The Hurt Locker: exam style questions

Q1. Explain two ways the characters and/ or events fit the action adventure genre.

Use examples from the extract. [10 marks]

The character James conforms to the action adventure genre due to him being very skilful with weapons. We see this as he walks up to the person claiming he has a bomb strapped to him and starts to give orders about what equipment he needs to help disarm it. As the person with the bomb, in this case the antagonist in the scene, attached to his torso cries out James, the protagonist, pulls out a gun to tell him that he cannot save him and that he has tries all alternatives. This suggests to the audience that a tense scene is occurring and that the main character will have to make a choice whether to save him or to kill him. This fits the action adventure genre because of the climax it builds up leading the audience to be engaged in what's going on.

The events in which occur in the scene also conform to the action adventure genre due to the setting in the exotic location. It looks like it is set in a very hot place in the east that has been deserted because of war-suggested by the military squad nearby. This will most likely be a place that the majority of the audience will have not been before, therefore giving them an experience of a more foreign place. This build to the tense atmosphere as the audience will have little knowledge of the place and so will the characters and so they can relate and experience the scene together.

Q2. Explain how each of the following is used to create effects:

• Soundtrack
• Editing
• Mise-en-scene
• Camerawork

Use examples from the extract. [30 marks]

Camera- At the beginning of the extract an establishing shot is used to set the scene and help the audience establish the setting. The camera often alternated between point-of-view shot and hand-held camera shot because of the scene and the tension building up for the audience. This gives a very personal perspective for the audience and makes them feel as though they are involved in the action altogether. The different P.O.V shot helps the audience distinguish the character dialogue from the fast-paced action.

Editing- Fast-paced editing is used throughout the entire extract to maintain the focus on the action and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Shot-reverse-shot us also used to distinguish dialogue and help the audience keep up with the characters thoughts and movements. The use of cut editing helps to make an abrupt transition from each scene and used to maintain continuity editing.

Sound- An extensive use of diegetic sound is used, for instance, the sound of shouting, gunfire and the sounds of machinery which helps with the use of sound bridge. This is also identifies with the use of synchronous sound.

Mise-en-scene- The costumes of the characters are all military based which connotes that the film is an action/adventure genre and also what is happening in the scene which adds to the tension and the audiences initial thoughts of the scene. The exotic setting helps the audience experience this from the character's perspective as it is a place that the audience will have not likely been before- as well as the character and so they can experience the same thoughts as the characters and see how the plot develops further to overcome the problem at hand.

Q3. Discuss the ways in which people are represented in the extract.

Refer to stereotypes in your answer.
Use examples from the extract. [20 marks]

Throughout the extract, characters are portrayed stereotypically and atypically to connote and celebrate different values and ideals. For instance, the representation of race and nationality is predominantly unconventional, as it doesn’t follow the stereotype of one race as the hero and another as the villain. This is shown through the military squad rushing around as the camera fall on different types of ethnic people all fighting o the same team. The only main stereotype is the hero being young and the villain being a civilian of the exotic setting that has been caught up in the action.

Gender is another stereotype that mainly occurs in the extract, as the genre stereotype of a women is to be weaker and less violent and less powerful than men. However there are no women in the scene. It could be argued that the setting is stereotypical as it looks in a place in the far east- Iraq where the theme of war is common and 'stereotypical'.

Explain how the film is typical of the action advenure genre.

The Mummy Returns

The events in the film The Mummy Returns fit into the action/adventure genre. The theme of good versus evil fits into the genre conventions and a large part of the film is based on war which is a large part of action adventure films and adds excitement and thrills to the film to keep the audience on edge. It enables a large battle/fight scene at the end of the film and at one point enables the antagonist to have the power to create suspense for the audience. However soon the protagonist starts to slowly gain the upper hand on the battle and finally defeats the antagonist once and for all. This helps the audience empathise with the main protagonist as they are the morally correct characters to feel empathetic towards and be on their side. The antagonists and protagonists are clear in the film in the sense that the protagonist is presented as heroic and confident, which their superior capabilities of the heroes position the audience to empathise with them an be on their side. The antagonist is presented as demonic and evil partly done by special CGI effects with the scene in which Imhotep rips his face off to the audience when he is first shown. The protagonist has a clear goal in which he has to reach before the end of the film. In this case it is Richard O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) saving Evelyn O'Connell (Rachel Weisz) and defeating Imhotep and potentially saving the world from an eternal reign of evil.

GCSE Media: Exam Paper Textual Analysis Action Adventure Q2-

Q2. Explain how each of the following is used to create effects:

• soundtrack
• editing
• mise-en-scene
• camerawork

Use examples from the extract. [20 marks]


Camera- At the beginning of the extract, an establishing shot is used to set the scene for the audience, this creates a sense of atmosphere and tension and sets the scene as a huge battle. In this extract, the establishing shot is shown with the helicopters and the military-type buildings. Subsequently, the camera shot turns into a tracking shot to give an overview of the rest of the characters to make the audience feel as though they are involved in the action . A point-of-view shot is applied which connotes to the audience the emotions of the characters. In the extract, the main character tries to detach himself from the exploding ship and frantically reaches for the eject button. The audience will be able to feel the sense of urgency which builds up tension as the camera looks quickly around the scene. The use of a hand-held camera shot during a battle scene creates a very 'personal' view and makes the audience experience themselves in the action. This also adds to the chaotic feel of the battle in action. Furthermore, the use of shallow focus shots enables the audience to focus on the protagonist and signifies his presence and reinforces his bravery. The use of dolly zoom also reinforces the idea of heroism and courage as the hero stays the same size on the frame as the background size changes. In the extract, it gives the audience knowledge of the chaos and frenzied atmosphere.

Editing- Throughout most of the extract fast-paced editing is used to build up mood and atmosphere, especially to create tension through action-packed scenes. As the genre is Action-Adventure, it also clashes with the Sci-Fi genre, hence the use of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). This editing feature enables the graphic alien species in the extract to look realistic and believable to the audience. Alternatively, the shot-reverse-shot enables the audience to identify the dialogue between to characters. In the extract, this is shown at the point where Cage (the main character) has found Rita and the camera flips back and forth between each characters as their dialogue is being said. This helps to maintain audience involvement. Cross-cutting is used to build suspense between 2 different scenes. This can be shown through the battlefield scene crossing between the main characters fighting and another character battling elsewhere to show the whole area. Cut editing is used to abruptly transition from one scene to another. It is often used throughout the extract, specifically when Cage dies and wakes up of the ship. This connotes a change in scenery and therefore an abrupt difference between the two scenes and draws the audiences attention to the editing, similarly, to a jump-cut shot. Continuity editing shots draw attention to the flow of the scene and emphasizes smooth transition of time and space. Consequently, the film is quite controversial in the way that it plays with the nature of time travel throughout the narrative.

Sound- At the start of the extract, non-diegetic sound is used to create suspense and anticipation for the audience with the soundtrack. In addition, diegetic sound is also used throughout the entire extract as it has an on-screen source such as dialogue and sounds form the battlefield. This adds to the sound bridge which follows sounds throughout multiple scenes such as gunfire and shouting which can be heard through the images of the protagonist and the other characters in battle. This connotes to the audience how the scenes are 'linked' together. Synchronous sound is also used effectively in order to build up tension and helps the audience to feel more immersed in the action as it is sound that are expected. Referring to the extract, these would be the sounds of warfare: gunfire, shouting, crashing, explosions etc. The directors intentions for this would have been to make the audience believe that they are involved in the action as the sounds are expected and it helps to set the scene so they can focus on the characters.

Mise-En-Scene- Mise-en-scene is predominantly used throughout the entire extract-this may be down to the props, lighting, costumes etc. used to create a visual impact on the audience. The costumes are futuristic as they are large and heavy pieces of amour and have various technological devices strapped to them. This signifies to the audience that the time period is in the future rather than in today's world and makes them believe that anything is possible which is the normal stereotypical depiction of the future/unknown. The props used are fairly basic in terms of the warfare scene as mainly weapons are used and the audience will often find themselves briefly visualising segments of debris and machinery on the floor. In terms of relationships with characters, the extract seems to promote the significance of women in warfare, due to the main character finding Rita who seems to be a character with lots of experience and knowledge of what is going on and the advice that she gives to Cage. These all add up to generalise the scene and create visual effects that make the scene seem realistic whether the audience are aware of this or not.