Homework: Action-Adventure Clip Genre Analysis

This time I'll be analysing a clip from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (which is on my Action-Adventure Film List) according to NICS. Here, we are introduced to Jack Sparrow.

Narrative:

Equilibrium: Elizabeth Swann is living in Port Royal, Jamaica, with her father, who is a governor. She is friends with Will Turner, a blacksmith's apprentice, and Commodore Norrington, both of whom are in love with her. Jack Sparrow arrives at Port Royal, looking for a ship to commandeer.


Disruption: Elizabeth is kidnapped by Barbossa, captain of the Pearl, during an attack on Port Royal by the Pearl's crew. Barbossa believes Elizabeth can help to reverse a curse the crew are all under, which turns them into immortal, skeletal beings. Will enlists the help of the now-imprisoned Jack Sparrow to rescue Elizabeth. However, Will, suspecting Jack's intentions, escapes with Elizabeth, leaving Jack to fight off Barbossa.


Resolution: Jack and Will reunite to help defeat Barbossa by lifting the curse and rendering him and his crew mortal. They return to Port Royal, where Jack is still to be executed. When Will tries to save him, both end up captured. However, Commodore Norrington allows Jack to escape, and pardons Will.


Restoration: Will and Elizabeth stay in Port Royal, and are set to marry. Jack becomes captain of the Pearl, finally commandeering a ship like he originally wanted to.

Iconography:
The mise-en-scene of the film is mostly very light and bright, reflecting the Caribbean setting of the film. Natural colours, such as greens, blues, creams, whites are heavily present, again reflecting the setting. The mise-en-scene has been constructed in this way to emphasise the adventure element of the film. The use of props and costumes is significant too: the pirate theme is clearly displayed through the pirates' attire (dirty, worn clothing, pirate hats etc.), their huge pirate ships, and their weapons (e.g. swords). The navy officers are easily distinguishable too - they wear white wigs, military suits and use weapons such as guns and cannons. These pirate and officer costume conventions help to clearly identify them.


Character:
The main Todorov character roles in this film are the:


Hero - this role is played by Will Turner, who has the classic hero qualities. He is brave, determined and clever, and helps to save the day. However, unusually, he is not the single main character of the film, as heroes often are.


False Hero - this role can be attributed to Jack Sparrow. This is because throughout the film, he is shown to be acting on his own intentions, rather than for the greater good. Unlike a conventional false hero, he does end up doing the right thing.


Princess - Elizabeth Swann plays the princess, as she is the woman that needs rescuing, and the love interest of the hero. However, she shows qualities which are uncommon for princesses, such as defiance and strength.


Villain - both Barbossa and Commodore Norrington can be seen as the villain; Barbossa is the one that kidnaps Elizabeth, so he is seen as the primary villain. However, as Commodore Norrington clashes with the hero (Will), he can be perceived as a villain as well.


Setting:
The setting has been manipulated to convey the fantasy aspect of the film. From the stunning island beaches to the creepy dark caves, the setting helps to make the audience think they are with the characters, exploring the same settings. The setting takes the audience into the world of the film, creating an immersive experience.

Homework: Genre & Narrative Analysis

I chose to analyse Shrek, because, well, I love this film. <3 So enjoy the trailer.





Okay, let's talk genre. It's quite obvious that Shrek is an animated film, because you can see the animation in the trailer. But it also falls into other genres, such as comedy. The one-liners, especially from Donkey - "You definitely need some Tic-Tacs or something, 'cause your breath stinks!" - reveal that the film is a comedy. Other sources of comedy include slapstick, e.g. when Gingy spits in Lord Farquaad's eye. I would also say that the film falls into the fantasy genre, mainly due to Shrek's fairytale aspect. This is done by adding in common fairytale characters, like Pinocchio, and common fairytale settings (the royal castle, the dangerous derelict castle, the woods). To sum up, I think Shrek is a film that encompasses the genres of animation, comedy and fantasy.


Shrek's narrative structure is pretty conventional. The main storyline contains many of Propp's key characters - the hero (Shrek), goes on a quest, with a helper (Donkey) to save a princess (Fiona), who a villain (Lord Farquaad) wishes to marry. Here, Todorov's narrative theory clearly applies. The equilibrium stage is set up at the start, where Shrek is alone in his swamp, happy with the way things are. However, the disruption comes when he finds his swamp invaded by evicted fairytale creatures. He is forced to go on a journey to save Fiona and deliver her to a lord, in return for his land. Adding to the complications is his growing love for the princess, conflicting with his original intentions. The resolution comes when Lord Farquaad is killed, allowing Shrek and Fiona to be united. The restoration of events sees Shrek and Fiona getting married.


Although the characters in Shrek are common archetypes, they are not stereotypical. The biggest example of this is Shrek. He is an unattractive, grumpy ogre, with no heroic qualities, yet he plays the hero role in the film. Likewise, Donkey plays the role of the helper, accompanying the hero on his quest, yet he offers no help - he is more a source of irritation to the hero. Fiona, the princess, is shown to be able to defend herself when faced with danger, challenging the common stereotype of the princess being a helpless figure. While Lord Farquaad plays the villain, he lacks the intimidation normally expected from a villain - his unusually short stature makes him physically unthreatening.


I think this combination of common character roles & sequence of events with atypical characters is effective, as it provides the audience with a fresh concept, so as not to bore them with overly-common characters. However, it also retains familiarity, so the audience can still understand the basic concept without confusion.

JAN your blog is soo good :) how do you get the link to the home page there? >>
Feray x

My first post!

Hmm, my blog looked lonely, so thought I'd make a new post.
This is so cooool :)