New Ways of Showing/Seeing Violence

There has been a shift in the way film directors depict different themes on the screen. The directors and producers in contemporary film making use a variety of styles and cinematography to highlight and present a wide range messages in their films. The technical aspects of film making are emphasized great deal in the new emerging way of making film.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on New Ways of Showing/Seeing Violence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More An example of this is depicted in the Pulp Fiction film which was written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in 1994. Quentin uses a variety of styles and cinematographic techniques to depict violence in the film. The reformulation of screen violence has no doubt affected the way of viewing and showing and viewing violence. This paper will highlight and discuss how Quentin uses style and cinematography to show violence in the Pulp Fiction film. The Pulp Fiction film is very rich in terms of style and cinematographic techniques. The nonlinear narration style is used by Quentin to effectively bring out three different stories in a chronological order with all stories emphasizing the theme of redemption through violence. The staging of the film in a suburban setting of Los Angeles was very relevant because of the crime and violence history of the place. The stage portrays the mood of an unexpected violence and danger. Four characters in the Pulp Fiction film are shot onscreen to categorically demonstrate the intense violence in the film. Effective utilization of the mise –en-scene element in most parts of the film was key to the director’s success in highlighting violence. The shots in Pulp Fiction are up-close with the majority of the conversation scenes being shot in door and window frames (Pratt 28). This type of cinematography makes the audience to appear as if they are in an eavesdropping position. The subjective point of view of the audience is what makes the film look real. The film is full of satire and highlights the causes and effects of crime in the contemporary America. The extensive use of irony and rib –cracking humor by Quentin makes the film interesting to watch. Crime life in Los Angeles is deeply highlighted in the film by the inventive forms of dialogue employed by the director to bring out his primary themes.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The use of irony together with cinematic allusions gives the director room to use his cinematic techniques rather than characters to depict violence. The crime mobs in Los Angeles form a good number of the main characters in the film and are specifically used by Quentin to highlight the theme of crime and violence. The pictures in the Pulp Fiction film demonstrate high reflex degrees. Quentin uses homage in most instances a style that has made the film to be labeled as postmodern. The extensive use of humor in the film makes the film look like a comedy and yet it is violent. The self –referential nature of the film is depicted by the way Quentin presents the plot in an ordered sequence. The film also features the use of pastiche which is an element that gives the film a more modern way of showing violence on the screen (Pratt 38). The Pulp Fiction film is presented in a very sequential manner with the three intertwined storylines being effectively brought out as one. Quentin uses the chronological arrangement technique to present his film sequences. The film contains quite a number of episodes that are separately presented but all focusing on the main theme. The circular events in the film facilitate easy reference among different elements in the film (Pratt 46). The film was made using a slow stock because Quentin wanted clear images free from grains. Rock and surf music are mostly played in the film to connect the f ilm with younger viewers who have expansive knowledge about modern cinema (Pratt 52). Rock music is known to appear violent in nature and the music plays a big role in giving the film a violent effect. What make Quentin special are his extra-ordinary creative and imagination abilities. Quentin extensively uses graphic violence in this film to highlight change in the way of showing violence to the audience. The extensive use of pop and rock music gives the film a trademark violent mood (Pratt 59). The structure of the film is chronological in nature and highlights the overall meaning of redemption through violence.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on New Ways of Showing/Seeing Violence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In conclusion, the film making has undergone a lot of transformation especially in the way the directors highlight themes and show the meaning of their films. The Pulp Fiction film is a perfect example of how violence is shown on the screen in a modern manner. The emphasis on the use of style and cinematographic techniques has become very popular in modern film making. Quentin effectively uses a variety of cinematic techniques to show the theme of violence in the Pulp Fiction film. Work Cited Pratt, Mary K. How to Analyze the Films of Quentin Tarantino. Minnesota: ABDO Publishing Company, 2010. Print. This essay on New Ways of Showing/Seeing Violence was written and submitted by user Colin Taylor to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Changes in Mary Rowlandsons Life during Captivity essays

Changes in Mary Rowlandsons Life during Captivity essays Throughout the narrative we can see how Mary Rowlandsons views towards the food of the Indians gradually shifts throughout her captivity, and how this is related to the changes in her Puritan values and life throughout her eleven weeks of captivity. The idea of food is constantly used throughout Mary Rowlandsons narrative, because it was the one essential physical desire that she needed to survive her captivity. Before her captivity, Mary Rowlandson was the wife of a Puritan minister that knew nothing of what suffering and affliction was like (Rowlandson Before I knew what affliction meant, I was ready sometimes to wish for it (Rowlandson One hour I have been in health, and wealth, wanting nothing: But the next hour in sickness and wounds, and death, having nothing but sorrow and affliction (Rowlandson After the February 10, 1675 attack by the Narrhaganset Indians on her Lancaster home, Mary Rowlandson described the attacking Indians as Barbarous Creatures, whom she had to go with in order to survive (Rowlandson I having nothing to eat by the way this day, but a few crumbs of Cake, that an Indian gave my girle the same day we were taken (Rowlandson & Salisbury, 92). This statement s...

Bronze Age Mobile Pastoralists of Central Asia

Bronze Age Mobile Pastoralists of Central Asia Steppe societies is a collective name for the Bronze Age (ca. 3500-1200 BC) nomadic and semi-nomadic people of the central Eurasian steppes. Mobile pastoralist groups have lived and herded in western and central Asia for at least 5,000 years, raising horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and yaks. Their borderless lands intersect the modern countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Russia, affecting and being affected by complex social systems from China to the Black Sea, the Indus Valley and Mesopotamia. Ecologically, the steppe can be characterized as part prairie, part desert, and part semi-desert, and it extends in Asia from Hungary to the Altai (or Altay) Mountains and the forests in Manchuria. In the northern parts of the steppe range, rich grasslands covered in snow for about a third of the year provide some of the best pasturelands on earth: but in the south are dangerous arid deserts dotted with oases. All of these areas are part of the mobile pastoralists homelands. Ancient History Ancient historical texts from the settled parts of Europe and Asia describe their interactions with steppe people. Most of that admittedly propagandist literature characterizes the Eurasian nomads as fierce, warlike barbarians or noble savages on horseback: for example, the Persians described their battles between the nomads as the war between good and evil. But archaeological studies of the cities and sites of the steppe societies have revealed a far more nuanced definition of the nomad life: and what is revealed is a wide diversity of cultures, languages, and methods of life. The people of the steppes were the builders and maintainers of the vast Silk Road, not to mention the traders who moved countless caravans across the pastoralist and desert landscapes. They domesticated the horse, invented war chariots and also probably the first bowed instruments. Butwhere did they come from? Traditionally, steppe societies are believed to have been arisen from agricultural societies around the Black Sea, becoming increasingly reliant on domestic cattle, sheep, and horses, and then expanding eastward in response to environmental change and the need for increased pastureages. By the Late Bronze Age (ca 1900-1300 BC), so the story goes, the entire steppe was populated by mobile pastoralists, called by archaeologists Andronovo culture. Spread of Agriculture According to research by Spengler et al. (2014), the mobile Steppe Society herders at Tasbas and Begash were also directly involved in the transmission of information concerning domestic plants and animals from their points of origin into Inner Asia during the early third millennium BC. Evidence for the use of domesticated barley, wheat, and broomcorn millet has been found at these sites, in ritual contexts; Spengler and colleagues argue that these nomadic herders were one of the ways in which these crops moved outside of their domestications: broomcorn from the east; and wheat and barley from the west. Languages of the Steppes First: a reminder: language and linguistic history do not match one-to-one with specific cultural groups. Not all English speakers are English, nor Spanish speakers Spanish: that was true as much in the past as the present. However, there are two linguistic histories that have been used to try to understand the possible origins of the steppe societies: Indo-European and Altaic. According to linguistic research, at its beginnings ca 4500-4000 BC, the Indo-European language was largely confined to the Black Sea region. About 3000 BC, Indo-European language forms spread outside of the Black Sea region into central, southern and western Asia and the northern Mediterranean. Part of that movement must be tied to the migration of people; part of that would have been transmitted by contact and trade. Indo-European is the root language for the Indic speakers of South Asia (Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi), the Iranian languages (Persian, Pashtun, Tajik), and the majority of European languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese). Altaic was originally located in Southern Siberia, eastern Mongolia, and Manchuria. Its descendants include Turkic languages (Turkish, Uzbeck, Kazakh, Uighur), and Mongolian languages, and possibly (although there is some debate) Korean and Japanese. Both of these linguistic pathways seem to have traced the movement of nomads throughout and across central Asia and back again. However, a recent article by Michael Frachetti argues that this interpretation is too simplistic to match the archaeological evidence of the spread of people and domestication practices. Three Steppe Societies? Frachettis argument lies in his assertion that the domestication of the horse cannot have driven the rise of a single steppe society. Instead, he suggests scholars should look at three separate areas where mobile pastoralism arose, in the western, central and eastern regions of central Asia, and that by the fourth and early third millennia BC, these societies were specialized. Western Steppe: east banks of the Dneiper River to the Ural Mountains and north from the Black Sea (modern countries include parts of Ukraine, Russia; cultures include Cucuteni, Tripolye, Sredny Stog, Khvalynsk, Yamnaya; sites include Moliukhor Bugor, Derievka, Kyzl-khak, Kurpezhe-molla, Kara Khuduk I, Mikhailovka II, Maikop)Central Steppe: east of the Urals to the Altai edge (countries: parts of Kazakstan, Russia, Mongolia; cultures: Botai, Atbasar; sites: Botai)Eastern Steppe: east of the Irysh River to the Yenesei (countries: Russian Siberia, cultures: Afanas’ev (sometimes spelled Afanasievo); sites: Balyktyul, Kara-Tenesh) The sparsity of the archaeological record continues to be an issue: there simply hasnt been a great deal of work focused on the steppes. It is a very large place, and much more work needs to be accomplished. Archaeological Sites Turkmenistan: Altin-Depe, MervRussia: Sintashta, Kyzl-khak, Kara Khuduk, Kurpezhe-molla, Maikop, Ashgabat, GornyUzbekistan: Bukhara, Tashkent, SamarkandChina: TurfanKazakhstan: Botai, Krasnyi Yar, Mukri, Begash, TasbasUkraine: Moliukhor Bugor, Dereivka, Sredny Stog, Mikhailovka Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Human History, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. See page two for a list of resources. Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Human History, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Frachetti MD. 2012. Multiregional emergence of mobile pastoralism and nonuniform institutional complexity across Eurasia. Current Anthropology 53(1):2. Frachetti MD. 2011. Migration Concepts in Central Eurasian Archaeology. Annual Review of Anthropology 40(1):195-212. Frachetti MD, Spengler RN, Fritz GJ, and Maryashev AN. 2010. Earliest direct evidence for broomcorn millet and wheat in the central Eurasian steppe region. Antiquity 84(326):993–1010. Golden, PB. 2011. Central Asia in World History. Oxford University Press: Oxford. Hanks B. 2010. Archaeology of the Eurasian Steppes and Mongolia. Annual Review of Anthropology 39(1):469-486. Spengler III RN, Cerasetti B, Tengberg M, Cattani M, and Rouse LM. 2014. Agriculturalists and pastoralists: Bronze Age economy of the Murghab alluvial fan, southern Central Asia. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany: in press. doi: 10.1007/s00334-014-0448-0 Spengler III RN, Frachetti M, Doumani P, Rouse L, Cerasetti B, Bullion E, and Maryashev A. 2014. Early agriculture and crop transmission among Bronze Age mobile pastoralists of Central Eurasia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281(1783). 10.1098/rspb.2013.3382

Ecosystem Components Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ecosystem Components - Essay Example The sustenance of this park depends on the cooperation of people living in the area, and the activities of the government to protect it (Boarman & Coe, 2002). This paper will examine the characteristics of this ecosystem, and the plans that are in place to ensure that it continues to sustain life in that area. The major structural and functional dynamics The massive dry land that is the Mojave Desert makes the Joshua Tree National Park a beautiful sight. This area is the special habitat for the Joshua Tree, which is also known as Yucca brevifolia. Geological displays, such as hills of unadorned rock, are also part of this environment. The functional dynamics of the ecosystem border on the competitiveness of the living things in the habitat. Living things, for example plants, have to be competitive in their quest to retrieve sunlight. Over some time, the plants in this area have to adapt to the environment to reduce their exposure to sunlight. It is through this adaptation that they a re becoming a part of the ecosystem’s food chain. Ravens stand out with an increase in population in the ecosystem. An imbalance in such may lead to an alteration in the ecosystem’s food chain as there might start being a decrease in the tortoise population (Fontaine et al., 2011). How humans may have affected biogeochemical cycles Over the years, humans have been affecting the biogeochemical cycle that exists in this natural habitat. For instance, the driving of vehicles in this habitat at high speeds has led to the death of a number of animals, for example tortoises. The decomposition of these animals leads to the disruption of the carbon cycle that is present in the area. The carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen cycles are affected as the decomposition of these animals tie to biological matter, causing a release of carbon dioxide gas into the ecosystem. Fires are another way in which individuals affect the ecosystem’s gas cycles. The burning of dry plants makes i t difficult for the ecosystem to sustain itself as the primary producers are being eliminated. Also, the acidic nature of the fumes released into the atmosphere in such an ecosystem may prove challenging to the phosphorus cycle that exists (Fontaine et al., 2011). How knowledge about JT National Park can help or has helped to develop plans for its management and restoration In the 21st century, it is particularly crucial for individuals to help in the restoration and management of national parks. The educational programs in institutions are being re-examined to allow different areas to bring focus to the preservation of national parks, and other natural habitats. Since parks are a place where basic biology can be observed, learners are engaged through visits on a regular basis. By understanding the dynamics surrounding the JT National Park, individuals might be keen on trying to be more cautious as they drive through the desert or its environs. The terrain may be difficult to compre hend and this makes it even more tedious in trying to educate people. However, by having the locals in that area take the initiative to act as guides, it may be possible to avoid some of the human acts that may work against nature (Boarman & Coe, 2002). Forest fires, a thing that is common, should be a thing of the past. People should become more self-aware of the threats they pose. The implication of species interactions in ecosystem management and re

Managing under uncertainty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Managing under uncertainty - Essay Example However, man is governed by some social structure, economic setups or even cultural moral and ethics that dictate the decision making process. Social sciences have developed models and theories through which the decisions made by an individual can be analyzed and understood. Being ethical or better still making ethical decisions is the ability to choose between options that are presented guided by personal respect, trustworthiness, fairness, responsibility good citizenship and caring attitude. Instances come up when in general reasoning, any decision to be taken which in other instances are regarded badly may present the fairest deal ever. Persons are as well presented with the opportunity of testing the appropriateness of any decision made by subjecting them to the models and theories prior to making the decisions. This paper therefore intends to critically analyze through reflection the process of decision making through which a person makes a decision though the outcome is not sat isfying to his. We shall; use a case study of a decision that I made while at classroom. Presented with an option of doing anything under the cover of invisibility different people would act differently. However, the power of decision-making is pegged on more than personal gratification principle. Since time immemorial, human beings have had the capacity to be guided by instincts while making decisions. Human socialization too has taken a great way in shaping human interactions as far as decision-making is concerned. My case study analyzes a decision that I made while at class in my lower grades of learning. It was during the examination period when we were all preparing to have a class examination. I was inadequately prepared for the exam and I knew that I would not perform satisfactorily in the paper. Other people as well felt inadequately prepared to sit for the exam and everybody was busy designing the means through which he/she would pass. Though I understood the repercussions that would allow cheating in an exam, I was persuaded by my fear to take the risk and try cheating for the paper. I made a decision to do a summary of the critical points that I had not understood in class and carry them through small papers into the exam room. This entitled me to passing the paper when presented within those questions. Nevertheless, by following ethical reasoning as well as moral consideration, I overlooked the instincts. However, even after sneaking the papers into the exam room, I never managed to copy successfully as the teacher spotted me. After the confiscation, I was ordered to leave the exam room and I was suspended from school as a punishment for the offense. Moreover, the offense led to my disqualification to proceed to the next grade with the rest of the class through which I regretted most. The decision to carry with me the written papers with a motive to cheat through the exam had initially presented a satisfying solution to my problem of inadequately p repared for the paper. I took the decision as it presented the highest chances of solving my problem and seemed the most appropriate among the other options that were. My fears were overcome by ascribing to the reasoning of passing the exam through cheating. I had the option of preparing for the paper in advance or better still just write whatever I had in mind instead of choosing to cheat in the exam. However, my rational thinking directed my choice to

The Human Need for Love in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay -- Franke

The Human Need for Love Exposed in Frankenstein    Written in 1817 by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is a novel about the "modern Prometheus", the Roman Titian who stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. The story takes place in several European countries during the late 1700's. It is the recollection of Victor Frankenstein to a ship captain about his life. Victor is a student of science and medicine who discovers a way to reanimate dead flesh. In a desire to create the perfect race he constructs a man more powerful than any normal human, but the creation is so deformed and hideous that Victor shuns it. The creation then spends a year wandering searching for companionship, but everywhere he goes he is shunned and feared. Hating life the creature turns its misery on its creator, killing off Victors family. Frankenstein chases the monster to the North Pole, in an attempt to kill it. Weakened by the cold and long chase, a dying Victor is taken aboard a ship, where he relates his tale to the captain and dies soon after. The next night the monster visits the ship and looks upon Victor's body, ashamed by all of the killing he has done the monster flees into the Arctic Ocean, never to be seen again. Frankenstein appears to be a novel about the evil ways of man, but it is truly about the human soul and how it needs friendship and love to survive. This theme is apparent from the opening letters from the ship captain to his sister in which the captain writes, "I have but one want which I have never yet been able to satisfy ... I have no friend" (Shelley 7). The captain is about to embark on his life's dream of sailing to the North Pole; he has a good crew and a fine ship but still wants a friend to share the excitement with. ... ...nd misery, because he killed all that he loved. It is at this moment that he realizes that he doesn't hate Frankenstein but actually loved him like a father, but was so consumed by self loathing and hate that he killed all he loved. With this passing thought the monster leaps from the ship into the ice filled sea, and is never seen again. At first it is seen as a story about man and the evils he can do, yet Frankenstein is actually about the friendship of the soul. Without this basic need the body either withers away and dies or turns to another source, like murder or drink, to fill the hole. Both fatalities can be seen in the story, with Victor's friendship and the monster's anger. Neither one fills the gap in their soul, but eventually consumes them until they die. Work Cited Shelley, Mary W. Frankenstein. Great Britain: J.M Dent & Sons LTD. 1959.

‘Of Mice and Men’ is a famous novel written by John Steinbeck Essay

‘Of Mice and Men’ is a famous novel written by John Steinbeck; Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas Valley, California and he set ‘Of Mice and Men’ during the Great Depression. He based the storyline on his personal experiences and ventures. The novel was later adapted into a motion picture starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise. This essay will examine various aspects of the film; the films treatment of the story, characterisation, camera work, symbolism, special effects and the use of music. The film does not follow the book exactly as several scenes from the novel have been edited to add climax and tension. For example some important aspects of the book have been changed. The first change is George and Lennie going into the boss’ house to meet him instead of the boss meeting them in the bunkhouse; George doesn’t scold Lennie for talking in front of the boss when he strictly told not to say a word; George is introduced to Slim over dinner but in the book they first meet in the bunkhouse; George comes into Crooks’ room to get Lennie while in the book Candy joins Lennie and Crooks and they all discuss the dream, then even Crooks starts to believe in the dream and asks if he can be part of it. Some scenes from the book are not included at all, for example Curley’s wife doesn’t threaten Crooks in the film whereas in the book she threatens to frame Crooks for rape purely out of spite because the men reject her company. The hallucinations that Lennie has of Aunt Clara and the rabbit telling him how bad he has been in the last chapter of the novel are not portrayed in the film and when Slim and the other men console George after he has killed Lennie is not shown in the film either. Although some scenes have been cut from the original storyline others scenes have been added to the film. For example the opening of the film which shows the girl running in the red dress and the men chasing George and Lennie (this is only hinted at in the book); the train scene where George and Lennie jump on the train escaping to Salinas Valley and grabbing their work tickets in town; the work scenes which show the power of Lennie’s strength; Curley’s wife talking to George alone in the barn; Curley practicing his boxing skills on his punching bag and George and Lennie speaking to Curley’s wife after they have just left Crooks’ room. This treatment of the story shows us that not all scenes in a novel makes a good or interesting scene in a film so a novel can not just be filmed as it is, it often needs changing to make it a film the audience wants to watch. In film the director usually tries to bring a romantic element into the film to keep the audience guessing, will the couple get together or not? For example, there is an underlying sexual tension between George and Curley’s wife in a couple of scenes. The characterisation is fairly faithful to the way they are described in the book. The way Lennie is portrayed is as a large, tall man with the strength of a giant. He is shown to be innocent like a child but as strong as an ox. The actor playing Lennie, John Malkovich matches Lennie’s description in the book, â€Å"A huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders†. Gary Sinise also fits George’s physical description, â€Å"Small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features†. He is shown to be the brains and Lennie the brawn. He is like the responsible father of Lennie, always taking care of him and trying to keep him out of trouble e.g. the scene where George gets Lennie out of Weed because he got into serious trouble for touching a woman’s red dress. Candy, the swamper, is faithful to his description in the book, â€Å"A tall, stoop-shouldered old man† and so is his character. Curley, the Boss’ son is described as, â€Å"A thin young man with a brown face, with brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair† (hence the name) but the actor in the film has straight hair. However some characters differ from the way they are described in the book. In the book Slim, the jerk line skinner, is described as â€Å"Prince of the ranch†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen† and he has a lot of authority and respect among all the ranch men in fact, â€Å"His authority was so great his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love†. In the film his authority and respect doesn’t come across as much as it does in the book. The actor playing Slim didn’t look the way the reader would have imagined him, â€Å"His long, black, damp hair straight back. His hatchet face was ageless. His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer†. Curley’s wife is physically the same as how she is described in the book. However, the audience has more sympathy for her in the film than in the book because she doesn’t threaten Crooks in the same vindictive, spiteful way. Her vulnerability is also highlighted when she is seen breaking down in tears after Curley has broken her records. In addition Crooks, the stable buck, (his nickname is derived from his crooked spine) is much more bent over then the audience would have expected. He is crueller than in the book e.g. he enjoys tormenting Lennie about George possibly not returning ever again therefore is seen to be quite malicious. The camera work is very cleverly done and emphasises certain aspects of the story very well e.g. the close up of Lennie crushing Curley’s hand and the close up of Lennie breaking Curley’s wife’s neck, make the scenes more dramatic. The lighting affects the mood of the story like the semi-darkness in the barn when Lennie kills the puppy and the bunkhouse when Carlson takes Candy’s old dog to be shot display a sombre mood. The golden glow of the men playing horseshoes outdoors displays a happy and optimistic mood. There are also several interesting special effects used in the film to intensify the drama. For example the fight between Curley and Lennie is exciting to watch as you see the blood dripping from Curley’s crushed hand, the killing of Curley’s wife as she panics and he breaks her neck and the shooting of Lennie when George shoots him in the back of the head. Most scenes in the film symbolise things for different characters for instance the dark side of the men’s lives when they are on the train and the light flickers symbolises an uncertain future ahead, violence could flare at any time. It could also symbolise a gloomy, depressing future. Scenes with a lot of light symbolise happier times, signs of hope or the men just enjoying life for a change. The ‘rabbits’ symbolise the dream and a symbol for Lennie of a better life. The ‘dead mouse’ symbolises death and a sense of foreboding (that something bad is about to happen). Music is a key element in any movie because it helps to build up tension e.g. the famous theme tune of ‘Jaws’ or the music used in ‘Physco’ as the person is being murdered the beat is set by every stab. Music also shows the mood and is there to accompany the action on screen e.g. when the men are chasing George and Lennie at the beginning of the film the music gets louder and louder. In contrast to this is the use of complete silence to set the mood e.g. when they are on the train and when they are hiding in the ditch. The silence can represent calm or tension. The music when they are discussing the ‘Dream’ is very relaxing and soothing, which again reflects the mood. Overall the novel is a tragedy because you feel sympathy for George because he had to kill his friend who had become like a brother to him. The film relays the novel, keeping along the lines of the story but is still a film worth watching even if the audience has not read the book. This is because the director has altered and added scenes to include tension, drama and climax. People who have read the book would be satisfied that the characters and storyline follow the book almost to every aspect.