General Questions Flashcards
The Man
George O’Brien
The Wife
Janet Gaynor
The Woman from the City
Margaret Livingstone
What is the impact of the films opening montage as a stylistic device that sets up the films mood and tone?
- juxtaposition of city life and countryside reflect the man’s internal conflict
- intertitle gives an idea of the grand narrative
How is The Woman from the City represented?
- classy and rebellious
- black clothes symbolise malice and temptation
- waltzes around seductively; connotes her role as a temptress
- 1920s flapper style shows she is liberated, whereas the wife is more traditional
- giving up conservative Victorian lifestyle/beliefs
How is The Man represented?
- conflicted but ultimately makes the ‘correct’ choice
- getting beard shaved possibly symbolises change/starting over
- unkempt and tired at start
How is The Wife represented?
- wears light and long dresses
- no makeup, natural
- traditional and conventional
- lighter hair connotes purity and innocence
How does the use of setting and mise en scene complement the plot that the two illicit lovers create? (Marsh scene)
- calm countryside setting
- chiaroscuro lighting shows dilemma
- marsh is private, dark and dirty: suggests it is shameful
- moonlight suggests more alluring things will happen
- artificial fog and deserted setting suggests horror
How is mise en scene used to contrast the City Woman and Wife?
- wife’s hair is tied back
- long hair shows innocence
- city woman wears dark clothing and makeup
- dark vs light = convention vs unconvention, temptation vs commitment
How does the director create suspense for the audience in the boat journey sequence? Why doesn’t the Man go through with the plot?
- long sequence to build tension
- the dog running after them suggests that the dog senses danger: dramatic irony as the wife doesn’t know she is being set up
- the Man realises what he is doing and that the affair is purely pleasure
How is the visit to the church significant for their relationship?
- they witness a marriage and so renew theirs
- reminisce upon when they were a happy couple
- wife accepts his apology
How is the visit to the barber and the ‘masher’ significant for their relationship?
- the Man is making an effort to be presentable for his wife
- wife shows loyalty by ignoring the masher
- the man shows protection by slashing the masher’s buttonhole
How is the visit to the photographer significant for their relationship?
- they want to cherish the moment
- captures their happiness and harmony
How is the visit to the fair and the drunken pig significant for their relationship?
- both able to have fun together, shows the joyful side of the man
- drunken pig could symbolise the affair
How is the ‘peasant dance’ significant for their relationship?
- shows their connection and bond has been restored
- traditional dance, shows contrast between countryside and city
- modernist city looking down at lower class: it wasn’t their choice to do that dance
How are no realistic expressionist visual devices such as superimposition and forced perspective used in the city sequence?
- shows contrast between city and country
- exaggerated the size of the city and makes it look bigger than it really is
What does the storm on the way home symbolise and how is cross cutting used in this sequence to create suspense?
- symbolises something is going wrong
- hardship
- cross cutting makes it impactful and shows what is at stake (the baby)
How would different audiences respond to the film’s resolution?
- Older audience; would find comfort in the fact the husband overcame temptation and stayed with the wife
- Modern audience: would find it shocking the wife stayed with him
