Directed by Mark Herman
Produced by David Heyman
Screenplay by Mark Herman
Music by James Horner
Music by James Horner
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The boy in the stripped pyjamas was published in 2008, and based on a WW2 novel by Irish writer John Boyne.
The boy in the stripped pyjamas was published in 2008, and based on a WW2 novel by Irish writer John Boyne.
Opening Titles
Before the opening title a quote is displayed - "Childhood is measured by the sounds and smells and sights before the dark hour of reason grows". This sets the tone of the movie; the innocence of childhood amongst horror in society. Further titles are in white, displayed on either a black or red background, reminiscent of the Nazi flag.
Sound
The first thing the viewer experiences is the soundtrack. In this case, a classical piece written and performed by James Horner - Boys playing aeroplanes. A delicate piano solo, develops as strings come in, here Horner effectively portrays the childhood innocence, that will be used to contrast war later in the story. The soundtrack acts as an audio bridge into the opening shot.
During the scene of the protagonist (Hugo) running, there is the diegetic sound a child's plane impressions, the human made sound effects echo to soundtrack in portraying Hugo's vulnerability and innocence.
During the scene of the protagonist (Hugo) running, there is the diegetic sound a child's plane impressions, the human made sound effects echo to soundtrack in portraying Hugo's vulnerability and innocence.
Mise-en-scene
The first shot is an extreme close up shot the striking red of a swastika flag, this widens to become an establishing shot, placing the viewer into Nazi occupied Berlin. Extras in military costume patrol in the background, because of this and the traditional German setting, verisimilitude is achieved.
Cinematography
Amongst clips of the boys running, close up and medium shots of a large furnished house are shown; including servants and fine dining utensils, suggesting the protagonist is upper class.
As the track develops, a crane ariel shot closes in on the lead character "Bruno", as he runs through the town centre pretending to be fighter jets. The boys imagination of war foreshadows Bruno's involvement in the war later in the film.
(Bruno outer right)
Amy this is a good start (although it's striped, not stripped pyjamas; big difference!)
ReplyDeleteYou have correctly highlighted some of the terminology but your analysis needs to be in more depth.
Be specific about details such as mise-en-scène, camerawork and shot types, see me if you're unsure about how to describe these.
Sound is very important, you need to describe this and how it is used in the sequence.
Please add the above and finish analysing the sequence and let me know when you've made the necessary improvements.