Film Theory: Task 1

TASK 1: Levi-Strauss analysis of Pale Rider and Die Hard

Levi-Strauss argued that narrative (or as he called it, "Myth") has two main characteristics:

1. That it is made of units that are put together according to certain rules
2. The units form relationships based on binary opposites, providing the basis of the structure.

Opposites can create different moods and effects when in conflict, they can add to the narrative, such as in Westerns such as Pale Rider or Action movies like Die Hard.

Pale Rider:

Thinking about: framing, composition, characters, mise-en-scene, camera work

• Mountain/Desert
• Silence/Noise
• Man/Nature
• Peace/Action
• Civilisation/Frontier
• Settlement/Wilderness
• Happiness/Anger
• Peace/Wild
• Men/Women
• Innocence/Corruption
• Victims/Villains
• Post/Pre-War
• Living/Dead
• Day/Night
• Clear Skies/Thunder+mist
• Music ~ Calm/Vengeful
• Panic/Mourning
• Godliness/No God?
• Christian/Pagan
• Cold/Warm
• Town/Village
• Plain Clothes/Suits
• Rich/Poor
• Men ~ Old/Young
• Nice/Mean
• Eastwood ~ Present/Disappearing
• Crime/Justice
• Old/New
• Fear/Power
• Strength/Weakness
• High angles/Low angles
• CUs/LSs

Die Hard:

Thinking about: dual structure, repetition, parallels

• Plane ~ Flying high/Low
• Peace/Danger
• Confidence/Weariness
• Active/Passive
• Experience/Unexperienced
• Home/Office
• Family/Work
• Still (Sitting)/Motion (Airplane)
• Humour/Seriousness
• Silence/Noise
• Party-full of people/Foyer-empty
• Marriage/Divorce
• Happiness/Sadness
• Normal/Strange
• Wife looking for husband/Husband searching for wife
• HA (on Asian boss)/LA (on McClaine)
• Men wearing black/Woman in red
• Plain clothes/Formal suits
• Light/Dark
• Law/Criminality
• Victim/Perpetrator
• Injustice/Retribution
• Black man- chatty/White man- silent
• Impostors/Employees
• Americans/Foreigners
• Peace/Destruction
• Jolly Music/Classical
• Moving Camera (on street)/Still camera (in bathroom)