Opening scene:
Connotations of Shaun's appearance: He looks scruffy because his top button is undone and his tie is lowered which suggests he doesn't care too much for fashion or his appearance. Also the prop of the beer glass is an anti-type of the typical hero as heroes are meant to be good influences and athletic where as the pint glasses on his table suggests otherwise for Shaun. The setting of the pub allows us to see that Shaun regularly visits it as he has drank a few beers and his group are taking up quite a large space. Shaun doesn't look like a stereotypical hero because he looks like a normal person who likes to go down to the pub and doesn't have any distinct features of a typical hero such as being handsome, having a muscular physique or seeming highly intelligent. Mise en Scene: Shaun has two beers to Liz's one which suggests that drinking is an enjoyable habit for him. Also Ed is purely focused on the game which suggests that he lacks intelligence and it could also implies that he is somewhat of a joker and doesn't take life seriously. Shaun looks worried when Liz tells him what she wants to do with there relationship and this could mean that Shaun doesn't like trying new things and is quite set in his ways, it also gives shows the spectators that his life is boring. Also the table separating the couple suggests that they aren't close and their relationship isn't strong. Cinematography: Shaun and Liz are sitting in the foreground whilst Ed is in the background playing on the slot machine. This suggests that they can't be a happy couple because Ed is always around and is acting like a sort of barrier between their relationship because Shaun always brings him whenever he meets Liz. It also suggests that Shaun may have to make a choice between Ed or Liz in the future. The Kuleshov effect: When the spectators can get an idea of what a character is feeling when the cut previous or after the characters expression which the spectator can draw meaning from and understand what the character is feeling or thinking. It is an editing technique. Shot Reverse shot between Liz and Shaun: This shows that they are different from eachother as the camera keeps switching showing their different perspectives. It gives the spectators the impression that even though they are together, they aren't close. Futhermore the other couple can be used as an opposite to Shaun's relationship because they are sitting close to eachother and are always in the same shot. It also suggests that this couple is also getting in the way of their relationship. Also it suggests that these friends also get in the way of their relationship as they are always in the background. This implies that Shaun and Liz aren't entirely comfortable in each others company as they both bring other people to their "dates". |
Todorov's 5 Stages:
Stage 1: Narrative starts with an equilibrium
Stage 2: Event or character disrupts this equilibrium
Stage 3: An attempt is made to restore the equilibrium
Stage 4: Resolution as the equilibrium is restored.
Stage 5: A new equilibrium- things are normal again but some things might've changed as a result of the events in the film.
Todorov's thoery in Shaun of the Dead:
Stage 1: Starts with a disequilibrium as Shaun and Liz argue yet there is also an equilibrium as life is normal and they are in the pub.
Stage 2: The 'girl in the garden' scene signals the start of the disequilibrium in Shaun's life yet the disequilibrium occurred earlier in the world of the film as the zombie apocalypse begins but Shaun is unaware.
Stage 3: Shaun's flash forward plan's are the attempts to restore the equilibrium- this happens through majority of the film
Stage 4: The army rescues Shaun and Liz from the pub
Stage 5: New equilibrium is that Shaun and Liz are together now and life is under control again. Shaun takes control of his life and doesn't wait for things to happen. Ed is in the shed.
Joseph's Campbell's Heroes Journey:
- Hero departs his normal life- they are called to adventure
- They are initiated into the new world, they have to adapt to and overcome new challenges.
- They return back to their normal life with new found power/skills/traits.
Narrative devices and examples:
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Flash Forward: Show what a character is going to do, creates excitement because you want to see if it’ll actually happen.
- When Shaun plans what to do after zombie apocalypse.
- When zombie takeover has happened but Shaun and Ed are unaware and continue with their lives. e.g. in the pub and in the newsagent.
- “you got red on you” foreshadows impending violence and blood.
- When Barbara says “lot’s of people don’t eat meat” just before the zombie apocalypse comes to forefront of film.
- Pete an everyone in his department is ill or bitten which foreshadows that pete will turn at some point.
- The winchester rifle above the bar- creates humour for spectator as we speculate through film whether it’s real or not.
- “go live in the shed” Ed eventually lives in the shed.
- The sequence when Shaun goes shop twice with a suttle difference as zombies are walking around yet Shaun doesn’t realise as he is drunk. Creates humour for spectators as some can identify with being hungover. (parallelism)
Narrative Structure Shaun of the Dead:
Closed ending with a single stranded storyline however there are some non linear elements with Shaun trying to get back with Liz.
Binary Oppositions:
Shaun and Liz:
- Male and Female
- Childish and mature
- Apathetic and ambitious
- Only enjoys drinking and pubs whilst Liz wants to travel the world and experience new things
- Unorganised but Pete is in control of his life
- Lazy but Pete is a hard worker
- Relaxed but Pete is stressed
- Ed is a follower and let’s people decide his fate whilst Pete is a leader
- Lazy and later Shaun is pro active.
- Zombified and slow yet later he becomes human.
- Let’s things happen to him and later Shaun takes action
- Disorganised and later Shaun makes plans
- Unambitious then ambitious
- Timid and later he is heroic