Film Essay

Analyse how the text is typical of its genre.

Amélie Poulain, the protagonist of the film Amélie, lives in a fairytale world where
everything is interconnected and everyone always lives happily ever after. Character
archetypes, non-diagetic music and mise-en-scene are effectively used by the director,
Jean-Pierre Jeunet, to portray these ideas, showing that the film is typical of the
fairytale genre.

It is immediately clear that Amélie is of the fairytale genre when Jeunet introduces
archetypal characters – a heroine, Amélie, and her handsome ‘prince’, Nino. At the
beginning of the film, Amélie has difficulty interacting with others and prefers her
own company. This is shown in the opening sequence which includes a montage of
shots of her as a child, absorbed in solitary activities such as making paper dolls.
Following soon after is a point of view shot from her perspective, with a camera
between her and her subject. Though the camera is a mediating object that allows
observation, it prevents direct contact with the world and therefore distances her from
it. These scenes build a picture of Amélie’s introversion and fear of social interaction
and as a convention of the fairytale genre, this is the flaw which she must overcome to
reach her happy ending. Nino also has a flaw, his obsession with collecting discarded
photographs from instant photo booths, which suggests that he is lonely and in search
of a companion. Jeunet intends the audience to notice the similarities between this and
Amélie’s paper dolls and infers that as both are without friends, they are a perfect
match for each other. This is an example of finding true love, a common idea in
fairytales. As can be expected of this genre, eventually both characters’ flaws
eventually become less prevalent, which is illustrated in the closing shots of Amélie
and Nino on his ‘noble steed’ – his motorbike. Contrasting to earlier separate shots, a
two shot captures them both and reflects that Amélie has found confidence to interact
with the world, and Nino, someone to relate to. The use of a handheld camera gives a
shaky image which reinforces how both characters are free of their shyness and leaves
the audience satisfied they will live happily ever after.

The portrayal of the film’s fairytale genre is strengthened by the use of non-diagetic
music. In the opening scene, a type of folk music is played on an accordion, and this
traditional style and instrument link to the tradition of story telling, from where
fairytales originated. Silvery notes from the glockenspiel can also be heard, giving a
magical quality to the music with their unearthly high pitch. The noticeable contrast
between the smooth, warm tones of the accordion and the bright but harsh peals of the
glockenspiel shows how the fairytale world is based on our own but is slightly altered.
This unusual combination of instruments reflects the idea that in a fairytale, anything
can happen and reinforces the visual aspect of the scene: an empty street in
Montmatre where the plot has yet to unfold. Jeunet uses these instruments in a lot of
the non-diagetic music, however the melody is altered slightly each time. When
Amélie decides to return Bretodeau’s box of childhood memorabilia, the melody is
played by a group of strings rather than an accordion, with the change in instruments
signifying a turning point in her life. A similar tune is played during the closing
sequence, where Hippolito’s writing is published and Bretodeau enjoys the company
of his Grandson. Here, the music is in a major rather than a minor key, giving it an
uplifting and jubilant feel which relates to the happy ending experienced by each
character. The repetition of this music throughout the film is Jeunet’s way of imitating
the retelling of a fairytale over the generations and also allows the audience to create
links between these important scenes, helping to bring the film together as a whole.

Mise-en-scene is also used effectively to establish the fairytale genre of the film. In
the opening shot of Montmatre, it is difficult to tell whether it is dawn or dusk - the
golden sky gives an ambiguous time between day and night. This emphasises the
fairytale setting of an alternate reality we do not fully understand. There is a sense of
perfection in the empty street, completely devoid of litter and pedestrians despite it
being in the centre of a large city. The audience can immediately sense a difference
between this and the dirt and bustle of reality, allowing them to comprehend that the
setting is fictional, a fact further reinforced when wine glasses begin magically
‘dancing’ on a table – which would not occur in real life. Though the film world
appears perfect to begin with, in the complication it becomes clear that this is not the
case for the characters. Amélie’s father, Raphael, is captured in several shots behind
the iron gates to his house, acting as a cage to illustrate his fear of venturing into the
wider world. When Amélie goes to the cinema, her face is centralised in the shot with
high-key lighting illuminating it. This sort of lighting is inappropriate for in a theatre
situation, and it is clear from this and the empty seats on either side that she does not
fit in; the contrasting low-key lighting on the people a few rows back highlights their
distance and her resulting loneliness. The opening scene may not match the
complication of the film, however it does provide a clue to the fairytale-perfect
ending. Raphael steps outside his front gate and firmly closes it, signifying an end to
self-inflicted isolation and the beginning of a more enjoyable retirement. Similarly,
Amélie opens the door of her apartment to Nino which creates a strong visual
impression of her overcoming her introversion and letting him into her life. The
repeated image of a door is a symbol of the connections which exist between events
and characters in a fairytale and of the opportunities which exist in life – it is only by
opening the door and seizing them that people will find their own happy endings.

From the beginning of the film, Amélie, the director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet sets the scene
for a perfect fairytale world, full of unexplained connections and predictably positive
outcomes. Non-diagetic music is used to signify important events and imitate the
retelling of stories, as well as create a mysterious and magical atmosphere. This is
reinforced by the mise-en-scene, however the perfection portrayed in the opening is
challenged right up until the final sequence and resolution. Jeunet’s character
archetypes are prepared to overcome their flaws and in doing so, manage to find true
love. Moved by their journey, the audience is encouraged to break the barriers which
prevent them following their dreams, and believe that they, too, will one day open the
door to their own ‘happily ever after’.