Batman Begins - Genre Tropes

Batman Begins

Superhero Genre Tropes

'Batman Begins' is the first installation in the Christopher Nolan trilogy of Batman films and was one of the first Superhero films to take a much more dark approach to the genre. It was an attempt by DC to create a more gritty and brutal version of the classic hero to expand into the action genre and (with that) widen the audience.

Though the cliché of a superhero costume is still present, the one in Batman Begins is nothing like that of Superman or Spiderman; replacing the tight pants and underwear for a bullet resistant combat suit. I believe this is an important detail when trying to compare B.B to the classic representation of superheroes in comics since it shows that they don't want to stray too far from the source material and completely remove the costumes, but they also don't want to just give them the same silly style that everyone is bored with.

Plot wise, B.B doesn't do anything particularly genre defining, sticking to the old 'Save the City/World from the villains!' idea which, however boring it may be sometimes, is a very effective way to create a problem for the hero to solve that shows off his kind and noble attributes.

The lighting/overall atmosphere is one of the main things that differs from the classic superhero genre. The best way to compare B.B is to one of the 1970 Batman films which were extremely over-saturated and over-lit to show off Batman's purity and 'goodness', where as in B.B, Batman

is almost always cloaked in darkness and shadows.

Marvel & DC Research

Marvel & DC

Marvel

Marvel has been through many name changes through the decades, (Timely Publications - 1939, Atlas comics - 1950, Marvel Comics - 1960) but has always delivered the same kind of product; Superhero Comics. The superhero genre of comics was truly perfected by Stan Lee in 1961 who went on to create the Fantastic Four and then most other superheroes we hear about now. Today, we have the 'Marvel Cinematic Universe' which are a set of films all set in the same timeline that connect at different points. Since the MCU was started by Iron Man (2008, Jon Favreau), each instillation of the franchise has been hugely successful, making billions of dollars. Multiple other films have already been planned including: Inhumans, Black Panther, Doctor strange, Captain Marvel, all set in the same universe and set to meet up in other films. The reason Marvel films are so popular is because they combine the perfect amount of comedy and action which is difficult to do.  This gives them one of the largest fan bases of all time. 

DC 

The biggest rivals to Marvel, DC comics were established in 1934 (as Detective Comics) by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson as a branch of Warner Brothers. They made the same kind of comics as Marvel and had many superheroes similar to Marvel (e.g Green Arrow and Hawkeye or Shazam and Superman). Much like the MCU, DC are now starting to make a cinematic  universe starting with the Superman films which have achieved relative success; but nothing compared to that of Marvel. They are taking a much more serious and gritty approach to the superhero genre with an emphasis on being thriller films over comedy films. The movies that they are set to release include: Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman and Justice League (which all look relatively good). 

Star Wars 7 Trailer Sound Breakdown

Star Wars - The Force Awakens

Trailer #3 Sound

• There is a very good use of non-diegetic right at the start where the music seems to control the cuts to different shots. The simplicity of the single piano notes as well as the atmosphere that they create really works with the mysterious masked figure that we first see.

•  There are lots of examples diegetic and non-diegetic sound working together like when a ship activates light-speed in time to a bass drum to make it sound more powerful or when Kylo Ren draws his light-sabre in beat the the theme tune to emphasise each movement.

• The thunder storm surrounding the evil Kylo Ren is an extremely good example of using diegetic sound to emphasise something in the shot or an emotion of a character (like the sun being out when someone is happy, a pathetic fallacy).

• The blasters sound great, and are practically the same from the original trilogy. Using the same sound like they did was a great idea because it is such a well known noise and is present in many other sci-fi movies, not just Star Wars; using anything else would kill everyone's nostalgia.  

Scott Pilgrim Trailer - Mise en Scene

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Mise en scene

The director chose to make this shot's background dull to make sure your attention is on them completely and there clothes. The costume (specifically the shirt) that Scott is wearing is a soft blue that reflects his soft, sensitive personality, whereas Ramona's costume is a warm pink which implies she is much more confident. This can be backed up by the actor's postures. Scott is slouched and a little bit hunched over like he is nervous, but Ramona's shoulders are raised high and she is standing straight making her seem powerful.

  

This is probably my favourite shot since it is so simple but it tells us everything we need to know. They way Scott is motionlessly staring at the door shows that he is waiting for something important to come.

Even with all the lights in the background, this is still a perfect example of low key lighting because all we can really see of Scott and Gideon is their shadows and their swords. The way both swords are leaving streaks of light where they go shows that they are moving at extreme speeds contrary to how fast they seem to be moving in the film.

This is a great group shot of 'Sex Bob-omb' since you can clearly see the whole band as well as Young Neil (right) and a few members of the crowd. The spotlights in the back gives the shot very high key lighting as well as making the band look as if they are radiating light.  

Media - Trailer Break Down (Camera Shots and Angles)

THE HATEFUL EIGHT

Trailer Break Down

This is an example of an extreme long shot.

In this instance, it is used to show us how vast, empty and inhospitable the environment the scene is set in is. 

This close up (like many others) has been used to show the character's facial expressions and emotions. The music and the way Samuel L Jackson slowly silts his head upwards also works with the close up to create a build up of tension. 

                                         

I really like the angle used in this group shot, because it shows you not only all of the actors, but also the cabin they are in.

The mid-shot used in this frame is better than a longer shot since it gives you all the information that you need (the guns, his serious expression) but closer up so you can see it better.

Combining a PoV with 'shakey cam' makes for a great shot that shows the bumpy terrain. 

Media - Propp's Theory

Propp's Theory - Mad Max Road Warrior

Hero - Max Rockatansky

False Hero (Burden) - The Interceptor 

Donor - Oil Town

Villain - The Humongous

Helper - The Gyrocaptain

Prize - Freedom

Media - Todorov's Theory

Todorov's Theory - Birdman

Equilibrium

Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thompson, a forgotten actor who was best known for his role as the superhero 'Birdman'. He is trying to make a successful play to restart his stagnant career whilst juggling relationships with his friends and family.

Disruption

When one of Riggan's actors is injured, he is 'lucky' enough to get a popular theatre actor, Mike Shiner (Edward Norton) to fill in, but he causes problems at the play's preview which makes Riggan lose faith in him. As well as this, his relationship with his daughter gets even worse.

Recognition

Riggan notices all of the problems (critics, Shiner, his daughter) and sets out to solve everything and repair his relationships.

Repair

After making right all the wrongs he has done to everyone he loves, instead of using a fake gun in the final scene he actually shoots himself; only to get a standing ovation.

                                                          

New Equilibrium
Waking up after his attempted suicide, he and his daughter had never been closer and he is now a household name again.

(The actual ending can be interpreted in many ways so I can't really include it.) 

Metro 2033 - Review

Metro 2033 - Review

Metro 2033 - Dmitry Glukhovsky

Published first in 2005 by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky, 'Metro 2033' is set in the aftermath of a world wide nuclear apocalypse. A few thousand still live on in the Moscow Metro (their equivalent of the London Tube), but have divided into the separate train stations.

The different groups that are represented in these different stations are astonishing, from farmers to fishers, Communists to Nazis or cannibals to Satanists there is sure a wide 'variety of cultures' the main protagonist encounters throughout the 458 pages. Personally, my favourite part was when it explained the history of all the wars that had been waged in the metro. Learning about the feuds these stations had was wrote so well I found myself thinking I was reading an actual, non-fiction history book. Every part the huge train system had a story, and that was what I found the most unique about this book.

Another one of the strong points in this book is the insanely scary suspense. I had to just put the book down at times because it was late and I was near having a heart attack in the dark. The main villains in the book are called the 'Dark Ones'. 8ft humanoid creatures with completely black skin, extended limbs and dead eyes. Believed to be 'Homo Novus' (the next step in evolution) the dark ones don't fight with guns or fists, they telepathically instil horror into the minds of humans, haunting them in their dreams, until they go mad and die one way or another. The way the author describes these encounters with the dark ones is what makes it one of the most horrifying things to read. Although the dark ones are the main threat, the nuclear radiation created a range of monsters that are much more physical in their violence which gives the book it's bit of action.

In the case of the protagonist (Artyom), I really wasn't a huge fan of him at the beginning so it was more the actual metro history that kept me reading. I found several side characters much more interesting at the start, but towards the half way mark of his expedition across the metro, Artyom becomes less of a cocky 19 year old, and a bit more professional when it came to dealing with the different groups and monsters.

The book has spawned a very underrated, survival-horror video game of the same name. that roughly follows the events of the novel but is more focused on the action than the actual story of the metro.

I found Metro 2033 completely engulfing, I could read a whole book just about the way the stations interacted and their cultures. There is a sequel (Metro 2034) that I have not bought yet but I want to so I can once again enter post-apocalyptic Moscow.

Ryan O'Mara