Preparation Exercise (Practice)

Draft title: Steven Spielberg - An investigation of the use of characters in his films

Focus films:

My focus film will be Schindler's List (1993). The famous scene if the little girl in red show the importance of children in this film. This can help to investigate the bigger meaning character in his film. Other films I can use to relate to my focus film is E.T (1982) looking at children in that film and their role. I could also look at Saving Private Ryan (1998) as it will allow for a depth study in the characters in men in film, particularly Spielberg. Each film adds value to my research as they each focus on different types of characters in his films allowing for a broad look at the topic by using primary research.

Secondary Research:

Mark Kermode: The Good, The Bad and the Multiplex. Introduction to film studies. Action/Spectacle Cinema. Empire Magazine (specific articles will be mentioned when used) IMDB.

Textual Analysis:       
For Schindler's List I could focus on the scene with the little girl in the red coat. This is because it is a significant part of the story and fits in with the lonely child character that is common in Spielberg's films. I could also look at the scene with the women in their cabin in the concentration camp as they all talk and try and take each other's mind off the situation they are in. For Saving Private Ryan I could focus on the scene where the characters are faced with possibly having to kill another soldier. Also I could look at the scene where the child is in danger and the soldiers are faced with possibly having to protect her or risk their lives. This will allow for an in depth look into the characteristics of men in Spielberg's film. Also the use of children in the film helps to shape the men in the film. This should help to investigate the use of characters in Spielberg's films. Textual analysis of E.T will be added at a later date when I have re-watched the film to allow me to chose the correct scenes from the film.

Exploring the use of characters in Spielberg's films will be helped by the films I have chosen as they are a variation of time periods in history. Having both Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List set in the time period of WW2 it creates different kind of characters to that of E.T creating contrasts. This will allow for a further kind of investigation into Spielberg's characters by looking at them from different angles than just the characters themselves and what they mean.