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
