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filmaccountskool-blog · 7 years

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Final Textual Analysis

How the theme of family is explored in the films 'Warrior' and 'South Paw'?

Introduction- In this essay I will be exploring what different themes, how family elements and different components effect the two films warrior and south paw. The film 'South Paw', which is about Billy Hope turning to a trainer to help him get his life back on track after losing his wife in a tragic accident involving an ego struggle between Billy and another fighter also dealing with his daughter being placed protection services. And 'Warrior' , which is about the youngest son of an alcoholic boxer returning home, where he is trained by his father for a chance to fight in a MMA tournament which puts him on a collision course with his older brother. My main focus is on the family elements of these two films because they are so deeply enrolled in it that it gives heart to both films and a sense of grounded reality to the audience. Even though I am exploring family elements I will also cover things like, micro technical features relating to my macro question, themes of the sport drama genre, and influences in different production styles. For my chosen films they had to follow certain rule to be appropriate for the assignment. They had to be no more than ten years old. One had to be independent (Southpaw) and one had to be Hollywood (Warrior). They both had to roughly be in the same genre (sport drama).

Audio- The audio is used in the film warrior to drum up the dramatic scene where the two brothers are coming together to discuss their family on the beach and trying to make amends but it doesn't go to plan. The use of a non diegetic orchestra (score) How non diegetic and diegetic sound is being used (crashing waves score), this places emphasis on the emotion of and intensity of the actions and dialogue of the characters on screen. Sound in southpaw is similar to this of diegetic sound (slapping shouting and ambient noise) in the foster home, this lack of music or score reflects the emotions of the characters and shines a light on the rawness of their situation the characters are in. In both films their use of sound links directly to the macro question because the message they are trying to communicate to an audience is that family doesn't always have a happy sound track to back up the unsure moments. This creates a sense of reality and an audience can relate directly to this.

Cinematography- In the film warrior they show over the shoulder shots of both characters from far away walking towards each other. This builds suspense within an audience and creates an enigma code making them wonder what is going to happen next. Their body language and actions, as they are walking towards each other, suggest that they are cool and sheltered off from each other. This is similar to how a fighter would walk into the ring. Which is what they are trying to convey that these two brothers aren't treating each other like family but like competition instead. In the film Southpaw the use of close ups are repeated to show the emotions and reactions of the characters which makes actions like when the main protagonist gets slapped by his daughter for something he did. This provokes a direct response from the audience response from the audience feeling sympathy for the main protagonist and for the daughter. Through this use of cinematography, (over the shoulder shots and close ups) the film makers are trying to convey and put into focus the heart and meaning behind the films. In both instances the characters are learning that the greatest fights they have to face are in day to day life, outside the ring, for the people they love.

Theory- These two films both follow genre theory well. Genre theory is an audience expecting something from a specific type of film and getting it. The narrative that is taken with both these films are conventional with with the sport drama genre. For examples; in the film Warrior the audience expects the two characters to come together for a meeting then thats what happens. Whilst in the film Southpaw the audience want the daughter to stick up for herself then she slaps her father. These are both clear examples of how genre theory has taken effect in both films giving a large amount of gratification to an audience. "I've never found kicks to the groin particularly funny although my recent work of the buddy movie suggests audience research must prove me wrong", this quote from Roger Ebert shows that the film makers will listen to the audience and see what they respond to best, then incorporate that into the movie. Then audiences flock to specific types of genre. The target audience that fits best with the genre sport drama is young teens, because it incorporates what they like the most drama and fights with family. This pandering to an audience gives them an expectation to what to expect, right down to the specific actors and the way they talk to each other.

Mise en scène

Lighting- the scene in warrior being lit dim (low key lighting) at night this conveys aggression and tiredness to the audience. It also conveys that these two both have a dark side to their story, and as they both start talking it sets a mood for the convocation that is taking place. In comparison the scene in Southpaw being lit in (high key lighting) this could represent the rawness and reality of the situation showing that there is nothing left to hide and all their problems have caught up with them.

Editing- editing can be used in many ways to communicate meaning to an audience which then adds a whole different perspective towards how they view it. In the scene in Warrior the reverse shots during the scene on the beach gives a sense of aggression due to the fact of when the argument gets heated how quickly the change. This adds to the dialogue of them arguing because you can see through the editing that they are angry at each other. The editing in Southpaw wants to emphasize the key emotions in with in the characters, the cut form different shot types to achieve this, they cut from of actions of one character (the slap) to the reaction of the other character (dad after he gets slapped). The editors specifically chose these shots because they showed something meaningful and pulled the plot forward. The conventional editing of the genre has lead the audience to have expectations in the way these types of films are edited.

Costume- The costume of the cheaters is important as it reveals feelings/details of and about the characters that can't otherwise expressed with anything else. In Warrior one wearing a shirt to demonstrate more maturity and which would reflect his mental status towards the other character (his brother) and the other one wearing a sweat shirt suggesting that he isn't interested in dressing up which would represent a lack of respect for the other character. This gives a little more detail into how the relationship the characters have with each other because of the way they dress. In Southpaw the little girl wearing the same small clothes since the last time the dad saw her which could reflect how bad of a dad he is forcing her daughter to be in the same cooped up place wearing the same old clothes. Again this is an insight into the characters that could not have otherwise been shown. Additionally in Southpaw half way through the dad meeting with the daughter he realizes she isn't wearing her glasses anymore and when asked about it she responds with "they're not cool". Through this small piece of costume the film maker can establish the show don't tell rule which shows the characters mental state and feelings at the time. It is suggested that she is being bullied by the other kids and told her glasses "are not cool", this creates a waking up moment for the dad realizing what he has put his daughter through all because of this small piece of costume.

Setting- where the characters are place provides an insight into what is being demonstrated on screen for and audience. if the people are on a beach maybe they are meeting in a mutual place which gives subtle hints ant the characters and the plot that is being put before an audience. For example when the scene in Warrior on the beach could be a mutual meeting place and maybe they went to the beach as children, which then means that place has specifically chosen to relate to the diegesis of the film. This would suggest the characters have some sort of relationship to the place and is not just picked at random. the message that may be trying to be conveyed is that they are trying to move away from the part or even start a new on. The key message that comes across to an audience is that beaches are a family place, their visiting to this place may suggest they are trying to reconnect and that's how the setting influenced Warrior. In Southpaw they are trying to communicate something a little bit different, because they have chosen to set the encounters the father has with his daughter in a foster care centre, the father is constantly reminded throughout the entirety of his visitation that it's his fault she is in there. The foster care centre acts as a prison between the two characters separating them not letting them forget. The walls they face on the inside of this centre are symbolic of the walls they have up between them. Through use of settings in both film they relate to family in their own way and they have chosen to place the characters here to represent that.

Conclusion- there are mainly similarities in the two films I have chosen. The factors that are the same are; they are both in the same genre, they both have big named actors in it and they both have a similar narrative in which they have to fight for their loved ones physically and emotionally. The micro technique I think to be on of the most important linking to the macro concept is mine en scene because it includes many things with in it and anyone of those things being changed could lead to to the films being different and not meaning the same thing. The aim of Mise en scene is to; -Tell the story , -Envoke an atmosphere, -Give the audience information, -Prevoke a response from the audience, -Also highlight key themes. If the movie didn't have any other micro technical features it wouldn't be as good, if it didn't have Mise en scene it wouldn't be the same film.

The reasons for similarities are because its the same type of genre meaning genre theory will produce a similar feel to both films. They are both set in America so they ave a similar taste towards these types of films. They have the same target audience meaning they will appreciate both of these films. The only difference is the production company Southpaw being produced by an independent company,Warrior being Hollywood.

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filmaccountskool-blog · 7 years

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My Original Textual Analysis

How family elements are represented in the films 'Warrior' and 'South Paw'?

Introduction-in this essay I will be exploring what different themes, elements and key components of the sport drama genre. For this I have look at the two films 'South Paw', which is about Billy Hope turning to a trainer to help him get his life back on track after losing his wife in a tragic accident and his daughter to protection services. And 'Warrior, which is about The youngest son of an alcoholic boxer returning home, where he is trained by his father for a companions in a MMA tournament which puts him on a collision course with his older brother. For my chosen films they had to be under the certain rules of the assignment it had to be no more than ten years old, and one had to be independent (Warrior) and one had to be Hollywood (southpaw). The my main focus is the family elements of these two films because they are so deeply enrooted in it that it gives heart to both films and a sense of grounded reality to the audience.

Audio- The audio is used in the film warrior to drum up a dramatic scene in which the two brothers are coming together to discuss their family and trying to make amends but it not going the plan. The use of a non diegetic orchestra emphasize the emotion and intensity of the scene adding to the diegetic sound of the ocean waves crashing, which could symbolize the ease of flow that the characters wish they had. Also because the audience doesn’t see the ambient waves crashing which is asynchronous sound. This gives the effect of calming within the audience because it signals some resolution between the two characters known. This is similar to in the film southpaw when the ambient room noise from the foster home makes the scene in which the father Billy is slapped by his daughter this diegetic sound gives the effect of emphasizing the rawness of the scene. The two films both use diegetic sound to add to the family element of the genre.

Cinematography- In the film warrior they show over the shoulder shots of both characters from far away walking towards each other this builds suspense within an audience and creates an enigma code making them wonder what is going to happen next. There body language and actions as they walk towards each other suggest cold shelled off from each other similar to how a fighter would walk into the ring with another fighter which is essentially what is happening in this scene, which is what the shots are trying to convey. In the film south paw the use of extreme close ups are repeated to show the emotions and the reactions of the characters which makes actions like when the main protagonist gets slapped by the daughter which then provokes a direct response from the audience of sympathy for the character.

Theory- for these two films it follows genre theory well, which is that an audience is expecting something from a certain type of film and getting it. This can be demonstrated with the film covers for example, the warrior one having two people shirtless looking rather serious this suggest they will have some conflict at some point in the future, and on the southpaw one, the main character yelling in gym clothes yelling, which suggests what type of genre it is right off the bat. The other key conventions of genre I have chosen to explore is how the relationships between the characters effect their actions for example in the film south paw the daughter of the main character is in a foster home and is slapping her Dad. The relationship these characters have is a direct cause and effect, the Dad fails at boxing and the daughter is being forced into social services which are the effect of the father’s cause. This is similar to how in warrior we learn that one of the brothers left to start a family and the other brother stayed home and after the death of their mother he joins the army. Because the first brother left the second brother is constantly looking for a new family but doesn’t achieve this because when the first brother comes back he says his real brothers are in the ‘core’. These are an example of cause and effect relationships within the sport drama genre and how actions affect the family.

Mise en scène

Lighting- the scene in warrior being lit dim (low key lighting) at night this conveys things like loss, aggression and tiredness to the audience that these two characters both have a dark sides to their story and this can be clearer as they start talking to each other because it sets a mood for the scene. This can be compared to the scene in southpaw being lit in bright light (high key lighting) and how it could convey the light of truth being shined on the family, to bring to light the issues and how they have many problems and references to the contrast is an earlier scene leading up to the events to make him loose his daughter take place at night and the significance that these films are trying to convey to the audience is things that happen in the dark can directly affect the things in the light and what matters most.

Editing- in warrior the constant match of action with the scene the duel monologue in the rest of the film has been leading up to this point on the beach, the significance of this is that the two brothers haven’t seen each other in a long time and as one of the most emotional parts of the film which creates a real emotional connection between the characters. The intentions of the director when doing this emotional connection between the characters is that it makes it more intense for the audience when they fight. In south paw it does a similar thing where the facial expressions of the characters are made really clear to the audience to see that they are feeling this again is to provoke the audience into wanting the main protagonist to progress in the story to save this girl which also links to genre theory and the ideologies of the damsel in distress. A contrast to the two warrior spending an equal time on both characters, in south paw less time is spent on the daughter as the father doesn’t get to see her as much and vice versa.

Costume- the costume of the characters is important as it reveals feelings/details of and about the characters that can't otherwise expressed with anything else. warrior one wearing a shirt to demonstrate more maturity and which would reflect his mental status towards the other characters and the other wearing a sweat shirt suggesting that he not that interested in dressing up for the other character which would suggest hostility to an audience. In comparison southpaw the little girl wearing the same clothes as the past few times he has seen her showing that she only has those cloths to wear. Additionally in southpaw half way through the meeting with the daughter the dad notices the daughter isn’t wearing glasses anymore and when asked why she responds with ‘there not cool’. Through this small piece of costume the film maker can establish the show don’t tell rule in which again the characters mental state is being shown, it is suggested in the film that she is being abused by the other children that her glasses are not cool, and this also creates a waking up moment for the dad when he realizes he has a lot more in common with her when we first thought.

Setting- where the characters are placed provides an insight into what is being demonstrated on screen for and audience. For example when the scene In warrior on the beach could be a mutual meeting point maybe they went to the beach together as children, that setting has been specifically chosen to relate to the diegesis of the film which means the characters have some sort of relationship to the place and is not just picked at random. The message that may be trying to be conveyed is that that they are trying to way away the past and make a new or maybe it’s that they the rocks are too big to get over. The message in south paw through the setting is that he keeps getting reminded of his mistakes and the mistake he made is letting his anger get the better of him and his wife dying meaning the, consequence he has to keep coming back to is the fact he has put his daughter in the care of social services which is always the meeting place of the two characters.

In Conclusion- there are mainly similarities in my two chosen films because they are in the same genre and have similar obstacles they need to overcome to archive there goal. Both films protagonists have struggles relating to my macro question. The most effective features used is the editing simply because everything is edited in a way through the directors eyes meaning they can show these messages to the audience and really make them see it. My personal favourite part of the film south paw is when the mother is dyeing simply because it is enrooted deep in family emotion that is pulls out all of the conventions and genre. There is a similarity with the independent and holly wood films meaning they both can do a good job at making the film with very different budgets. The target audience for these films is primarily teenage boys and this is because they are coming of age and maybe breaking away from their own family and need these films to remind them what is most important and the way these films do this is appealing to the testosterone driven men who like fighting and punching, the secondary audience is more middle aged people who like fighting and have families similar to the ones shown in the films. The reasons for these similarities and differences is because they are both set in America and it also shows the side of sport that people don’t really see the fact that these players/fighters are real people with real problems and struggles instead of using them for pawns in a big game this is a conscious decision by the director to demonstrate this hypothetical world we might be heading to. The thing that allows this is the hybrid genre of sport drama combine two different genres and making something worthy to watch. This then inspires others to create some other hybrid film making and inspiration to the others.

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