CASE STUDY FILMS REVISION OVERVIEW Case Study Film, director and date of release: CONTEXT OF TIME &

; PLACE
When was the film made and where? When and where is the film set? How is the sociohistorical context of the city or country seen in the film? What impact is this seen to have on the characters?

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
what narrative structure does the Director use? How does this convey the pace of life in the city for the characters? What narrative devices are used?

MAIN CHARACT ERS

Their struggle in the plot? How are the characters constructed? What is their experience of life in the city? What is the director trying to say about social issues and life in the city through the characters?

REPRESENTATI ON OF THE CITY & URBAN ENVIORNMENT

What are the key messages & values about life for the characters in that city? How is the city represented as a defining presence? How is it represented as a place to live? What do you think the director is saying about life in that particular environment?

ISSUES SURROUNDING POWER, POVERTY & CONFLICT

What are the power struggles, conflicts and experience of poverty in the film for the characters? What is the director trying to see about these?

VISUAL STYLE & INTERESTING MICRO-ELEMENTS

What formal techniques are used by the director to communicate ideas within the film? Are there any aspects of camera, editing, sound and m.e.s that are particularly powerful?

KEY SEQUENCES to use in exam

What key sequences from the film could you use to support your ideas about the themes and style? List the time codes / chapter numbers and say why they are useful to analyse.

Moodysson, 2002 Estonia/Sweden Unemployment, former Soviet Union, bleak cities, no hope for escape, dismal. THEMES: Religion, realism, our experience on this earth, contemporary society offers much to those who can access it, not really distinctive, same shit different cities.

Fragmented beginning, but then follows a liner structure through ellipsis (passing of time cutting/dissolving that shows time has progressed), Propps stock characters ironic inversion of fairy tales, action codes, closed ending.

LILJA VOLODYA ANDREI ANNA MUM MUMS BF SEX TRAFFICKE RS, ABUSERS, RAPISTS.

Bleak, dry, dark, dismal, high rise buildings, decaying, schools, Pentagon, night club, dying space, entrapment, no hope, despair, escapism through drugs, no love, limited choices and opportunities.

POWER: rape, teachers/social workers exert authority, men physically abuse women for finance and pleasure, material possessions, money, power, Aunt Anna, fragile family, romantic relationship with Andrei, mother-daughter. POVERTY: clothes, drugs are seen as precious, environment sucks, picture of Madonna and child is most treasured possession, no education, unemployment, no escape, desperation. CONFLICT: loves Volodya, values friendship, Lilya realises her mistake for leaving.

CAMERA: personal, we enter protagonists world, documentary-like, hand-held, long shots, extreme long shots, cutaways of city, close ups convey Liljas feelings, POV shots. EDITING: jump cuts create confusion, pace fastens shows boredom, montage editing creates realism, slow motion: drama. MISE-EN-SCENE: bleak environment, high rise estates, grey skies, clothing, angel wings, basketball, pain peeling off walls, use of orange/red, drugs, cars, road, cash, food, Soviet Union. SOUND: anger, urgency, non-diegetic, Russian Metal, RAMMSTEIN, POP MUSIC, clubs, pop music, high life, classic music gives sad ambience, contrasting with Liljas optimism.

1) Opening 2) Ending 3) Soviet Union/Pentag on base 4) Mum leaving 5) Volodya dying 6) Arrival in Sweden

CASE STUDY FILMS REVISION OVERVIEW