I am ready for my closeup now, Mrs Writer (Part 2) - the special edition

I wrote on using film clips to explore structure and the structure question on the exam paper last year. Here is the link to the blog: 

https://learningfrommymistakesenglish.blogspot.com/2023/03/i-am-ready-for-my-closeup-now-mrs-writer.html

Students have a lot of background knowledge around film and storytelling, which we don’t employ enough in lessons. The sad demise of media elements of the English curriculum means that it feels naughty and decadent to do something that isn’t linked to the demigods of Literature. I like digressing every so often and showing a clip. Here are some that have a specific focus on structure. 

I tend to show the clip to students first. Then, I show them a range of the camera shots. I pick one and ask students to say why the director chose that moment to focus on that shot then. What does it symbolise? How does it link to other shots? 

The Others 

I love ‘The Others’ and I find this scene great for talking about ‘tense’ and ‘suspense’. Largely, students don’t know the difference between the two and it is quite important with stories. The relationship between what is inevitable and what is a surprise underpins stories. Ghost stories play with these two all the time. 

I tend to focus on the third camera shot. Nicole Kidman has her back to camera. The symbolism isn’t lost on the students. Something can see her, but she can’t see it. The thing is shadowing her. In the scene, there’s a lot of things at the edge of shots or just out of the frame. She’s close but just not close enough. 

Usually students obsess over questions in creepy stories like this. The reader is asking… The reader wants the question answered …  This story and others like it are about proof and reasoning. Take the Rosie exam paper. It features a woman spotting a strange child in her garden.  She has proof of something strange and she tries to rationalise it. Then, something happens to contradict that rationalising of things. The same happens in ‘The Others’.  

Ripley: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIcvJFre0SU

I loved ‘Ripley’ and could easily pick any episode and any scene, but this one I like because of the use of camera shots to frame the character’s thought processes. His back to Marge is an interesting choice. Most people would look head on during a conversation. He continues with his back to her. Plus, the use of objects is quite telling. He shifts from making drinks to cleaning a very heavy ashtray. I find this scene interesting because of the use of objects and body language. We are seeing the thought processes in Ripley’s head without hearing a word from him directly. I get students to focus on the last camera shot above and discuss how the director conveys the character’s inner conflict. 

Sabotage: 

  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=178s548EjM4​

Hitchcock, as I’ve said before, is a dream for exploring structure. ‘Sabotage’ is an example of playing with expectations and dramatic irony. A boy carries a bomb on a bus. We know it is a bomb, but the boy doesn’t. Modern sensibilities tell us that a boy will not be blown up in the story. And, especially, a boy playing with a puppy! This whole scene is playing with the idea. We are expecting him to escape, yet Hitchock doesn’t allow that to happen. It is a great clip for talking about expectations and writers playing with what we expect to happen. 

I also like this scene for the use of time imagery. Recently, we’ve seen a lot of extracts that deal with time. There’s a sense of urgency created not only by the bomb, but also the use of clocks. In fact, the director zooms in on the handle. That emphasis on time is increased as the scene goes on. Writers tend to be more subtle than Hitchcock when conveying time, but this makes a good starting point. 

Wonder: 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29VjYkPPY2s

This clip for me is interesting because it revolves around character discoveries. Jack stands up to peer pressure and bullies. He discovers the implications of his actions - the fight. That second to last shot is heartbreaking. He realises what impact it will have. That is also framed in Auggie’s slow discovery of Jack’s support of him. 

Lots of students see extracts as being tense yet they often forget the emotional journey of characters. All too often, the extracts in the exam are extracts around a moment of discovery or change. A character learns something that will change their perspective on things. The character at the beginning is different to the one at the end. Students need to see that. 

We don’t look at moments of discovery enough in stories. They often are the key drivers of narrative. If we look at all the past exam papers, they are character centric. They all, and I mean all, feature a character discovering something.  

 The Perfect Storm:

The Perfect Storm is a great example of using light imagery to signify meaning. I like to look at this scene and discuss weather and light in terms of symbolism. The opening shows the hope the men have. They think they have escaped from the worst storm ever. 

I also like talking about this scene in terms of ‘false sense of security’. Both the characters and the audience are lulled into thinking things are safe. That tricking the audience is interesting.  I don’t see enough students talking about the tricky of writers. The writer focuses on X so we don’t realise Y. In fact, we have this rigid view of writers presented to us. Writers are tricky things and they do mislead us and lie to us. Students need to explore when they are being manipulated and fooled in writing. 

Hidden Figures: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aypIHx2iGQs

This scene is great for exploring how things convey meaning through the presentation of things. The middle shot is great for this. I simply ask: What do you notice about this shot? 

All the men are wearing the same colour. The woman is the only black woman in the shot. The woman is the only person wearing something different. She is positioned in the middle of things. The camera shot is looking down on her. Each one of those things holds a symbolic meaning. Not only is Taraji P. Henson’s acting is phenomenal, but the framing of the scene echoes the ideas being challenged. 

I like this scene because it shows how subtle choices have a greater level of significance. For example, Kevin Costner’s moving down a flight of steps indicates so much more in the context. As too does his destroying the bathroom sign. 

Thanks for reading, 

Xris