3. Sound
• Music in the background (non diegetic sound)
- “Aint No Sunshine” by Bill Withers
- Creates the mood of the scene; shows that he is feeling longing, desire
and misery over his broken heart and invites the reader to connect to the
song so these emotions also.
- As it has a slow rhythm it creates the impression that he is plodding along
to the music, and that nothing will be good again. The song itself is
depressing so makes the audience connect with his own sadness.
4. Mise en Scene
• Key props:
-Hugh Grants coat. It is over his shoulder in the Summer to signify heat, but he puts it on
as Autumn comes in. In Winter he puts his hands in the pockets to show coldness
and then he takes it back off again to show that he has gone full circle and that it is
warm again.
• What the stalls are selling:
In the beginning it shows Summer fruits being sold, such as strawberries and peaches. In
Autumn winter vegetables are on sale and fallen leaves are seen on the ground and
in the air. Christmas Trees, wreaths and woolly jumpers clearly signify that Winter is
here and this changes to brightly coloured blossoms as Spring enters.
5. • Woman:
- At the beginning there is a close up of a woman pregnant and by the end you see
the same woman with a child to represent that time has passed.
• Emma Chambers (Honey)
- You see her at the beginning in love and happy with her boyfriend but by the
beginning of Spring you see that her relationship has now ended; again
symbolising that time has passed on and also links in with the misery of love that
the song in the background is about.
• Effects:
- Dead leaves are blown across the camera to show Autumn and the use of rain to
convey the idea of the worsening weather. This continues into snow and lots of it
can be seen on the ground in the Winter part of the scene.
6. • Costume:
- The costumes of the extras in the background changes with the seasons.
From short sleeve tops to big jackets and hats. The costumes also
represent the type of place this street is, and some of the clothes are
quite shabby and retro.
• Location:
- He is walking along the same street, but as the seasons change as he
walks along this street it portrays the monotony that is life without love.
Also you get a feel of the location by the colourful and large posters in the
background and the run down buildings.
7. Camera
• The camera follows Hugh Grant in a smooth line. It starts with a wide shot
and gradually zooms closer in, until you can see expressions on his face
by the use of an extreme close up shot.
• The wide shot at the beginning establishes the setting and the use of mid
shots allows the audience to see the surroundings (stalls, what they are
selling, extras) while always keeping Hugh Grant in the frame.
• As the angle is side on, you get the feeling that you are walking alongside
him and keeping pace with him.
• The use of a wide shot during the Winter section, conveys the idea of
busyness of Christmas time, but also the isolation Hugh Grant is feeling as
he is around a lot of people but he still walks alone.
• There is also the use of a close up shot to really establish to the audience
that time has moved on, to ensure they understand this. The first one is
when Honey is fighting with her boyfriend, and the second is the woman
now holding her baby.
8. Editing
• Light:
- The light of the street changes as the seasons change. At the beginning it
is quite light and then it dims as you enter Autumn and Winter but
gradually becomes lighter again as Spring enters. This ties into the
stereotypical idea that Summer and Spring are the lighter months, where
as Autumn and Winter are the dark and depressing months.
• Effects:
- The use of rain and snow really emphasises the changing of seasons. The
rain echoes the unhappiness of the song and Hugh Grants emotions, while
also showing the bleakness of Autumn. The snow really conveys the idea
of Christmas but also again implies the coldness and misery that Hugh
Grant is feeling.
