Student Essay on How Film Techniques

Can Be Used to Reveal or Reinforce

Themes
How Film Techniques Can Be Used to Reveal or
Reinforce Themes by John Steinbeck
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Contents
Student Essay on How Film Techniques Can Be Used to Reveal or Reinforce Themes..............1

Contents...................................................................................................................................... 2

Essay........................................................................................................................................... 3

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Essay
The last scene of the film Of Mice and Men directed by Gary Sinise, Is a classic
example of how a director can use various film techniques to reveal and reinforce
certain themes within a text. The director uses such techniques such as high camera
angles to suggest inferiority in some characters. He also uses symbolism to reinforce
those themes. The themes in the text are the friendship between George and Lennie
and the issue of how sometimes no matter how hard you try, you could ultimately fail.

Both of these themes are extremely evident throughout out the entire scene.

Firstly, the scene is directly related to the theme of friendship. Through the following
examples of techniques, we can see George's overall companionship with Lennie, and
Lennie's continual need for George. The scene begins with George running after
Lennie. As he is running he trips over and gets straight back up, significantly signifying
George's fight to find Lennie before Curley does. While he is running, the background
music gradually gets faster and louder showing a build in suspense in build and tension.
A quick shot of Curley's and his henchman on their horses charging forward confirming
the reality that George is running out of time. We then see George rushing thorough
streams and puddles of water with his eyes looking around for Lennie, at which point we
see him in a close-up of his face expressing sudden sadness at the apparent sight of
Lennie. This starts to tell us that George is undeniably thinking about Lennie's position
and what he possibly might have to do. We then cut to Lennie in a Long-Shot seeing
him stumbling around displaying his understandable loss without George. He then turns
around and then at first sight of George he starts running towards him with his arms
wide open showing straight-away that his major concern is George not Curley or his
wife. He then trips over into the water, placing him below George illustrating George
superiority in this situation. He then speaks to George about him not being able to find
him, at which point he is in a high-angle shot, demonstrating his inferiority. George then
holds him in his arms still above him, obviously establishing George and Lennie's
definitive friendship. Yet George is still looking around displaying the time that he
doesn't have, then a final shot of Curley and his friends still chasing after them. Through
these examples we can clearly see George and Lennie's overall companionship. The
next part of the scene deals with more of the theme of lost hopes and dreams.

Subsequently, the scene still shows the theme of friendship but also furthers into the
issue of peoples constant striving for their hopes and dreams yet ultimately failing. The
shot begins with both George and Lennie crouching down by the pool. Immediately we
see Lennie's continuous mimicking of George. The next part of the scene is in close-ups
and also in complete silence which observably tells the viewer that the next part of the
scene, facial expressions and speech are very important. Lennie proceeds to say to
George that he's "done a bad thing." This is done with almost confusion on his face to
why George isn't getting mad. He then literally questions George into why in fact that he
isn't getting mad. George then turns his head away indicating that George has now

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assumed that Lennie is never going to remember what to do and that his fetish for soft
things is going continually going to get them into trouble and that Lennie is never going
to learn to stop. These assumptions continue when Lennie asks, "Where we gonna go
now" Displaying Lennie's lack of concern for the things that he has done. Meanwhile
George holds his head below his shoulders symbolising that he knows what he has to
do and his dismay over the whole situation. Lennie then proceeds to get up, symbolising
that Lennie is yet again ready to leave yet another situation behind. Lennie stands for a
few seconds looking directly at George who remains almost motionless, which again
reinforces George and Lennie's friendship. Lennie's goes back down to ground and tells
George that he likes it here. A close-up on Georges face now shows that he completely
realizes what he has to do. Lennie then ask George to tell him the same repetitive story
that he has heard every time he has done something wrong. Through all these
techniques, we can plainly see how George has now lost his hopes and dreams and
must now sacrifice Lennie and also reiterates George and Lennie's great, strong
friendship. The next section of the scene greatly reinforces the two themes within this
section.

Soon after, the scene starts to concentrate more on the theme of lost hopes and dreams
and still reinforces the companionship they have and need in each other by the end.
The next part of the scene starts with George starting to tell the story to Lennie. George
starts by telling Lennie to crouch in front of him, placing Lennie in the foreground and
George in the back. This is done to again emphasize George's parental role and
protection of Lennie. Throughout the whole shot, the camera slowly zooms into George
and Lennie reminding us the time George and Lennie have left together. George
continues to tell the story the story to Lennie and Lennie keeps finishing Georges
sentences. When George hears this he begins to weep on Lennie's shoulder having
now realized that this is the end of George and Lennie's friendship. George then hears
dogs barking in the background reminding him of the amount of time he has left. He
then stands up, high over Lennie, and which point displays the empowerment and
control of that George has over Lennie. He then shoots Lennie in the back of the head.
Almost immediately after George fires his shot he crouches back down to Lennie, which
illustrates that George feels like he is Lennie's equal. The shot then changes to an
extreme-long-shot as sad, but overall uplifting music is faded in and the sound of train
tracks is heard. A short shot of George in the train with half his face in shadow is
obviously symbolising George's loneliness. At the next point in the film the theme of
George and Lennie's friendship is greatly reinforced. It is shown by George and Lennie
packing their last bale of hay into a trailer and smiling at each other. They then proceed
to turn around, walking away from the camera with George and Lennie alike, the same
distance from the camera. This confirms immediately that George and Lennie had a
very strong bond and both thought of each other as their equal. Just before then end
Lennie reaches his arm out to George demonstrating again Lennie's need for George.
We can now comprehensibly see that George and Lennie's friendship and their failed
hopes and dreams, are unquestionably reinforced by these film techniques.

In conclusion, The final scene of Of Mice And Men uses numerous film techniques such
as different camera angles to suggest superiority and other symbolisms to reinforce the

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theme of friendship, and the theme of people trying their hardest to achieve their hopes
and dreams, yet ultimately failing.