Aliyah's Film blog

Under the Skin: Character analysis, 'the female'  Under the Skin explores many themes such as gender, identity, morality and sexuality. Even though this film is a science fiction film all of these themes are, and continue to remain relevant to today's society. Although there a quite a few characters in this film, the main way in which these themes are present is through the main character-the female. Jonathan Glazer creates this character in a way that not only portrays the story line, but also the message that he is trying to get across. It could be argued that the way in which Jonathan Glazer presents the female at the start is very different, if not unrecognizable from how she is presented towards the end of the film. At the beginning she is presented as a predictor, which could either come from Glazer's opinion of how woman are, or as a way playing on societies viewpoint of how woman are.  In the earlier scenes Glazer's uses mise-en scene and Scarl...

Trainspotting: Mark Renton   character analysis  In Trainspotting Danny Boyle not only creates the character Mark Renton, but he also develops him in a way that makes the audience understand him, but also sympathies with him. From the beginning of the film right through to the end Danny Boyle focuses more of the potential of Mark Renton rather than who he definitively. At the beginning Renton seem to be a quite care free character that is clearly a drug addict. One thing that is quite unexpected is that he is aware of his addiction.   After Renton's opening monologue regarding choosing life he says "But why would I want to do things like that? And the reasons...who needs reasons when you have heroin. From this it is made clear that at this stage of the film that drugs are clearly more important to Renton than 'choos[ing] life' and all the things that come with it at this stage. He then goes on to say " People think it's all about misery and desperati...

  Fish Tank Production context   Fish Tank  is a 2009 British drama  film  written and directed by Andrea Arnold. The  film  is about Mia Williams, a volatile and socially isolated 15-year-old who lives with her single mother, Joanne. The mother's new boyfriend, Conor, becomes attracted to Mia and has sex with her. This film follows the life of Mia and shows not only what her obstacles are, but all her attempt to overcome them. This is the fifth film by the director Andrea Arnold; following Milk (1998), Dog(2001), Wasp (2003) and Red Road (2006). From all these films prior to fish tank Andrea Arnold not only managed to gain her work publicity, but also a number of awards including an Oscar for best live action short film. Fish Tank was funded by BBC Films and UK Film Council and was shot and set in Tilbury in Essex. Prior to this, Katie Jarvis, the actress that plays Mia had no previous acting experience and was in fact noticed ...

Trainspotting: Final scene analysis Danny Boyle uses different scenes throughout Trainspotting to show Mark Renton's character development. The final scene is used by Danny Boyle as a way of showing Renton's ability to involve and progress in the situations he is in. It could be argued that by watching the final scene things are looking hopeful for Renton, since it seems like he is able not only to revise his old behaviours but to stick to his plan to "choose life". It should also be argued that even though the opening narration is at asact opposite ends of the film and the both narrations are the same in the worlds that are being spoken are the same, it could be said that Boyle uses the narration as a sort of antithesis; which not only highlights the fact that Renton has change externally (the actions he will take) he has also altered his mindset. The mindset being the thing that has the most influence of how life will turn out for them.  Though th...

Trainspotting:Key scene analysis Throughout Trainspotting the director, Danny Boyle explores themes such as; addiction, friendship, drug use, family, happiness, decision-making and many more. These themes are presented in the form of binary opposition, for example selfishness vs friendships or drug use vs happiness. The ways in which these themes are presented are through cinematography, mise en scene and the structure of scene, in addition to the film as a whole. It could be argued that the three most important scenes in terms of presents in the themes and binary oppositions of the film are the opening scene, the scene were Renton has an overdose and the scene in which Renton is going 'cold turkey' and has halutionation as a result of it.  The opening scene of any film is important since it gives the viewer ah insight into what the film is about and essentially is the things that establishes whether or not the view is engaged. However the opening sequence of trainspot...