About English 2.2 – Analyse specified aspect(s) of studied visual or oral text(s), supported by evidence

This achievement standard involves analysing specified aspect(s) of studied visual or oral text(s), supported by evidence.

For achievement criteria, key tips, assessment, practice information and related links go to: Studyit English 2.2 – Analyse visual or oral text

Hi, looking for some feedback on my King’s Speech essay. Looking for E7/E8, any advice is appreciated.

Analyse how symbolism was used to emphasise at least one important idea.

In the film “The King’s Speech”, directed by Tom Hooper, symbolism was used to show the audience that we can overcome personal adversity with the help of authentic friendships. The director invites the audience to consider if we can ever really ‘defeat’ our fears or rather if overcoming our fears ever really meant their absence. The symbols of the microphone, flying and freedom are used to emphasise the importance of friendship to help us find the courage to face our fears. The director aims to show the audience the healing impact friendship has in overcoming trauma from our pasts in order to make the most out of our present.

The director uses the symbol of the microphone to represent Berties overwhelming fear of speaking due to his stammer. Throughout the film the microphone is purposefully dominant to illustrate how constricted Bertie is due to this fear. This idea is clearly shown in the opening scene in which Bertie must say a speech to a large crowd at Wembley Stadium. The camera holds multiple close up shots on Berties facial expressions in which his mouth quivers in terror and his eyes flicker and dart. This creates the impression of strong anxiety. Although the majority of the audience cannot identify with having a stammer, these invasive camera angels resonate as we can all relate to the painful, nerve wracking feeling that comes before we must do something that terrifies us. The ArchBishop of Cantubury says to Bertie “Let the microphone do the work,‘’ just before he begins to walk up the stairs to do his speech. The camera is still close up making the audience feel like we are invading his personal space, making us feel conflicting emotions. We cringe and want to run away, to escape. This is parallel to how Bertie feels. The ArchBishops statement comes across condescending and unhelpful. This implication that the microphone must do the work implies that Bertie is incapable of speaking without assistance. The microphone symbolises how Bertie has no control over his fear and how his fear holds him back from fulfilling his duties and even more so holds him back from freedom. The camera holds a high angle shot as Bertie ascends the stairs making him look small, weak and minimised. In direct contrast to the low angle shot of the microphone which looks almost personified, the microphone looks powerful and dominant. The microphone is always in the frame, always in focus and always larger than Bertie. This symbolism sets up Berties fear of speaking and how much it stops him from being able to communicate. The microphone has this minimising effect on Bertie and the directors purpose is to establish how Bertie is human, a person who has fears. Tom Hooper purposefully uses the microphone as a symbol to show how Berties fear and how he is yet to “overcome” that fear.

The director uses the symbol of flight and freedom to show the impact Berties childhood and lack of real relationships has had on his fear of speaking. A scene after Berties father has just passed away in which Bertie and Logue bond uses this symbol of flight and freedom to clearly show that his stammer does not stem from a physical disability rather a powerful mental block which developed from childhood and, due to his lack of real trusting communication in friendship, has only gotten worse. The camera holds a mid shot of both Bertie and Logue, to show their equality. Logue begins to open up about his own problems with his father, putting himself in a position of emotional vulnerability. Logue shows his own weakness in order to show Bertie it is safe to open up, something Bertie has always been taught to avoid. Bertie asks Logue if he can glue some struts onto one of Logue’s son’s model planes. While Berties hands are distracted, he begins to open up about his struggle throughout childhood. Bertie is not just playing with the plane, he is constructing one. This symbolises how Logue has allowed Bertie to move on from the pain of his past. By exploring his past traumas with a friend he has been able to heal the parts of his childhood that were restricting his freedom. Tom Hooper has purposefully shown Bertie assembling the toy plane specifically to illustrate how he is rebuilding his confidence and gaining his own freedom, the freedom to metaphorically fly away. The freedom, no longer to escape, but to be free of his fears that had held him back since childhood. We learn that Bertie was never allowed freedom, the plane symbolises how Bertie was never allowed to have a normal childhood. When Bertie has the courage to open up to Logue about the roots of his problem we sense a change in Bertie. The release of that withheld emotional baggage allows Bertie to understand his fears which helps hugely in his journey to control them. There is also a scene where the plane symbol is used in which David, Berties brother, flies into Sandringham Estate with casual arrogance while Bertie nervously paces back and forth. This shows that David has no moral obligation to the throne and does not feel tied down or restricted by his royal duties. In direct contrast to how Bertie is completely paralyzed by his royal obligations and fear that he cannot fulfill them. The director uses this plane symbol to show two things. Firstly, how Berties restrictive, impersonal childhood was the source of his fear and hence his stammer. Secondly, to show the audience his journey to freedom. His desire to escape combined with his desire to be free from his fear of speaking which holds him back from fulfilling his duties.

The director uses the microphone symbol again in the ending scene in order to show Berties development from the fearful Duke of York to the more confident King. In the ending scene where Bertie makes his first wartime speech, the microphone no longer dominates the shots. Bertie is now in focus and the microphone feels smaller and much less powerful. The microphone symbolises Berties journey and how although the fear is not gone, he is now much more able to speak alongside his fear with much less of a stammer. The minimisation of the microphone combined with the cameras focus on Logue highlights the power friendship has to help us explore our fears in a safe and non judgemental environment. The directors purpose here is to show the healing impact friendships have on guiding us through personal adversity. Logue says to Bertie before before the speech “Forget everything else and say it to me… Say it to me as a friend.” This illustrates that Bertie is no longer focused on the microphone which shows he is no longer consumed by his fear of speaking. He is now focused on Logue, meaning he is more focused on the success of his journey rather than the anxiety of the result. After the successful speech the microphone is no longer in the frame and Logue says “Well done, your majesty”. This symbolises that Bertie has control over his fear and can therefore be free from it. The directors purpose here is to show that through Berties courage in opening up to Logue and developing a supportive friendship he has been able to confidently combat his fear and therefore fulfill his royal duties. He has stepped up into the role of a King.

Overall the symbolism of the microphone and the plane allowed the director to show the audience Berties development. This was purposefully done to illustrate how friendship can help us to overcome our fears. We see that we can in fact change, we can grow and learn to control these personal fears. The development of Bertie and Logues friendship gave Bertie the courage to combat his fears, symbolised by the microphone and the ability to be free from those fears giving him, finally, a sense of personal freedom, symbolised by the plane motif.

Hi my name is Taiala Mahe and I am currently studying as a Year 12 Student. I’m seeking help on my incomplete analysis of the Film “The Shawshank Redemption” directed by Frank Darabont. My themes are Hope and Institutionalization.

At some point in time we are bound to face obstacles that may result in us taking full responsibility for somebody else’s wrong doing but it’s our attitude towards the problem that makes the difference. In the film “The Shawshank Redemption” directed by Frank Darabont, Brooks Hatlen, Red and Andy are the protagonists that is introduced to us in the following scenes: Brook’s release, Red’s release and Andy’s escape. Darabont uses this scene to implement the idea that fear can hold you prisoner but hope can set you free. Different combinations of language features such as music, narration and camera work are used to highlight the idea that although our physical body is imprisoned, our mind is still as free as a bird which creates a powerful emotional response in the audience. Darabont utilizes the rhetorical appeals of logos, ethos and pathos through Andy Dufresne to expunge the other inmate’s hopelessness and fear in order to gain freedom within the institutionalized walls of Shawshank prison. These scenes prove the unruly effects and the reward that a hopeful mind can bring, but it also creates tension and anxiety in the audience.

Brooks’ Release:
Thomas Newman (music editor) uses a soft piano score playing in the background of Brooks’ release to create tension and also create a tone of curiosity from the beginning of that scene to the end. We feel immense sympathy for Brooks, because of the entire scenario we see onscreen surrounding him.The scene begins with Brooks leaving Shawshank State Prison through the large black gates, with the prison officers kindly acknowledging him, wishing him well for the future. The framing of this shot allows Brooks to walk towards us as we see his hopeless facial expression, signifying that he does not know where to go, even though he has just been released. The next scene, we see Brooks, walking down a random street, still in smart attire, suitcase in hand, however he looking lost as he crosses a public road. The next shot again reinforces this sense of sadness from the previous shot, where we then see that he is tight lipped through a mid-shot, staring off into the distance towards his hometown, wondering how the society he left behind has now rapidly changed.The dilapidated area anchors the sadness for the character and mirrors the melancholy from the minor key chords we are hearing from within the music. The director’s powerful use of cinematography and editing create a powerful and emotive scene as Brooks, now an elderly convict, so used to a life of confinement, to then not being able to cope with liberation as well as being unable to exist in an entirely different society to that when he was first sentenced. Red narrates in the background saying that “Brooks has been in prison so long that he is institutionalized.”
From this point on, Brooks is narrating his new life through the letter he sends to his ‘fellas’ back at Shawshank Prison. He begins with, “I can’t believe how fast things are on the outside.” where we then see him abruptly stop as a car nearly hits him as he is crossing the road. The medium shot allows us to identify how the use of tracking of Brooks crossing the road corresponds with what Brooks is narrating, showing how narration and moving image work effectively to create a powerful emotion of sympathy for Brooks. He then goes on to say that he “once saw an automobile as a kid, but now they are everywhere!” again signifying the longevity of his prison sentence. The medium shot of Brooks, with the cars driving by the foreground helps to convey his confusion at the speed of the world. “The world got itself into a big damn hurry.” continues Brooks, where we cut to him, receiving a key to a new apartment looking up to a foreboding building through another medium close up, allowing us to gain the sense of how intimidating he finds the world on the outside. The director, throughout this sequence, always cuts back to Brooks on a mid-shot, so that we can see his eyes moving frantically as he comes to terms with his new way of life. He fills the frame, making this quite an uncomfortable shot, of which this creates the same sense of discomfort amongst the audience, so we mirror his feelings.
The camera pauses, while we see crumbs falling out of Brooks’ hand, connoting the idea that time is slowing slipping away from his grasp or it could signify the crumbs as him, slowly drifting away from this new society.

The fact that we see Brooks feeding the pigeons, links to his love for the bird he owned in prison, hoping that one day he will show up, but he never does. The slow rise of the camera creates a heart wrenching effect because of the fact we are seeing an elderly man’s face showing no signs of hope and motivation.
A lower angle shot which is quite uncomfortable, Brooks being agitated in bed, not being able to sleep. Through the mid-shot, we see Brooks engulfed by darkness, scared of his nightmares of which he is falling. He is wearing a white vest in a bed with white sheets, this portrays how innocent and pure this man is, an enlightening person for those in prison, he was the librarian, to someone now so full of fear, of the one thing you’d think a convict would want freedom.

Red’s release:
Often we find ourselves believing how detrimental Hope can be and it can but nothing worthwhile in life comes easy because sacrifice is needed for anyone to succeed.

Andy’s Escape:

Hiya Sofya
This is a detailed and accurate discussion of the film. Further discussion of the impact of the film on the audience, ie the viewer’s response will assist in showing perceptive understanding. think about using judgement words eg effectively/deliberately etc to show what the director does or chooses to do in the film.
ET2

Hi, I’m looking for some feedback on my Lucifer Essay.

Analyse how one or more characters persuaded you to adopt a particular point of view about a theme.

The television series ‘Lucifer’ directed by Tom Kapinos, focuses on Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil, who abandons his throne in Hell to live in Los Angeles, where he runs his own nightclub ‘Lux’. After he becomes involved in a murder case with Detective Chloe Decker, he becomes a civilian consultant to the LAPD. Throughout the series, Lucifer deals with several celestial and demonic threats which come to LA, while at the same time, setting out on a path of redemption for himself. The character of Lucifer Morningstar persuaded me to adopt a particular view surrounding the theme of redemption, that the road to redemption isn’t easy but is rather difficult and that anyone can change for the better if they truly desire to.

Early on in the series, it can be seen that Lucifer hates the fact that throughout history and time humanity has continuously blamed him for all their sins. This can be shown through the use of dialogue, “Why do they blame me for all the little failings? As if I’d spent my days, sitting on their shoulder, forcing them to commit acts they’d otherwise find repulsive… I have never made any one of them do anything. Never”. This dialogue shows Lucifer’s frustration and anger that humanity will always use his name to represent all their depravity, as God has made humanity view him this way. His body language also shows this as while he continues to talk, we can see that he begins to move around a lot in his seat as he begins to become more unsettled and frustrated. Although people believe that the Devil is pure evil, Lucifer seems to be the only one who believes that he is a ‘hero’, someone punishing evil, not embodying it. This sets up Lucifer’s quest to prove that he isn’t what everyone sees him as, and that he can change for the better. The director’s purpose was to show the viewer that their past doesn’t define them, and if they want to, they can become a better person.

The story of this series shows how a quest for redemption and for change, can be difficult. In the third season of the series, after Lucifer prevents a war from happening in heaven by sending his mother, the goddess of creation to another dimension, he no longer believes he is a monster and he decides he wants to tell Chloe the truth about himself. “I’m done hiding…I want to tell you everything”. This shows that Lucifer is ready to confront his past since it is no longer who he is. However, for reasons unbeknownst to him, he has lost his Devil face and is unable to reveal his identity to Chloe. We soon find out that his Devil face had disappeared due to Lucifer believing that he wasn’t a monster anymore and that he was good. This belief that he was good caused his angel wings to return. But after he killed Cain, the world’s first murderer, he felt like a monster again, causing his Devil face to return. “Deep down you know you’re a monster… No matter what you tell yourself. You can’t outrun what you’ve done. What you truly are”. This piece of dialogue was said by Lucifer to Cain; however, he was also referring to himself as deep down, Lucifer believes he is a monster. While Lucifer is delivering his speech to Cain, we can see his eyes slowly becoming red and his face slowly change to his Devil face. However, Lucifer doesn’t realize this, so when Chloe catches him off-guard and sees his Devil face, the suddenness of it all leaves both characters speechless. Chloe handles this revelation by disappearing for a prolonged amount of time and returning with a plot to reluctantly return Lucifer back to Hell. Revealing his identity to Chloe was meant to progress Lucifer towards being better, but instead, it regressed his character as he starts to acknowledge that he may be doomed to be what God made him. The director’s purpose was to show the viewer that the road to redemption isn’t a straight and easy path but is rather difficult with many bends in the road.

In season four of the series, Lucifer is at his most evil. After his quest for change results in him sparing a spoilt criminal, a cop is murdered. Taking justice into his own hands, Lucifer hunts down the criminal and breaks his spine. With Eve, the original sinner at his side, encouraging him, Lucifer begins his crusade to wipe out all the evil he encounters. “I’m the Devil. I ruled Hell, people were sent to me so I could punish them, and it is my job to do the same here on Earth, because when I don’t, bad things happen”. This dialogue from Lucifer shows that he no longer wants to change and believes that what he was doing in the first place was what was best for everyone. His mindset has shifted, and he feels that there is no plausible way he can change. This is reflected through his physical transformations. Near the finale of season four, Lucifer starts physically transforming into his ‘devil form’. A form that resembles our idea of what the Devil looks like. He believes he has simply done too much wrong to keep his darkness at bay. He believes that he is a monster and he hates himself for it. When talking to Chloe, he tells her, “I know why I hate myself because everything I touch, I ruin… Look at what I put you through. I hate that I am poison for anyone who dares to care about me. Especially you”. Chloe then helps Lucifer realize that in order for him to change, he needs to forgive himself. “You always talk about how much you hate being blamed for humanities sins… I think I know why you hate it so much, because deep down you blame yourself just as much, if not more. You have to stop taking responsibility for things you can’t control… You need to forgive yourself”. The impact of this dialogue is emphasized by a close-up shot of Lucifer, as we the viewer can see the pain and sadness in his eyes as well as his realization of what he needs to do. His desire to forgive himself is what makes his devil form disappear. This was his first step to getting back on his path of redemption. The director’s purpose was to show that since the road to redemption is difficult it is easier for you to fall into your old ways.

When the demons from Hell begin possessing dead bodies all over LA and also kidnap Lucifer’s baby nephew to have him become the new King of Hell, as Lucifer has no desire of returning to Hell, Lucifer’s past has caught up with him. It is all this chaos that allows him to complete his cycle of change. In order to rid the Earth of a demon infestation, Lucifer has to become the thing he hates more than anything, the Devil that people fear. He transforms into his devil form and commands the demons to return to Hell. Following this, he understands that as long as he stays on Earth, the threat of another attack is imminent. This prompts him to return to Hell as its King, but not as the Devil that people have come to fear, or as the Devil he came to Earth as. He returns as a selfless one. One that has made a personal sacrifice. One that has changed. We can see the proof of this change as his angel wings have returned, showing that he has changed and has redeemed himself. By accomplishing this he shows that nobody is doomed to be pure evil. People change, and clearly so do Devils.

The underlying theme of redemption in the series ‘Lucifer’ serves to display that if even the Devil, a revered symbol of pure evil, can change for the better, anyone can. Although he faced hardships along the way, he always managed to circle around. In my eyes, this series is the perfect example of what it is like to make a change in your life, a change often prompted by your actions in the past. Lucifer Morningstar is the perfect example of how that past can catch up to you and with that, you have the option to either confront it, or embrace it. Embrace it and go back to your old ways or confront it and become someone new. The choice is yours to make.

Hi ren17
Welcome to Studyit!
Glad you have found us before exams.
I’m looking at your essay now - will post with comments below.
ET2

Hi, I’m looking for some feedback on my Lucifer Essay.

Analyse how one or more characters persuaded you to adopt a particular point of view about a theme.

The television series ‘Lucifer’ directed by Tom Kapinos, focuses on Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil, who abandons his throne in Hell to live in Los Angeles, where he runs his own nightclub ‘Lux’. After he becomes involved in a murder case with Detective Chloe Decker, he becomes a civilian consultant to the LAPD. Throughout the series, Lucifer deals with several celestial and demonic threats which come to LA, while at the same time, setting out on a path of redemption for himself. The character of Lucifer Morningstar persuaded me to adopt a particular view surrounding the theme of redemption, that the road to redemption isn’t easy but is rather difficult and that anyone can change for the better if they truly desire to. interesting choice of text - did you study in class or independently? Intro clear and to the point

Early on in the series, it can be seen that Lucifer hates the fact that throughout history and time humanity has continuously blamed him for all their sins. This can be shown through the use of dialogue, “Why do they blame me for all the little failings? As if I’d spent my days, sitting on their shoulder, forcing them to commit acts they’d otherwise find repulsive… I have never made any one of them do anything. Never”. This dialogue shows Lucifer’s frustration and anger that humanity will always use his name to represent all their depravity, as God has made humanity view him this way. His body language also shows this as while he continues to talk, we can see that he begins to move around a lot in his seat as he begins to become more unsettled and frustrated. Although people believe that the Devil is pure evil, Lucifer seems to be the only one who believes that he is a ‘hero’, someone punishing evil, not embodying it. This sets up Lucifer’s quest to prove that he isn’t what everyone sees him as, and that he can change for the better. The director’s purpose :grinning:was to show the viewer that their past doesn’t define them, and if they want to, they can become a better person. good comment on director’s purpose, point clealry made with supporting relevant evidence

The story of this series shows how a quest for redemption and for change, can be difficult. In the third season of the series, after Lucifer prevents a war from happening in heaven by sending his mother, the goddess of creation to another dimension, he no longer believes he is a monster and he decides he wants to tell Chloe the truth about himself. “I’m done hiding…I want to tell you everything”. This shows that Lucifer is ready to confront his past since it is no longer who he is. However, for reasons unbeknownst to him, he has lost his Devil face and is unable to reveal his identity to Chloe. We soon find out that his Devil face had disappeared due to Lucifer believing that he wasn’t a monster anymore and that he was good. This belief that he was good caused his angel wings to return. But after he killed Cain, the world’s first murderer, he felt like a monster again, causing his Devil face to return. “Deep down you know you’re a monster… No matter what you tell yourself. You can’t outrun what you’ve done. What you truly are”. This piece of dialogue was said by Lucifer to Cain; however, he was also referring to himself as deep down, Lucifer believes he is a monster. While Lucifer is delivering his speech to Cain, we can see his eyes slowly becoming red and his face slowly change to his Devil face. However, Lucifer doesn’t realize this, so when Chloe catches him off-guard and sees his Devil face, the suddenness of it all leaves both characters speechless. Chloe handles this revelation by disappearing for a prolonged amount of time and returning with a plot to reluctantly return Lucifer back to Hell. Revealing his identity to Chloe was meant to progress Lucifer towards being better, but instead, it regressed his character as he starts to acknowledge that he may be doomed to be what God made him. The director’s purpose was to show the viewer that the road to redemption isn’t a straight and easy path but is rather difficult with many bends in the road.**be careful - a lot of plot in this section as opposed to analysis **

In season four of the series, Lucifer is at his most evil. After his quest for change results in him sparing a spoilt criminal, a cop is murdered. Taking justice into his own hands, Lucifer hunts down the criminal and breaks his spine. With Eve, the original sinner at his side, encouraging him, Lucifer begins his crusade to wipe out all the evil he encounters. “I’m the Devil. I ruled Hell, people were sent to me so I could punish them, and it is my job to do the same here on Earth, because when I don’t, bad things happen”. This dialogue from Lucifer shows that he no longer wants to change and believes that what he was doing in the first place was what was best for everyone. His mindset has shifted, and he feels that there is no plausible way he can change. This is reflected through his physical transformations. Near the finale of season four, Lucifer starts physically transforming into his ‘devil form’. A form that resembles our idea of what the Devil looks like. He believes he has simply done too much wrong to keep his darkness at bay. He believes that he is a monster and he hates himself for it. When talking to Chloe, he tells her, “I know why I hate myself because everything I touch, I ruin… Look at what I put you through. I hate that I am poison for anyone who dares to care about me. Especially you”. Chloe then helps Lucifer realize that in order for him to change, he needs to forgive himself. “You always talk about how much you hate being blamed for humanities sins… I think I know why you hate it so much, because deep down you blame yourself just as much, if not more. You have to stop taking responsibility for things you can’t control… You need to forgive yourself”. The impact of this dialogue is emphasized by a close-up shot :grinning: yes, another technique - cannot rely on dialogue alone of Lucifer, as we the viewer can see the pain and sadness in his eyes as well as his realization of what he needs to do. His desire to forgive himself is what makes his devil form disappear. This was his first step to getting back on his path of redemption. The director’s purpose was to show that since the road to redemption is difficult it is easier for you to fall into your old ways. can we learn from this???

When the demons from Hell begin possessing dead bodies all over LA and also kidnap Lucifer’s baby nephew to have him become the new King of Hell, as Lucifer has no desire of returning to Hell, Lucifer’s past has caught up with him. It is all this chaos that allows him to complete his cycle of change. In order to rid the Earth of a demon infestation, Lucifer has to become the thing he hates more than anything, the Devil that people fear. He transforms into his devil form and commands the demons to return to Hell. Following this, he understands that as long as he stays on Earth, the threat of another attack is imminent. This prompts him to return to Hell as its King, but not as the Devil that people have come to fear, or as the Devil he came to Earth as. He returns as a selfless one. One that has made a personal sacrifice. One that has changed. We can see the proof of this change as his angel wings have returned, showing that he has changed and has redeemed himself. By accomplishing this he shows that nobody is doomed to be pure evil. People change, and clearly so do Devils. in the world of fiction! do you need this last point? not as strong as previous ones

The underlying theme of redemption in the series ‘Lucifer’ serves to display that if even the Devil, a revered symbol of pure evil, can change for the better, anyone can. **you need to make comment on the techniques here - sum up the HOW the director does this **Although he faced hardships along the way, he always managed to circle around. In my eyes, this series is the perfect example of what it is like to make a change in your life, a change often prompted by your actions in the past. Lucifer Morningstar is the perfect example of how that past can catch up to you and with that, you have the option to either confront it, or embrace it. Embrace it and go back to your old ways or confront it and become someone new. The choice is yours to make.

You have a good understanding of theme - but a bit thin on techniques used throughout. The HOW is important.
ET2

Hi, I’m looking for some feedback on my written essay on the film “Doubt”. Any feedback would be appreciated especially on the structure as I’m a bit unsure on that.

Question: Analyse how the opening established a main character or characters

The opening of the film Doubt serves as a way for Director John Patrick Shanley to establish the characters Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius through assumptions based on preconceptions about Nuns and Priests.
When Shanley establishes the characters Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn in such a way that we make assumptions about them only to reveal how inaccurate these assumptions are later in the film, we are made to doubt our judgment and feel uncertain in order to understand Shanley’s purpose, as said himself, of learning “to live with a full measure of uncertainty”. Shanley does this through the use of language features such as actor’s performance, dialogue and camera shots.

In the opening scene of the film “Doubt”, the director Shanley utilises camera shots and dialogue to introduce the character of Father Flynn.
Throughout the scene, shots show the congregation as they listen to Father Flynn homily and through the performances of the actors and actresses of those in the crowd, the audience is shown the congregation’s attentive and captivated reactions to give the audience the impression that Father Flynn is admired, respected and a good priest that can captivate people in his teachings of God.
Father Flynn is further established as a good priest through the use of dialogue in his sermon when Father Flynn uses the example of the recent John.F.Kennedy shooting (at the setting of the film in 1960 America) as something that is “a travesty” but also a thing that unites Americans to show how doubting things, including religious faith, is a uniting experience. This dialogue shows the audience how Father Flynn can use modern examples to help his audience relate to his religious messages which helps establish Father Flynn as a good priest and a man with the times in the audience’s minds. It’s easy for the audience to assume that Father Flynn is a good man because he is a good priest because this preconception reflects society at the time as priests in 1960 America were well respected in their communities.
Shanley introduces Father Flynn through these techniques during a sermon to allow audiences to make assumptions of his character based on the audience’s previous perceptions of priests. For example, when certain viewers see how Father Flynn is a good priest they might assume that he is automatically a good role model because that’s what they associate with priests as they are men who are high up in the church who preach about God’s teachings, standing for righteousness and abolishing sin.
Thus Father Flynn’s character as an admired priest and a good role model is established through the audience being made to make assumptions which is part of Shanley’s purpose.

Another character established in the opening scene is Sister Aloysius.
The first shot of Sister Aloysius in the film is a mid-shot of her back as she gets up from listening to Father Flynn’s sermon to pace the aisles. Through the use of a mid-shot, the audience is only shown the back of her dark cloaked figure and dark nun’s habit to match as she slowly leaves her seat to prowl the pews. This introduces Sister Aloysius to the audience as a faceless, black, hooded figure and makes the audience assume that Sister Aloysius is a menacing, dark and intimidating presence.
This combined with the use of the actor’s performance of those playing the children as Sister Aloysiuswalks past and slaps a misbehaving boy’s head, further establishes Sister Aloysius as a harsh person. Through the scared reactions of the children who suddenly start sitting up straight, eyes wide and daring not to move when Sister Aloysius walks past, the audience is made to assume that she is someone to be feared and is harsh and uncaring towards children.
The fact that Shanley did not show Sister Aloysius’ face until she was about to tell off the last child, forced the audience to focus on her actions rather than her emotions. This was done not only to erase her humanity and accentuate her cruelness but also to emphasise the audience is invited to make assumptions about Sister Aloysius’ character based on outward appearances and without knowing the full story of her life or even emotions in the moment.
Just like he did for Father Flynn, Shanley is introducing Sister Aloysius through these techniques and the setting of a church so that the audience relies on its prior knowledge and preconceptions of nuns to fill in the gaps of Sister Aloysius that we weren’t shown and base assumptions of her character off of. For example, some people who watch doubt who have previous knowledge of nuns being unnecessarily harsh or even abusive to children might think Sister Aloysius is also that way just because she is a nun.
Thus, Shanley establishes Sister Aloysius as a mean nun who is hash to children using mid shots and actor’s performance in the opening scene and again Shanley sets the audience up by making them make assumptions about Sister Aloysius to later convey his purpose of doubting these assumptions.

At later points in the film, Shanley shows characteristics of Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius that conflict with how they were established in the beginning.
In a later scene where Father Flynn is having dinner with two other male high church authorities, through mise en scene of the props used the audience is shown the lavish items of Father Flynn’s meal which include cigarettes, rare bloody steak, multiple wine glasses and many complementary dishes to the meal. By showing his pleasure-seeking qualities, the audience is revealed a side of Father Flynn that is completely contradictory to the good role model who dedicates his life to teaching the teachings of God (of which drinking and smoking excessively are a sin).
This combined with the dialogue of Father Flynn gossiping about a parish woman saying she’s so “fat” that she “walks harder than a herd of elephants” further shows the audience how inaccurate their preconception was of Father Flynn at the beginning as a good priest and role model, as calling someone fat behind their back is not something we would associate with a priest who dedicates his life to teaching God’s messages of kindness.

Similarly, Shanley reveals a characteristic of Sister Aloysius that contrasts with how she was established in the beginning.
In a scene later in the film where the nuns are eating dinner, through a close up shot of Sister Aloysius’ hand as she wordlessly slides a fork into another nun’s fumbling fingers (whom we later learn will be kicked out of the parish if the church authorities know she is going blind), the audience is shown how their preconceptions of Sister Aloysius, in the beginning, aren’t entirely accurate as seeing Sister Aloysius protect a vulnerable nun against the intentions of her authorities is not something we expected from someone who was introduced by slapping the back of a boy’s head.
This combined with the use of the performance of Sister Aloysius’ actress (Meryl Streep) in a close up of Sister Aloysius’ face after she’s helped the almost blind nun, through which the audience sees Sister Aloysius avert her eyes from the nun and look up at the ceiling, to suggest to us that she is trying to be as inconspicuous as possible in doing the good deed. This shows the audience that even though Sister Aloysius’ methods of caring might be more unconventional, she still looks out for who she thinks is the most vulnerable (even when it might be at the expense of going against her authorities) and being revealed to her good intentions further proves how our initial assumptions of Sister Aloysius are not entirely accurate.

The fact that the audience feels taken aback when they are shown these characteristics of these characters that are contradictory to how they were established and the stereotypes surrounding their respective roles in the church emphasises how convinced of the character they were from their initial assumptions (even if subconsciously).
Although it’s easy to say Shanley made us assume Father Flynn was a sinless priest and Sister Aloysius was a strict and uncaring nun, Shanley didn’t force our minds to think that way. All he did was set the scene using stereotypes and preconceptions and let human nature take it from there. We as humans, assume things because we hate being uncertain or in doubt. Even subconsciously, our brains jump to conclusions when we are first introduced to someone, filling the gaps of information we aren’t given. This is because human nature causes us to make assumptions to avoid feeling uncertain or in doubt, because when we feel uncertain, we don’t have control, are scared of the unknown and feel vulnerable

The reason Shanley influences us to assume things about Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius when they were established in the opening only to reveal aspects of these characters that contradict how they were established, is to make us doubt our judgement. By feeling this doubt and being taken aback by the fact that the characters are not what they seem, the audience is made to doubt their assumptions and ask themselves, “was I right to think this about Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn?” and be further encouraged to doubt preconceptions and ask themselves, “am I right to think this?” in their own lives. Through this, Shanley helps the audience become more able to relate to his purpose of challenging human natural avoidance of doubt to encourage us to accept the role of doubt in human life. Judgments and Preconceptions can be limiting bc defining a person by their job or outward appearance discourages us from ever thinking of them in a way that’s outside of what they are perceived as in that stereotype. If more people’s thoughts of people weren’t constricted by stereotypes or preconceptions, back in the film’s setting of the 1960s or today, maybe more people would have acted on the obvious doubt that authorities weren’t actually as they seem.
For example, if more people in the 1960s setting of Doubt acted on their doubts of priests being inappropriate with children despite the fact that priests were so well respected by their communities, maybe more children could’ve been spared the horror of sexual abuse within the Church.
Thus through establishing the characters of Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn to purposefully show how the characters aren’t confined to how they were established in the opening, Shanley conveys his purpose of making us feel doubtful about our assumptions by questioning, “am I right to think this?” and encourage us to accept the role of doubt in our lives.

In conclusion, through the use of language features such as the actor’s performance, dialogue and camera shots, Shanley establishes the characters of Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius in the audience’s minds while also allowing the audience to make assumptions of these characters using personal and societal preconceptions about the characters’ outward appearance and their roles in the Church filling in the gaps of information we weren’t shown. Shanley does this so when characteristics of Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn that conflict with how they were established are shown later in the movie, the audience doubts their judgement and asks “Was I right to think that?”. Through this, Shanley conveys his purpose of encouraging us to embrace our doubts and uncertainties and to ask ourselves, “am I right to think that?” when confronted with preconceptions and assumptions in our own lives and as Shanley said himself, “learn to live with a full measure of uncertainty”.

Hiya G1710
Welcome to Studyit!Glad you have found us! I’m looking at your essay now - will post feedback below.
ET2

For a start - this is a very long essay - read over and take note of the time you spend on the plot!

The opening of the film Doubt serves as a way for Director John Patrick Shanley to establish the characters Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius through assumptions good start based on preconceptions about Nuns and Priests. When Shanley establishes the characters Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn in such a way that we make assumptions about them only to reveal how inaccurate these assumptions are later in the film, we are made to doubt our judgment and feel uncertain in order to understand Shanley’s purpose, as said himself, of learning “to live with a full measure of uncertainty”. Shanley does this through the use of language features such as actor’s performance, dialogue and camera shots. Good link to purpose

In the opening scene of the film “Doubt”, the director Shanleythink about using judgement words here eg effectively, cleverly etc utilises camera shots and dialogue to introduce the character of Father Flynn.

Throughout the scene, what shots??? shots show the congregation as they listen to Father Flynn homily and through the performances of the actors and actresses of those in the crowd, the audience is shown the congregation’s attentive and captivated reactions to give the audience the impression that Father Flynn is admired, respected and a good priest that can captivate people in his teachings of God. Father Flynn is further established as a good priest through the use of dialogue in his sermon when Father Flynn uses the example of the recent John.F.Kennedy shooting (at the setting of the film in 1960 America) as something that is “a travesty” but also a thing that unites Americans to show how doubting things, including religious faith, is a uniting experience. This dialogue shows the audience how Father Flynn can use modern examples to help his audience relate to his religious messages which helps establish Father Flynn as a good priest and a man with the times in the audience’s minds. It’s easy for the audience to assume **good point!**that Father Flynn is a good man because he is a good priest because this preconception reflects society at the time as priests in 1960 America were well respected in their communities.

Shanley introduces Father Flynn through these techniques during a sermon to allow audiences to make assumptions of his character based on the audience’s previous perceptions of priests. For example, when certain viewers see how Father Flynn is a good priest they might assume that he is automatically a good role model because that’s what they associate with priests as they are men who are high up in the church who preach about God’s teachings, standing for righteousness and abolishing sin. Thus Father Flynn’s character as an admired priest and a good role model is established through the audience being made to make assumptions which is part of Shanley’s purpose. a little repetitive - but a good point made

Another character established in the opening scene is Sister Aloysius.
The first shot of Sister Aloysius in the film is a mid-shot of her back as she gets up from listening to Father Flynn’s sermon to pace the aisles. Through the use of a mid-shot, :grinning:the audience is only shown the back of her dark cloaked figure and dark nun’s habit to match as she slowly leaves her seat to prowl the pews. This introduces Sister Aloysius to the audience as a faceless, black, hooded figure and makes the audience assume that Sister Aloysius is a menacing, dark and intimidating presence. so costume is important too
This combined with the use of the actor’s performance of those playing the children as Sister Aloysiuswalks past and slaps a misbehaving boy’s head, further establishes Sister Aloysius as a harsh person. Through the scared reactions of the children who suddenly start sitting up straight, eyes wide and daring not to move when Sister Aloysius walks past, the audience is made to assume that she is someone to be feared and is harsh and uncaring towards children.
The fact that Shanley did not show Sister Aloysius’ face until she was about to tell off the last child, forced the audience to focus on her actions rather than her emotions. This was done not only to erase her humanity and accentuate her cruelness but also to emphasise the audience is invited to make assumptions about Sister Aloysius’ character based on outward appearances and without knowing the full story of her life or even emotions in the moment.
well discussed
Just like he did for Father Flynn, Shanley is introducing Sister Aloysius through these techniques and the setting of a church so that the audience relies on its prior knowledge and preconceptions of nuns to fill in the gaps of Sister Aloysius that we weren’t shown and base assumptions of her character off of. For example, some people who watch doubt who have previous knowledge of nuns being unnecessarily harsh or even abusive to children might think Sister Aloysius is also that way just because she is a nun.
Thus, Shanley establishes Sister Aloysius as a mean nun who is harsh to children using mid shots and actor’s performance **and costume ** in the opening scene and again Shanley sets the audience up by making them make assumptions about Sister Aloysius to later convey his purpose of doubting these assumptions.

At later points **when???**in the film, Shanley shows characteristics of Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius that conflict with how they were established in the beginning.
In a later scene where Father Flynn is having dinner with two other male high church authorities, through mise en scene of the props used the audience is shown the lavish items of Father Flynn’s meal which include cigarettes, rare bloody steak, multiple wine glasses and many complementary dishes to the meal. By showing his pleasure-seeking qualities, the audience is revealed a side of Father Flynn that is completely contradictory to the good role model who dedicates his life to teaching the teachings of God (of which drinking and smoking excessively are a sin). This combined with the dialogue of Father Flynn gossiping about a parish woman saying she’s so “fat” that she “walks harder than a herd of elephants” further shows the audience how inaccurate their preconception was of Father Flynn at the beginning as a good priest and role model, as calling someone fat behind their back is not something we would associate with a priest who dedicates his life to teaching God’s messages of kindness.

Similarly, Shanley reveals a characteristic of Sister Aloysius that contrasts with how she was established in the beginning. In a scene later in the film where the nuns are eating dinner, through a close up shot of Sister Aloysius’ hand as she wordlessly slides a fork into another nun’s fumbling fingers (whom we later learn will be kicked out of the parish if the church authorities know she is going blind), the audience is shown how their preconceptions of Sister Aloysius, in the beginning, aren’t entirely accurate as seeing Sister Aloysius protect a vulnerable nun against the intentions of her authorities is not something we expected from someone who was introduced by slapping the back of a boy’s head.
you have a lot of stuff in this section - some of which is the same as earlier points - which ones do you see as stronger points??? Focus on those rather than repeat more

This combined with the use of the performance of Sister Aloysius’ actress (Meryl Streep) in a close up of Sister Aloysius’ face after she’s helped the almost blind nun, through which the audience sees Sister Aloysius avert her eyes from the nun and look up at the ceiling, to suggest to us that she is trying to be as inconspicuous as possible in doing the good deed. This shows the audience that even though Sister Aloysius’ methods of caring might be more unconventional, she still looks out for who she thinks is the most vulnerable (even when it might be at the expense of going against her authorities) and being revealed to her good intentions further proves how our initial assumptions of Sister Aloysius are not entirely accurate.

The fact that the audience feels taken aback when they are shown these characteristics of these characters that are contradictory to how they were established and the stereotypes surrounding their respective roles in the church emphasises how convinced of the character they were from their initial assumptions (even if subconsciously).due to the directors careful/effective/clever us of …
Although it’s easy to say Shanley made us assume Father Flynn was a sinless priest and Sister Aloysius was a strict and uncaring nun, Shanley didn’t force our minds to think that way. All he did was set the scene using stereotypes and preconceptions and let human nature take it from there. We as humans, assume things because we hate being uncertain or in doubt. Even subconsciously, our brains jump to conclusions when we are first introduced to someone, filling the gaps of information we aren’t given. This is because human nature causes us to make assumptions to avoid feeling uncertain or in doubt, because when we feel uncertain, we don’t have control, are scared of the unknown and feel vulnerable.
you need to look closely at these last two sections - you have very good ideas - but this is very wordy eg you could simplify the next section by starting 'Shanley’s purpose is to…
The reason Shanley influences us to assume things about Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius when they were established in the opening only to reveal aspects of these characters that contradict how they were established, is to make us doubt our judgement. By feeling this doubt and being taken aback by the fact that the characters are not what they seem, the audience is made to doubt their assumptions and ask themselves, “was I right to think this about Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn?” and be further encouraged to doubt preconceptions and ask themselves, “am I right to think this?” in their own lives. Through this, Shanley helps the audience become more able to relate to his purpose of challenging human natural avoidance of doubt to encourage us to accept the role of doubt in human life. Judgments and Preconceptions can be limiting bc defining a person by their job or outward appearance discourages us from ever thinking of them in a way that’s outside of what they are perceived as in that stereotype. If more people’s thoughts of people weren’t constricted by stereotypes or preconceptions, back in the film’s setting of the 1960s or today, maybe more people would have acted on the obvious doubt that authorities weren’t actually as they seem.
**don’t add another example here **
For example, if more people in the 1960s setting of Doubt acted on their doubts of priests being inappropriate with children despite the fact that priests were so well respected by their communities, maybe more children could’ve been spared the horror of sexual abuse within the Church.
Thus through establishing the characters of Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn to purposefully show how the characters aren’t confined to how they were established in the opening, Shanley conveys his purpose of making us feel doubtful about our assumptions by questioning, “am I right to think this?” and encourage us to accept the role of doubt in our lives. this sounds like a good conclusion - bu then you have another one…

In conclusion, through the use of language features such as the actor’s performance, dialogue and camera shots, Shanley establishes the characters of Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius in the audience’s minds while also allowing the audience to make assumptions of these characters using personal and societal preconceptions about the characters’ outward appearance and their roles in the Church filling in the gaps of information we weren’t shown. Shanley does this so when characteristics of Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn that conflict with how they were established are shown later in the movie, the audience doubts their judgement and asks “Was I right to think that?”. Through this, Shanley conveys his purpose of encouraging us to embrace our doubts and uncertainties and to ask ourselves, “am I right to think that?” when confronted with preconceptions and assumptions in our own lives and as Shanley said himself, “learn to live with a full measure of uncertainty”

You know the text very well, have a lot of relevant supporting evidence - but you tend to overwrite things - too much and some repetition - be selective about what you use
ET2

Thank you so much for the feedback! It’s just what I needed. Finding this website the day before the exam can only be described as the ultimate God-send. I’m definitely using this again and telling my friends :))

No worries. We can only mark so many though? They need to be on ASAP
ET2

Hi there!! Just a quick question - for my visual text essay, what counts as language features? Do theme, setting and character all count alongside film techniques?

Thank you so much!!!

Hiya skedaddle
**No theme and setting and character are not language features - visual and verbal techniques are : lighting/soundeffects/camera shots/ camera angles/ costume/ dialogue etc etc **
ET2

Hello I’m looking for some feedback on my The Sixth Scene essay. Much appreciated

Hi again Razzledazzle

You clearly have an excellent understanding of this film - with heaps of good understanding of evidence, a sense of Darabont’s purpose and a clear answer to the question. The stuff about Brooks being foreshadowed by the raven is particularly strong.

This would get an E in the exam - however, be careful that you are not repeating yourself - this is incredibly long, and you definitely could have cut a whole paragraph and still got an E, so make sure you pace yourself, especially if you are doing more than one paper. Also - be careful about phrasing of question - “foreshadowing” an important event means hinting at later importance - you definitely are discussing this thoroughly in parts, but in parts you are not quite explaining what the significance is in terms of the film as a whole - For example in body para one, yo talk about how this scene shows Andy as someone who gets contentment from that freedom, who shows leadership etc - for which the strongest argument would probably be that it foreshadows him bringing hope to prisoners in a number of ways later in the film, as well as that ultimate contentment he finds in the blue of Zihuatanejo in freedom. Think of foreshadowing as hints - what hints do we get about what is to come? This may have been what you meant, but it did not come across super clearly in some parts.

Hope that helps :slight_smile:

1 Like

Thank you for the feedback. Really appreciated it and will definitely take it into account. :slight_smile: