Representation of characters - Mills/Pitt

In your analysis, one of the key things to consider is how characters are represented, and WHAT characters come to represent.

Casting of actors and actresses is, of course, key to this. Consider what image and ideas an actor like Brad Pitt has with the target audience for the film, for example:


Brad Pitt now

Brad Pitt in 1990s

Advertisement in 1990 that made Pitt famous

 What conclusions can we make about the image he brings? 

Compare this form of "new masculinity" with the older, more traditional symbol of male masculinity from before the 1990s - the "Marlboro Man":

Look at this picture

And read this article.(The part on MM - the Marloboro Man)

And this article.

How does the modern masculinity of Brad Pitt differ from traditional masculinity of the Marlboro Man? Write a paragraph in your blog, including images to help. (labels: Seven, Film Noir, Brad Pitt, Character)

Now watch the selected clips of Seven. How does the film play with Pitt's image of new masculinity?

Seven - Working towards A Textual Analysis

Review:

• Discuss with a partner the key things you have learnt so far about Seven in terms of film language (eg. use of camera, lighting, sound, editing, set design), genre and representation of characters.
• Create a brief list and be prepared to feedback.

Today
Before you begin planning your paired oral presentations on an extract from Seven, we need to consider more important elements of the whole film in greater detail. You will respond to a series of questions today which will help you to do that, posting all answers on your blog.

1) Genre
"The film is a mix of taut thriller, engaging mystery, and gruesome horror show, and it’s so howlingly bleak that the evil deviance at the center never gets any easier to stomach. At its blackened heart, it’s a cop drama, a thriller about a pair of mismatched detectives developing a mutual respect as they pursue a ruthless serial killer, but it’s so far beyond the boilerplate dramas you expect from the genre that it ceases to be just another cat-and-mouse game and becomes instead a haunting walk through a cruel world feeding on its on waste." taken from Pajiba


Reading the above, and using your own knowledge of genre, what genre(s) does Seven belong to? You will need to provide evidence for your choices. You can use filmsite.org to help.

2) Sociocultural and Historical Factors
Find out all you can about the term "Fin de Siecle". What does it mean? How can this term help us to understand the film Seven, and the choice of content? (You may want to look at the following:
http://www.oldandsold.com/articles30/french-painting-18.shtml to help).

More about Noir

Today

• Identifying Noir elements in Seven, and their effects
• Deciding on your oral textual analysis

Remember to keep making notes on conventions of noir as you watch Seven. Use the worksheerts to help you. Remember to keep track of the plot using the Murder Chart.

(Find these worksheets by accessing the following folders in the download section of your Figaro account: 

college\IB Film Studies\Film Noir)
So far, the feedback from the class, your ability to identify and explain the effects of different elements in Seven, has been really very good. This means I expect great things from your oral presentations on Seven!

Seven - Oral analysis:

what you can expect if you do not prepare
you Oral presentations thoroughly

• It will count towards 50% of your exam grade for the third trimester.

(The other 50% will be based on your final documentary and the documentation you provide (script and production journals).

• You will work in pairs, and be assessed together. So you need to ensure you both work together effectively, dividing up the work equally.
• You need to agree on an extract of no more than five minutes from Seven. You need to check with me and I will reserve that extract for you if it is acceptable.
• No two pairs can work on the same extract.
• Your oral presentation should last between seven and ten minutes, and you should not play your extract within this time.
• You can use screen shots or stills from your extract to better illustrate your ideas, although this is not necessary.
• You may bring in notes for reference and guidance, but you may NOT read from a prepared document.
• You need to all bring in pen drive with at least two GB of space to have a copy of the film you can study at home.
• You will have some class time to study, plan and practice, but you will be expected to work at home on this as well, as if you were preparing for an end of year exam in the exam hall.
• The oral presentation will be delivered in class during IB Film lessons, dates to be confirmed next week.
• The pairs are:
  Honorio and Ramiro
  Viveka and Carlos
  Giuliana and Tomas
  Santos and Manuel - chase scene: Mills vs Doe; reserved
  Sabrina and Ernesto

Any questions?