Romance Analysis
The opening scene to Dear John subverts from the stereotypical romance genre. The audience are introduced to both the female and male genre, suggesting the film could be based around a relationship, however this alone is not enough to determine the genre immediately. Although it is clear the film will be a light hearted watch, the lack of stereotypes such as only 2 main characters (male and female) allows the audience to guess, and only cut down on the obvious genres such as horror or action, as the film contains conventions of other genres - such as a chick flick. Due to the conventions of the opening scene which suggests it may be a romance, chick flick or rom-com, the suggested target audience is female. This is partly due to the slow editing technique which lacks action, as well as the girly setting and the attractive, masculine male characters. As previously mentioned, the opening to Dear John subverts the stereotypes due to the lack of character/audience interaction. In the opening scene there are too many characters in such a short space of time to enable the audience to pick out who the main characters will be or engage with them. The only clue as to one of the main characters is the amount of prevalence one of the male characters is given, however this is before the film actually starts. It is suggested right at the end who the main male and female role will be, however this is around 5 minutes into the film which is further than I am supposed to analyse. The slow pace of editing is a convention which is often used in the romance genre as it enforces realism which enables the audience to engage and relate to the main characters in the film, helping to evoke emotion from them and therefore, make it more enjoyable.
The setting is a very cliché setting for the romance genre as it suggests it may be a holiday romance, as well as the beach/a holiday destination having romantic connotations. This has both advantages and disadvantages as to some couples, it may be relatable as they live near an area such as this or have been on a romantic holiday to a similar destination, however to many couples who do not live in the same surroundings, in could be seen as unrealistic, and more of a dream. The characters in Dear John conform to the stereotypes of the genre as they appeal to the female target audience - e.g Channing Tatum has a large female target audience and so this would attract people to the film, however all of the actors/actresses are Hollywood stars, which could be a disadvantage as the audience might be more likely to see them as role models rather than be able to relate to them. The mise en scene effectively outlines the suggested protagonist's past, as the sound of bullets are heard and he is wearing camouflage, enabling the audience to grasp a bit of background knowledge before the film actually begins. This is something the audience will always hold in the back of their mind, which will help them to engage in the film as they would understand the reasoning behind John's actions. The costumes of the rest of the characters help to set the scene and establish the setting as they are all dressed in beach wear, suggesting the time of the year and the activities the characters take part in to the audience.
The use of sound conforms to the romance genre as often a narrative voice-over is used to help establish the plot and provide some background knowledge. It also usually helps to determine the main character as the voice over is usually coming from their point of view, again helping the audience to learn and engage with the character. Again, the film subverts from the stereotypes as a well known backing track is not played which suggests the film may not be a romance as usually a romantic song is played in the opening scene as the words help to unravel the plot - instead slightly upbeat music played. In the same way as action films, the music gets louder and quickens in pace as the suggested protagonist jumps in the save one of the other characters bag, (this is a subtle clue to who the two main characters will be) helping to establish him as a main character and a protagonist. The use of titles effectively introduce the film, the company it is made by and the featuring actors/actresses. The font used is soft and italic, suggesting the romantic genre and the female target audience. The titles also help to attract and appeal to the target audience as the well known characters are introduced. The use of camera work is also very natural in order to enforce realism. The camera work includes over the shoulder shots as well as point of view shots and close ups in order to help the audience see the way the characters see, as well as see their emotions and reactions, again helping them to engage in the film. Long shots and medium shots are used as well to help introduce all of the characters and the settings in order to establish the surroundings and help the plot to unfold.
The setting is a very cliché setting for the romance genre as it suggests it may be a holiday romance, as well as the beach/a holiday destination having romantic connotations. This has both advantages and disadvantages as to some couples, it may be relatable as they live near an area such as this or have been on a romantic holiday to a similar destination, however to many couples who do not live in the same surroundings, in could be seen as unrealistic, and more of a dream. The characters in Dear John conform to the stereotypes of the genre as they appeal to the female target audience - e.g Channing Tatum has a large female target audience and so this would attract people to the film, however all of the actors/actresses are Hollywood stars, which could be a disadvantage as the audience might be more likely to see them as role models rather than be able to relate to them. The mise en scene effectively outlines the suggested protagonist's past, as the sound of bullets are heard and he is wearing camouflage, enabling the audience to grasp a bit of background knowledge before the film actually begins. This is something the audience will always hold in the back of their mind, which will help them to engage in the film as they would understand the reasoning behind John's actions. The costumes of the rest of the characters help to set the scene and establish the setting as they are all dressed in beach wear, suggesting the time of the year and the activities the characters take part in to the audience.
The use of sound conforms to the romance genre as often a narrative voice-over is used to help establish the plot and provide some background knowledge. It also usually helps to determine the main character as the voice over is usually coming from their point of view, again helping the audience to learn and engage with the character. Again, the film subverts from the stereotypes as a well known backing track is not played which suggests the film may not be a romance as usually a romantic song is played in the opening scene as the words help to unravel the plot - instead slightly upbeat music played. In the same way as action films, the music gets louder and quickens in pace as the suggested protagonist jumps in the save one of the other characters bag, (this is a subtle clue to who the two main characters will be) helping to establish him as a main character and a protagonist. The use of titles effectively introduce the film, the company it is made by and the featuring actors/actresses. The font used is soft and italic, suggesting the romantic genre and the female target audience. The titles also help to attract and appeal to the target audience as the well known characters are introduced. The use of camera work is also very natural in order to enforce realism. The camera work includes over the shoulder shots as well as point of view shots and close ups in order to help the audience see the way the characters see, as well as see their emotions and reactions, again helping them to engage in the film. Long shots and medium shots are used as well to help introduce all of the characters and the settings in order to establish the surroundings and help the plot to unfold.
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