Applying the theory learnt to the short film 'Lovefield (Ratthe)' - Jack

Applying Rick Altman

The identified genres within 'Lovefield' is Thriller though towards the end the genre changes completely.

Semantic Codes	Syntactic Codes
Pathetic Fallacy – The clouds representing a melancholic and rumbling atmosphere, reflecting the emotions and feelings of the male protagonist. This is also shown through the protagonist’s facial expression and body language, giving off a tense and panicked impression.	Binary Opposition – A binary opposition is created between the protagonist (being the ‘villain’) and the antagonist (woman) (being the ‘hero’). This binary opposition is difficult to convey as the female is seen doing nothing that makes her heroic. However, the spectator can easily assume that the protagonist is a villain.
Props - Knife, tattoos, bloody clothing and sheets create the representation of the protagonist being rather sinister (tattoo of skull) and perhaps a killer (knife, blood, etc.)
Setting - Extreme Long Shots – Establish the shot and give context to the remoteness of the area. The crops could be seen to disguise the trauma (using restricted narration), both from the spectator and other characters.
Crow – The colouring of the black crow suggests a dark impression and adds to the suggestion of death.
Costume – Typical ‘Redneck’ costume making the protagonist appear rather grubby and informal. This represents him in a way that could perhaps suggest his costume reflects his personality.
Props – The sign and car suggest that the area is rather old-fashioned or traditional; this could represent the personality of the protagonist himself.
Shot sizes and angles – With use of multiple close ups and medium close ups, the representation of intimacy and concealing is portrayed. A range of mid angles are used perhaps to suggest that nothing out of the ordinary is going on and the whole affair is common. This conflicts with the handheld camerawork used creating a sense of urgency and panic.