Analysis Assignment Planning

Research and Element Analysis
Film Title: Chicago

Director: Rob Marshall

Information about the director:
American theatre director
film director
choreographer
six-time Tony award nominee
Academy award nominee
Golden-Globe nominee
four-time Emmy winner
most noticed work is 2002 Academy award for Best Picture, Chicago

Genre Identification: Identify the film sequence’s major genre and relevant sub-genres:
Main Genre:
Musical
Sub-genres:
Crime Fiction
Drama
Comedy

Research and identify specific genre conventions relating to these genres
Mise-en-scene:
Style of Acting:
Jail:
Catherine Zeta Jones (Velma Kelly)
Fits role very well
slow and quiet talking / matter-of-factly

Press Conference:
Renee Zellweger (Roxie Hart)
Attempting to speak up
wanted to do her own thing

Richard Gere (Billy Flynn)
Speaking over ‘Roxie’
Very aggressive in getting his way

Musical Scene:
Renee Zellweger (Roxie Hart)
Fitting role very well
acting as if ‘Billy’ is controlling every word she says
Helpless


Richard Gere (Billy Flynn)
Controlling ‘Roxie’
making sure she says the right things to the ‘press’ so they believe the story he made up for her
making the ‘press’ feel sorry for her
him controlling the ‘press’ as a metaphor to show that they are believing the story and that will help her case

Christine Baranski (Mary Sunshine)
Her agreeing with the story convinces the rest of the ‘press’ to go along
friendly with Billy

Newspaper & Black and White Scene:
Narrator
talking about case and ‘Roxie’
getting everyone interested

Setting/Location:
Jail:
dark and cold
clean
not cluttered

Press conference:
outside
during day
outside courthouse

Musical Scene:
in a theatre
small
classical
also as used is if Richard Gere (Billy Flynn) were using as it as a puppet show

Newspaper & Black and White Scene:
news paper over new york city
outside/in shops
inside Renee Zellweger (Roxie Hart) house where her crime was committed

Lighting:
Jail:
blues
light focusing on Renee Zellweger (Roxie Hart)
intensity very focused on the cell bars and background
texture was light - no harsh edges
three point lighting is being used in this situation in the foreground of the frame

Press conference:
yellows
day lighting
low intensity
light texture - no harsh edges
a lot of side lighting but also three point lighting

Musical scene:
reds & oranges
blues & purples
pinks
night lighting - inside
high intensity - used on an introducer, actual body wasn't in the shot but the shadow was
heavy texture - harsh edges on faces
background lighting
foreground lighting
three point lighting

Props/Costumes:
Jail:
Renee Zellweger (Roxie Hart)
jail uniform
book
Catherine Zeta Jones (Velma Kelly)
jail uniform

Press conference:
Renee Zellweger (Roxie Hart)
long fur coat and blouse
hair and makeup done

Richard Gere (Billy Flynn)
suit with fur collar
hat
tie

Props:
podium with microphones
interviewers and journalists
cameras

Musical Scene:
Renee Zellweger (Roxie Hart)
blue dress with wooden handle on the back
skin-coloured tights
blue heels
makeup and hair done to be on stage or performing

Richard Gere (Billy Flynn)
flat hat
stripy suit with bow tie
dress shoes and pocket watch
makeup done for a stage show

props:
‘journalists’ dress like puppets behind them on the stage
strings connected to them
chair that they sit on
audience
spotlight on them

Newspaper & Black and White Scene:
newspapers
flyers
dolls
wigs
people acting throughout the city
clothes and other possessions being sold




Cinematography:
Jail:
rule of thirds used (vertical and horizontal)
low and canted camera position
medium shot
underexposure
in focus - crisp, sharp, clear
very deep depth of field

Press conference:
rule of thirds used (vertical and horizontal)
high camera position
close-up
even amount of exposure
in focus - crisp, sharp, clear
shallow depth of field
from the perspective of a journalist

musical scene:
rule of thirds used (vertical and horizontal) in only some parts of the scene otherwise the main focus is dead centre
low camera position
whole body shot
underexposed
in focus - crisp, sharp, clear
very deep depth of field
from the perspective of an audience member

Sound and editing:
Editing:
all done in cuts
slow editing - rhythmic editing
rhythmic matches also used throughout
temporal editing used between jail scene to press conference
temporal editing used - montage - musical scene
visible editing
Sound:
when talking very clear and well heard
quality of sound throughout the clip is excellent
musical scene done to perfection
timing right on