PR3:Critical responses to media products

1. We respondtomediaproductsinmanyways,some of the approachesmaybe inthe mannerinwhich
we analyse genre,narrative,semioticsandrepresentation.Inthisarticle Iwill be lookingatthese four
areas whenanalysingfilmtexts.
One of the filmstextsIwill be analysingisLéon:The Professional,whichisa1994 English-language
Frenchthrillerfilm, writtenanddirectedbyLucBesson.The filmfeaturessucessful andwell-known
actors/actressessuchas JeanReno,Gary Oldman,Natalie PortmanandDannyAiello.Inthe filmLeon
(JeanReno),aprofessionalItalianhitman(referringhimself asa "cleaner") ,reluctantlytakesin12-year-
oldMathilda(Natalie Portman),afterherfamilyismurderedbycorruptDrugEnforcement
AdministrationagentNormanStansfield(GaryOldman).LéonandMathildaformanunusual
relationship,asshe becomeshisprotégée andlearnsthe hitman'strade.
Applyinggenre analysisandsemioticanalysistoLéon;suchas the setting,character(representation),
iconographyandstyle (mise enscene/camera/editing),Iwill explainhow theseelementshelpestablish
the genre of action thriller.
The openingshotof the filmisan extreme longshotandaerial shotof New York,showingiconic
buildingssuchasthe Empire State Buildingandthe TwinTowers.The filmthencutstoa forward
trackingshot of a streetscene showingyellow taxi’swhichisagainanotherNew Yorkicon.Anothershot
inthe scene showsastreetsignsaying“Welcome tolittle Italy”,whichillustratesthatthe filmisina
differentandmore crime relatedareaof New York, inwhich the Italianmafiaare situated.The opening
scene includesdarklightingwhichshadowsthe facesof the twocharacters,signifyingmysteryandthat
the characters are beingsecretativeaboutacertainmatter.The props andcostumesinclude fittedsuits
and gunsattachedto the hipsof clothing,whichrepresentsthatthe filmisof anaction genre,also
relatingtothe plotof the filmthatfeaturesaMafia gang. Also inthe shot of thisscene isa bag of drugs
that isclearlynotfor personal use,connotingthattheyare drugdealing,againlinkingbacktothe action
thrillergenre of the filmandalsothe mafialine of workof the characters.
There are manycolourrepresentationsinthe filmsuchasred,greenandblack.Red isthe colour of fire
and blood,soitis associatedwithenergy,war,danger,strength,power,determinationaswell as
passion,desire,andlove.Greenisassociatedwithmeaningsof growth,harmony,freshness,safety,
fertility,andenvironment.Greenisalsotraditionallyassociatedwithmoney,finances,banking,
ambition,greedandjealousy. Blackisassociatedwithpower,elegance,formality,death,evil,and
mysterywhichlinkstothe action and crime genre of the film. Duringone of the manyactionscenes,
there isbinaryoppositioninwhichone characterhasa knife putto hisneckby a much tallerandfearless
character, showingthathe isin control of hisvictim.The nextmaincharacter Matildaisintroduced
whichisa 12 yearoldgirl,she is sat behindrailingsandhasa cigarette inhermouth,showingthatshe is
rebellious.The thirdcharacterisintroducedandishavinga conversationaboutorganiseddrugcrime.
Anothermobbosscharacter isintroducedasa character of extreme powerwhoisfearedbymany.The
scene thenshowsthatthe younggirl has swappedhercigarette fora lollypopasher dad isaround,
whichshowsthatshe is quite smartunderneathherinnocence.Othercharactersare introducedinto
anotheractionscene situatedinthe mainaccommodationbuilding,inwhich3stereotypical looking
hippy characterswithguns confidentlystroll throughthe buildingtokill the family,withone of them
havinga Jamaicanaccent.Anothermainmobboss character NormanStansfield(GaryOldman),
fearlesslyshootsthe familywithsheerconfidence apartfrom12 year oldMatilda,whois notyetin the
buildingaftershe goesfoodshopping.

2. The narrative of the filmisinthe correct sequence,showingeventsinaconsecutive order,butfeatures
flashbacksthroughoutthe film.The filmfitsintothe 3act narrative structure asthe firstact of
expositionhelpstoestablishthe maincharacters,theirrelationshipsandthe worldtheylive in.Inthis
firstact, an on-screenincidentoccursthatconfrontsthe protagonist,Mathilda'sfather,ashe attempts
to fightback the mobboss inhisownhome whichleadstothe firstturningpoint,ensuringthatlife will
neverbe the same againfor Mathilda'sfatherand herfamily.Thisalsoraisesthe dramaticquestionthat
will be answeredinthe climax of the film, will Mathildabe savedbyLéonas she begshimat his
apartmentdoorto lether in?,thisisalsoknownas the incitingincident.The secondact,alsorefferedto
as "risingaction",depictsthe maincharactersattempttoresolve the probleminitiatedbythe first
turningpoint,onlytofindherself inevenworseningsituationsasshe triestopersuade Léontoteach her
howto use weaponsandcertainhitmanskillstogetrevenge onthe killerof herparentsandyounger
brother.Thisisalso referredtoascharacter development.The thirdactfeaturesthe resolutionof the
storyand it's subplots.The climax isthe scene inwhichthe dramatic questionsare answeredasthe
storyis broughtto it's mostintense point,asMathildacomesface toface withthe mobbosswho killed
herfamily.VladimirProppwasarussiancritic inthe 1920's who identifiedthe theorythatcharacters
and actionshave a narrative function,providingastructure forthe text.RelatingtoLéon:The
Professional,the typical charactersProppfoundwithinhistheoryisthe hero,traditionallyamale
protagonistwhose role itistorestore normalitybydefeatingthe villain, inthiscase the herowouldbe
Léonas he decidestolookafterMathildaandgraduallybecomesherfatherfigure.Anothercharacterhe
foundwithinhistheoryisthe villain,the cause of disruptionandthe enemyof the herowhomayalsobe
a threat to safety,inthiscase the villainwouldbe classedasNormanStansfieldashe triestotrack down
Mathildaand kill her.The nextcharacterhe identifiedwithinhistheoryisthe donor,whogivesthe hero
somethingtohelphimalonghisjourneysuchasadvice or an objectsuchas a weapon,thiswouldbe
classedasTony whoprovidesLéonwithadvice aboutMathilda.The dispatcheristhe characterwho
sendsthe hero,Léon,onhisquestviaa message whichinthiscase isTony whoprovidesthe hitmanjobs
for Léon.AnothercharacterwithinProppstheoryisthe false hero,acharacterwho initiallyseemstobe
on the side of the herobut turns againsthimor deceives.The nextcharacterfromProppstheoryisthe
helperwhoaidsthe heroinrestoringnormality,inthiscase Iwouldsaythe helperisMathildaas she
teachesLéonto readin exchange forteachingherhow touse weapons,alsohelpinghimtobuildonhis
memory.The princesscharacteracts as the rewardfor the hero andthe objectof the villainsplots.The
lastcharacter in Proppstheoryisthe father,whoacts to rewardthe herofor hiseffort,however
Mathilda'sfatheriskilledearlyintothe film.Inastruggle scene VladimirProppsuggestedthe theory
that there isa struggle betweenthe heroandthe villainasthe heroisbranded,the villainisovercome
and the state of disorderissettled.Duringthe recognitionscene,the heroLéonisrecognisedashe takes
hisownlife andthe villain'slifebyagrenade to save Mathildaandallow herto safelyescape fromthe
conflict.
Todorov'snarrative theorystatesthatmost storiesorplotlinesfollowthe same 5-steppatternorpath.
The firstpart of thispath isequilibriumwhichmeansthatthe storywill displayahappystart,in which
the majorityof the characters are contentandeverythingisasitshouldbe.InLéon: The Professional,
the story showsthe normalityanddayto day life of Mathildaandherfamily.The secondpartof the
storywill feature aproblemora disruptiontothe happiness,in the case of Léon:The Professional it
beginswhenthe familyhave hitmenandamobboss outside of theirapartmentwaitingtoattack,in
whichthe familytryto escape the buildingorhide.The thirdpartof the storyis the realisation,inwhich
somebody realisesthere isaproblemandthere ischaos,inthisfilmthe realisationoccursonce the mob
bossand hitmenenterthe home andmurderall of the familyapartfrom Mathilda,whohadleftthe

3. apartmentearlierthatdayto do some foodshopping.The next partof the plotis the restoredorder,in
whichthe characters attemptto repairthe damage andrestore the problem, therefore Mathildais
determinedtopersuade Léontoteachherhow to use weaponssothat she can gether revenge onthe
killerof heryoungerbrotherandfamily.The final partof the plotisequilibriumagain,whichiswhere
the problemisresolvedandnormalitycanresume,inthiscase LéonsuccesfullykillsNormanStansfield
but sadlytakeshisownlife tooinorderfor Mathildato survive andescape the building.Mathildathen
visitsTonywhohas safelykeptLéon'smoneywhichhe leftforMathildaandshe thenstarts school.
Claude Levi-Strauss'snarrative theoryexaminedhow storiesunconsciouslyreflectthe values,beliefsand
mythsof a culture,whichare usuallyexpressedinthe formof binaryoppositions.Examplesof binary
oppositionusedinLéon:The Professional includesyoungVSold,strongVSweak,empoweredVSvictim
and boyVS girl.
The camera techniquesmake the viewerfeel claustrophobicastheyare close upshots of the characters
and objects.The editingincludesover-amplifiedsoundswhichare relatedtoactionfilms.Crosscuttingis
alsousedto showmore than one eventhappeningatthe same time and tosee both reactionsof the
differentchatacters.Nondiegeticsoundisalsousedfordramaticeffectsthroughoutthe film.A hand
heldcamerais usedduringanactionscene whilstfollowingone of the charactersto show hispanic.The
music,non-diegeticanddiegeticsoundall stopat the same time whilstacharacter has a knife putto
theirneck.The dialogue usesdiegeticsound.Once LeonopenshisdoorforMatilda,highkeylightingis
usedon herface whichsymbolisesafreshstart andalsoa change for Leonas he is a lonelypersonandis
lettingsomebodybecome closertohim.Leonishumorousandwelcomingtothe younggirl,whoshows
signsof happinessthroughherfacial expressionse.g.smiling.Leonbecomesakindfamilyfigure over
Matildawhichis more thanwhat she isusedto. The camera isat a straightclose upangle on Matildaas
she speaksabouthowshe doesn’twantto die,makingthe viewerfeelsympathetictowardsthe
character as she is revealingherinnocentside.Musicisusedtobuildtensionduringan upcoming
momentof actionor a specificimportantplotevent.
Steve Neale'sgenre theoryof repititionanddifference statesthatafilmandit's genre isdefinedbyhow
much itconformswitha genre'sstereotypesandconventions,andalsohow mucha filmsubvertsthe
genre'sstereotypesandconventions.Inthe case of Léon:The Professional,the filmconformswiththe
actiongenre'sstereotypesandconventionsasitstereotypicallyfeaturesdrugs,badlanguage,
fighting/guncrime,deathsof lovedones,explosionsandcrashes,amotive,outburstsinsettingsanda
missionwaitingtobe completed.However,the filmalsosubvertswiththe actiongenre'sstereotypes
and conventionsasitdoesnotfeature futuristicorexpensive cars/motorcycles,amoderncity or
Moderntechnology/Hi-techmachinery.
The secondfilmtextIwill be analysinginthe same wayisPulpFiction,a1994 Americanneo-noircrime
blackcomedyfilmwrittenanddirectedbyQuentinTarantino,fromastory byTarantinoand Roger
Avary.Directedina highlystylizedmanner,PulpFictionconnectsthe intersectingstorylinesof Los
Angelesmobsters,fringeplayers,small-time criminals,andamysteriousbriefcase.Considerable screen
time isdevotedtomonologuesandcasual conversationsthatreveal eachcharacter'ssense of humor
and perspectiveonlife.The maincastof the filmfeaturessucessful andwellknownactors/actresses

4. such as JohnTravolta,Samuel L.Jackson,Uma Thurman, HarveyKeitel,TimRoth,AmandaPlummer,
Maria de Medeiros,VingRhames,EricStoltz,RosannaArquette,ChristopherWalkdenandBruce Willis.
Applyinggenre analysisandsemioticanalysistoPulpFiction;suchasthe setting,character
(representation),iconographyandstyle (mise enscene/camera/editing),Iwill explainhow these
elementshelpestablishthe genre of neo-noircrime blackcomedy.
The firstshot of the filmissituatedinadinerfeaturingtwoof the maincharacters.The woman,"Honey
Bunny", appearsto have an Americanaccentwhere asthe male,"Pumpkin", hasaBritishaccent andis
smokinga cigarette whichhighlightshisbadhabit.The propsinthe scene include foodandhotdrinkson
the table,a gun whichisthenplacedwithforce onthe table by the mainmale character,and also
anothergunownedbythe mainfemale characterinthe scene whichthey bothbegintopointat the
publicastheybeginthe robberyof the restauraunt.A lot of scenesthroughoutthe filmshow the
character's takingor dealingdrugssuchas heroinandcocaine,whichlinkstothe genre of PulpFiction.
Withinthe nextscene whichfeaturesadifferentstorywiththe 2 maincharacters,VincentVegaand
JulesWinnfield,there are manycolourrepresentationssuchasblack,white andgold.Bothcharacters
are wearingfitted blacksuitswithwhite shirts,blackisassociatedwithpower,elegance,formality,
death,evil,andmystery,whichlinkstotheircrime-relatedjobsandtheirextreme fearlessnessand
power.White hasa positive connotationandisassociatedwithsafety, cleanliness,light,goodness,
innocence,andpurity.Itisconsideredtobe the colourof perfection.Thisconnotationcompletely
contraststo theircharacters as theyare portrayedasbad people associatedwithcrime.However,it
couldalsosymbolise that theystill have some goodwithin themselvesandhave toput onan act of
powerto feartheirvictims.VincentandJulesare bothwearinggoldjewerellywhichisapreciousmetal
associatedwithwealth,grandeur,andprosperity.Duringthisscene,Julesdoesall the talkingtothe 2
victimswhilstVincentlooksforthe briefcase inthe apartment,whilstdoingthisJulesspeakstothe
victimsina normal yetintimidatingmanner.Julestendstostaycalmthroughoutthe conversationwhilst
still portrayinghimself aspowerful andintimidating,yetonce one of hisvictimsspeakstoJulesfirst,he
shootshisgun inthe directionof the secondvictiminthe apartmenttoscare them.Julesthenstartsto
raise hisvoice towardshiscluelessvictimandviolently throwsthe table acrossthe roomexpressinghis
anger,thishighlightshisphysical strengthandhispowerashe alsocloselypointshisgunathisvictim,in
whichhe thendoesnot hesitate toshootinthe shoulder.The camerauseslow-angledshotsduringthis
scene to showthatthe charactersare both extremelypowerful andare hugelyfearedbytheirvictims.
Othercamera workincludesaclose upshot of Jules'sface inwhichhiseyesare wide withangerandare
lookingdirectlyintothe camera.
The narrative of PulpFictionisnon-linearasthe intersectingstorylinesare presentedfromthe
perspectivesof the differentcharacters.Thisunconventional wayof presentingeventschallenge the
viewer'smemoryinthe waythattheycan onlyunderstandthe plot bymakingcause-and-effect
connectionsbetweenthe scenes.The filmfitsintothe 3 act narrative structure as the firstact of
expositionhelpstoestablishthe maincharacters,theirrelationshipsandthe worldtheylive in.Inthis
firstact, an on-screenincidentoccursthatconfrontsthe protagonist's,MiaWallace and VincentVega,as
Mia findsVincentsheroinmistakingitforCocaine,causinghertohave an overdose whilstVincentisnot
around.Vincent'sattempttodeal withthisincidentleadstoa secondandmore dramatic situation,

5. raisinga dramaticquestionthatwill be answeredtothe climax of the film, WillMiaWallace survive?
Thisis knownasthe incitingincident.The secondact,alsorefferedtoas "risingaction",depictsthe main
characters attempttoresolve the probleminitiatedbythe firstturningpoint,onlytofindhimself in
evenworseningsituations as Vincentcanonlyrelyonhisdrug dealerforhelptopreventthe deathof
hisboss'swife,Mrs Mia Wallace.Vincentmustdevelophischaracterandarrive at a highersense of
awarenessof whathe is capable of inorderto helpsave Mia Wallace.The thirdact featuresthe
resolutionof the storyandit's subplots.The climax isthe scene inwhichthe dramaticquestionsare
answeredas the story isbroughtto it's mostintense point,asVincentVegainsertsanadrenelinshot
intoMia's heart withthe sheerriskof missingthe locationof herheart.The dramaticquestionof Mia
Wallace'ssurvival ornotis thenansweredasthe adrenelin shotworksandMiabecomesconscious
again,leavingMiaand Vincentwithanew sense of whotheyreallyare.VladimirProppwasarussian
criticin the 1920's whoidentifiedthe theorythatcharactersandactionshave a narrative function,
providingastructure for the text.RelatingtoPulpFiction,the typical charactersProppfoundwithinhis
theoryisthe hero,traditionallyamale protagonistwhoserole itistorestore normalitybydefeatingthe
villain,inthiscase the herowouldbe VincentVegaas he savesMia Wallace fromher overdose.Another
character he foundwithinhistheoryisthe villain,the cause of disruptionandthe enemyof the hero
whomay alsobe a threatto safety,inthiscase the villainwouldbe classedasButchCoolidge,whogets
revenge onVegabykillinghim.The nextcharacterhe identifiedwithinhistheoryisthe donor,whogives
the herosomethingtohelphimalonghisjourneysuchasadvice or an objectsuch as a weapon,this
wouldbe classedasVincentVega'sdrugdealerwhoprovideshimwithadvice andinstructionsof howto
gainthe consciousnessof MiaWallace . The dispatcheristhe character whosendsthe hero,Vincent
Vega,onhisquestviaa message,whichinthiscase isMarsellusWallace whoisthe bossof Vegaand
providesthe crime relatedjobs/tasks.AnothercharacterwithinProppstheoryisthe false hero,a
character whoinitiallyseemstobe onthe side of the herobut turns againsthimor deceives.The next
character fromProppstheoryisthe helperwhoaids the heroinrestoringnormality,inthiscase I would
say the helperisJulesWinnfield,whoworksalongside Vegacompletingcrime relatedjobs/tasks.The
princesscharacteracts as the rewardforthe heroand the objectof the villainsplots.The lastcharacter
inProppstheoryisthe father,whoacts to rewardthe herofor hiseffort,inthiscase the fatherwouldbe
MarsellusWallace asVegasuccessfulylooksafterMiaWallace as he was instructedto.Ina struggle
scene VladimirProppsuggestedthe theorythatthere isastruggle betweenthe heroandthe villainas
the herois branded,the villainisovercome andthe state of disorderissettled.Duringthe recognition
scene,the heroVincentVegaisrecognisedashe successfullyregainsconsciousnessof MiaWallace by
providingherwithanadrenelinshottoherheart.
Todorov'snarrative theorystatesthatmost storiesorplotlinesfollowthe same 5-steppatternorpath.
The firstpart of thispath isequilibriumwhichmeansthatthe storywill display ahappystart,in which
the majorityof the characters are contentandeverythingisasitshouldbe.InPulpFiction,the story
showsthe normalityandpositive vibe betweenMiaWallace andVincentVega,astheytake a tripto the
Jack RabbitSlimsrestaurauntandtry to getto know eachothermore.This scene alsoshowsboth
characters dancingtogetherasthey partake in the Jack RabbitSlimstwistcontest,showingthat
everythingisgoingwell.The secondpartof the storywill feature aproblemora disruptiontothe
happiness,inthe case of PulpFiction,itbeginswhenMiaWallace findsVincentVega'sheroinandbegins

6. to cosume itmistakingitforCocaine.The thirdpart of the storyis the realisation,inwhichsomebody
realisesthere isaproblemandthere ischaos,inPulpFictionthe realisationoccursonce VincentVega
noticesMia Wallace isunconsciousonthe floorwithplentyof bloodonherface andrealisesshe has
had an overdose.The nextpartof the plotis the restoredorder,inwhichthe charactersattemptto
repairthe damage and restore the problem, therefore VincentVegatakesunconsciousMiaWallace in
hiscar to hisdrug dealer'shouse forhelptoregainherconsciousnessandpreventherdeath.The final
part of the plotisequilibriumagain,whichiswhere the problemisresolvedandnormalitycanresume,
inthiscase VincentVegasucessfulyprovidesMiaWallace withanadrenelinshottoherheartand takes
herback home once she hasregainedconsciousnessandiswell again.
Claude Levi-Strauss'snarrative theoryexaminedhow storiesunconsciouslyreflectthe values,beliefsand
mythsof a culture,whichare usuallyexpressedinthe formof binaryoppositions.Examplesof binary
oppositionusedinPulpFictionare manVSwoman,strongVS weakandempoweredVSvictim.
There are a lotof postmodernfeaturesandiconographythroughoutPulpFiction,especiallythroughout
the scene featuringMiaWallace andVincentVegaatthe JackRabbit Slimsdiner.Intertextualityisused
whenMia ordersa shake whichisavailable "MartinandLewisor AmosandAndy",whichisa reference
to a white comedyteamanda black comedyteam.She ordersthe Martin andLewis(DeanandJerry)
and receivesavanillashake.Parodyisalsousedinthisscene aswhilstorderingfoodfromthe menu,
VincentcallsMia"PeggySue"whichisa song byBuddyHolly,whoisthe waiterservingMiaandVincent.
Vincentordersthe DouglasSirksteak,DouglasSirkwasa 50's directorof melodramassuchas Imitation
of Life andWrittenonthe Wind.The waiterasksif Vincentprefershissteak"burnttoa crispor bloody
as hell"whichcouldmaybe be aslyreference tothe extreme dramaof hisfilms.Pasticheisusedasthe
scene featuresMarilynMonroe'sskirtblowingupwhichisapastiche of the film"The SevenYearItch"
(1955). Bricolage (Baudrillard) isusedinthisscene asthe JackRabbitSlim'sthemedrestaurauntis
centeredon50's popculture icons:the host isEd Sullivanwhile RickyNelsonperformsonstage andthe
waitstaff consistsof Zorro, MarilynMonroe,Mamie Van DorenandBuddy Holly. Self-referentiality is
alsofeaturedinthisscene asMia Wallace speaksaboutherbeingina pilotfora filmcalled"Fox Force
Five"whichwasa plannedbutcancelledTV show,withthe 5girlsinthe filmperfectlymatchingthe
descriptionforthe 5 womeninKill Bill:Vol.1,whichisa mentionforthe TarantinofilmsKill Bill:Vols1&
2 whichUma Thurmanstarred in.
The camera techniquesusedinPulpFictioninclude close upshots of charactersand objectstohighlight
feelingsthroughfacial expressionsandalsoforemphasisof the filmplot.A trackingshotisused
throughoutthe Jack Rabbitslimsrestaurauntscene inwhichVincentVegaisbeingtrackedbythe
camera as he walks aroundthe diner,showinghisreactionstothe historicreferencesof the people
aroundhimand alsowhilsthe isfamiliarisinghimself withthe location.Low-angledshotsare alsoused
to emphasise the powerandimportance of certaincharactersthroughout the film.High-angledshots
are usedthroughoutPulpFictiontofocusoncertaindetails,anexample of whenthisisusedisduring
the Jack RabbitSlimstwistcontest,showingMiaand Vincent'sfeetwhilsttheyare dancingtogether.
Duringthissame scene,twoshotsare usedwhilstMiaand Vincentare dancingtogethertoshow the
proxemicsbetweenbothcharactersandhow the space becomesintimate ratherthanpersonal.There
are alsofeaturesof diegeticandnondiegeticsoundthroughoutthe film.Examplesof diegeticsoundare
the voicesof the characters, soundsmade byobjectsinthe story andalso musiccomingfrom

7. instrumentsinthe film.Anexampleof diegeticsoundinPulpFictionisduringthe scene inwhichMia
Wallace returnshome fromJack RabbitSlimsdinerwithVincent,inwhichshe thenbeginssingingalong
and dancingto some music,these soundshave notbeeneditedintothe filmandare diegetic.Examples
of non-diegeticsoundare soundeffectswhichhave beenaddedfordramaticeffect,mood musicand
alsothe narrator's commentary.Anexample of non-diegeticsoundinPulpFictionisduringthe opening
scene betweenPumpkinandHoneyBunny,the soundiseditedinonce Pumpkinplaceshisgunonthe
table,emphasisisinghowheavythe metal gun is.Differentlightingisalsousedthroughoutthe filmfor
differenteffects.Anexample of thisiswhilstVincentVegaandJulesWinnfieldgotocollectabriefcase
froman apartmentfor theirboss,MarsellusWallace,once Vincentopensthe briefcasehigh-keylighting
instantlyshinesonhisface whichcouldrepresentpositivityandanew start. Low-keylightingisalso
usedinthe scene of the meetinginthe clubbar,the lightinghasa redtint whichshadowsthe detailsof
the character's faces.The colour redisassociatedwithenergy,war,danger,strength,powerand
determination,whichhasa directlinkwiththe crime relatedgenre of PulpFiction.
Steve Neale'sgenre theoryof repititionanddifference statesthatafilmandit's genre isdefinedbyhow
much itconformswitha genre'sstereotypesandconventions,andalsohow mucha filmsubvertsthe
genre'sstereotypesandconventions.Inthe case of PulpFiction,the filmconformswiththe comedy
genre'sstereotypesandconventionsasitstereotypicallyfeaturessome brightsettings/locationsthat
are knownforsocial events,itfeaturesdiegeticandnondiegeticsoundstoplace emphasisoncertain
scenes,hasnatural lightinginscenestocreate a realisticenvironment,featuressarcasticandsocially
awkwardyetintellegentcharacterstocreate humour,camera shotssuch as mid-shots,close-upsand
two-shotsare alsocommonlyusedtoexpressthe relationshipsbetweeneachcharacter.However,the
filmalsosubvertswiththe comedygenre'sstereotypesandconventionsasitdoesnot feature many
brightand happycolours,idioticcharacters,hasmainlydarklightedscenesandshowsthatsome
characters are betterthan others.
PulpFictionisalsoof a crime genre whichconformsandsubvertsthese genre stereotypesand
conventions.The filmconformswiththe crime genre'sstereotypesandconventionsasitstereotypically
featuresanurban innercitysettingfeaturingthe 'meanstreets',blackhumour/one liners,expensiveand
fastcars, plentyof violence,the consumptionof alcohol andillegalsubstances,knowledge gapssuchas
twocharacters passingeachotherbut not realisingwhoeachotherare,the use of weaponssuchas
gunsor knives,the filmemphasisesthe strugglesanddifficultiesof the characters,featuresastrong
female character,portraysthe authorities/police inanegative light,hasbadlanguage,featuresalotof
bloodandmurdersand alsohas debatesaboutinnocence andguilt.However,PulpFictionalsosubverts
the crime genre'sstereotypesandconventionsasitdoesnot portraythe characters as people withvery
little money,doesnotuse a lotof false accusationsanddoesnot feature goodovercomingevil.
Deadpool isa 2016 AmericansuperheroblackcomedyfilmdirectedbyTimMillerfeaturing
actors/actressessuchas RyanReynoldsasWade Wilson/Deadpool,MorenaBaccarinas Vanessa,Ed
SkreinasFrancis Freeman/Ajax,T.J.MillerasWeasel,GinaCaranoas Angel Dust,Leslie UggamsasBlind
Al,BriannaHildebrandasNegasonicTeenageWarheadandStefanKapičićasthe voice of Colossus.The
openingcreditsof Deadpool have manypostmodernfeatures,includingself-referentialityasthe film
featuresawalletcardfrom the GreenLantern,whichRyanReynoldshaspreviouslystarredin.The
openingcreditsalsohaselementsof pardodyasinsteadof statingthe actors/actressesnameshumorous
descriptionsof the charactershave beenusedinstead,anexamplebeing"Starringcodsperfectidiot",
relatingtoRyan Reynolds.Pastiche isalsoincludedinthe openingcreditsastitlessuchas"The Comic
Relief,"A HotChick"and"ProducedbyAsshats"are usedtopointout all the clichésinthe worldof
superherofilms.The beginningof the openingcreditsshowsathugwitha lightercomingoutof his
mouth,as a joke isfilmedwhere Deadpool burnsacircle inthe middle of hisforeheadandsays“Iloved
your workinDaredevil!”.ColinFarrell wasBullseye inthe Daredevil movie andhe hada little target

8. tattoo inthe middle of hisforehead,thisis thereforeanelementof self-referentiality.The creditsalso
include anelementof intertextualityasthere isa coffee cupwiththe name “Rob L.” writtenonit,which
isa reference tocomicbookartistand Deadpool co-creatorRobertLiefeld.Tointroduce RyanReynolds
intothe filmmore,the openingcreditsfeaturespropssuchasa Ryan Reynoldsmagazine cover, the
Orange Number5 card andthe HelloKittylipbalm.