Part 3 Narrative

 

How is this film constructed according to narrative/story being told?

The film is constructed such that we have story of a man who has a family and has to go off to war in Afghanistan. We see as the movie goes on that he has a lot to deal with as far as war goes, then later on once he gets home he realizes that his family has a huge effect on the way he is acting. While hes at war he is held hostage and he  has to kill a man and when he goes back home that causes him to have post traumatic stress and that effects his relationship with his family. He thinks his brother and his wife had sex and he starts to go crazy because he is still traumatized from his time in Afghanistan. He ends up trying to get over the things that happened and move on but its hard and his family is some what damaged by his actions.

Is the narrative organized by plot or time sequence, or some other way?
The narrative throughout the movie is organized by plot.

Does the film use other principles than narrative sequence as a structure (for instance, an argument?
A huge argument that occurs, which is also what i chose for my five minute extract, is the scene when Sam has an outburst and destroys the kitchen his brother built while he was gone. He fights with his wife and he threatens to kill himself. He is officially crazy due to war because he cant handle the stuff of what he went through. This is important to the movie because it shows how war changes the man within, and it also changes the family. His family thought he was dead so they finally started to get over the fact that he was gone but them he comes back and that causes them more hurt.

What is the nature of our engagement with the story or characters?The nature of the engagement with the characters change throughout the movie. In the beginning Grace, which is the wife, had a wonderful and loving relationship with her husband but as the movie went on she lost that connection because of the changes he was making, which she say as negative. In the beginning she didn't like Tommy because she thought he only cared about himself and didnt care what other people thought but as the movie went on she realized that he is caring and loving person and she accepts him as her brother-in-law. The children also seem to have a mood change due to their father leaving, they seem to get closer with their uncle and see him as a father figure rather then their own father. That also has to do with Sam going crazy because he is jealous of what his brother took from him.

How are characters and issues represented?

The characters are represented as an average American family. This can be represented in the life they have, they mom stays home and helps with the kids and house and the father goes off to war to fight for his country.

What is the style and effect of acting and performance?

The style is realistic because a lot of families have been through what this family in the movie has gone through. The man of the house leaving off to war and that damages the life at home. The characters said in a interview that they actually spoke with families that deal with family members going off to war and that gave them a better idea of how to act.

How is meaning created by camera angles, shots, and camera movement?

The meaning is created because some shots give the film a caring attitude. There is a scene when Sam is asking Tommy and when he was gone and

Does the film make use of symbols, metaphors, or allegories? What are they and how do they work within the context of the film?

I feel the extract i chose was a symbol to show that while he is destroying his kitchen he is also destroying his family and his life. Sam gets so angry that he just starts to go crazy but not realizing but him doing that is also pushing him away from them more.