‘Zero’

Of what I’ve done.

Who I am.

What I know.

Of losing control.

Losing the found.

Finding myself.

A fear that

makes my heart ache.

‘Jack’ – poem for Halloween competition [By Natalie Charles & John Powell]

Lazing peacefully in my bed

Until they seized me, dragged me out

Rough hands, lifting me, cutting me

Bound and bagged in the dark

 

Engines starting, exhaust fumes linger

Hour after hour, distant thunder

A sudden stop, lights and bustle

Then back in the dark, locked and guarded

 

A lady with a soft, kind face

Looking me over, picking me up

Paying my price and taking me home

Where I’ll have my own room

 

Warmth and joy, the smell of fresh bread

Small feet, running to me as I arrive

Happy to see me and happy to play

Under my watchful gaze

 

Treachery! Betrayal!

My young wards holding me down

She’s advancing towards me

The blade gleams in her hand

 

Swiftly she strikes, knife on flesh

And she saws in a circle, taking my scalp

Losing consciousness, looks of pleasure

Knives poised at the ready, and an army of spoons

 

Jack sits now unseeing, unmoving

Jagged mouth and eyes ablaze

A gruesome reminder it’s…

All Hallows Eve.

‘Knightless’

As calm as I am haunted

Restrained and almost absent

Shielded from a feeling

Defended by denial.

 

And then I’m just divided

I find I’m spitting sharpness

It’s something like I’m doubled

I’m something like a storm.

A2 Film Script – ‘The First Light of Day’

FADE IN.

EXT.  – FIELD – EARLY MORNING – BEFORE SUNRISE

The camera follows Dawn from behind (wide shot – eye level) as she walks through an empty field of long grass.

Dawn is roughly sixteen years old. She is wearing dirty jeans and hooded jacket. Her light hair is messy and she wears no make up.

 

Cut to a face-on view of Dawn walking towards the camera – the camera remains stationary and at eye level –very wide shot.

She stops approximately five feet before the camera and looks up at the dusky grey sky – mid shot.

Jump cut to high angle shot of Dawn – looking straight at the camera. Slow zoom to an extreme close up of her eyes (which are blue.) There are tears in her eyes.

 

As the camera zooms out Dawn’s face fades — Diegetic echoed voices can be heard (echo effect continuous throughout scene) – laughing. Cut to the same field on a sunny day [flashback] with a misty border surrounding the screen.

 

EXT. – FIELD – SUMMER

 

Cole and Dawn are sitting on the grass play fighting and laughing. Cole pins her down and kisses her. He pulls back and smiles. – Medium close up – eye level shot.

 

Cole

Forever babe?

 

Dawn

Always and forever.

[She smiles and they kiss again as the scene fades out]

 

Cut to present – extreme close up of Dawn’s eyes – zoom out and jump cut to mid shot on eye level. She remains stationary as does the camera. She looks down and twists a masculine looking ring on her finger.

The camera zooms to an extreme close up of the ring and echoed diegetic sound of Cole shouting can be heard. Fade to another flashback with continuous echo of dialogue and misty border around screen.

 

INT. – DESOLATE HOTEL ROOM

The camera is midway between the two as they stand at opposite ends of the small room. The camera pans from Cole to Dawn as the speaker changes – medium close ups.

 

 

 

 

Cole is roughly in his late twenties. For this scene his appearance is healthy.

 Also; for this scene he runs his hand through his hair a lot to signify his desperation and frustration.

Cole

[Shouting and animated body language]

I’m just a fucking idiot, a mug for giving my heart to you! Giving you chance after chance only to have you destroy me again and again!

Well fuck you Dawn, you wanna screw around, screw around.

 

Dawn

[Sobbing]

I’m not doing this so I can ‘screw around’

[She air quotes dramatically]

I love you Cole, I do… but I can’t do this anymore. I can’t handle this sneaking around thing. It’s too much pressure; I just can’t deal with this anymore.

There’s no future for us.

She walks over to Cole and removes his ring that he gave her (the same one she looked at before flashback) She grabs his hand and places the ring in his palm – close up. As she turns to walk out Cole releases a raging yell and throws the ring after her. It reaches the door before she does and she bends down to pick it up. She looks back at Cole – he is shaking with rage and crying. She leaves.

 

EXT. – Cut back to extreme close up of Dawn’s ring. Camera tilts upwards – low angle shot of Dawn crying silently. She squeezes her eyes shut and a tear drips onto the camera lens.

Jump cut to extreme wide shot of Dawn in the field to re-establish loneliness.

 

The camera rotates around Dawn who remains stationary. Once the camera is behind her it stops. Cole steps into the shot. Over the shoulder shot of Cole and Dawn. Both facing away from the camera – Medium close up.

 

Cole

Want to watch the sunrise with me baby?

[Dawn turns around suddenly.]

 

Camera pans round to a close up shot of Cole.

 For this sequence he looks rugged and dishevelled. His skin is pale and his eyes are bloodshot. He should also walk with a vague swagger that indicates that he may be under the influence of alcohol.

 

 

 

Dawn

Cole!

[She backs away nervously

Cole keeps his gaze locked on her.]

What are you doing here?

The camera remains stationary – shooting a wide angle shot at eye level.

Cole

I followed you.

[He advances toward her]

…I’ve missed you.

Dawn

Cole, you have to leave me alone

Cole

 [He smiles and shakes his head]

No can do Princess, I love you. You’re mine.

Here Dawn must appear frightened, keeping her eyes on Cole but trying to keep her distance from him.

 

He steps toward her and grabs her wrist, pulling her close to him- medium close up. Dawn’s body tenses at his forceful grip. He loosens his hold on her and raises his hand toward her face. She flinches. He laughs and tucks her hair behind her ear.

 

Cole

Take it easy princess, relax.

[Cole leans in to kiss her but stops suddenly and laughs in her face.]

I’d do well to avoid that careless tongue of yours.

Cole releases her and then circles her, never taking his eyes off of her. The camera pans to show his movement.

Dawn

Cole, you’re freaking me out.

Look, I have to –

Cole

Have to what? Run away again?

Dawn

No. [She looks at the ground]

I have to [slight pause] tell you something…

Cole

So tell me.

Dawn

[Hesitation]

 I’m pregnant.

Cole stops moving. The camera shoots an eye level close up of his face. His reaction is blank at first.

Cole

[He laughs]

You’re fucking with me right?

She shakes her head, still looking at the ground.

The camera shoots them both from a wide shot. They are standing approximately five feet apart.

Is it mine?

Dawn

[Looking up at him with wide eyes]

Cole, you know you’re the only one I’ve –

Cole

See, I don’t know that Dawn do I?

You said that we’re forever, and that was a fucking lie.

You’re not to be trusted kid.

I don’t believe you.

Dawn

Please…don’t do this Cole

Cole

[Shouting]

You did this Dawn! You did this to us. You did this to me. I am cold, and void, and dead inside. Look what I’ve become. Look what you’ve done to me bitch! You’re not throwing me away, I won’t let you. You can never run far or fast enough from me princess, it’s you and me, it’s always gonna be you and me. We are Love.

Cole pulls out a gun from the inside of his jacket and without hesitation aims it straight at Dawn – Wide shot. At this point the sky is getting lighter as it is nearly sunrise.

 

Cole

If I don’t get you, nobody gets you.

Jump cut to low angle shot of Cole aiming gun at Dawn.

His hand is shaking slightly and his eyes are wide and bloodshot.

 

The camera pans round to Dawn – Close up – Eye level – Dawn screams and hysterically clutches her face with trembling hands.

Dawn

[Hysterically]

Cole! No!

Jump cut to mid shot of Cole

 

Cole

[His hands have stopped shaking. His voice is calmer but he does not lower the gun or move]

Stay with me Dawn. Marry me.

Wide shot

Dawn

[Slowly approaching Cole – desperately pleading voice]

Put the gun down Cole, we can work through this. Cole, please…

 

Cole lowers the gun as she approaches him and finally drops it at his feet.

Dawn reaches Cole; he falls to his knees crying and hugs her waste sobbing heavily and clinging to her – medium close up of this – shot from a high angle to show his emotional descent.

 

Dawn kneels in front of him and holds him – close up – the gun lies between them.

She strokes his hair as he cries against her. He slowly looks up into her eyes. The camera pans round to Dawn’s face.

 

Dawn

[Soothingly]

Its okay, it’s going to be alright

 

 A gunshot sounds – extreme close up of her face. Her eyes widen and her body jolts.

 

Jump cut to medium close up of them both. Cole’s body slumps forward onto Dawn.

His blood gushes from his stomach and pools on the floor. Dawn places the gun beside them and strokes Cole’s hair as he lies dying in her arms.

The camera slowly zooms out from a high angle – non diegetic music begins to play (‘Love is the end’ by Keane) – Cutaway shot of the sun beginning to rise and shedding the first light of day upon the tragic scene.

How well does the current system of film classification and censorship serve the British public? – Research

• Introduce brief background info on BBFC:
  • Set up in 1912 by the film industry
  • Independent, non-governmental body
  • Also classifies videos since Video Recordings Act 1984

 

BBFC – Vision Statement:

‘We give the public information that empowers them to make appropriate viewing decisions for themselves and those in their care. We help to protect vulnerable viewers and society from the effects of viewing potentially harmful or unsuitable content while respecting adult freedom of choice.’

Key points:

• Protect vulnerable viewers.
• Respecting adult freedom of choice.
• Give the public information.

‘How well…?’ – Depends upon reactions to classification of films. Some may not agree with certain certificates for particular films. – introduce criticisms of the BBFC:

-The Board has faced strong criticism for an over-zealous attitude in censoring.

 

Mention current classification certificates:

 UC – universal children

U – universal

PG – parental guidance

12A – 12 and over (or accompanied by adult if younger)

15 – 15 and over

18 – 18 and over

R18 – restricted 18 (only shown at licensed cinemas)

–>Wide variety of classifications – consideration of different age groups and what is/isn’t appropriate.

The international success of City of God has been explained because “it’s a film that deals with social concerns, but expresses them in the style of MTV”. By reference to the style of specific sequences. Discuss this view of the film.

It could be said that City of God was internationally successful for many reasons other than its stylistic portrayal. However, if we as an audience were to focus on this particular aspect then we would see that the “MTV style” does in fact contribute in a significant way to the overall success of the film.

 

First of all, the pace of the film is a specific factor to consider. City of God is definitely fast paced in terms of events and cinematic style; such as camera movement and shot types. The majority of the film is made up of quick-cut shots that maintain the film’s accelerated energy.    

A particular sequence to look at is the opening sequence. This consists of continuous cut to cut shots that thematically focus on a chicken’s escape, whilst also subtly giving us brief glimpses of the film’s social background.

 

The themes depicted throughout the film are sex, drugs, violence and crime. All of the events are narrated to the audience by a boy who represents the protagonist who is trying to detach himself from the violence of the slums. This type of plot is something that a modern audience is able to relate to because the themes are things we’re exposed to in current affairs and many modern films. Even though the fact that it is a Brazilian film is what may make it something unfamiliar to us, the ways in which we are exposed to the narrative is what makes it more familiar and accessible.

 

A key scene is the scene when Rocket and his friends are on the beach. The general atmosphere is relaxed and fun; it is particularly reflective of MTV type styles in that it could almost be a music video or something that can be related to or identified with by most people. However there is still an underlying presence of the vital themes, for example when Rocket offers to get Angelica a joint. With this in mind, it could be summarized that although the issues we see in the film are extremely serious, it is more acceptably intriguing than cinematically repulsive. It appeals to the ‘MTV generation’ and is therefore, not difficult to enjoy.

Chinese Film Industry

• Communist (?)
• Growing superpower – military & economy à film industry
• Largest population
• Famous Chinese People:
  • Bruce Lee
  • Jackie Chan
  • Jet Li
  • John Woo [director]
  • Chow Yun-Fat
• Different languages spoken in China. Two main:
  • Cantonese
  • Mandarin
• Censorship – more stringent censorship laws – no critics of establishment
• Modified Google
• No negative political films
• Motion pictures were introduced to China in 1896.
• The first attempt at filmmaking was Conquering Jun Mountain (1905).
• Before the 1930s, owing to a lack of creativity, films made in China didn’t exert a big influence in its history.
• In the 1940s, on the eve of China’s liberation, filmmaking was in a chaotic state and some profiteers seized the chance to shoot blue films and scary movies.
• Filmmaking fell on “disaster time” during the Cultural Revolution. The film industry was severely restricted and no film was shot in the period 1966 and 1972
• In the 1980s, China’s filmmakers started an all-round exploration and the range of film subjects extended. Films depicting the good and evil of the “Cultural Revolution” were very popular with the ordinary person
• In the 1990s, China experienced prosperity in its film industry. At the same time the government allowed the showing of foreign movies from 1995. More of China’s films won awards at international film festivals, such as Ju Dou (1990) and To Live (1994) by Zhang Yimou, Farewell My Concubine (1993) by Chen Kaige. However, these films encountered more and more criticism, in particular for their stylized form and neglect of audience response.
• In the mean time, a group of spirited young filmmakers began throwing away the fashionable cinematic veneer and facing reality. Their serious attitude toward the art of film and life was to create youthful vigor in China’s film industry for the start of the new millennium.

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/film/84966.htm

PracAp – The First Light of Day – Synopsis

Dawn and Cole’s doomed love affair ended inevitably in a blaze of suspicion and bitterness. A year on, Dawn is still trying to repair the emotional damage Cole inflicted. But searching for the comfortable life she abandoned for love leads to an overwhelming sense of detachment from reality. Dawn finds herself entombed in a defenceless state of mind in which she battles against her overpowering despair. The confliction of love and hatred for her forbidden paramour is jaded by her recently discovered pregnancy. She spends a night roaming her town in torment, replaying the highs and lows of her and Cole’s agonizingly intense relationship and wrestling with her decision to tell Cole she plans to abort their child. Her mental torture comes to a head during the darkest part of the night, before the first light of day. There she finds herself face to face with the source of her misery and anguish – Cole. The two broken lovers experience a fiery and isolated confrontation which leads to a tragically irreversible crescendo. This film explores the destructive nature of blind and selfish love through two unfortunate victims of passion.

Small Scale Research Project – Annotated Catalogue

 

Subject Title: The characteristics used by Jack Nicholson to portray eccentricity in films.

 

Films

 

Item 1: The Shining (1980 – Hawk Films – Dir: Stanley Kubrick).

Used as focus film because very useful in that it is one of Jack’s most well known roles and is key in terms of eccentric behaviour.

 

Item 2:              One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975 – Fantasy Films – Dir: Milos Forman).

Useful as it embodies the majority of the conventional elements expected in a film about rebellion. Helps to assist the idea of eccentric behaviour as it is set in a mental institution.

 

Item 3: As Good as it Gets (1997 – TriStar Pictures – Dir: James L. Brooks).

                       

 

Internet

 

Item 4:              ‘He is a man who finds the world vaguely ridiculous. He’s a mischief maker with a reputation for telling it like it is. The perennial odd man out, he was the famous movie rebel of his generation and generations since have continued to embrace him. He thumbed his nose at the Establishment by sticking around long enough to be accepted on all levels.’

www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5932132/nicholson_talks_about_returning_to_the_screen_and_being_jack

The above quote is relevant because it outlines the likeliness that Jack himself embodies eccentric characteristics and they’re not just forged in order to build the believability of his characters. It includes words which support my research into the question of his eccentricity. For example: ‘rebel’ and ‘mischief’.

 

Item 5:              “In other words, I wouldn’t like to be an actor if I could only be real. I  like to get wild, behaviorally wild, and it’s crazy to think of any form where it’s just one way.”

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jack_nicholson.html

This quote shows Jack’s passion for acting in different ways, instead of just acting within a structural framework.

 

 

 

 

Item 6:         ‘A consummate performer, Jack has made his reputation on a series of demanding roles–each uniquely eccentric-that explore man adrift in a hostile or indifferent world.’

http://www.jacknicholson.org/biojn.html

The above quote is from an unofficial fansite, it is an in depth biography of Jack Nicholson and his work. The extract above shows us that Jack’s eccentricity is highly recognized by many people.

 

Item 7:              “I’ve never had any trouble identifying with the character that I’m playing”

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jack_Nicholson

This quote shows that Jack’s eccentricity is not entirely down to his acting skills; here he indicates that his personality contains eccentric elements already. We can draw from this that it is possible that he is able to relate to his roles on a self-recognisable level.

 

 

Magazines

 

Item 8:              ‘Jack’s Eyebrows’ – 27/04/03 – The Independent – David Thomson

‘One of the things Jack has always had trouble with is being uninteresting.’

This quote again shows that Jack’s personality is definitely not dull. He cannot appear uninteresting because he simply is not.

 

Item 9: ‘Jack in the box’ - 08/01/93 – Entertainment Weekly – Ty Burr

‘His talents have always been subtler than his huge popularity acknowledges. When he gets a role worthy of those talents–as in the bulk of his ’70s films–he can illuminate the crevices of a rascal’s soul.’

This quote indicates that Jack as an actor perhaps does not receive the praise and acknowledgement that he deserves. It also shows that he is able to fill the role he is given, he is able to perform to a remarkably professional standard.

 

Item 10:            ‘Mad, Mad World’ – 18/04/03 – Entertainment Weekly – Lisa Schwarzbaum

                        ‘Now, I’d argue that almost all of Nicholson’s roles have been studies in the routing of rage.’

                        This quote from Entertainment Weekly once again highlights another perception of Jack’s pattern in roles. To an extent, it is accurate because most of the characters he has played do have a certain amount of rage in one way or another. Therefore this quote shows that people can identify this when considering Jack Nicholson’s work and career.

 

 

 

 

Material not selected

 

(http://www.jack-nicholson.info) This unofficial fansite had some potentially good material in terms of articles on Jack Nicholson, however a lot were not in English and the ones that were did not contain the depth of the other fan website I found.

The Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000197/) also had some potentially useful material; however it did not particularly provide the detail I was looking for. Other than this, there were some articles from various magazines (The New Republic, Entertainment Weekly, People) but again, they did not provide what I was looking for in terms of defining Jack, many focused only on synoptic evaluations of his upcoming films.

 

Brazil – contextual research

• Language: Portuguese

 

• Currency: Brazilian Real

 

• Declared independence from Portugal in 1822

 

• Motto: “Ordem e Progresso” (Order and Progress)

 

• Well known Brazilian Celebrities: Pelé, Ronaldinho

 

• Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles like choro, sertanejo, brega, forró, frevo, samba, Bossa nova, Brazilian rock, axé and others. Samba is no doubt the best known form of Brazilian music worldwide

 

• As a large middle-income country, Brazil still has several underdeveloped regions. Its educational system is accordingly plagued by many deficiencies and racial and regional disparities

 

• The religion of most Brazilians is Catholicism, in fact, Brazil has the largest Catholic population in the world

 

• Brazil has a long cinematic tradition, reaching back to the birth of the medium in the late 19th century.

 

• Brazil is a mixture of races and ethnicities, resulting in rich diversity

 

•  Many original Portuguese settlers married native women, which created a new race, called ‘mestizos’

 

• Slavery was abolished in 1888, creating over time a further blurring of racial lines

 

• The family is the foundation of the social structure and forms the basis of stability for most people

 

• Families tend to be large (although family size has been diminishing in recent years) and the extended family is quite close