Cultural Codes and Genre Conventions - Homework 2 (BLK)

11:17 AM |

I chose a scene from The Rum Diary which is an Comedy/Drama a hard-drinking journalist played by Johnny Depp.

Cultural Codes:

The typewriter on the desk shows us that the film is most likely set in the past, when typewriters were frequently used. It is centered at the beginning of the clip, as if it has large significance in the storyline, which we find out it does because Kemp is a journalist.
Kemp played by Johnny Depp is in a small, dark and messy room, with a bottle of rum on his desk and an ashtray of cigarette butts. We associate this with an alcoholic, someone still trying to make their way in life, and someone quite laid back, such as Kemp. He wants to make his way in this foreign country, but he still wants to do things his way.
All the photos on the wall in the background suggest he is interested in photography or journalism and indeed he does want to become a journalist.
We also see lots of old, dusty books on a shelf in the background. We think he is intellectual and likes to read, but has not found his way in the world yet. He does not have enough money for new books, and is living in minimal conditions.
His white polo shirt suggests a laid back lifestyle. He is not wearing a suit, so is not a wealth businessmen. The polo makes him look quite relaxed, in control of his life, and not making an effort to impress other people. He is just looking to make a living in this foreign country.

Film Making Conventions:

Technical Codes:

Over the shoulder shot
Voiceover
Medium Long Shot
Pan around Kemp, the main character - We see things from his perspective; what he's thinking, what he sees and his surroundings.

Genre Conventions:

The voiceover used to reveal what is being written on the paper, but revealed as his thoughts
The cigarettes
The alcohol
The small, dark, cramped, minimal living space
Dark, low key lighting with lamp on desk - emphasises minimal living conditions and solitude of Kemp
The sound of him tapping on the keys on his typewriter - building up as he types