This Is Where We Stand. This Is England.

Explore how one or more of mise-en-scene (including lighting), performance, cinematography, editing and sound construct meaning and provoke response in a film extract.

Film: This Is England
Director: Shane Meadows
Year: 2006
Sequence Chosen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeQu9K8Ut9M

I think this sequence is quite astonishing and was a rather interesting choice of scene for me to analyse. In this essay I will talk about the three most vital micro elements in the sequence. The three most important micro elements in this sequence are mise-en-scene, performance and cinematography.

The sequence starts with a close-up head and shoulders shot of Combo. This type of shot allows us as an audience to get a good look at Combo’s facial expressions at a rather daunting and disheartening moment in the film. Immediately the audience know that the mood has changed. Graham quite cleverly uses fine eyebrow movements and eye staring to indicate his unstable mood. We get a sense of ambiguity as Graham looks sad but then he gives a hardened stare. The choice of actor to play Combo was quite a unique selection as his eyes big and brown and they seem to look quite sad, and he looks upset, which makes us think that there is actually something quite endearing about Combo which counteracts with the element of fear he poses.

As part of his performance, Graham chews on his nails in a determined rather than nervous way – his hand almost acts as a blockage preventing him from saying too much; insulting Milky, as his anger worsens as the scene develops. From this, as an audience we are warned that Combo is agitated and we are always wondering what’s going to happen next. Watching this sequence may make audiences feel nervous thinking about what could happen next and they could possibly be 

chewing their own nails in anticipation.

Watching this sequence, it is noticeable that Combo has some tattoos on his face and hands. With some of the tattoos being placed on his face we immediately close in on them as it is unusual for someone to get a tattoo on their face. If you look close enough you can make out that on Combo’s forehead in between his two eyebrows he has a fairly rough looking tattoo of a crucifix. Immediately this tattoo would suggest that Combo is a religious man and that he is a Christian. This may confuse audiences as they think something may happen to Milky yet audiences will know that Christian’s are often pacifists and don’t believe in fighting so it gives some assurance that Milky will be okay. It is clear that the tattoo is homemade as he made it when he was convicted inside prison. This would suggest to the audiences that prisons are quite rough but also they allow stuff like that to happen so it suggests that Combo will have had a rough time in prison. This implies that Prison hasn’t really helped him but in fact was just holding grounds for Combo. Also the homemade tattoo could be related to the era that people didn’t always care about professionalism and wouldn’t abide by the law.

In the first shot we are immediately intimidated by Graham and we assume that he is a threatening character. This is because Graham’s hair is unshaven which suggests that he is quite rough or that it adds to his image that he doesn’t really take pride in his appearance. Also the first shot allows the audience to see the top that he is wearing and also that he is wearing braces. This already is an indicator of his subculture. We can see just by looking at his outfit of a polo top and braces that he belongs to the ‘skinhead’ social group. Audiences will assume that he is quite rebellious just from what they know of ‘skinheads’.

In this sequence low-key lighting is used and I think this is quite interesting for Meadows to use as it gives Milky and Combo some shadows which connote that something gloomy might happen, or that the atmosphere between the characters is quite tense.  This type of lighting helps us to ensure we see both Milky and Combo’s facial reactions during their conversation.

3 Seconds: in the background of the shot of Combo the walls are completely blank and plain, just painted blue. I think Meadows chose to do this so that we understand the sort of lifestyle that Combo lives. It suggests that he doesn’t really care about where he stays as there is clearly a lack of effort in his flat, but this also could suggest a shortage of money. As a result of this our attention is directed to Combo’s facial expressions.

There is a reaction shot to see who Combo is talking to in a quiet tone but with very direct questioning which makes the audience feel a little uneasy and we find this quite threatening. Milky’s appearance seems to be very similar to that of Combo’s with them both wearing polo’s and braces. As an audience we assume that this is stereotypical for ‘skinheads’. The difference between Milky and Combo is probably their presence and they way they are sat/laid. Milky seems to be a lot more laid back and open whereas Combo seems to be quite nervy and tense. As an audience we see that Combo is getting agitated and both of the characters presences add to what is being said and the mood and atmosphere in the room. It ties in with what they are saying because Combo is giving very direct questioning which connotes his tension, yet Milky is quite laid-back with his responses like ‘yeah man’. Also behind Milky there is a curtain behind him. I thought it was interesting to place the characters where they are sat because it’s almost coincidental that Milky is talking about everything he has got and Combo has nothing which could be connoted from the backgrounds which are situated behind them (there is nothing behind Combo except a plain background and there is a curtain behind Milky).

Combo’s facial expressions differ greatly from Milky’s as we hardly see Combo smile at all, as we realise the jealousy and envy is gradually building up, and when he does smile, the audience see that it’s a rather effortless smile or possibly a fake smile. Just by looking at Milky we see that he is a nice friendly person and this is certified with his big eyes and kinder face. We presume that Milky is quite vulnerable.

At 15 seconds in it cuts to Sean and he is wearing an outfit very similar to that of Combo’s. We understand that if Sean continues to hang around with Combo he will emulate him in every way and become a miniature version of him. This is quite distressing because he is only young and innocent. In the background there is a large England flag. I think Meadows chose to place that firstly to reinforce the title of the film but also to suggest that Turgoose (Sean) wants to stand up for his country as the audience know his Dad died in the Falklands. His Ben Sherman shirt reflects his attitude towards Britain that he wants to stick up for it. The shirt reflects the Union Jack and therefore represents the message of national identity. When you look at Sean’s facial expressions you can see that he is listening to what is being said but he looks quite scared for Milky as if he can see the tension building between Combo and Milky.

When we cut back to Combo his hand starts to tremble as he is biting his nails and this helps to tell the audience that something is going to happen between Milky and Combo. With his hand trembling we see that something might happen because he is getting more and more nervous, suggesting he is thinking of something. When we cut back to Milky, it’s clear that both Milky and Combo are different moods. We get the sense that Milky is still stoned and drunk and that Combo is completely sober. This is assured when we see that Milky’s speech has slowed down and he is smiling and looks quite merry. This contrasts with Combo who is now mumbling his questions in a dissatisfied way. He chews his nails in an aggressive manner and then Milky turns to him and smiles to him and smiles in a passive way.

It is quite intriguing when Milky invites to Combo round to his Grandma’s for some tea and talks about his family. We see that Combo is all over the place emotionally. His hands move in a way that would suggest that he doesn’t quite know what to do; that he contemplating what to do. You can see that Combo is agitated yet his eyes are almost tearful. This suggests that what Milky is telling him is quite sad because we presume that he didn’t have the privileges in his life that Milky was fortunate to have. You sense that Combo was probably neglected and isolated as a child or maybe abused so he seems to be emotional because it’s sad he didn’t have Milky’s childhood. Audiences understand why Combo feels jealous at this point.

This suddenly turns more aggressive as the conversation between them becomes quite violent and we see the introduction of some swearing. We are immediately put on alert that this is the start of something bad.  He then stops smiling and stands up, and we are wondering what is going to happen and it arouses our curiosity of why he has stood up. When Graham stands him he appears to be stretching his arms which suggests that he is going to produce large movements with his arms. He walks around the room as if he is still quite nervous but also quite eager and ready for something to happen. When he’s stood up the light is right above him and makes him stand out as if he is in the spotlight which suggests he is powerful and strong. I think Meadows decided to direct it like this so that we can see just how angry he is.

Every time the camera cuts from Combo to Milky and then back again, the camera seems to have homed in even closer to Combo’s face. Every time this is done we are allowed to look closer into his emotions and we know when we have a big close-up of Combo’s face that he is absolutely irate. The envy and jealously can be identified just by looking at his big, tearful eyes. Every time the camera cuts closer to Combo we feel slightly intimidated. When the camera cuts to the big close-up, the camera appears to be slightly lower than Combo. This helps to imply that combo is superior and that Milky is looking up to him because he is powerful; this suggests that something is going to happen to Combo, as the anger is already there and he has now stood up, and limbering up. The audience almost feel as if they are under attack, and feel quite sympathetic for Milky.

When Combo verbally begins to attack there is a reaction shot to show Sean’s facial expressions.  This shot of Sean’s facial expressions allows us to see that he is shocked that Combo has started to racially insult Combo (as at the start of the party it was put behind them) We then see a look of terror from Sean as he knows something bad is going to happen to Milky. His reaction is very similar to any viewers because we know what is going to happen isn’t right.

At 2:19 there is a long shot of Combo’s living room and this shot shows Combo towering over Milky. This reiterates that Milky is vulnerable and weak but it also makes him look inferior to Combo, in terms of culture and strength and we immediately know that something is going to happen to Milky. Looking at the shot Milky is almost framed by the white people in the scene and this helps to imply that he is trapped and that he is the odd one out from all of them. Again this suggests his inferiority amongst the group.

In reaction to Combo’s racial insults, Milky smiles back at Combo and this infuriates him as he wants Milky to be afraid of him and wants to be deeply affected by the insults but in fact he smiles to show he’s not scared or maybe because of the alcohol his confidence has increased. We then feel even more scared for Milky as he has clearly just annoyed Combo more and we almost feel like we are in Sean’s shoes. Combo’s mood has abruptly changed or so Milky might think and this is enhanced when we see Graham’s face snarling as he talks.

When Combo starts to physically attack Milky, we are given a subjective shot from Milky’s point of view. This shot demonstrates a shallow depth of field as the background is all blurry and unclear. This has been done to highlight Combo’s frustration but also to show how horrific the beating is from Combo. This enhances our viewing as we have been enabled to see the beating in every detail and we feel more sympathetic for Milky as we know that what is happening is wrong and that everyone should get equality and that there shouldn’t be any prejudice.

At 4:52 after Combo has thrown Sean out and attacked all of the other people there, Sean re-enters the room and it is highly evident that Combo’s mood has changed. The way he is positioned suggests a lot about his guilt and remorse for what he has done to Milky. He is on his knees as if he is praying that Milky will be okay and that what he has done was just a spur of the moment. His voice is very different and is a lot quieter and it almost sounds like he is crying.  We can see from Combo’s reaction that he is extremely guilty for what he has done. This helps to show that he is vulnerable. We know that Combo is sorry for his reactions as he repeatedly says ‘I didn’t mean it’.

Then after about 15 seconds Combo takes on a leadership role again for Shaun and tells him to stop crying. We are confused as he has changed his mood to two completely opposite roles within the one sequence. This helps to enhance his instability and vulnerability. However, audiences could possibly suggest that his actions may be due to the fact that he has been drinking. This arouses our curiosity of whether Combo should be allowed out on the streets or should he be kept in a solitary confinement.

Meadows has throughout this sequence successfully built up tension. This is through each different Micro-element which I have focused on being cinematography, performance and mise-en-scene. Personally, his positioning of the camera is exquisite and helps to show Combo’s superiority. Choosing Graham to play this role was effective as it helped to show Combo’s extreme animalistic behaviour and his regret. Graham’s performance helps to communicate the confused state of mind of Combo. The audience are allowed to feel very sympathetic, shocked and disturbed with each micro-element as they are given a deeper insight and feel they are in Sean’s position. Overall, Meadows has beautifully constructed this sequence to demonstrate Combo’s instability.

Character Profiles

Tom Anderson – Tom is an ex SOCA agent who is also a manic depressant due to his wife passing away a few years ago. He had to leave the forces because he was too depressed and was unable to cope with the pressure of his job. He is the father of Charlotte yet they don’t live together as her aunt took her on after her mother’s death. He is 45 years of age yet is quite well presented and stands at 6’5 and is still quite physically able as he is a member of ‘the iron gym’. Due to his former profession Tom has a lot of contacts which might be useful throughout the film. Tom is trying to be the saviour in this film.

Charlotte Anderson – Charlotte is the daughter of Tom and is quite a lively and outgoing teenager. She is quite social and has many friends around her school, and even outside. She is seen to be quite polite and people consider her to be really pretty. Currently she is 16 years old and is in her last year of secondary school. Charlotte has a good awareness and she is rather smart for her year, being in the top 30 pupils in her year. In this film Charlotte gets abducted and Tom tries to find her.

Alex Hoskins – Alex is still currently a SOCA agent and one of Tom’s closest friends after working together for 20 years in the force.  Alex is quite a well presented and stylish man with some stubble and neat hair. He only stands at 5’9 but his demeanour towards situations is excellent and Alex is also a quite a broad and strong man. Alex has a wife and kids but they don’t play a huge role in this film. Tom is 43 years old and in this film he will be Tom’s personal assistant and will try and give Tom the details and Intel he needs to track down his daughter.

Alexandra Taylor – Alexandra is the grieving aunt of Charlotte and she is the current guardian of Charlotte after her mother passed away. She acts entirely how her sister would have with Charlotte as Alex and her sister were really close before her death and this helps to comfort Charlotte and stop her from driving insane. Alex acts as a supporter for Tom and is usually quite calm when placed in a predicament. Tom first calls her in a state of panic because he knows she’ll be able to calm him down. Alex seems to be suspiciously close to Tom throughout the film suggesting she is more than just his wife’s sister.

Explore how one or more of mise-en-scene (including lighting), performance, cinematography, editing and sound construct meaning and provoke response in a film extract.

For this task, I have decided to study Stephen Graham's performance and the use of sound in Shane Meadow's This Is England. I have chosen to analyse Stephen Graham's performance in This Is England because I feel he delivers a very epic performance. I believe his character shows the younger generations of what glorious Britain used to be like back in the '80s and how people thought of other cultures.

Graham plays the character of Combo who is a man of about 30, known at first only by the character of Woody. Everyone sees him as one of the original, proper skinheads. He is seen as a role model to the rest of the characters because of his age and from what Woody tells them. His age gives him the respect and authority. In This Is England when Combo is first introduced we find out that he is racist and very patriotic, as one of the characters has black ethnicity, and racial insults are directed towards him. I think it is quite interesting that Meadows has included a racist in this film as it highlights to audiences just how racist some people were and that back in the ‘80s, racism wasn’t such highly considered as a contemporary issue. Although the insults aren't actually aimed literally at Milky (the black character), as an audience we know that he is aiming the insults at the black community. We find from this that there are certain characters of the group who are also racist or follow his views because of their reactions to the story he is telling. The characters are a bit uneasy after their first experience with Combo, knowing he has offended one of the characters and you can see that when he turns up at the cafe where they're all sat. There is almost an awkward silence just as he walks in, as if they are fearful of him. Combo tries to enforce his views and leadership over the skinheads and this forces a split between Woody’s group. Shaun (the youngest member of the group) decides to go with Combo instead of Woody's apolitical skinheads.

A bit later on the film, Combo becomes depressed after Woody's girlfriend Lol rejects him. Combo claims that he has loved her ever since they had a drunken one night stand years ago. Due to his depression he buys some cannabis off Milky. This leads to the party involving Combo's group and Milky, which I have chosen to study. One thing that is important about Combo's character is his image. He presents himself as an older skinhead with strong political views about England and immigration. Looking at his costume you can tell this alone, because he wears everything that fits to the stereotypical skinhead. This compromises of chequered shirts buttoned up, jeans and Dr Martens boots. As at anytime in an era, there will always be social groups and I think Meadows has gave them these outfits to show what social groups were evident in the 80’s. This helps to show the audience of what Britain was like back then, especially to younger generations who weren’t born in that generation. It is noticeable that at the party he is really enjoying himself socialising, and with him being under the influence, there is a mellow tone about. Upon first entering we hear Combo acknowledge Milky as ‘Milks’ which is a nickname which only he has used. I think Meadows decided to do this so that audiences think that Combo has changed and generally likes him. You can see from his facial expressions that he is enjoying himself, that he loves socialising. Although this could be because of the drink, his attitude towards Milky changes; it seems like he actually doesn’t mind being in his presence. His tone is very light-hearted and warming, which is quite different to the Combo that we have been watching all the way throughout the film. His body language suggests that he is very relaxed and is genuinely have a good time drinking with his group and Milky; that he is overcoming his depression. However, there is one moment in this scene which suggests that something might happen to Milky. This is when Milky first walks in and Combo asks whether anybody has a problem, and it takes Banjo longer to answer than the rest. This connotes that he’s hesitating about saying it is ‘no problem’ for milky to be here. I found this quite ambiguous, that it’s no problem for Milky to be in their presence but also it could suggest that Milky will be no problem to deal with, as if they’re going to hurt him and he’ll be helpless. You can see in this scene that the tone has lifted but there is still an element of fear, and this is purely from his accent. In modern culture there has been the prejudice that scousers or Liverpudlians are quite dirty and scruffy, and with Combo being scouse you still feel on edge watching him, that something might happen. I think Meadows chose to use Stephen Graham because of his accent. His accent is Liverpudlian and people in the audiences commonly associate this with ‘chavs’ or people who cause violence so we assume already without Combo even doing anything that he is a bad character or that something will happen involving him. His interaction with the props and set make us truly believe that it is his house, that he has made himself ‘at home’. This is clear when you can see him laid out on a sofa, with his back against the wall, as if he does that regularly. You can tell by looking at Combo that he is comfortable as his character, and we genuinely believe that the other characters are his friends, and it isn’t just acting. We notice whilst watching this scene, that the tone has changed as there is a silence in the room, and Combo’s voice becomes quieter. This is then assured when Combo asks Milky about his personal life, asking ‘so how many uncles have you got?’ This escalates further and further with Milky telling Combo about his family, and childhood. It almost seems as if Milky is bragging about his family and this infuriates Combo. You can see the real emotion in his eyes that he is nervous (this is clear from him biting his nails) and jealous of what Milky had had, because he wasn’t as fortunate.  Combo looks a little uneasy, and viewers get the impression that something sad is going to happen due to the introduction of some soft melodic music. Following this, it is becomes so clear that the tone has changed and something is going to happen to Milky when Combo says ‘you’ve go’ everything you, haven’ ya?’ in his Liverpudlian accent, highlighting his jealousy.  His facial expressions begin to change and he begins to direct racial insults towards Milky. Everyone recognises that someone is going to happen to Milky and everyone but Banjo seems concerned for Milky’s wellbeing. Combo’s body language suggests that he is irate and is ready for a fight. His interaction with the characters changes, he seems much more aggressive and antisocial. His face starts quivering showing that he is feeling quite emotional. You see that the tone of the party has completely changed when Combo says ‘you’re a nigger aren’t you?’ showing his discrimination and prejudice for people of his ethnicity. Combo continues to insult him and then starts to beat him up as Milky smiles at one of the insults. Everyone in the party sees this to be wrong, except Banjo who’s smiling. Banjo then stops laughing as Combo takes his anger out on everybody else. I think this is a really good performance from Graham as it’s showing the tension that has built up and his hatred for the black community.

 In the end though we discover that this scene in the film shows that Combo is envious of Milky because he has everything that Combo didn’t and it is not actually about race. Combo’s racism is caused by ignorance, confusion and frustration and this gets in the way when he realises that Milky has more in his life than he does. You get this sense that all the black community have everything due to what Milky says and i think this is what makes Combo so racist. Combo then tries to help Milky, and you can see he feels remorse and guilt for what he has done. This is made clear when he starts crying, showing his confusion. The music at the end helps to make this scene really emotional. I think this is a really gripping performance from Graham as it is showing the mental instability of some people. This performance helped audiences understand about the hatred for the black community and views on immigration, and why a certain selection of people hates asylum seekers and immigrants.

The other micro-element i am going to talk about in this scene is the element of sound. I think Meadows effectively uses sound in this scene to make it more emotional. At the very start of the scene there is some use of diegetic sound of ‘Gadget’ singing something after playing a game with the others. The shot then changes with the camera looking at the door as Milky and Combo walk in. Suddenly the sound of Gadget singing or chanting stops and this shows that they  fear of Combo, or that he has the highest authority of them all and they should look up to him. The abrupt cut of sound indicates the intrusion of the two characters and already shows the unease of bringing Milky back to his flat. I think Meadows chose to this to highlight Combo’s superiority amongst the group and as an audience we understand that he is one of the most powerful characters in the film.

As Milky and Combo walk through the door, the sound of the door slamming is quite loud and this signifies the end of the fun and enjoyment which the others were having. As an audience we see that they are clearly a disturbance and that it’s unusual for Milky to be there. It almost sounds like Meadows has amplified the sound of the door slamming so that we understand there is an unusual intrusion.

After everyone assuring that Milky will be ‘no problem’, Combo says to everyone ‘that’s good, that means we can all get stoned’. After this line some music kicks in, almost incidental and it relates to the mood and atmosphere of the party. The reason it’s almost incidental is because it adds to what is happening. However, this music actually does belong to the scene. As an audience we all have a vague idea of how being stoned must feel like just from what we hear and we understand that being ‘stoned’ makes you relax and feel quite lackadaisical so Meadows’ use of music here is almost perfect. It is really quite slow and chilling with a strong bass-line which helps to add to the atmosphere.

Another interesting sound in this sequence is when Gadget is sent outside because he is too hot and once he has left, Combo starts laughing at the state of Gadget which he then gives Milky a high-five and this indicates to the audience that there is unison between them now, and that what happened in the past is forgotten. I thought it was clever of Meadows to include this because we are consistently being shown the friendship or the supposed friendship between Milky and Combo. It almost seems to be unnatural and some audiences might actually realise that Combo is faking the companionship and that something will happen to him.

The soft soul-like music stops and i thought this was really significant that something might occur. Meadows may have included this to make it clear that Meggie is rummaging through the cupboards looking for food. Again the audience assume that this is normal for someone to be hungry after being ‘stoned’. However though, what i think the real reason for the stop in music is to connote that something might happen between Milky and Combo and that the friendship and companionship was just a hoax.

Milky then starts to talk about his family and how fortunate he was, and also he glorifies his childhood with his family. This then sees the introduction of some low melancholic incidental music. You can see the emotion in Combo’s eyes, and it is noticeable that he is envious of Milky. The music suggests to an audience that something quite brutal or depressing might happen. It is clear that the mood and atmosphere has changed between the characters as it is really quiet without much conversation. This is when the beating of Milky starts to happen and the music continues to play to show how bad the beating is and what is happening is wrong. For a brief moment the music stops and this allows you to hear Combo crying and feeling guilty for what he has done. The camera looks at Shaun and there is the ambient sound of Combo crying in the room next to Shaun. As an audience we see that both the characters are upset about what has just happened. As the music has stopped, it connotes that the beating has stopped and he won’t be hurt anymore.

Seconds after that music has stopped there is some more incidental music except it has changed. Still though the music creates the same sort of impression that something tragic has happened. I think Meadows chose to place this music here to suggest that Milky might have died or that he is seriously injured. It suggests to audiences that some people when under the influence just don’t have any control over their mannerisms and what they are doing; that some people don’t know when to stop.

I think Meadows’ use of sound in this sequence is quite breathtaking and it helps us as an audience to feel real emotion for what has happened to Milky. Also it helps us to understand that envy, jealousy and discrimination don’t give us the right to hurt someone. The music is really quite fitting and makes us feel sympathetic but also it questions our own beliefs of what’s right and wrong and that everyone in the world should have equality.

Cinematography Pictures







Pictures powerpoint for blog

View more presentations from Matthew Hunter.

Cinematography

Cinematography by definition is described as ‘The art or technique of movie photography, including both the shooting and development of the film.’

Shot SizeThe shot size is how big the shot is taken from the camera and the different sized shots have been used specifically for an effect on whatever is trying to be conveyed. Shot size can vary greatly from extreme close-ups to extreme long shots, with possibly miles difference in what you can see in the shot.

Extreme long shot (establishing shot) – this type of shot size gives the viewer a full perspective of a place or event showing everything. Tends to be of a certain location or of buildings and can sometimes set the scene.[see picture 1]
Medium Shot – this type of shot will show a subject or actor and its setting take-up roughly equal spaces in the frame. Typically, the lower frame of a shot passes through the actor’s waist. This allows hand gestures to be seen but also some of the setting behind or in front of them.[see picture 2] 

Extreme Close-up – this type of shot focuses on what particular feature, usually on someone’s face like eyes, ears and lips, but sometimes can be of something else to draw attention and give clear detail to an object. Often this shot is used to show a characters emotion.[see picture 3] 

Camera AngleFor a low angle camera shot the camera will be placed near or actually on the floor (worms eye) looking up at the subject. The effect this gives is that whatever the camera is looking at is high and mighty, and quite superior. A low angled shot indicates a sense of power and authority or that the subject is untouchable.[see picture 4] 

Opposing to this type of shot there is a high angled shot which looks down on the subject suggesting its inferiority and it also connotes that the subject is weak and fragile. The camera will be placed slightly above or directly over the shot (birds’ eye view).[see picture 5] 

MovementPedding – pedding is where the camera will move up and down the subject or actor and it is not to be confused with tilting. This sometimes is done in film to introduce a character showing possibly how they dress, and their mannerisms.

Panning - panning refers to the horizontal movement or rotation of a still or video camera, or the scanning of a subject horizontally on video or a display device. This shot is done to show a subject from different sides and give different profiles of the subject or character.

Tracking and crabbing are very similar except for the direction that the camera moves.

Tracking – this is where the subject or actor will usually be stationary and the camera will gradually move in or out. This contrasts with zooming in and out. The purpose of this is so the viewer is drawn in closer and gets a more intense relationship with character and moving away tends to create emotional distance.

Crabbing – this is where the subject or actor is usually stationary and the camera will move either to the left or right of the camera. This could suggest the subject is changing or we are being drawn in to the subject.

Composition
The rule of thirds method in photography and film is a preferred method because it draws our attention off centre and looks much better to place the subject on one of four points near the centre.

Positioning

Subjective positioning – this is where the subject is being watched by the camera or from an objects perspective. This will never be of a characters perspective and this allows us to see what some of the characters can’t.

Objective positioning – this is where we are seeing what the actor or actress is seeing. This allows us to feel emotionally connected to what they are seeing and we feel like we are in their position.

In the film Let The Right One In there are various examples of both subjective and objective positioning. One interesting example of subjective position would be when Eli pretends to be ill underneath the bridge until Jocke comes over to offer her help. We witness Eli suck his blood from his neck and kill him, but this is from anybody’s perspective, yet gives us viewers the chance to see what actually happened under the bridge. It shows the audience that only we have witnessed the most horrific events that took place.

This Is Where We Stand. This Is England.

How does the actor become the character and suspend our disbelief?
For this task, I have decided to study Stephen Graham's performance in Shane Meadow's This Is England. I have chosen to analyse Stephen Graham's performance in This Is England because I feel he delivers a very epic performance. I believe his character shows the younger generations of what glorious Britain used to be like back in the '80s and how people thought of other cultures. Graham plays the character of Combo who is a man of about 30, known at first only by the character of Woody. Everyone sees him as one of the original, proper skinheads. He is seen as a role model to the rest of the characters because of his age and from what Woody tells them. His age gives him the respect and authority. In This Is England when Combo is first introduced we find out that he is racist and very patriotic, as one of the characters has black ethnicity, and racial insults are directed towards him. Although the insults aren't actually aimed literally at Milky (the black character), as an audience we know that he is aiming the insults at the black community. We find from this that there are certain characters of the group who are also racist because of their reactions to the story he is telling. The characters are a bit uneasy after their first experience with Milky, knowing he has offended one of the characters and you can see that when Combo turns up at the cafe where they're all sat. There is almost an awkward silence just as he walks in, as if they are fearful of him. Combo tries to enforce his views and leadership over the skinheads and this forces a split between Woody’s group. Shaun (the youngest member of the group) decides to go with Combo instead of Woody's apolitical skinheads. A bit later on the film, Combo becomes depressed after Woody's girlfriend Lol rejects him. Combo claims that he has loved her ever since they had a drunken one night stand years ago. Due to his depression he buys some cannabis off Milky. This leads to the party involving Combo's group and Milky, which I have chosen to study. One thing that is important about Combo's character is his image. He presents himself as an older skinhead with strong political views about England and immigration. Looking at his costume you can tell this alone, because he wears everything that fits to the stereotypical skinhead. This compromises of chequered shirts buttoned up, jeans and Dr Martens boots. It is noticeable that at the party he is really enjoying himself socialising, and with him being under the influence, there is a mellow tone about. You can see from his facial expressions that he is enjoying himself, that he loves socialising. Although this could be because of the drink, his attitude towards Milky changes, seems like he actually doesn’t mind being in his presence. His tone is very light-hearted and warming, which is quite different to the Combo that we have been watching all the way throughout the film. His body language suggests that he is very relaxed and is genuinely have a good time drinking with his group and Milky; that he is overcoming his depression. However, there is one moment in this scene which suggests that something might happen to Milky. This is when Milky first walks in and Combo asks whether anybody has a problem, and it takes Banjo longer to answer than the rest. This connotes that he hesitating about saying it is ‘no problem’ for milky to be here. I found this quite ambiguous, that it’s no problem for Milky to be in their presence but also it could suggest that Milky will be no problem to deal with, as if they’re going to hurt him and he’ll be helpless. You can see in this scene that the tone has lifted but there is still an element of fear, and this is purely from his accent. In modern culture there has been the prejudice that scousers or Liverpudlians are the scum of Britain, and with Combo being scouse you still feel on edge watching him, that something might happen. His interaction with the props and set make us truly believe that it is his house, that he has made himself ‘at home’. This is clear when you can see him laid out on a sofa, with his back against the wall, as if he does that regularly. You can tell by looking at Combo that he is comfortable as his character, and we genuinely believe that the other characters are his friends, and it isn’t just acting. We notice whilst watching this scene, that the tone has changed as there is a silence in the room, and Combo’s voice becomes quieter. This is then assured when the music stops and Combo asks Milky about his personal life, asking ‘so how many uncles have you got?’ This escalates further and further with Milky telling Combo about his family, and childhood. It almost seems as if Milky is bragging about his family and this infuriates Combo. You can see the real emotion in his eyes that he is nervous (this is clear from him biting his nails) and jealous of what Milky had had, because he wasn’t as fortunate.  Combo looks a little uneasy, and viewers get the impression that something sad is going to happen due to the introduction of some soft melodic music. Following this, it is becomes so clear that the tone has changed and something is going to happen to Milky when Combo says ‘you’ve go’ everything you, haven’ ya?’ in his Liverpudlian accent, highlighting his jealousy.  His facial expressions begin to change and he begins to direct racial insults towards Milky. Everyone recognises that someone is going to happen to Milky and everyone but Banjo seems concerned for Milky’s wellbeing. Combo’s body language suggests that he is irate and is ready for a fight. His interaction with the characters changes, he seems much more aggressive and antisocial. His face starts quivering showing that he is feeling quite emotional. You see that the tone of the party has completely changed when Combo says ‘you’re a nigger aren’t you?’ showing his discrimination and prejudice for people of his ethnicity. Combo continues to insult him and then starts to beat him up as Milky smiles at one of the insults. Everyone in the party sees this to be wrong, except Banjo who’s smiling. Banjo then stops laughing as Combo takes his anger out on everybody else. I think this is a really good performance from Graham as it’s showing the tension that has built up and his hatred for the black community. Combo then tries to help Milky, and you can see he feels remorse and guilt for what he has done. This is made clear when he starts crying, showing his confusion. The music at the end helps to make this scene really emotional. I think this is a really gripping performance from Graham as it is showing the mental instability of some people. This performance helped me understand about the hatred for the black community and views on immigration, and why a certain selection of people hates asylum seekers and immigrants. 

Shutter Island, and Leo

Whatever did happen to patient 67? This film along with Inception opened up my eyes to Leonardo DiCaprio, after years as seeing him just as a boy, and not the man he should of been. I'll give him credit he got the attention of women, but i always seen him as a teenage heart-throb, and I believe he's upped his game in these two films. It's quite ironic actually to ask who is patient 67 because Leo himself has developed as an actor, and this 67th patient, forgetting the film here, could be linked to the grown up man he should be. Personnally, Shutter Island for me was quite astonishing. The twist at the end was quite interesting, and having watched it a few times now, it seems so stupid that we wouldn't realise he's himself crazy. The clues were there. Leo delivers an excelllent performance, and I could see the emotion in his face as he carried his children out of the lake. I think as an actor that'd probably be the hardest kind of emotion to play, and i really was convinced. Heard good things about Revolutionary Road, and i hope to see it soon. 

The Beginning

This blog is just to check that all is working fine and dandy. I will keep everyone informed with all of my film comments and judgements as I continue this course, and I am halfway through Sexy Beast which is to proving to be rather decent, despite everyone thinking Kingsley wasn't convincing. My profile highlights some of my greatest films, if you're interested. Hasta la vista, baby.