Extract: “Your Highness” (2011)
Micro Analysis
The clip is from the opening 6 minutes of this Action
Adventure Comedy film starring Danny McBride and James
Franco as two princes on a daring mission to save their land.
The non diegetic soundtrack of Your Highness has historical, epic
connotations punctuating the narrative and journey they are about
to undertake – it parallels the fast paced action sequences and is
also suggests comedic representations through mood and tone.
Camerawork again involves fast tilts and pans emphasising the
action and suggests multiple camera technology from the range of
angles and types of shot including close up signifying character and
emotions, medium shot, high angle shot and establishing shot – the
central characters are often frames centrally encoding their
importance. Camerawork is replaced by still images during the
animated opening sequence where audiences are given an idea of
history.
Editing as expected for an Action Adventure is fast paced with
mainly use of straight cut or hard cut when cutting on action –
narrative continuity is maintained despite the non linear exposition.
Flash cut editing encodes high production values along with the
multiple camera technology and emphasises the high octane, all
action sequences. Longer takes on the central protagonists help to
identify character and character development.
The mise-en-scene initially anchors the time period through use of
medieval costume and objects and props including use of bow and
arrow, axes, swords and knives instead of more modern weapons of
violence found in Action Adventure films. The colour palette makes
full use of bright primary colours including reds, yellows, orange
and purples which, along with the high key lighting ensures the
upbeat, often comedic connotations of an Action Adventure film are
understood. Facial expressions and body language anchor this
humorous representation.
Your Highness is an Action Adventure film but is also hybridised
with Comedy. One way characters fit the genre is through use of
binary opposition – two brothers are sent on a quest (a convention
of Action Adventure) with one brother played by Danny McBride as
clearly the object of humour with another brother played by James
Franco framed and introduced to audiences as a hero.
The events in the opening sequence fit the classic Act 1 of an Action
Adventure film with characters, setting and problem introduced.
History is acknowledged and referenced with an epic journey
needed to save the kingdom – both brothers are sent on a quest by
their father which will comprise the narrative development in Act 2
and also arouse audience expectations of narrative predictability.
Use of hyper real, cultural stereotypes are crucial to the genre
conventions and narrative in the film – audiences identify with
exaggerated representations as it helps to encode entertainment
values and establish character. This is not only common to Action
Adventure films but also to high production value Hollywood feature
films distributed by major studios.
Use of narrative binary opposition is used to represent characters to
audiences e.g. strong, good looking hero versus overweight buffoon
(the two brothers) but also the binary opposition of themes
commonly represented in Action Adventure e.g. good versus evil.
Fabious (Franco) is represented as the classic hero and is framed
for the female gaze as he is shot in low angle (connotations of
power) riding into the castle. Thadeous is represented as
overindulgent and lazy as audiences see him pursued by dwarves in
the opening sequence.
This particular representation of dwarf actors used for the purposes
of humour is not uncommon in Hollywood film and is a cultural
stereotypes – debate has often centred around marginalisation and
exploitation against commercial gain and entertainment. Charles
Dance plays the stern, and authoritarian King Tallious who
commands the brothers to undertake their quest; his age has
connotations of wisdom. Female characters conform to stereotype
and are sexualised and framed for the male gaze – this is evidenced
in the opening sequence when a busty maiden is saved after nearly
being put to the sword.