Full Metal Jacket Write-Up

Reception Theory
-Was this film provocative, throwaway or intellectually demanding? Why?
Personally, I think that Full Metal Jacket was a provocative film due to the fact it addresses the strict routine of war life. At the start of the film, we see Private Pyle being victimised by Sergeant Hartman and how Pyle's reaction to this constant bullying results in psychological damage and suicide. Events such as these provoke feelings of discomfort and unsettlement from the audience, further causing this film to be provocative. There are certain aspects of "Full Metal Jacket" which follow conventions of it being an intellectually demanding film; exploring the horrors the soldiers are exposed to in Vietnam and informing the audience of what struggles they had to go through, both psychologically and physically, gives the film elements of being intellectually demanding.

-What is the preferred reading of this film?
The preferred reading of this film would be mainly patriotic and nationalistic. In "Full Metal Jacket" we automatically side with the American soldiers, believing that they're seen as the "good guys" throughout the situation.

-What reading did you take to this film and why?
Personally, I took an oppositional reading to this film due to the fact I don't believe in the necessity of war and violence as a solution to disagreements. Seeing civilians in Vietnam being murdered and the horrors that the soldiers were exposed to made me uncomfortable and I didn't believe in their morals and justifications for killing.

Central and a-central Imagining
-An example of central imagining being clearly presented is the scene where Eightball is being shot continuously by the sniper, showing the blood and gore. The diegetic sound of Eightball screaming in agony and seeing his body gradually getting more damaged as the scene goes on gives the audience a more visual understanding of his pain, causing a central response.

-An example of a-central imagining is when Pyle commits suicide, provoking an emotional response from the audience and causing them discomfort and possible sadness/sympathy. The reaction on Joker's face as Pyle turns the rifle on himself is reflective of the audience; anxious and shocked. The mise-en-scene of Pyle's blood and brain on the bathroom wall provokes an emotional reaction of feeling helpless like Pyle, due to his psychological breakdown we understand his motives. Personally, I felt uncomfortable and sad when Pyle committed suicide; him thinking that killing himself was the only solution to the hardship he's endured made me feel compassion and sympathy for him.

Alignment
-I personally only felt aligned with Joker in Full Metal Jacket. Joker has common sense and is reluctant to kill and wears a peace sign, showing his compassion and that he is not fully involved in the violent, war lifestyle. He has patience with Pyle and happily helps him with basic training, further making him the only bearable character.

Alignment

Analyse the different ways the film-maker can manipulate our emotional response
-The process of identifying with something or someone
-We can relate to the character's emotions/adopt their points of view through micro and macro

MACRO ALIGNMENTS
-Narrative can be used in August Rush, trying to find his parents through his passion for music, showing his back-story and psychological motives, causing you to sympathise with the character.

MICRO ALIGNMENTS
-Cinematography can be used in X-Men

How do film-makers attempt to align spectators with specific characters?
-Sound = specific sounds and music are used to insinuate our responses
-Cinematography = A wide shot or medium-long-shot will put distance between the character and spectator
-Themes and Content = depending on the subject matter of the film, we can be easily manipulated if the issues portrayal resonate with us on a personal level. Example, death of a loved one, cultural/social issues

Most films will attempt to align the spectator with a specific character or group of characters
-Audience = whole
-Spectator = individual
-If a film-maker can align us with a character, we are more willing to adopt a preferred reading of the film

Most films and film-makers will encourage an audience response - a shared emotions response that is initially intense but quickly fades
Film-makers do this by
-using existing genre convention
-The under-dog story
-Sympathetic Characters and situations
-Place characters in realistic scenario - the more common the scenario the better
-A variation of mood (through music and light etc) and realistic emotions
-Play on audience fears and phobias
-Build expectation and eventually meet that expectation

Allegiance
Allegiance pertains to the moral evaluation of the characters by the spectator
Allegiance is another form of identification with a character-based on a wide range of external factors such as attitudes towards
-Class
-Race
-Nation
-Age
-Ethnicity
-Gender

Central and A-Central Imagining

Central Imagining



This clip from "Saw II" is a clear example of central imagining, presenting to the audience what physical pain the character's in. As she wades through a pit of needles to find a door key, she is constantly screaming in agony and the camera does close-ups of the needles going into her body and her bleeding everywhere, The mise-en-scene of the needles give the audience a visual of the pain this character is in. The music in the background adds to the suspense along with her screaming.

Acentral Imagining



This scene from "Armageddon" is an example of a-central imagining, focusing more on the emotional response. In this part of the film, Harry has to stay behind in space to stop a meteor from crashing into Earth and he has to say goodbye to his daughter. The soft music in the background insinuates that it's an emotional conversation that they're having. The constant cutting from Harry in space and Grace on Earth shows the distance between them, foreshadowing the idea that they'll be separated forever.

Central Imagining



In this part of "Inglorious Basterds", we see vast amounts of violence and gore which yields the audience to have a physical response. The mise-en-scene of all the weapons gives us an insight to the pain each character would be feeling. For the majority of the scenes the camera does medium-long takes to build up the suspense from their conversation, but when the shooting and violence starts the camera does sharp, quick cutaways.

SPECTATORSHIP

Joseph Anderson - film theorist
-We all have individual interpretations and judgements
"making sense of the film is significantly the same as making sens of the real world"
Stuart Hall - film theorist
-Developed the theory or "Reception Theory" 1960s
-The first time that people analysing film started to look at the way the text is recieved rather than the text itself.
-The text has put in various ideologies about the film
-The audience all recieve it in different ways depending on their backgrounds

3 Main Readings
-Preferred Readings: the spectator goes in with an intended meaning of the film and agrees with all the messages
-Negotiated Reading: spectator agrees with most of the messages but disagrees with some aspects
-Oppositional Reading: the viewer does not identify with the meaning at all and comes up with an alternate meaning to the film

How the text is recieved from the audience as opposed to the text itself

Film is about desire
-An intellectually demanding film
-A provocative film (controversy)
-One which is throw away, spectacular fun

 
"Blue Is The Warmest Color" is an example of provocative film
-The film focuses on homosexual relationships which is a taboo when it comes to contemporary cinema
-The intimacy elements of this film are explicitly presented, intending to get a reaction from the audience

Central Imagining
-FEELINGS
-Creates an emotional response
-This is translated to te spectator by the director (textual)
-Feeling the character's pain
MICRO = cinematography, editing, sound, mise-en-scene

A-Central Imagining
-The difference is we feel less, but imagine more
-Rather than a physical response, it's an emotional response