Submarine

Question 1

Give some key examples of Cinematography

Answer 1

• Mid shots to reflect his isolation
• Blue colour motif prevalent throughout the ‘Prologue’
• Use of his silhouette and not his face suggests he is a difficult and complex character.
• Pathetic fallacy to denote Oliver’s sombre mood.
• Oliver’s romanticised POV - rose-tinted spectacles (romance with Jordana) or in a sepia-tinged melancholy (homelife)

Question 2

Give key examples of Editing

Answer 2

• Uses chapters and title cards to separate narrative into three chapters, drawing on filmic influences including Almodovar, Tarantino.
• Jump cuts used in the ‘Under the Bridge’ sequence to reflect Jordana’s dominance.
• Use of a music video aesthetic - filmed in a montage style to Alex Turner’s Hiding Tonight. The sequence uses home video/Super 8 footage and is a nod to the style of French New Wave.

Question 3

Give key examples of Sound

Answer 3

• Soundtrack by Alex Turner (of the Arctic Monkeys); supplementary narrator to Oliver - singing the thoughts within Oliver’s head.
• Oliver’s narration directly addresses the audience and shares his innermost thoughts comparison to real life - awkwardly communicates.

Question 4

Define Auteur

Answer 4

From the French ‘author’. A director who has control over the style of the film and influences the style of the film

Question 5

Who played Oliver Tate?

Answer 5

Craig Roberts

Question 6

What influences Submarine?

Answer 6

Contemporary American Indie movie aesthetic (i.e. Wes Anderson) and French New Wave, Woody Allen, Tarantino, Almodovar, John Hughes

Question 7

Define Cinematography

Answer 7

Aspects of camera angles, distance and movement. Also a consideration of colour, lighting and texture of the footage.

Question 8

Define Context

Answer 8

When, where, how, and why the film is set. The time, place and circumstances. Might be social, historical, political, and cultural

Question 9

Define Mainstream

Answer 9

Popular, conventional, and/or part of a major film studio system

Question 10

Define Motif

Answer 10

A dominant theme or recurring idea.

Question 11

Give key examples of Mise en scene

Answer 11

• Colour symbolism to convey themes - links to Melodrama where colour is used to emphasise moods and emotions.
• Symbolism of Jordana’s red coat •
Oliver falls in love with Jordana; the colour motif of the film changes from blue to red.
• Use of iconography from the Rom Com genre - lens flare, two shots, arc shots, natural lighting, selective focus.

Question 12

Why is it called Submarine?

Answer 12

Refers to bouts of depression suffered by Oliver’s father. Lloyd says they make him feel as if he is totally submerged at the bottom of the ocean (like a submarine)

Question 13

Who was the director and who produced the film?

Answer 13

Richard Ayoade and Warp films

Question 14

How is Social context shown?

Answer 14

• Progressive gender stereotypes, including the sensitive and overly emotional male (Oliver)
• Jordana could be viewed as a strong female character that goes against female teen/ romance archetypes. She is dominant, assertive and in control. She is reluctant to date Oliver and is motivated initially by revenge.
• Jordana’s appearance is unconventional for a female lead as she is not sexualised, she wears no make-up and is androgynous and quirky.
• Jordana seduces Oliver and is the aggressor. She could even be seen as a modern ‘femme fatale’.
• The film has a conventional ending which sees traditional gender stereotypes reinforced

Question 15

How is Historical context shown?

Answer 15

• The film shows the evolution of the teen genre and displays many similarities to a classic historical teen film such as The Breakfast Club.
• The film shares a high school setting, central teen romance, use of teen ‘archetypes’ such as the nerd (Zoe), the geek (Oliver), and the misfit (Jordana).
• Influenced by many historical periods/figures and visual styles. Shares many similarities with the work of Woody Allen - breaking the fourth wall, narcissistic narrator, self-delusion an alternative (male) view of romance.
• Whilst Woody Allen’s romance films reflect gender differences in the 1970s with female dominance over men and men in crisis at the role reversal - this film has similar themes of changes in gender roles and female power.

Question 16

Define Aesthetics

Answer 16

The specific ‘look’ of the film; the film’s style.

Question 17

Define Generic conventions

Answer 17

Methods, ingredients, things necessary for the style/category of film. E.g. the use of spaceships, alien forms and communication devices in Spielberg’s E.T

Question 18

Define Diegetic sound

Answer 18

Sound that is part of the film world (car horns beeping, birds singing, telephones ringing).

Question 19

Define Non- diegetic sound

Answer 19

Sound added in post-production to create a certain atmosphere (sound FX to increase fear, music to underscore emotion).

Question 20

Define Genre

Answer 20

The style or category of the film

Question 21

Define Iconography

Answer 21

The images or symbols associated with a certain subject

Question 22

Define Indie/independent

Answer 22

Film that is independent of the constraints of mainstream Hollywood. These films are often characterised by low budgets, location settings, (often) inexperienced directors and fairly unknown casts

Question 23

Define Key lighting (high and low)

Answer 23

Lighting design to create different light/dark ratios. High-key lighting is bright and produces little shadow, whereas low-key lighting is used to specifically create shadow and contrast

Question 24

Define Mise-en-scène

Answer 24

Literally, ‘what is in the frame’: setting, costume & props, colour, lighting, body language, positioning within the frame all come together to create meaning.

Question 25

Define Plot

Answer 25

Different to story, plot is the narrative order that the story is told in

Question 26

Define Representation

Answer 26

The way that people, places and events are constructed

Question 27

Define Story

Answer 27

The ideas & events of the narrative whole.

Question 28

Define Spectator

Answer 28

An individual member of the audience whose viewing experience will be unique according to a range of factors.

Question 29

Name and watch three key scenes

Answer 29

Opening scene, Two weeks of lovemaking and the end scene

Question 30

What is realism and how is it shown in submarine?

Answer 30

A 19th century artistic movement in which writers and painters sought to show life as it is rather than life as it should be - applicable to Submarine because of the ways in which represents the real world of Oliver and Jordana and their families.

Question 31

How are chapters used in submarine?

Answer 31

The narrative structure of Submarine is broken down into novel like chapters which are introduced with a coloured title plate. This adds to the sense of storytelling which is led by Oliver’s voice-over. The aesthetic of each title card is influenced by the mood and theme and is coloured accordingly. The orchestral score enhances this.