The Notebook:
Narrative Expectations:
* We meet the two main characters in the movie ‘The Notebook,’ in the first few minutes of the opening sequence of the film. We meet an elderly women, who is spotted in an ‘old people’s home,’ most likely suffering from a mental disease preferably dementia as she cannot remember the names or the identity of the people living with her.
* An elderly woman who I believe to be one of the two main characters in the movie is seen wearing a white pearl necklace, pearl earrings and a smart, possibly an expensive outfit consisting of a blazer, blouse and a skirt. This suggests to the audience that she might be rich, or was rich when she was growing up.
* An elderly man who I believe to be the other main character of the movie is shown making an effort to look his best, despite the fact that he as well lives in an ‘old people’s home.’ Within minutes of leaving his room, he is seen turning up at the elderly woman’s room, he is praised by the nurse as being a “funny man who she would like,” this comment suggests more to the actors than what she is letting on to us, the audience. I believe that there is a hidden romance buried beneath the story, and as the tale continues, slowly information will unfold and all will be revealed to us the viewer/audience.
* We find out that the elderly man’s name is ‘Duke’ and as he begins to tell the story of a couple named Noah and Allie and their first meeting at a Carnival in 1940, we begin to understand that not only is this a story, but it might actually be a flashback of the two of them years ago.
*Romance = Love.
Shot Types:
* There are a lot of ‘Extreme Close Ups’ and ‘Close Ups’ in the opening sequence of the film, many of these techniques are used to show detail such as the actor’s expression, the clothes they are wearing, brushing hair, illustrating many signs of perfection and imperfection.
* There is a couple of ‘Long Shots’ and ‘Medium Shots’ to highlight other actors/extras, surroundings and environment/setting to set the scene.
* Clearly, the director has decided to use slow motion in certain segments of the scene especially when filming a ‘Close Up’ of the elderly woman. This is to create an enigma, as we want to see her face and her expression. This encourages the audience to focus on her more than anything or anyone else.
* When the director films the carnival scene, he usually films in an ‘Extreme Long Shot’ or a ‘Medium Shot’ in order to enable the audience to follow and get a sense of the characters surroundings, but at the exact same time still see parts of her and what she is looking at.
Character Types:
* One of the main characters in the movie, the elderly woman is spotted in an ‘old people’s home,’ most likely suffering from a mental disease, preferably dementia. However, the elderly woman seems materialistic as she wears white pearls around her neck and is dressed in a smart, possible expensive outfit.
* Another main character in the film, ‘Duke’ is seen taking the opportunity to read a story or perhaps reminiscing about an old memory with the elderly woman, whereby two people met and fell in love. However, it is hard to get a clear understanding of what the plot is about as it is to early on in the film – the truth is buried beneath the story.
When A Stranger Calls:
Narrative Expectations:
* At the beginning of the film we don’t get to meet any of the main characters in the opening sequence, what we do get to see though is a young child, perhaps a young teenager (13-15) who receives anonymous phone calls from a middle aged male asking her strange, personal questions, for example, “What’s your name? How old are you?” This creates mystery, tension and uncertainties as we, the audience are unsure as to what might happen next. However, this is a perfect connotation for a classis thriller movie.
* It could be said that the middle aged male who is making the anonymous phone calls might be a significant character in the movie, he may not be the ‘main character’ but his character might be just as important as the leading role.
*The young teenage girl seems to react as being extremely scared the more times she receives the anonymous phone call from the same anonymous person. Her voice clearly begins to tremble and become shaky as she begs the caller to “Please stop calling me,” this encourages the audience to pay attention to the story and the young teenage girl as we, the audience/viewers try to understand her feelings and emotions and sympathise with her.
*A slow, quiet, mysterious song is played in the background of the opening sequence, throughout the introduction and the dialogue. The music presented in this section of the movie fits in tremendously well with the genre of the film.
Shot Types:
* Most of the shots filmed in the opening scenes of the movie are either ‘Extreme Long Shots, Long Shots or Medium Shots,’ the director has decided to film this sequence using these specific camera shots for the reason that the director wants to enable the audience to follow and get a sense of the characters surroundings, but at the exact same time still see parts of the young teenage girl’s house and what she is looking out at.
* The director has used a couple of wide shots in the opening sequence to draw attention to the characters, their neighbourhood and some of the extra’s in the background to show how important the setting and backdrop is overall.
* ‘Crane Down, Look Up and Low Angles,’ are often used to make the characters seem bigger and more important – higher status.
Character Types:
* About four minutes into the opening sequence, police and detectives are presented onto our screens, this represents crime, murder, stealing and so on, and this is an ideal connotation for a classic thriller movie.
* The anonymous phone calls from an anonymous figure/voice build up suspense and uncertainty as we; the viewers are unable to identify what will happen next. This is what usually positions the audience to sit at the edge of their seats.
*The young teenage girl seems vulnerable, terrified and uncertain as to whether the anonymous caller will re-call her again.
* The middle aged male, anonymous caller represents mystery and secrecy.
What similarities can you identify between the two examples? What are the differences?
*Each of the films immediately establishes the main characters in the movie and show how they live and work in their own environments/setting.
*Whilst “When a Stranger Calls,” is a mysterious, horror, thriller movie, “The Notebook” is the complete opposite as it is filled with romanticism, adventure and above all else ‘love.’
*”The Notebook,” starts off playing a slow ballad in the background, whilst a couple are seen floating by in a boat watching the sunset on the horizon, a rather beautiful setting. Whereas, “When a Stranger Calls,” begins with a slow, quite, mysterious song which depicts a complex, thriller film which will clearly have an unhappy, secrecy ending.
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