Tuesday 12 April 2016

Edge Of Tomorrow

Q 1. Explain two ways the characters and/ or events fit the action adventure genre.
Use examples from the extract. [10 marks]

The film fits the conventions of action adventure by a battle of good and evil. It focuses in on the protagonist, William cage, so that the audience can easily tell he is the good character. The antagonists are aliens whom the protagonist fights off; using guns which dramatically make them explode. This is a convention by using large weapons e.g. the mental armed suit and the dramatic fall back when hit, everything is exaggerated.

Another way it fits the typical conventions of the action adventure genre is it relies on the action sequences to build the action aspect as these have a variety of camera shots e.g. close up and there’s loud sound effects to emphasise guns, death and crashing of the ships.

Q2. Explain how each of the following is used to create effects:
soundtrack
editing
mise en scene
camerawork
Use examples from the extract. [30 marks]

In the clip we looked at there is an establishing shot of hundreds of ships travelling to the battlefield. this shot creates the setting so that the audience can follow the story-line, it introduces that there will now be a lot of action. Dolly zoom is then used for the audience to see the main protagonist's, William Cage, facial reaction to his current situation. It passes the extras on the ship to focus in on Cage's face and shows the expression on it. The audience and Cage are the only ones who know the ship is about to explode so the tension starts to build and the intense view of his face helps the audience connect.  afterward there is a brief glimpse at Cage's futuristic controls for his armor, this is a point of view shot as it is pointing downward to what his is looking at. The audience can connect with Cage from that. Due to all the action that now occurs to simulate the ground shaking from explosions and crashing ships the camera is now hand held so shakes, this creates a more realistic view of what the audience would actually go through is they were in this situation. It makes the film seem more realistic and intensifies the battle as they can feel/see the reaction of an explosion. Tracking and medium shots are used so that the audience are still focused on the protagonist but can also see the action in the background, it helps to let the audience view it all.

Editing in action sequences is key as it has to be fast paced so that the audience are always interested and can stay stimulated. There is a shift with continuity and non-continuity as when Cage wakes up he brings the story back to the start using a jump cut. he does develop and move it on still as each time he knows what to do so there is still continuity. Continuity brings the story forward, we follow them into battle and  explore it with Cage. Each time he dies we get to learn what went wrong and how he will change it. CGI is a large part of this film as it is action adventure and sci-fi which means its important. The antagonist is the aliens, which the audience are believed to think are the the enemy.

Q 3. Discuss the ways in which people are represented in the extract.

Refer to stereotypes in your answer.
Use examples from the extract. [20 marks]

The main character, William cage, develops from being terrified and unsure of what is happening to slowly saving multiple lives and helping to save the whole world. This is because of the alien blood, he goes back to the start and can learn about what went wrong and how to prevent it. Eventually he meets the female character, Rita, who was seen as propaganda on the side of a bus when Cage woke up. This shows that the war is equal in how it treats both genders and would appeal to females. We then meet her multiple times as Cage saves her life. Women in action adventure films can vary in their stereotype, as in war films they appear strong and equal but they are usually a love interest too. So despite their independent nature they end up relying on the male protagonist.

Cage also develops because he builds a relationship with the roommates we meets, so rather than the original joke on the ship of there being a ‘dead man’ in his suit everyone likes him as he protected their card game. He earned their friendship.


The male protagonist may have been scared at first but then all a sudden when he panics he manages to find a button which blows up the alien just in time, this then causes his to relive, but after that he becomes an action packed man that saves lives, kills multiple aliens, finds the girls and possibly save the world.

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