 2009-2027, which subtly communicates to the audience two important pieces of information; 1. That no one was born after this person in 2009 and 2. That the movie is set in 2027.

The shot changes back to the cafe and we see the man pick up his coffee and exit the shop. The camera uses a handheld shot to follow the man through the crowd and out of the cafe to convey realism so we can tell this is going to be a gritty film.

When he steps outside of the shop and turns left, the camera turns to the right and then pans to the left to exhibit the surroundings. There are a lot of odd vehicles speeding past with the odd few red buses which are iconic to London if the audience hadn’t guessed where it was set already. It looks dirty and polluted, with cars sputtering out smoke and rubbish bags on the pavement which doesn’t paint a positive picture of the future. The date and location show up at the bottom of the frame which confirms what the audience have probably guessed already.

The camera is following the main character again and we see him stop to set his cup down and unscrew a bottle he gets from his coat. This implies he is about to pour alcohol into his cup. We associate drinking in adulthood with unhappiness and so we can assume that the man isn’t happy with his life.

The camera arcs around him and we expect it to be because they can get a better view of what he is doing but he puts the bottle back in his coat pocket.

The camera is now faced in the direction it just came from and an explosion goes off in one of the shops. The audience can deduce that it’s in the cafe that he just walked out of.

We see him drop his cup and back away into a wall behind him possibly to show that he is unharmed, and then the camera moves towards the action much quicker than it moved a few seconds ago before the explosion. The shakiness of the camera creates a sense of urgency and importance.

There is smoke drifting from the cafe and we can hear very high-pitched painful screaming. A woman limps out of the smoke holding her own dismembered arm in her hand. The shocking gruesomeness of this scene is a sign of what is to come in the rest of the film.

The screams and picture is cut off and there is just silence and the title of the movie ‘Children of Men’ appears white on black abruptly. This insinuates that the movie will be grim throughout and there isn’t any time to dwell on the morbid nature.

Camera Movement

Camera Movement

In film, different camera movements are used to vary the shots. The camera can move up, down, left, right and forward and backward (otherwise known as the XYZ axis). 

Pan:

Moving the camera sideways; Left to right or right to left.
This technique is used primarily to establish more of the setting or illustrate the speed of whatever is moving.

 Movie: Goodfellas

Track:

When the camera is placed on a track and can be moved around keeping the same distance away from the action. Similar to the Dolly shot.

Movie: Kill Bill

Tilt: 
The camera moves up or down while staying in a fixed spot.

Movie: The Shawshank Redemption

Pull Focus:

Changing the focus in the shot from one object to another. 

Movie: Jurassic Park

Crane:

Shots that move up, down, left and right but whilst in the air. Normally done using a jib or crane.

Movie: Notorious

Aerial:

Much like the Crane Shot, the Aerial shot moves in all directions in the air but from a greater height. This can be shot from a helicopter or plane.

Movie: The Shawshank Redemption

Zoom in:
Keeping the camera itself still but changing the focal length of the lens to magnify the action in the shot.

Movie: The Shining

Zoom out:

The same technique as zooming in, but instead gives the illusion of moving away from the action in the shot.

Whip pan:

Panning the camera so fast that the image blurs and objects are disfigured. Used for transitions between two subjects.

Movie: Fists of Fury

Handheld:

Movements where the camera is held in an operator's hands rather than on a tripod or a dolly.

Movie: Cloverfield

Dolly:

The camera is mounted onto a dolly and can move around smoothly. The camera can move closer and further away from the action.

Movie: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Steadicam:

A fluid movement using a handheld camera. This camera is held steady using a contraption that is attached to the operator. 

Movie: Hugo

Framing / Shot Distances

Types of Frame Distances

• The "Extreme Long Shot"-

This shot is filmed from a considerable distance away and usually pans across a landscape or the exterior of a building to depict the setting/general location and time. 

These shots are used a lot in movies at the beginning of the film to establish the setting but also at the beginning of a new scene so that the audience has an idea of location and at the end of the film to make it clear that the story is finished as the camera is further away from the characters.

In this scene, the house where the action is taking place isn't being focused on because the setting is being introduced. You can tell the time of day (Sunset/Sunrise because of the sun on the horizon and the light spots), and that the area is very isolated because it is surrounded by water and there isn't any sign of people except the smoke from the chimney of the house.

• The "Medium Long Shot"-

Movie: Irreversible

This is filmed a short distance away from the character(s) in the scene so that the shot has their full body in view. The medium long shot establishes the relationship between the character and the setting, and the actors are more 'life-like' because size also becomes clear. This shot is very easy to over use because it's simple to co-ordinate but it doesn't help explain details of the story like a lot of other shots do.

In this scene, the woman walks through an empty, dirty tunnel (she is in a city) that has very dim lighting which makes the surroundings look red. This tells you that the woman is in danger or that trouble follows her.

• The "Medium Shot"-

The medium shot is normally filmed from the waist up and is used frequently for dialogue scenes because it gives a bit more detail of action. The camera can film characters close to each other and help determine their relationship e.g. love, hate, friendship etc.

Movie: Flightplan

During dialogue, the frame usually alternates between a medium shot and a close up of one characters face while they're speaking or while another character is speaking to gauge their reaction.

In this scene, 3 characters are in the middle of a conversation. You can see from the background that they are on a plane but it isn't the main focus because the audience is focused on what they are saying and the setting was probably already introduced. One of the characters is wearing a uniform so we can deduce that he is one of the pilots. His arms are folded so we can see that whatever he is talking about is serious. The woman seems to be facing the two men, and they both seem to be opposite her, showing that she is independent of that they might not agree with what she is saying.

• The "Close-up"-

The close-up shots are primarily used for reactions and scenes where the character is reflecting on their own. The shot captures the shoulders and head and is a short distance away

Movie: The Leopard

from the action. This lets the audience feel closer to the character and more empathetic because of the close proximity. This shot is especially good in movies with lots of drama.

In this scene, the man's head is tilted and you can tell he's been crying because his cheek is wet. The lighting isn't very bright and it looks quite muted which makes it look like it is an older movie. The style of his facial hair is quite old fashioned as well, so we can tell the movie is set in the past. 

Movie: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

• The "Extreme Close-Up"-

This shot allows for the frame to magnify what the human eye would see in real life, making the shot very artificial but helpful in adding dramatic effect. Close-ups should usually follow wider frames unless the intention is to build suspense and the character is significant in the story.

In this scene, the extreme close-up was used uniquely to show what the character was seeing. The lighting is very dark on one side and fades to light on the other side of his face, which makes the shot very intense because it incites a lot of mystery and thriller.

XLS= Extreme Long Shot, LS= Long Shot, MLS= Medium Long Shot
MS= Medium Shot, MCU= Medium Close-up, CU= Close-up
BCU= Big Close Up, XCU= Extreme Close-up