Film Form| Opening Scene (00:00-14:00) Flashcards
mise-en-scene, sound, cinematography, editing, themes, ideologies, representations etc.
Mia?
Costume- big, gold hoops, mesh top, grey tracksuit, Nike shoes.
Her appearance?
Greasy hair, blotchy mascara, pale face.
Differences in costumes with the outside teens?
Girls- vibrant clothes, revealing, luring moves.
Boys- Hip-Hop style, half naked, attentive to the girls.
Background?
Clear skies, greens, blues- vibrant weather.
Mia’s personality- running out of home.
Hood culture- trading for 2L of Cider (XXL), clearly underage but still drinks.
What can we tell about Mia’s behavior at the beginning- calling for a ‘friend’?
She is fearless and wants to find out what she wants to know.
Loud speaker- stronglanguage even to her elders.
3 words to describe Mia.
Fearless, overly confident, chavvy.
The white horse?
Symbolism of freedom, purity- but is chained down.
Gentle taps and strokes.
Mia’s relationship with her mother?
Rough, single parenting, young mother- instablility in understanding.
What is social realism?
Valuing substance over style; apppearing low budget.
What does it mean to value ‘substance over style’?
The presence of someone’s appearance does not always match to what we need to know; there’s no content behind it.
What are the conventions in a social realism film?
Handheld cameras, documentary feel, straight-cuts, close-ups and tracking.
How is CMT used to create meaning in the opening scene of Fish Tank?
Handheld camera; shown the main character of Mia.
What is the aspect ratio of the film?
4:3
Director?
Andrea Arnold.
What does the over-the-shoulder-shot mean in Mia’s POV?
Showing the diverse nature of working-class girls.
Scenes where we see POV shots?
Mia watching the girls dancing; imbalance in performance.
What cuts are used, further symbolising the theme of social realism?
Straight cuts.
