Evaluation

My portfolio contains planning such as treatment and layout, location and prop reports, casting considerations, a script and a creative artefact. The purpose of my portfolio is to create a sequel to the Tarantino films; Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds. As the texts are both by the same director I incorporated his recognisable themes and styles into my film. My textual analysis explores Tarantino's styles and themes, which include: the oppressed becoming the oppressor, creation of stylistic violence and alignment with the previously oppressed through the utilisation of a backstory and costume juxtaposing stereotypes. I have incorporated these into the disruption and resolution in Scene 8 for my keyframes as I felt that this would best convey Tarantino's styles and themes.

Tarantino uses the theme of the oppressed becoming the oppressor in both Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds. I incorporated this into my script and keyframes as I felt that this was a crucial theme in the studied texts. I incorporated this theme by using Penny, a previously abused wife gaining revenge over her violent husband. My keyframes begin in the disruption/resolution Scene 8, however the previous scenes portray Penny's violent, oppressed past to align the spectator with Penny. This incorporates another typical Tarantino theme; stylised violence.

My textual analysis also explores how costume juxtaposes stereotypical characteristics. In the films, Tarantino uses costume to convey a hyper-masculine stereotype of a Nazi solider. However as the scene progresses his pride and masculinity from the costume results in his death, ultimately emasculating him. In my film Penny is dressed in conventional feminine clothing such as the red shift dress, lipstick, broach and heels, whilst Stan wears blue manual worker's overalls. The character's costumes in my film juxtapose their personality as we observe Penny develop a strong, psychotic violence in the keyframes, leaving Stan to become physically and emotionally emasculated.

My textual analysis also explores how Tarantino creates stylistic violence by using everyday items as weapons. The theme of the oppressed becoming the oppressor is reinforced by the use of weapons that the previous oppressor employed. We see this in the 'Bear Jew' scene in Inglourious Basterds and the whip used in the 'Brittle Brothers' scene in Django Unchained. Stylised violence is also prominent in my own film as Penny uses objects such as a washing line and dishcloth to inflict suffering and kitchen items with which she had previously been abused with. These objects are not traditionally associated with violence which links to the conventions explored in my textual analysis.
I have used an isolated, domestic setting for my film, linking to aspects explored through my textual analysis without impacting the narrative. The previous scenes in the film are examined through Penny’s perspective, which coerce sympathy towards her. Similarly in Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds the protagonists are followed throughout the film, which results in a justification of their violent actions towards their oppressors. As the spectator gains a sense of enjoyment and fulfilment, the violence becomes further stylised. Penny's backstory follows these terms and through the abuse inflicted by Stan, the audience learns to justify her actions and sympathise with her new gained strength and power.

Tarantino's theme of castration and emasculation by shooting, or threatening to shoot the male oppressor's crotch is a key theme of the texts that I have studied. We witness this through the 'Mexican stand off' scene in Inglourious Basterds and the final scene in Django Unchained. This has been incorporated into my film, and drives a resolution. Stan's castration leaves him emotionally and physically emasculated, whilst ensuring Penny gains the power and control that Stan once enjoyed. The use of phallic imagery also becomes more prominent in the keyframes since Stan's castration to subtly, but ironically hint at his emasculation and Penny's new power. This is depicted with the knife, running water and cigarette scene in keyframes 7, 8 & 11.

My textual analysis also highlights the use of orchestral, instrumental scores in the two Tarantino films. I incorporated Ray Charles 'I can't stop loving you' to portray Penny's mental state and to distract the audience whilst Stan is castrated. Similar to the texts, the non-diegetic sound is harshly interrupted and Bobby Hamilton 'Crazy eyes for you' signifies Penny's new strength and power.

I was initially going to set my film in the IKEA display kitchens, however after visiting, I realised that prominent restrictions would have a negative impact upon the narrative.
I wanted to portray a realistic 1960s aesthetic to the domestic setting in my keyframes. The setting located at 28 Cowdrey Court, DA1 2PL epitomised a genuine 1960s atmosphere with authentic items from this era. The kitchen and the living room are both set in this house, which ensured the process of taking the key frames ran smoothly and allowed the actors to get into character much more quickly. Overall, I feel that the location suited my script and aims of my creative artefact successfully.

I feel that the script and keyframes achieved a successful, creative artefact by using the typical themes and styles contained in Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds. I believe I have used an optimum amount these themes and styles without over-indulging, which may have resulted in a poor imitation, generic copy of Tarantino’s work. I also feel that I have written the script and backstory sufficiently to suit the Tarantino criteria and edited the keyframes to a high standard, ensuring a realistic and professional result (the smoke from the cigarette in keyframe 11 for example).

If I were to repeat this task or suggest improvements to myself I would set the film in America, to enable a greater use of Tarantino-style dialogue. I felt that I could not convincingly incorporate this language into a script set in 1960’s England, as it would make the environment and historical context feel anachronistic. I may also suggest to my future self to stick within the 9 keyframes. I did not do this as I felt that I could not convey all of the significant points in the narrative.

Overall, I believe that my script and keyframes were successful in achieving the aims and purpose that were proposed and that I have incorporated many codes and conventions explored in my textual analysis without creating an exact replica of the two studied texts.

Creative Artefact

Keyframes

Keyframe no.1

The first key frame is set within the disruption scene, scene 8. This scene involves the liberation of Penny's oppression. From the above keyframe we see Penny smiling, falsely holding a birthday cake. Here, she is greeting Stan who has just got home from his manual labour job. Stan comes home, calling 'Where's my woman?'. Penny turns around after sticking the candles into a birthday cake, singing 'Happy Birthday honey!' It is at this point that the shot is taken. 

Here, the camera acts as voyeur as we witness Penny's changing state before Stan realises this.

The keyframes take place within the kitchen; symbolising Penny's previously oppressed state and confinement. 

Originally, Penny is wearing a deep red shift dress and stereotypical make up of the 1960s. The red dress symbolises her change of state (her clothing and colour adapts to her mentality and strength as the film develops). Penny's short, red shift dress symbolises her newly found strength, power and liberation. Whilst still wearing the apron, and acting out as a housewife, camouflages the continuing events.  

This keyframe links to the aspects explored in my textual analysis. Although the setting is not as remote as those portrayed in Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds. 

However, I have adapted this theme to fit the era and modernity of the film. The setting is arguably remote as it is set within the confinement of a domestic, private area; only experienced by the couple. This aspect of mise en scene therefore links to my textual analysis; Tarantino uses remote areas to 'reinforce the surreal narrative.' These suspicious areas therefore add to the surreality and suspense of the narrative. 

Keyframe no.2

The second key frame includes Stan devouring his birthday cake. He sits at the dinner table hunched over, eating the birthday cake that Penny made, with his hands and chewing it, grossly, with his mouth open. He eats it as though he hasn’t eaten in years.
The cake subtly hints at a common aspect used in Tarantino's films, being food conveying something about the character's personality. The cake could be seen as feminine, foreshadowing Stan's emasculation to come. 

The shot is a medium long shot of Stan devouring his cake, his eyelids getting heavier as he increasingly grows tired. His elbows rest on the table, his head resting on one of his hands, the other in his cake.  Stan wears his work overalls; unbuttoned, so that his dirty once-white vest is visible. His sleeves are rolled and pushed up on his arms. 

The shot is taken from a slight high angle, to create a subtle position of hierarchy.

Keyframe no.3

The third keyframe is taken seconds after the first. Stan grows increasingly tired, still eating his birthday cake disgustingly with his hands. We now see Penny standing behind Stan, who is unaware of her position. Penny is standing over Stan, subtly portraying her new power and hierarchy over him. We see Penny stretching out a dishcloth above Stan, ready to gag him with it.
The frame is a continuous shot of the second keyframe and therefore is shot with the same aspects of cinematography; a medium long shot at a slight high angle. This shot type also shows the isolated situation between the couple; the shot shows no other person in the shot, whilst installing the idea of the film being set within the four walls of a domestic confinement.

Keyframe no.4

The third frame includes both Stan and Penny. The shot is a medium long shot with a more obvious high angle. The shot is taken as Penny begins to wrap the semi-conscious Stan around with washing line, tying him down to the chair.  Stan holds a helpless look on his face. We do not see much of Penny’s expression as she ties the washing line, however she is still standing, and hasn’t knelt down to make the action easier. This portrays her strong hierarchy over Stan. The half eaten cake still sits on the table in front of Stan. 

The shot is taken as Penny asks Stan how the cake is. Subtly hinting that the cake is poisoned ‘I made it myself. You feelin’ it yet Stan? Tired? HUH?!”

This frame links back to my textual analysis by the use of ‘objects that one may think would not symbolise violence’. Throughout the beginning of the film, Penny’s home seems to hurt and oppress her, especially when Stan uses these objects against her. However, now her previously oppressed position has empowered her, making her the superior. These household objects being used as weapons link back to the whip used in Django Unchained and the baseball bat in Inglourious Basterds; highlighting stylised violence and the theme of the oppressed becoming the oppressor.

This keyframe also links back to my textual analysis by the costume juxtaposing the stereotypical characteristics. In this frame, Stan wears a manual labourers work clothes; a pair of blue overalls rolled up at the sleeves and unbuttoned, showing his dirty white vest. He also has a packet of red apple cigarettes in his top breast pocket. Here, Stan's costume and physique seem stereotypically masculine. Whilst Penny is dressed as a stereotypical 1960s woman; dressing to impress her husband; wearing a short red shift dress, make up and an apron. However, the costume juxtaposes their characteristics. Stan is dressed as a typically masculine 'hard' stereotype, however he is emasculated and weakened in this scene. Whilst Penny is wearing a typical costume of the 1960s, her apron portrays her as a submissive housewife, seeking to satisfy her husband's every need, however this is juxtaposed as she gains the power, becoming the oppressor, whilst Stan becomes the oppressed. 

This is mentioned in my textual analysis when I compare the same juxtaposition of costume to Django and the Brittle Brothers in Django Unchained. 

Keyframe no.5

The fifth keyframe is  a close up shot of Penny laughing, throwing her head back. This frame will subtly link to Inglourious Basterds, when Shoshanna laughs on the cinema screen, saying ‘You are all going to die’ to the Nazis. This shot will portray the ‘taste of your own medicine’ effect, as it also does in Inglourious Basterds. Like Shoshanna’s revenge, Penny has tortured her oppressor in the same, and similar ways that he did to her. This creates irony and makes the violence stylised. The spectator sympathises with Penny as we understand and align with her due to her backstory, therefore the violence and torture forced on Stan becomes justified and stylised, giving the spectator an emotion of thrill seeking revenge. The violence also becomes stylised as the audience understand that both Shoshanna and Penny are enjoying the violence that is inflicted upon the newly oppressed.

Keyframe no. 6

The sixth keyframe consists of Penny holding up Stan's lighter in front of his face. We do not see Penny's facial expressions, but Stan looks uneasy and concerned. Again, Penny standing over Stan constantly reinforces the new power and hierarchy over her oppressive husband. 

This aspect of the film could link to aspects explored in my textual analysis. Penny inflicts violence on Stan using his own personal items (the lighter) this is similar to what Stan did to Penny at the beginning of the film; hurting and inflicting violence on Penny with her own personal belongings. This could link to my textual analysis, when I explain that in Django Unchained, Tarantino reinforces the theme of the oppressed becoming the oppressor by using the previous oppressor's belongings to inflict violence and gain power over them; creating a sense of irony and stylised violence. For example, in Django Unchained Django uses the whip that one of the Brittle Brothers was going to use on another black slave, to whip the other remaining white Brittle Brother. 

Keyframe no. 7

I have edited the seventh keyframe to incorporate more light into the shot. This is to subtly convey that Penny's troubles are disappearing. The light portrays her new position of power in her relationship. The shot is taken of Penny holding a large kitchen knife. We do not see Penny's face or much  of her boy language, which distances her and her emotions away from the violence. The shot is taken as Ray Charles - I can't stop loving you plays over on the radio. This therefore links back to my textual analysis. Although it is not exactly the same type of instrumental as La Resa and/or La Casa. The music juxtaposes Penny's strength and creates irony. The title of the song also juxtaposes the situation and relationship between Penny and Stan, injecting irony into the frame and referring to Penny's backstory and mental state. The calming music also incorporates a sense of stylistic violence into the frame; portraying that it is a calming and everyday act.
This frame also links to my textual analysis by hinting at Tarantino's violence on the crotch, and the emasculation of the once dominant male oppressor.

Keyframe no.8

This keyframe is a close up shot of running water in the sink. This conveys phallic imagery. The camera pans out moments after we see Penny walk towards Stan with the knife. Once the camera reaches the sink of running water, the shot is taken. This is a subtle hint towards Tarantino's other work. This technique is used similarly in Resevior Dogs. 

Keyframe no. 9

The next keyframe is taken from the inside of the fridge, as a point of view shot. This is also a subtle nod to Tarantino's work as this shot type is used constantly throughout his work; such as point of view shots from car boots (Pulp Fiction). The frame is a close up of Penny peeping into a tupperware box which contains Stan's 'manhood'. 

Keyframe no.10

The next frame consists of Penny, sitting at her kitchen table with strong posture, about to eat a piece of quiche. The shot is taken from an extreme low angle to show Penny's new position of power. The fact that Stan is not in the shot portrays that she is independent, juxtaposing how she was at the very beginning of the film. 

Keyframe no.11

The last keyframe consists of Stan serving to Penny's every need, whilst she sits, her legs crossed on the table, smoking one of Stan's old cigarettes. This subtly highlights the change in their relationship; at the beginning of the film Stan sits in this position, whilst Penny serves his needs. This keyframe incorporates aspects of phallic imagery with the use of the cigarette, whilst emasculating Stan. 

I have manipulated the use of light in this shot to convey Penny's new position of power and loss of oppression. 

The use of the cigarette in the shot creates a hint of irony and phallic imagery, hinting that male power and female oppression is no longer prominent within their relationship. The phallic imagery achieved from the cigarette subtly hints at this. 

I edited the shot by using photoshop in this shot. Because of the use of sepia tone in these images, the cigarette was not as prominent. I enhanced this using another image of a cigarette, and added in smoke of the cigarette to make the shot more realistic and this aspect of the shot more coherent. 

Treatment/layout for key frames

Frame no.1

The first frame will be set in the disruption, scene 8 of the film. The frame is set in the kitchen, and is a medium close up containing Penny, holding a home-made birthday cake on a yellow tray. She is fake smiling and staring directly at the camera. Here, the camera acts as the voyeur, replacing Stan, and portraying the shot through his perspective. The frame will be taken as Penny welcomes Stan home, saying ‘Happy Birthday honey!’.

Penny is wearing a red shift dress and an apron tided around her waist. She wears kitten heels and her hair is backcombed into a beehive, black eyeliner has been swept across her eyelids.

This frame will link to the aspects explored through my textual analysis. Although the setting is not as remote as those portrayed in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained, however, I have adapted this theme to fit the era and modernity of the film. The setting is arguably remote as it is within a domestic, private area, where only the two of them share. Therefore, this aspect of Mise en Scene links to my textual analysis; Tarantino using remote areas to ‘reinforce the surreal narrative.’ These suspicious areas therefore add suspense to the narrative.

Frame no. 2

The second key frame will include Stan devouring his birthday cake. He is sitting at the dinner table hunched over, eating the cake with his hands and chewing it, grossly, with his mouth open. He eats it as though he hasn’t eaten in years.

The shot will be a medium long shot of Stan devouring his cake, his eyelids getting heavier as he increasingly grows tired. His elbows rest on the table, his head resting on one of his hands, the other in his cake.  Stan is wearing his work overalls; they are unbuttoned, so that his dirty once-white vest is visible. His sleeves are rolled and pushed up on his arms, his tattoos visible. We see Penny standing over, behind Stan, she is holding a dishcloth stretched out and has an evil smirk.

This key frame links to my textual analysis by the costume juxtaposing characteristics. Here, Stan wears a stereotypical masculine manual workers costume, however soon he poisoned and tortured in a few seconds, his weakness and suppression here juxtaposes his dress. Similarly, Penny wears a very female costume; a red dress, apron and heels. However, her characteristics juxtapose her clothing, as she becomes the dominant in the relationship, holding all power over Stan. The colour of the dress symbolises her strength and power against Stan.

Frame no. 3

The third frame includes both Stan and Penny. She begins to wrap the semi-conscious Stan around with washing line, tying him down to the chair. The shot will be a medium close up of the situation. Stan holds a shocked but helpless look on his face. We do not see much of Penny’s expression as she ties the washing line, however she is still standing, and hasn’t knelt down to make the action easier. This portrays her strong hierarchy over Stan. The half eaten cake still sits on the table in front of Stan.

The shot is taken as Penny asks Stan how the cake is. Subtly hinting that the cake is poisoned ‘I made it myself. You feelin’ it yet Stan? Tired? HUH?!”

This frame links back to my textual analysis by the use of ‘objects that one may think would not symbolise violence’. Throughout the film, Penny’s home seems to hurt and oppress her, especially when Stan uses these objects against her. However, now her previously oppressed position has empowered her, making her the superior. These household objects being used as weapons link back to the whip used in Django Unchained and the baseball bat in Inglourious Basterds; highlighting stylised violence and the theme of the oppressed becoming the oppressor.

Frame no. 4

The fourth frame will be a close up shot of Penny laughing, throwing her head back. This frame will subtly link to Inglourious Basterds, when Shoshanna laughs on the cinema screen, saying ‘You are all going to die’ to the Nazis. This shot will portray the ‘taste of your own medicine’ effect, as it also does in Inglourious Basterds. Like Shoshanna’s revenge, Penny has tortured her oppressor in the same, and similar ways that he did to her. This creates irony and makes the violence stylised. The spectator sympathises with Penny as we understand and align with her due to her backstory, therefore the violence and torture forced on Stan becomes justified and stylised, giving the spectator an emotion of thrill seeking revenge.

Frame no.5

Medium close up of Penny holding Stan’s lighter in front of his face. Stan stares at the lighter, looking uneasy. We do not see Penny’s face; her back is to the camera.

Frame no. 6

The sixth key frame will be a split screen. The first screen shows Penny taking a kitchen knife from the drawer, holding it in the air and pausing. The shot will be taken at this point, it is a close up shot; we still do not see Penny’s face here. The second screen in this frame will be a close up shot of running water trickling from the kitchen tap down the plughole. The running water symbolises phallic imagery, foreshadowing what is going on between Stan and Penny, however the camera pans away, leaving the spectator’s mind to wonder, and therefore creating stylised violence. This is an aspect that Tarantino typically uses and can be prominently seen in another one of his films, Reservoir Dogs.

 Meanwhile, Ray Charles – I Can’t Stop Loving You plays on the radio. This links to my textual analysis. Although it is not exactly the same type of instrumental as La Resa or La Casa the music juxtaposes Penny’s strength and creates irony. The title of the song juxtaposes the situation and relationship between Penny and Stan, creating irony and referring to Penny’s backstory and mental state.

This frame also links to my textual analysis by hinting at Tarantino’s violence on the crotch and emasculating the once dominant male oppressor.

Frame no.7

The next key frame will be a point of view shot from the fridge. It will be a close up of Penny taking out a ‘tupperware’ box from inside the fridge, containing Stan’s manhood.

This is also a reoccurring aspect of Tarantino’s, a point of view shot from an object or item, often a car boot, for example.

Frame no. 8

Close up, low angle shot of Penny eating the quiche that she baked for the Tupperware party she is hosting. The shot will be taken as Penny holds the fork with the piece of quiche on the end, hovering it near her mouth, her elbow resting on the table. She is paused and smiling, looking down to the side.

The low angle shot subtly conveys Penny’s new power and hierarchy.

Frame no. 9

The last frame will be a medium long shot. Penny is sitting in front of the television; her legs are stretched out and crossed at the ankles, resting on the coffee table. Penny is wearing a fur coat, her hair and make up the same as before. She has a lit cigarette in between her fingers, her elbow resting on the arm of the sofa. Stan stands beside her wearing Penny’s old apron over his vest. He holds a plate of bangers and mash on a yellow food tv tray.

Prop Report

Stan's overalls and white vest:
I wanted Stan to be a stereotype of the 1960s, playing the role of an abusive husband who works as a manual labourer, alienated in his career and taking it out on his wife, Penny.
I decided to use these blue overalls as part of Stan's costume as I feel that they have an authentic feel, whilst the white vest will be slightly visible in the disruption scene when the overalls are unbuttoned. This will help Stan to look scruffy and therefore more in character.

Stan's cigarettes and lighter:

I decided to cover a pack of cigarettes with the cover of Red Apple Cigarettes.  This brand is used throughout many Tarantino films when cigarettes are used, to stop product placement. I decided to incorporate this into my film as I have created an artefact of Tarantino's work, therefore this acts as a subtle nod towards Tarantino's work.
The cigarettes will be used towards the end of the disruption scene, when we see Penny smoking them, whilst Stan is serving to her every need. However, the cigarettes will be kept in Stan's breast pocket of his overalls.
The cigarettes will subtly hint towards the change in the couple's relationship, and incorporate phallic imagery into the frames.


Stan's lighter: 
I wanted the lighter to look authentic and representative of the 1960s. I decided to use this dark green 'clipper' lighter. Although this is actually a modern day lighter, I feel that the aesthetic resembles the 1960s. This lighter will be used as a threat towards Stan, and therefore link to my textual analysis as Tarantino explores themes such as the oppressed becoming the oppressor, exploring stylised violence with objects that are not typically associated as weapons, and using personal belongings of the previous oppressor to inflict violence upon them. (For example, the whip used on one of the Brittle Brothers in Django Unchained.)

Penny's dress:
The keyframes are set after Penny has experienced a stereotypical 1960s make over. She wears a red shift dress, her hair is tied tightly at the top of her head and is covered in stereotypical 1960s make up. I decided to use this red shift dress in this scene from 'Whistles'. Although it is not authentic, I feel that it creates the mood and look that I am trying to achieve. The use of the red subtly hints at Penny's new position of power and strength. The short dress could portray her through the male gaze, however due to her power and control over the scene, Penny is not sexualised.



Penny/Stan apron:
I decided to use this vintage 1960s apron as I feel that the floral pattern creates a stereotypical, oppressed housewife feel. However, this therefore links to my textual analysis when I describe that Tarantino juxtaposes stereotypes of costume to characteristics. When Penny is wearing this apron she is not oppressed but the controller, therefore her costume juxtaposes her position in the relationship. When Stan wears this apron at the end of the keyframes, the floral pattern instantly emasculates him, placing him as a weak, house-husband. Therefore the apron will convey the change in the relationship, symbolising irony.



Dishcloth and washing line:
I decided to use a J-cloth as the dishcloth that is used to gag Stan. This is because it can be easily stretched and would have been used in the 1960s.
I also decided to use a bright blue washing line to restrict and tie Stan to the kitchen chair. I feel that this is also representative of the 1960s. Both of these objects would not be stereotypically seen as weapons or that they could inflict violence in any way. Therefore this links to my textual analysis as Tarantino often used items that would not typically be associated with violence to make the violence in the said sense become stylised.


Kitchen knife:
I decided to use this kitchen knife with a wooden handle as, again I feel that it resembles the 1960s well. This knife will be used to emasculate and 'remove Stan's manhood'. Although, we do not see this scene, there will be a keyframe taken including the knife, so that the mind wonders. Similarly to the cigarettes, the knife incorporates phallic imagery into the film.

Kitchen table props:
To reinforce the 1960s theme of the film even further, I decided to use these vintage 1960s cake and dinner plates, cup and saucers, sugar pot and cafetiere.