B322 June 2010 74/80
1) The events in this extract conform back to the action adventure genre as Jason Bourne is searching for something – his identity. Although this is not a completely generic convention it still features in many films of the genre as the character starts at the beginning of the film searching for something and throughout it they have an adventure in order to find it like Jason Bourne in this extract. He will have to pursue his adventure and along the way there will be many crossroads – a typical storyline for an action adventure film. Another way in which this extract conforms to the genre is by having a dominating male as the protagonist as this is typical of action adventure as it focuses on leading male characters that are the main characters in the story. Bourne is very dominating as Marie asks him whether to use the bathroom and is in control throughout the scene and when the water is cold Marie asks him for his help demonstrating the lead role of his character.
(10 marks)
2) Soundtrack – there is little music in this extract as this heightens the suspense but high pitch pans banging together start during the tense moments in the scene, acting as a warning bell to Jason Bourne’s shock discovery whilst on the phone. When action is building it is typical for an action adventure film to start to play music as it creates more tension. There is a lot of use of non diagetic sounds as well such as the dialling of his phone and the running of water – adding to the realistic atmosphere of the scene.
Camerawork – There are many point of view shots from Bourne’s perspective that use the oblique angle as they are unsteady showing the rush in which the character is in; they used that shot when Bourne was searching for his passport, drawing the audience in to the scene as though they are the character. There is also a long shot of Bourne which shows him by the white light of a window highlighting one contrast between his dark clothes and the sun outside to demonstrate he is trapped and a slightly dark character. Lastly after Bourne has received the news they do a panning shot around his face to portray the emotion on it and to convey that message to the audience as he is shocked.
Editing – At the beginning of the scene there is very slow paced editing to draw out the suspense and keep the audience on the edge of their seat but as Bourne soon realises whilst on the phone that someone may be in the flat, there are two jump cuts of other areas in the house suggesting they might not be alone creating suspense and dramatic tension as Bourne and the audience know but Marie is unaware. They also show Marie in the bathroom after the shot of Bourne searching through the money and for the passports to highlight the differences between their characters.
Mise-en-scene – Bourne’s costume in this extract is dark and plain where as Marie’s outfit is messy and baggy showing a difference between the two but also to reflect their personality types – Bourne is very dismissive whereas Marie was very cheerful and happy. They use natural lighting of the flat but show Bourne standing against the white light of a window – contrasting the colour of his dark clothes to show his dark personality and his reaction to the news. The setting is very relatable to audiences and this the action adventure genre as it is a flat in an urban area creating sounds such as traffic and alarms from outside highlighting the silence in the flat.
(16 marks)
3) People are represented very differently in this extract as Jason Bourne is represented as a dominant male – stereotypical of a strong male character in this genre as Marie asks him whether she can use the bathroom. It also portrays him as very impatient and dismissive as he hangs up the phone and doesn’t really listen to Marie. They also show him in dark clothes illustrating his low mood and also to show darkness to his personality. Whereas Marie is shown as a stereotypical woman; she is obsessed about her vanity – looking in the mirror and adjusting her hair but this also reveals her very normal personality and how she does the usual things people do whereas Bourne has a bag full of money and fake passports – showing the difference between their lives as Bourne’s is far from normality. The extract also shows Bourne as a very neat and thorough person as in his flat all the books are in order and the camera shows a shot of him taking his pen lid off – the notebook is already there. Whereas Maria first drops her shoes on the floor and leaves them there clearly an untidy person which is a-typical as in most situations women are usually the more tidy people. Each character has a very different personality which is reflected by their actions in the extract and also by the camera angles as many shots of Bourne are long shots – showing his rigid stance as he awaits the news whereas Maria is shown through low angle and mid shots showing the laidback style of her personality.
(18 marks)
Principal Examiner’s Comments
B322 June 2010 (Bourne Identity)
One of the best answers in the June 2010 exam.
Question 1
Explain two ways the characters and/or events in the extract fit the action adventure genre.
This answer shows thorough understanding of generic conventions, both of which are explained. The supporting evidence from the extract is perhaps the weakest part of this answer but the candidate does cite Marie asking Bourne whether she can use the bathroom, and the examiners were instructed to be generous on this point given the lack of textual evidence in the inadvertently shortened extract for this exam.
10/10
Question 2
Explain how each of the following is used to create effects that fit the action adventure genre:
• soundtrack
• camerawork
• editing
• mise-en-scène.
Some errors – the misunderstanding of non-diegetic sound and the erroneous statements about ‘many point of view shots’, the ‘panning shot around his face’, and the ‘two jump cuts of other areas of the house’ - but this is otherwise competent and detailed. All four bullet points are addressed. The understanding of connotative effect is through and clearly lifts the answer into level four. Accuracy in the use of terminology is the weakest part of this answer and limits it to the bottom of level four, but there is some accurate use.
16/20
Question 3
Discuss the ways in which people are represented in the extract.
Make reference to stereotypes.
This answer only addresses one representation issue – gender stereotyping – but does this thoroughly and with detailed reference to the text. Aspects of characterisation are clearly linked to gender stereotypes, showing through understanding of representation issues. This answer is rather short, but clearly attains level four.
18/20
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