ISP Week 16

Notes on videos about subtext

VIDEO 1:

Subtext into screenplay

• Dialogue is an important part of the story and it can also get in the way
• Confusing conversation and dialogue – not the same

Conversation = an exchange of ideas

Dialogue = an exchange of ideas directed at solving a problem – a negotiation, argument, duel, fight, flirtation. A conversation confronting any type of conflict. Points toward a goal.

• Exposition is the delivery of information through dialogue, exploring something for the sake of the audience that cant be dramatized.
• Its about making the audience feel the importance of their words
• On the nose dialogue- when the character speaks directly about the issue in the film or the theme, pushing below the surface and breaking the 4th wall
• In films, there are 3 walls we see and the audience is the 4th. This is to make us believe that these characters are living in their own world
• 4th wall is the veil between the audience and the characters
• Speaking about the themes, on the nose dialogue, breaks the 4th wall

VIDEO 2 :

Subtext in film

• Subtext – hidden content within the meaning of a word image, storyboard or action.
• Root of subtext can stem from character inner motivation
• Writers tool used to express and highlight a deeper meaning / emotional issue – brings characters to life
• Brings issues and emotional problesm to the surface for the characters and allows audience members to sympathise and relate with them

VIDEO 3:

How subtext is operated

1. If the topic of a scene is something emotional, you can avoid having ay dialogue about that specific thing, and instead replace that with a metaphor or create tension

E.g – the film might be about a broken marriage and the characters talk about/argue about a broken tap in their home – metaphorical and purposely avoiding the real topic for subtext

2. Describe behaviour, the characters body language. Just about whats happening

VIDEO 4:

Parasite – the power of symbols

Bong Jung Ho created compelling plot and performances and cleverly uses symbols and motifs.

Symbols are important in films as they stand for something and can gie audiences powerful messages indirectly. Highly concentrated meaning makes them so impactful.

In Parasite there are two main symbols throughout the film;

• The viewing stone
• Smell

The viewing stone is introduced early in the film through a friend of Ki-Woos, with the intention of bringing the family wealth and luck.

The Kim’s are in poverty and share a small, basement space and Ki-Woo looks up to Min his friend, and becomes obsessed with the viewing stone seeing it as sign and a symbol for him to be successful and become rich.

The stone represents how Ki-Woo wants what he doesnt have – wealth – and is surrounded by it in his work trying to imitate Min

The second symbol, smell, is introduced later on when the Kim family are all working in the house as tutors, cleaner and driver.

The smell is brought up when the rich family begin to comment on it, in the car and the child runs up to 2 of them and says they smell the same, unknowingly threatening to reveal their true identity.

Smell represents the Kim familys poverty and the binary opposition of wealth and poverty, reminds the family they are in a poverty they cant escape.

A symbol creates a resonance like a ripple as it is repeated, and this repetition makes the audience more aware of this symbol and that is is important. They may not even be consciously aware of it but the repetition makes it stick.

A repeated symbol is also known as a motif. Lots of the same symbol is called a motif.

Multiple motifs create a theme, which is a lesson to take away from the story that is textually supported by the story.

The difference between and motif and theme is that a motif is concrete and a theme is abstract and can be inferred in multiple ways. A theme is the meaning being expressed by these motifs.

The theme in parasite is wealth and poverty – the smell and the rich family constantly repeating it and pushing it, keeps reminding the Kim’s of their poverty that they are stuck in, which makes it reach a breaking point.

Both of the motifs contribute to the breaking point, the reminders of the smell pushes the Kim father to kill the rich father, and Ki- woo uses the viewing stone as a weapon.