Textual Analysis - Two Cars One Night 1y2k12

Textual Analysis I Two Cars, One Night

Two Cars, One Night

Production Information • Production Company: Blueskin Films Ltd., Defender Films, New Zealand Film Commission

• Directed by: Taiki Waititi • Executive Producer: Vanessa Alexander • Producers: Catherine Fitzgerald, Ainsley Gardiner • Film Editor: Owen Ferrier-Kerr • Runtime: 13 minutes

Narrative Analysis – Set-Up • Two cars are parked next to each other outside a place marked “HOTEL” (likely a pub).

– Children left on their own in a car for extended periods of time – problems within the social community, child mistreatment

• Protagonist problems: – – – – –

Young child, accompanied by his companion Sees an older girl within the other car Pretends to drive/puts seat back to impress the girl Abusive towards the girl/swearing/gestures Girl responds with abusive language and gestures

Narrative Analysis - Development • Girl is playing with her ring • Interactions: – A man on his bike asks both the protagonist and girl a question, before cycling off – Protagonist exchanges a nod with a man driving by in another car

• Protagonist’s further problems:

– Gets out of his car, goes over to the girls car – Acts like a policemen towards the girl/tries to make himself look older/tries to act cool – Girl and boy exchange names and ages – Protagonist’s companion is unresponsive/untroubled to the protagonist’s rude remarks towards him/ perhaps protagonist is trying to eliminate the competition of his companion from the girl.

Narrative Analysis - Resolution • Resolution to the problems: – Girl and protagonist are sitting closer together – Girl feels the boy is trustworthy, allows him to hold her ring – Protagonist is given the ring by the girl so he will her – The girl’s driver gets in the car, and they drive off, leaving the protagonist staring after her

Technical Analysis - Camera • Camera fly's through the dark clouds at the •

beginning of the short at an intense pace. Limited use of different camera shots/angles – Signifies the low budget of the film

• Continuous shot-reverse-shots of protagonists • Continued close-ups of the protagonist and girl – Signifies their importance as the protagonists

Technical Analysis - Sound • Soundtrack interludes with diegetic sound of the wind at • •

the beginning No dialogue exchanged between any characters until two minutes into the film. Dialogue begins at an infrequent pace between the two protagonists – Signifies their current non-existent connection

• Dialogue becomes more frequent between them – Now signifies their existent connection

• Pace quickens as each scene changes – Shows difference in time

• Sound of drunken dialogue/singing heard in the

background, coming from the pub, again highlights the disregard parents show towards the safety of their children

Technical Analysis – Mise-en-Scene • Set design – Black-and-white film – suggests the film is old-fashioned (back when black and white film tape was used)

• Lighting

– Low-key

• Props

– Ring, book

Technical Analysis - Editing • Fast-paced editing – Sped-up action • Exemplified through fast movement of cars/people -used to signal the ing of time • Also used to signify the changes in attitude both protagonists feel towards each other • They go from being rude towards each other to then being extremely friendly, sociable and even hinting towards feeling love between one another

Themes • Love • Romance • Conflict

Issues • Emotion • Connectivity • Abuse (verbal) • Child neglect