no country for old men spectatorship

No Country for Old Men:

-film form
-meaning and response
-contexts
-spectatorship (passive/active spectatorship)
-ideology

spectator vs audience:
spectatorship concerned with the way the individual, where the crowd/audience ceases to exist.

Stuart Hall- devised the encoding/decoding theory in 1973. argues that there are 3 ways of decoding a film:
- preferred reading-spectator derives meaning from a film that the filmmaker intended. these spectators are relatively passive.
- negotiated- accepts some whilst disagreeing with others.
- oppositional- rejects the film's message.

aberrant reading- spectator derives unintentional or atypical messages from a film that do not correlate with other's view.

spectator response:
-social self- similar meanings to others
-cultural self- interpretations derived form intertextuality (understanding from other films or images)
-private self- memories of experiences to shape meaning
-desiring self- bringing un/conscious energies that have little to do with the films surface content

Hitchcock auteur

Auteur traits Hitchcock:

- influenced by German expressionism 1920s- Hitchcock worked in Berlin for a period (bright colours/ characters inner feelings presented visually)
- experimental camera techniques e.g. vertigo effect
- voyeurism- male gaze (Madeline- camera shows her from Scotties point of view)

pregnancy and birth scene analysis

Eva's pregnancy and birth:

- alarm clock bright red/flashing- warning
- splitting of cells- Eva sees child birth/pregnancy- unloving/caring about being pregnant- intercut with photocopier- the way she see's pregnancy.
- extreme close up of Eva- audience aligns with her being unhappy about motherhood.
- monotonous diegetic sound of photocopier.
- uses work as a distraction/escape.
-Eva surrounded by pregnant mothers happy about motherhood- expectations of women to be happy.
- young girls run past her- surrounded by motherhood- what is expected of her however she does not want to conform.
- intercuts between prison and pregnancy- she see's pregnancy as a prison.
- cut from prisoner screaming to her screaming in childbirth- she feels trapped and like a prisoner.
- distorted image of Eva reflection while giving birth- the point her life is going to change.
- Eva distanced from Kevin and Franklin after she gives birth- sterile atmosphere.
- contrast between Kevin/Franklin's blue clothing and Eva's white clothing which matches the ward.

Eva hits Kevin scene analysis

Eva hits Kevin:

- close up of Kevin's hands on knees centre frame- defensive position
- blue colour palette- dull/muted- discomfort/ lack of love in room- very tidy/organised due to Eva- inhospitable- too formal.
- framing becomes tighter as scene progresses- pacing increases- Eva tight shot/close up- rising tension/ increased empathy from audience- Eva's memory so she wants audience to sympathise.
- blinds in room resemble prison bars.
- wide shot- Eva and Kevin distance- lack of affection- opposition- resembles scene where Eva shows ball to Kevin.
- low angle shot of Eva after she throws Kevin- high angle shot of Kevin on the floor- Eva isolated as camera is further away from her- maybe shows her power/assertion of power.

lychee scene analysis

lychee scene:

- scene begins with Kevin's reflection in table- two perception of Kevin from parents- reminder to audience that Eva's memory may be distorted.
- Kevin in centre frame- in-between parents- he separates that parents bond with each other.
- symmetry in framing between Eva and Kevin- symmetry behind each of them- similarity between the two which Franklin is left out of.
- t-shirt shown with blood splatters on- Eva's memory depicts him as dangerous.
- Kevin sat at head of table- control/authority- long shot.
- formality in house over comfort- want to fit into conventions of American nuclear family but are unhappy.
- extreme close up of lychee- intensifies food- represents Celia's eye in Eva's memory- she views him as responsible.
- close up of him eating lychee- Eva so focused on him eating/antagonises her.

archery scene analysis

Kevin playing archery:

- natural lighting/bright colours
- hyper-real sound when arrow hits window- Eva views this as a direct attack on her. Eva memory misinterprets this- through memory linking this event to his killings.
- non-diegetic music changes as camera zooms into Kevin's eye
- target in his eye- idea that he has always had killings on his mind.
-graphic matching (crane up)- Kevin going from young boy to teenager.
-music snaps out as Kevin shoots arrow as a teenager.
- hand held camera in present
- low key lighting/ dull colour pallet of clothing contrasting to Kevin's bright clothing in memory.

christmas party scene analysis

christmas party scene:
-handheld shots- spectator sutured into narrative- viewer at ease.
- camera follows Collins view of eva. (medium long shot of Eva- isolating herself)
- use of red (cups, dress)- markers of guilt.
- pathos surrounding Eva- body language uncomfortable.
- Eva sees a mother with het daughter- she lacks this connection. mother and daughter walking away- Eva has lost motherhood.