The Words - Textual Analysis

The Words 2012.

I watched the first five minutes of this film and analysed four key areas, mise en scene, sound, editing and camera shots and camera movements.

Mise en scene

At the very beginning of the film we are situated in an office where a smart looking gentleman  (Dennis Quaid) is standing, we notice that the office is very clean and tidy which challenges the idea of gender representation as men are known to being untidy. Dennis then walks up towards a table to pick up his keys which are beside a book called 'The Words' he picks his keys and the book up and leaves the office, we are then taken to a stage where Dennis is giving a speech to a very large audience, after Dennis performs his speech we are taken to a different location where another elderly gentleman is introduced (Jeremy Irons) we see im enter his apartment where he opens a bag and finds a notebook, he puts the note book down and takes his medication, soon after this we are again take to another scenario were another gentleman (Bradley Cooper) and is girlfriend (Zoe Saldana) are in the back of a taxi talking about his upcoming book. the couple then arrive at a very smart and by the looks of it business related occasion where Bradley is also introduced to a large audience where he also must give a speech about his book. mid way through Bradley's speech we are drawn back to the presence of the older gentleman in his apartment, we notice that he opens the book and begins reading, this tells the audience that each character is related to a book or maybe the same book.

Editing

During the beginning of the film there are not so many types of editing being used, the main types of editing used that appears frequently are straight cuts and jump cuts, the straight cuts are used to take the audience from one situation to another, changing scenes, and as we know during the first five minutes of the film we are taken to a variety of different locations and we see this at the start as e are positioned in the office and then immediately taken to an applauding stage full of people. The jump cuts are also used for changing scenes but are also used to portray the story, we see a jump cut used when Bradley Cooper walks up to the stage, a jump cut is used to shorten the time it takes for him to produce his speech, this is to keep the audience intrigued instead of them waiting.

Camera Shots and Movement

when we are firstly introduced to Dennis Quaid at the beginning of the film just as he begins his speech there is an over the shoulder shot being used to show the support and the audience applauding him, the shot being used at this specific time lets us see the situation from his point of view, during his speech there is also a close up on to his face to show the emotion as he is talking, the close up is also used so we concentrate on what he is saying and our attention is not focused on anything else. when Bradley Cooper is in the taxi with his girlfriend he puts his head onto her lap as they speak about him being exhausted, she strokes his head and the camera shot used is a close up to this happening, this shows us that he is now being treated like a child and she is acting lie his mother comforting him and looking after him. After this Bradley Cooper is giving his speech and an over the shoulder shot is being used this shows that there may not just be a link between the book but also between the characters as an over the shoulder shot was also used earlier when Dennis Quaid presented his speech to a large audience too.

Sound

During the first five minutes of the film there is not that much sound being used, there is non-diegetic sound as a soft and soothing sound track is being played throughout the first 5 minutes, the pace of the soundtrack picks up slightly as both characters approach there individual speeches, this is to show the nervousness and the tension as they begin, the other type of sound being used is diegetic sound which is from the applauding and the speaking of the audience and other characters, we see this when Bradley Cooper tells a joke and the audience responds by laughing.