Theme/Idea > the ideas the story centers around.
> Message we are trying to convey to the audience
> Tolerance > the quality of allowing other people to have their own attitudes, beliefs, or to behave in a particular way, even if you don't agree or approve.
Overcoming Adversity > pushing past/ getting through something difficult or dangerous.
Overcoming Adversity > The students don't respect or have a relationship with their teacher. They don't understand each other.
> They aren't in a headspace to learn because they don't feel safe- bring guns to school, mock each other, no tolerance for each other
Andre- "Why should I give you my respect? Because you're a teacher? I don't know you. How do I know your not a liar standing up there."
Marcus- "Lady, I'm lucky if I make it to 18, we in a war! We graduating every day we live because we ain't afraid to die protecting our own."
Shallow Focus- Focuses us on a part of an image + blurs the rest. Tells the viewer where their attention is needed.
Deep Focus- Everything in the image is sharp + clear
In the Holocaust scene, shallow focus is used to show the theme of tolerance. For instance, we see a picture being passed around the room until it reaches Jamal. The picture is a stereotype of an African American with big lips and has Jamal's name on it. When he receives it, Jamal puts his hat back on and shrinks into his chair. Shallow focus is used to bring our attention to the picture and its effect on Jamal. This makes us understand that the picture was used to bully and embarrass Jamal. The director did this to help us empathise with the characters and gain an insight into what their lives are like. Coinciding with this is the use of costume- in this case, Jamal's hat. When Jamal puts the hat on, it symbolises that he wants to hide away and not be seen. This scene introduces the viewer to the theme of tolerance because we can see that currently the students do not respect each other's cultures, beliefs, or identities. This makes students like Jamal feel unsafe in class.
Close up shot
Costume- Hat- Symbol of hiding
Angles- High/Low- shows power/Dominance
Lighting- dim/bright- Shows emotion e.g Jamal overwhelmed
Close up/mid shots- Teacher in midshot, Students close up, we feel the distance between the students + the teachers.
Tolerance: The ability to put up with others beliefs, attitudes + culture even when you don't agree/ it's different from your own.
Overcoming Adversity: Pushing through something difficult or dangerous.
In the Holocaust, Close up shots are used to show the emotions of the students and make us see from their perspective. For instance, we see Jamal shrink down into himself and tries not to be noticed.
Brainstorm: A student read his diary to the teacher + the class. His family has been evicted. He feels at home at school in room 203 with Ms Gruwell and the students. Overcoming Adversity- he has come to school despite being evicted.
Music- Slow, Soft, Sad
Lighting- bright, Natural- creates an atmosphere of a warm, happy, welcome space.
Camera- close up when he says he's home- shows the audience his emotion
Dolly shot- from close up to mid shot back to close up shows the viewer that the student is surrounded, supported by his classroom family.
Shallow focus- Speaker is in sharp, those around are blurred to make him the focus, most important
Brainstorm: Miep Gies was telling the students about what happened on August 4th and how she had to hide Anne Frank + her family. Marcus stands up and tells her that she is his hero. Miep Gies says that they are the heroes.
Camera- Pan shot- Used ti show all the students are there and they are all focused + listening not distracted like previous scenes.
Lighting- Bright, cold, natural- Backlit- Creates a halo effect making her seen angelic or god-like. This works because the students see Miep as a god because she saved the Franks.
Music- Subtle quiet, builds in volume + intensity, used to heighten the viewer's emotions.
In the 'I am home' scene shallow focus is used to show how the character overcame adversity. It showed us how he overcame a difficult situation by telling his classroom his secret.
In the 'you are the heroes' scene close up shot is used to show the emotions of the character and the way she would speak she sounded
