Somers Town After Viewing Questions
4. I would categorise Somers Town as a comedy-drama, containing around equal parts comedy and drama. The film is light hearted, but not consistently so, as there are serious undertones and moments in it which cause you to stop and think. It does not remind me directly of a film that I have seen before, although I have seen things with similar sentiments and atmosphere. The two tones within the film offset each other very well, and serve to make it more interesting, and unpredictable.
5. I think the film’s appeal lies mainly in it’s charm, and it’s intelligent and interesting look at that part of London and social relationships during the building of the Eurostar terminal. I think it appeals more to an audience who wish to see something fascinating, but something that has an element of fun to help build an atmosphere that you can immerse yourself in.
6. The subtitled parts of the film help spread the message in the film that everyone is basically the same, no matter what language they speak, and helps us see similarities between the characters. The fact that the film has been shot in black and white I think helps create an atmosphere of what we might call poverty. It emphasises the fact that the area in which the film is set is a working class area, and that most of the characters are from a working class background, thus reflecting a mood within the film.
8. I think the audience is not expected to be comfortable with the portrayal of the two teenagers in the film as they are shown in a very realistic way, and there are various points in the film where they don’t behave as people would want them to behave. I think the audience is supposed to sympathise with them, it’s just that this does not mean they will feel comfortable with their portrayal.
9. I don’t think that the film encourages us to judge the actions of Tomo and Marek when they play in the prohibited areas, as the way it is shown in the film is just as normal playing, and to the viewers of the film, there doesn’t seem to be anything about it that should be “prohibited” as such. Thus, the audience is encouraged to take the boys’ side in this matter.
10. The messages about childhood and adolescence that you take away from the film are mixed, as it is represented in different ways in the film. On the one hand, that it can be very immature, and on the other that can be caring and feeling, and think about things. Ultimately, it is the latter that you walk away from the film with.
11. Your reactions to the boys throughout the film change in various directions throughout the film. Parts of the film where you are made to sympathise include the scene in which Tomo is beaten, and when the boys get the wheelchair and decorate it for Maria. You are given an unsympathetic portrayal of them most notably in the part where they get drunk and trash Marek’s home. This, however is turned to sympathy quite quickly.
12. I agree that Meadows is using stereotypes in his depiction of Marek’s father, Graham and Maria, but I think he is using them for a reason. Graham the cockney is a stereotype used for comic effect, and is where most of the comedy in the film stems from. Marek’s father is used to provide a serious reflective part to the film, and Maria is used in part to represent the merging of cultures that has come with the building of the Eurostar terminal, a purpose for which the character of Marek’s father could also be applied. These stereotypes are stereotypes are stereotypes which have been used many times in British film, but in Somers Town they are all used to represent something within the setting of the film
Friday, 23 October 2009
Somers Town Lecture Notes
Somers Town Lecture Notes
British film- Usually a low budget affair.
Quite often featuring lower classes.
Often about people rediscovering themselves as new people.
Somers Town- Set in Somers Town of the title-working class part of London. Never mentioned inn film itself.
Again about people rediscovering themselves.
Sponsored by Eurostar. Set at the time of the building of eurotunnel.
French character stereotypical sophisticated French woman.
British film- Usually a low budget affair.
Quite often featuring lower classes.
Often about people rediscovering themselves as new people.
Somers Town- Set in Somers Town of the title-working class part of London. Never mentioned inn film itself.
Again about people rediscovering themselves.
Sponsored by Eurostar. Set at the time of the building of eurotunnel.
French character stereotypical sophisticated French woman.
In what ways does the opening of “No Country for Old Men” conform to the conventions of a thriller?
In what ways does the opening of “No Country for Old Men” conform to the conventions of a thriller?
The opening to the film “No Country for Old Men” conforms to the conventions of thrillers in a variety of ways, although it is not entirely conventional in it’s approach.
The most obvious feature of the opening part of the film is the presence of death. The fact that a character dies near the beginning of the film, or indeed anywhere in the film, is a common theme in the genre, and death is something that plays a part in nearly all thrillers.
Aside from this, something else, shown even earlier on in the film, which conforms to the setting of a thriller, is the bleak setting, a desert, which is accentuated by blowing wind, dust, and a distinct absence of anything that can be recognised as alive. This is shown from the very beginning of the film, and this, again, is a feature that is common to many films in the genre, as it gives the events that happen within the film much more impact. It gives the impression of loneliness, and helplessness.
The character introduced at the beginning of the film gives us the impression of being the kind of psychotic character so prevalent in thrillers, and confirms this impression by killing two people during the opening scenes of the film. The second character introduced has the look of a cowboy giving us a slightly better impression of himself than the long haired maniac we have previously seen. This impression, however, is slightly tempered by this character’s insensitive attitude towards death, and in this way, the film does not follow the conformities of a thriller, as neither of the characters we have so far been introduced to have been of an entirely benevolent nature, one showing a preference towards shades of grey that are not always typical to most thrillers, although not unheard of.
Another thriller convention that is used in the opening to “No Country for Old Men” is the lack of dialogue, which emphasises the loneliness and desolate nature of the situation. The film, like many thrillers, also starts on a foreboding note, instead of going straight into the action, which helps build up the tension towards the later parts of the film.
Although the film’s opening does conform to the conventions of thrillers in many ways, there are also ways, in which it doesn’t. One is the previously mentioned shades of grey that are prevalent in the characters’ morality. Another would be the amount that happens within the opening scenes of the film, although this doesn’t go against thriller conventions either. The lack of explanation of what is going on is something that is prevalent in many thriller openings, as the film makers often want the film itself and the symbolism therein speak for itself.
To conclude, the opening to “No Country for Old Men”, is, in many ways, the typical opening to a thriller, and contains many of the themes and symbolism that is often used. However, it does differ in a few small ways, making it a unique, instead of entirely clichéd opening to the film.
The opening to the film “No Country for Old Men” conforms to the conventions of thrillers in a variety of ways, although it is not entirely conventional in it’s approach.
The most obvious feature of the opening part of the film is the presence of death. The fact that a character dies near the beginning of the film, or indeed anywhere in the film, is a common theme in the genre, and death is something that plays a part in nearly all thrillers.
Aside from this, something else, shown even earlier on in the film, which conforms to the setting of a thriller, is the bleak setting, a desert, which is accentuated by blowing wind, dust, and a distinct absence of anything that can be recognised as alive. This is shown from the very beginning of the film, and this, again, is a feature that is common to many films in the genre, as it gives the events that happen within the film much more impact. It gives the impression of loneliness, and helplessness.
The character introduced at the beginning of the film gives us the impression of being the kind of psychotic character so prevalent in thrillers, and confirms this impression by killing two people during the opening scenes of the film. The second character introduced has the look of a cowboy giving us a slightly better impression of himself than the long haired maniac we have previously seen. This impression, however, is slightly tempered by this character’s insensitive attitude towards death, and in this way, the film does not follow the conformities of a thriller, as neither of the characters we have so far been introduced to have been of an entirely benevolent nature, one showing a preference towards shades of grey that are not always typical to most thrillers, although not unheard of.
Another thriller convention that is used in the opening to “No Country for Old Men” is the lack of dialogue, which emphasises the loneliness and desolate nature of the situation. The film, like many thrillers, also starts on a foreboding note, instead of going straight into the action, which helps build up the tension towards the later parts of the film.
Although the film’s opening does conform to the conventions of thrillers in many ways, there are also ways, in which it doesn’t. One is the previously mentioned shades of grey that are prevalent in the characters’ morality. Another would be the amount that happens within the opening scenes of the film, although this doesn’t go against thriller conventions either. The lack of explanation of what is going on is something that is prevalent in many thriller openings, as the film makers often want the film itself and the symbolism therein speak for itself.
To conclude, the opening to “No Country for Old Men”, is, in many ways, the typical opening to a thriller, and contains many of the themes and symbolism that is often used. However, it does differ in a few small ways, making it a unique, instead of entirely clichéd opening to the film.
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