VirginMediaShorts
Film maker: Dan Smith
Synopsis: A girl with an unusual laugh tries to deal with
what she considers to be her "problem".
Running
time: 2:20
I chose The
Best Medicine as one of my short films as it is an endearing, simple and
amusing story which is both intriguing and creative due to its quirky narrative
and relevance in society. I also decided to analyse it as it has great value
because on the surface it appears to be a simplistic and entertaining story but
it has an empowering underlying meaning to it.
Representation
It is
interesting to consider this short film in terms of social class as we are
presented with a lead character who is a pretty, middle class woman but with a
problem that is nothing to do with her age, gender, social class or ethnicity
it is simply a problem which could affect anyone. By understanding that the
woman is being presented as a young, attractive middle class woman, it allows
the audience to see how her dilemma has a great impact on her life as she
cannot fit into the stereotypical ‘perfect’ woman as she tries to find love.
I do not
think that the woman’s representation as a middle class woman is positive or
negative because it is not being used for criticism of a society using
hierarchy but instead it is criticizing a society which stereotypes what an
ideal partner should be.
The targeted
audience for this film would probably be adults as it has themes of love,
humiliation and acceptance. The representation of social class and
stereotypical femininity are interesting when considering the audience as
although they are not the most important part of the short film, it is relevant
when conveying the underlying meaning as it shows that appearance isn’t
important a connection is.
The medium
shots and use of mise en scene in the sequence are affective when understanding
the films representations as they are crucial in showing the lead character and
her surroundings.
Narrative
Bordwell
and Thompson Narrative Theory:
The
narrative in this short film is important as it allows the spectator to easily empathise
with the woman as they realise she has had to deal with the laugh her entire
life and it also allows room for comedy as the audience watch her try out new
laughs which is shown through the use of plot.
The
film is in linear order, so the audience is able to go on the journey of
finding a new laugh with the character and therefore share her joy and pain as
she takes the quest.
Todorov’s
Theory of Classic Narrative:
The
Best Medicine is interesting when considering it in terms of Todorov’s theory
as the story does not begin with equilibrium but instead begins with a
disruption. This is important as it allows the audience to understand that the
woman has had to deal with her ‘problem’ her entire life and the plot just
shows her bid to rid herself of the laugh. The confrontation in the sequence is
when the woman tries the medicines to cure her and the consequences it has and
then we have the resolution as the woman finds a man with the same problem as
herself. By applying Todorov’s theory the choice of structure for the narrative
becomes clearer as it shows that acceptance is more important than change.
Vladimir
Propp – Morphology of the Folk Tale:
I
think it is interesting to apply Propp’s theory to The Best Medicine as the
film does contain a hidden message concerning realization and acceptance. We
have the hero played the woman who is on a quest to find a new laugh, there is
the donor who provides the hero with medicine to cure the laugh and finally the
‘princess’ who is the young man who becomes the woman’s reward as she learns to
accept her laugh.
Chris
Vogler Narrative Theory – The hero’s journey:
Similar
to Todorov’s theory, we miss the first step in Vogler’s theory and are
immediately presented with the characters ‘problem’ we then see her meet her
mentor who gives her advice. After this our hero then faces challenges to solve
her problem. Finally on achieving her goal our hero gets a reward in the form
of a partner and then returns to the ordinary world a changed person. Vogler’s
theory is significant as it also highlights the films underlying meaning which
concerns acceptance and recognition.
Genre:
The best
medicine can fit into the genres comedy and romance; we have a protagonist in
search of a cure for her laugh and love which proves to be both amusing and
heart-warming. Short films typically use
genre to help tell a story but they also use genre to break conventions and
boundaries to tease the audience and provide something more interesting for
their target audience.
Steve
Neal:
Genre
theorist Neal wrote that ‘genres are instances of repetition and difference’ I
think this is important because The Best Medicine has an amusing and romantic
element to it but it also breaks the conventions of comedy by including a sad
and sincere underlining story which is that the woman is struggling with her
‘problem’ and how it damages her quest in finding love. The audience will enjoy
the films recognisable genre boundaries but also the different elements as it
makes the ending and meaning more endearing and satisfying.
Rick
Altman:
Applying
Altman’s theory shows how the film fits into the typical comedy genre, it
includes the usual semantic conventions such as a generic joke shop, its use of
little unlabelled bottles and a middle class bar. The use of semantic elements
in mise en scene help to convey the genre of the film but also shows how it
breaks film conventions because it includes a hybrid and a sad underlying
message.
David
Buckingham:
Buckingham
argues that ‘genre is not simply given by culture; rather it is a constant
process of negotiation and change’ I think that The Best medicine works in
favour of this theory as the film begins as a comedy where a woman is fed up
with her laugh and wants to change but as the film continues we realise that
the is also a journey in search of love and acceptance which changes the genre
from comedy to romance and folk tale.
Audience:
I think that
the target audience for this film would be adults from the age of around 24-35
as they would probably be able to relate to the characters and find it light
hearted humour for entertainment. This audience would enjoy the film because it
includes elements of humour and has underlying meaning. I think the film would
also be enjoyed by film enthusiasts as it breaks conventions and is creative. The
film is on the 2012 shortlist for Virgin Media Shorts Award which helps
undiscovered film artists get recognition.
Media Language:
The
use of medium shots in the filming of the sequence and the use of montage to
show the passage of time are important as they hlpe to highlight that the
problem is not the woamns fault but will always be there no matter how she
tries to avoid or change it. These two techniques are used to help convey the
womans feelings of insicurities, which thus allows the audience to empathise
with her and therefore enjoy the ending as she accepts her problem.
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