Learning aim A Unit 10

1. Unit 10 Assignment
Genre 1 War
Film 1
Inglorious Bastards
For unit 10 assignment I’m going to be comparing 2 films of the same genre which will be
Inglorious bastards and Dunkirk these 2 films are from the war genre the war genre
normally includes a plot with battles and fights taking place
First of all, I will look at narrative codes and convention of genre. I am going to be using
Tzvetan Todorovs Theory. He identified 5 structures in a filmthe equilibrium being the start,
then disruption of the equilibrium where something happens that disturbs or disrupts the
equilibrium. After that you have the recognition where the characters realise that
something has happened, next comes the attempt to repair where our characters attempt
to repair the damage of that has been set then finally you have the new equilibrium being
the new beginning for our characters where everything is back to normal.
Starting with inglorious Basterds you have the opening scene where colonel Hans Landa is
arriving to a French farmers home this can be classed as the equilibrium because we have
seen no glimpses of war except from a German soldier arriving at a man’s home when we
first see him his performance indicates that he is currently no threat and he just in search of
information as he comes with compliments and happy emotions.
Quentin Tarantino does this to introduce us to our 1st main character the villain colonel
Hans Landa, Landa is a Nazi and in almost all ww2 movies the Nazis are always seen as the
antagonists this is a convention of the war genre as most war films have this, they all include
Antagonists or guys that the audience are supposed to be disgusted at and already hate
without even hearing dialogue. We know this is the equilibrium as there is no fighting going
on there is no tension or fighting between the 2 of these factions (Nazi and Allies) after this
Quentin Tarantino introduces us to our 2nd main character Lt Aldo Raine who is head of the
Basterds a Jewish American military division whose Mission is to kill Hitler and end the war.
(SEE REF 1 & 2)
(REF 2)
(REF 1)

2. Secondly you have the disruption of the equilibrium this being the part in the movie where
the bastards find out that the Nazis are holding a film premier for Joseph Goebbels new film
Nations Pride a filmabout a German sniper killing several American soldiers.
The disruption is where the bastards go under cover with German actress Bridget von
Hammersmark who is secretly a spy for the British army with a operation they call operation
Kino. Quentin Tarantino does his research as in the filmthe operation takes place in a small
cinema in France and when translated to English Kino means cinema in Russian this goes
with the conventions as a lot of war films include secret operations. The bastards then meet
up at a tavern to discuss the operation this can be also be seen as a convention because
taverns were widely used in ww2 its where soldiers would socialize and in other war films
we have seen soldiers in bars
before. (SEE REF 3 & 4)
REF 4
REF 3
The disruption can also be seen at the end of this scene when the only German speaking
spies are found out to be spies and there is a shootout in the bar leaving no survivors this
becomes a dilemma for the rest of the Basterds as the plan has be compromised this can
also be referred to the recognition as well because LT Aldo Raines Brad Pitts character
recognises the Basterds need to improvise or come with a new plan for operation Kino to
work successfully this goes with Todorovs theory as in war films things always go wrong and
not everything is successful the 1st attempt it can also be classed as convention to the war
genre as with the shootout in the tavern audiences who watch war films are expecting to
see gun fights and disagreements against the opposite sides. (SEE REF 5)

3. REF 5
Todorovs says in his theory that in every film there has to be a repair or an attempt to repair
the damage been done we can certainly apply this to inglorious bastards this being the part
of movie where LT Aldo Raines is accompanied with his 2 members of the Basterds Sgt
Donny Donowitz and Omar Ulmer in Joseph Goebbels Film premier.
They are also accompanied with German movie star Bridget Von Hammersmark who has
Disguised them as Italians to avoid raising suspicion to the Nazis the attempt is when we
realize as the audience that Donny and Omar have dynamite strapped to their ankles with a
timer ticking down.
Tarantino before this tells us that the Basterds are planning on blowing the cinema up with
explosives but he doesn’t make it clear that we might lose some of the main characters we
have been with for the full film may die he has a good way of disguising this when Donny
and Omar sit down the camera follows them as they sit and it is revealed that they have
explosives attached to their ankles this can be classed as convention to the war genre
because during war sacrifices are taken and given and this is also convention as in war films
we expect to see explosions and violence as its accurate to what people really see during
war.
It may even be classed as convention as in most ww2 films we see the Nazis defeated we
rarely see them being the victor at the end of the war. (SEE REF 6)
REF 6

4. Finally on Tododrov theory you have the new equilibrium again you can apply this to
inglorious bastards this being the scene where colonel Hans Landa has surrendered to lt
Aldo Raines and Utivich another member of the bastards this is after the cinema has been
blown up and Hitler and the other high ranking Nazis have been killed this is a convention to
the war because in war films we rarely see Nazis being the victor towards the end and we
mostly see the allies winning at the end colonel Hans Landa being be captured could also be
a convention of the genre because again in war films we see the villain surrendering and
losing the battle or war we very rarely see the bad guys come out on top and beat the good.
(SEE REF 7)
REF 7
Another narrative convention of the war films I’m doing is the appearance of the characters
that are presented in a lot of war films Vladimir Propps theory says we see typical film
characters in these types of films over and over again he suggests that they are only 8
character types that frequently occur in these narratives these are.
The villain The villain being colonel Hans Landa the Nazi Landa is directly seen as the villain
as the way he acts he is ferocious and cruel and he’s a Nazis they are very rarely seen as the
good guys and always seen as the bad guys when a filmis set during ww2 we instantly

5. expect to see the Nazis are bad they aren’t many pro-Nazi films he predicts that in war films
the villains are these evil sadistic villains.
The Hero Lt Aldo Raines & The Bastards These are the good guys as they are fighting to bring
the Nazis down and bring peace back to the world the allies (People who fight the Nazis) are
always seen as the good guys and the guys who are friendly but ferocious to the enemy and
don’t shy away from violence
The Helper being Bridget von Hammersmark she is the German actress who becomes a spy
for the allies and she supplies them with information against the Nazis she also gets them
into the cinema where Hitler and the other high-ranking Nazis will be, the helper is mostly
seen as helping the heroes out.
The Princess Could be symbolically suggested as being the world as it needs saving from the
Nazis (The Villains) and The Heroes come calling to the princesses needs however the world
could also not be seen as the princess as the world is not a character.
I will now be analysing the stylistic elements to the war film there are many stylistic
elements to the war film many being the costumes in war films we see accurate costumes
like Nazi officer uniforms or the allied soldier outfits with the round helmets and the green
clothing this is a convention to the war genre as people who watch war films expect to see
historic accuracy this makes the filmlook more real and believable when you see the
characters in accurate clothing for the time period.
Other stylistic Things can be the props so for war films we expect to see guns that were
used in this period of time this is a convention to the war genre as the viewer wants to see
historically accurate weapons they used in ww2 it makes it more tense and thrilling to see
what they used as it also shows us how warfare has advanced over the years the setting can
also be a big impact of the stylistic techniques for the war film as if it’s a ww2 film we expect
it to be set in Europe or japan as again this is historically accurate to the ww2 setting this a
convention because we again when we watch war films we expect the movie to be
somewhat accurate as its drags in the viewer and makes it more interesting and educational
sometimes the audience like to learn something as well as being entertained.
Special effects is also a crucial part of stylistic conventions for a war film as with special
effects we are given things like explosions and flame effects we are given gore and more
brutality this can be identified as a convention to the war genre as when the audience sits
down to watch a war filmthey expect to see explosions and fire and gore as this was what it
was like for the soldiers who fought during ww2 this is can be linked to inglorious bastards
as in this filmwe get our fair share of gunfight’s and explosion’s in big chunks like for an
example the bar scene where a big shootout is shown or the cinema scene where the
cinema is blown up in an assassination attempt most war films include these scenes so it
can be classed as convention to the war genre as its frequently seen in other war films (SEE
REF 8)

6. REF 8
Another stylistic element of the war genre is camera angles extreme long shots and mid
shots these are used to get the huge scale battles that take place in the film and they do this
to get the insane practical effects and all the props in the shot such as planes and cars in
inglorious bastards we can link this to the scene to where Sgt Hugo Stiglitz and the bastards
disguise themselves as Nazis to kill some unsuspecting soldiers in this they use accurate
props and costumes that were accurately used in this time period. (SEE REF 9)
(REF 9)
Film 2
Dunkirk
Again I will be looking at the narrative codes and conventions I am going to be using Levi
Strauss’s theory as well as Todorov’s theory. Strauss’s theory is about Binary Opposition
with binary opposition he says that in most films there are 2 rivals that have conflict and
these 2 rivals and the conflict pushes the narrative forward and we as the audience enjoy it
more we can definitely apply this to the war film as the filmI’m doing Dunkirk is set during
ww2 one of the biggest and most memorable conflicts the world has ever seen. Todorov’s

7. theory explains that every film has to have an equilibrium a disruption a recognition of the
disruption and an attempt to repair the disruption then after this you have the new
equilibrium
Binary opposition can be applied to the war film as its obvious when people watch a film
that they are expecting conflict like in Dunkirk the opposition is the Germans against the
British forces we see this clearly this Is a convention to the war filmbecause when people go
to see a filmset during the second world war people expect to see battles between the
allies and the Nazis.
The Germans are seen in this film as apex predators as they are always one step ahead of
the British soldiers and Christopher Nolan the director shows the British as helpless prey
who are always fighting helplessly just for survival. In the film Dunkirk the Germans are
clearly portrayed as the antagonists and the British collectively are seen as the protagonists
because they are clearly the good people fighting for peace and survival whereas the
Germans are fighting for destruction and world domination this is a convention to the war
genre as it typical in a war film to see 2 opposing sides fight each other for gain.
Christopher Nolan is trying to show his own take on what the world wars were like by
sticking with this one-character Tommy we as the viewer are put into his shoes and we see
how he witnesses the second world war on the British side and the nearby encounters he
witnesses as soldier at the evacuation of Dunkirk this a convention to the war film as we see
what soldiers had to endure during the war and we get a glimpse of the horror. Christopher
Nolan tries to transport the audience back to the second world war and does a great job at
this as the outcome for the film is as historic as it should be this is a convention to the war
film as the audience are expecting an accurate presentation to the history of the war when
they watch a war film. (SEE REF 1)
REF 1
The ending to this is filmis simultaneously open and closed at the same time its closed
because at the end of the filmwe see English and German citizens pick the British soldiers
up by boat and escort them to safety back to England however it is also open in ways as
Christopher Nolan tells us at the end that it’s not the end of the war as the war is not over
at the climax of the film. Christopher Nolan wants us to know the history behind this film

8. this is also pretty common for war films as with war films it’s too long to fit into a
conventional narrative they have to conclude it shorter but the audience deep down knows
that the war is far from over. (SEE REF 2)
REF 2
I will now identify some stylistic elements to the war film Dunkirk I will be analysing sound
there is many diegetic sounds in Dunkirk many of them being explosions from the Nazis
dropping bombs on the allied soldiers and others like the sound of the Stuka German
aircrafts dive bombing this helps reinforce the realismof the war as they don’t use much
non diegetic sound there are other diegetic sounds like when tom hardy is in his spitfire you
can constantly hear the sound of the engine and the sound of his machine gun fire the
dialogue the soldiers say is a source of diegetic sound as the characters can hear it this is a
convention to the genre as this dumps the audience right into how the war was and it
makes us feel or the soldiers as we get a glimpse how horrific war was.
Another stylistic element I will be doing for Dunkirk is editing during editing for a war film
they’re normally fast paced edits in rhythm with some of the special effects this can be done
straight after an explosion or after heavy machine gun fire this is a convention of the genre
as its expected in war film to see these things and to see big scale battles take place as a lot
of war film fans like historically accurate films.
I will also be analysing more signs of diegetic sound in the film Dunkirk and there is one
scene that does it very well it’s at the end of the film when the soldiers have successfully
escaped Dunkirk from the Nazis and they are on their way on board a train and one of the
soldier reads from paper and he is reading Winston’s Churchill’s iconic ad most memorable
“we will never surrender” quote this is an iconic quote and will be a convention to the war
genre as its historical and it was really spoken during the time period that the war is set and
it’s good to an audience who are looking for more than a war film for people who are
looking for a historically accurate war film.

9. I will now be comparing the narrative and stylistic conventions to both inglorious basterds
and Dunkirk narratively they both have similarities as in the ending the allies both emerge
victorious the ending to inglorious Basterds concludes with Hans Landa surrendering to
allied soldiers (the basterds) and with Dunkirk it concludes with the allies fleeing Dunkirk
and getting back to England safely this is similar as it concludes with both the allies getting
the upper hand in the end and the Germans losing however in inglorious they lose the war
all together and in Dunkirk it concludes with the Germans in losing their target so its similar
in ways but also very different as its shown in different ways as the Germans overall still lose
their objective.
They also have similar villains however Dunkirk focuses less on character development
because it assumes that we as the audience already know who the villains are. Dunkirk is
more of a convention to the historical war film whereas in Inglorious Basterds its set during
the actual war but a lot of the characters are fictional so Inglorious Basterds is more of a
convention to the action/war genre because the events of the film aren’t historically
accurate for instance when the cinema blows up in real history this never happened the
audience knows that this is not historically accurate but the audience still enjoy it.
I will now be comparing some stylistic elements in Dunkirk and Inglorious Basterds there are
many some of them being costumes in a ww2 film it’s a convention to the war filmbecause
when the audience watch a war film they expect to see a historically accurate filmthis
means accurate costumes which both films have they do a good job at cementing the facts
that this is a war film just by the costumes alone as we have the officer in Inglorious
Basterds colonel Hans Landa his costume is very accurate for the time period this pleases
the audience as people who are fans enjoy accurate looking films Dunkirk has very accurate
costumes as well this can be the RAF pilot costumes or the costumes for the allied soldiers
these are to used to show that the film is legit and its trying to immerse
you into that time zone. (SEE REF 3 AND 4)
REF 3
REF 4

10. Another stylistic element I will be comparing is the special effects many war films have
special effects and we can definitely compare special effects to Dunkirk and Inglorious
Bastards as we see many explosions contained in both films for instance we have cinema
scene in Inglorious Basterds which contains many explosions and fire effects we can link
similarities to Dunkirk because in Dunkirk we see the same, many explosions for instance
when the Farrier the single RAF pilot left shoots down the attacking Germans in this scene
we see planes blowing up and machines getting fired we also see German planes crashing
and blowing up in fiery blazes this again is a what we expect to see when we watch a war
film as its thrilling to the fans of the war genre to see these intense action scenes and these
well done special effects. (SEE REF 5 AND 6)
REF 5 REF 6