Essay Plan for Textual Analysis

The question I will be linking my coursework with will be how do the two films Inception and Shutter Island break the rules of Classic Hollywood Narrative (CHN) and independent (Indie) through there style. Both the films are similar in many ways with there style. Inception is the Hollywood film directed by Christopher Nolan, this should follow the rules of the CHN and have a clear cause and effect, and have no questions left at the end, but towards the end it starts to leave the rules of the CHN and starts to become an indie film. So this means Shutter Island, directed by Martin Scorsese is the independent film. Indie films are meant to have a ask more questions and leave the audience questions at the end and have the audience creating there own ending. The two films are in a 1st person narrative with one character being an schizophrenic and one who is caught up in dream world. Although my main thesis is about style, narrative will come in and help justify and backup the point that the two films juxtapose in that they need to be CHN and Indie films.

Point 1 - Similar back stories, something at the back of there mind

Examples -

Inception: Mal's Death -



Shutter Island: Dolores Dream Scene -



Analysis -
Both these scene help link the two characters of a dream world nut and schizophrenic to how they both have someone in there lives who has been killed. In Inception the death of Mal is heart braking for Cobb's, the problem with that is that as she is always in the back of his mind, she can come out of his subconscious and cause problems, which is what happens. The style of the scene is quite dark, the main lighting is only done by the light in the hotel room, and they are also both wearing dark clothes, linking to death with the darkness that will overcome everyone one day. This scene is here to help drive the protagonist forward and try and overcome the death of the wife. Compared to Shutter Island when Andrew is dreaming of his wife's death, the scene is completely different. The lighting of the scene and say a lot of what is going on. The beginning starts with them in the room with the city in day light, and then Dolores walks over to the other window and then the lighting outside goes all dark and grey because it is then starting to show her slow, possibly painful death. Style helps more in this case of getting how each scene is either CHN or Indie because the way a scene is presented, the scene could be answering or questioning the rule of CHN or Indie, this is a good example of a challenging representation of style.

FEEDBACK FOR POINT ONE:
-Clips included
-Background of scene explained well
-Talks in details about the effect of the lighting used etc
-Maybe link more throughout the analysis
-Level 2/3

Point 2 - How the ending sums up if it's CHN or Indie

Examples -

Inception - Saito Getting Out of Limbo -



Shutter Island - Teddy Finding Out Who He Really Is -



Analysis -

Both the near endings of the film sum up on how each film is either CHN or Indie. It's because of the way that they have finished it off, have they either answered all the important questions or have they left a cliff-hanger and want the audience to create an ending. In the final scene of Inception it shows Cobb getting off of the plane that they were in and getting picked up from his dad, it's the very last bit that when he gets home and spins his totem, his children walk in. At this point the camera has zoomed in to the continuous spinning totem and then cuts to black. A Hollywood film ending with probably the biggest question of all isn't normal, it doesn't follow the general CHN rules, the question thats being asked is if Cobb is in reality or exactly still up in limbo. Going to Shutter Island this scene is where Teddy Daniels has just found out who he really is and finds out that the women who's life that they got backgrounded on, was his life, he has just found out that he has been giving parts for people to play in his life story. This part acts out as if it is a CHN film, answers all the question like who is the woman and girl that he has been dreaming of? Probably the biggest one would be who was the 67 patient? He found that it was him. Both these scenes in there style are different, in Shutter Island the lighting and colouring is bright, having it bright could be having Teddy excepting and having his eyes opened to what has happened. In Inception, when it is looking at the totem, the colours are quite dark, blacks in way showing the darkness. Having it show darkness could be saying that he is in limbo, and that the totem will continue spinning.

Point 3 - The main disruption of the films

Example -

Inception - Cobb's subconscious comes into play -  



Shutter Island - What are they doing there? -



Analysis -
These scenes here help display how the style can help discuss what the disruption and what kind of questions it is lining up. The disruption for Inception would be when starting there perfectly planned out plan and then having Cobb's subconscious come into play with what they are doing. The scene is raining and the sky is quite dark and blue, giving the sense that something bad is going to happen. When Ariadne gets into the car, out of no where, a train comes flying down the road, and you look at the expression on Cobb's face and you can see that he knows where that is from, it;s in the back of mind because it's a memory from his wife. Not just that bit but when Fischer is in the taxi and has a gun put at him, he gives the style that he just doesn't in a way. He gives them money and his wallet and just says: "'Might as well drop me off at my stop'", just not caring. Asking the question of does he actually know what is going on?  But then with all those dark colours showing that there could be conflict, a shooting scene evolves. The colouring and lighting of this scene is very important to the style of how it presents CHN, theres always meaning behind there style of narrative. Now the Shutter Island scene starts off dark as to say that they have no idea what they are doing there. Chuck is discussing all the factors what what they could be doing there and then the door opens up and the bright lights from the car light up the scene. Lighting up the scene at that moment when they have discussed why they are they, gives the impression that its hit them and they know what they must do. Linking this to the style of CHN and Indie films these are quite typical of having the colouring and lighting etc helping disassemble the meaning behind everything that happens in a scene. It helps us determine how a scene can challenge or re-enforce the rules of both CHN and Indie films.

Conclusion -
Overall, both of the films use their style and also their narrative to break the rules of CHN and Indie films. Although Inception is a Hollywood film and is produced by a Hollywood company, it shows greater signs of being an independent film from the way the disruption and ending are presented. Style is a big factor in showing the difference between CHN and Indie, and these films are two great examples of how the style can change the rules and give different prospective. In Shutter Island being the Independent film, the style of how both the disruption and ending sum up how it breaks the rules of an Indie film and then moves towards more of a CHN film. Main aspects that show this is the lighting and colouring. These two factors are most important because it can show how certain characters are feeling and can get across the messages trying to be determined either through a Hollywood approach or an Independent film approach.