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1. FM2 – Section C
Comparative Analysis of TWO US
films from the same genre

2. Learning
Research the history of
Objectives
‘War of the Worlds’
Analyse the use of ‘the
other’ and identify key
themes in War of the
Worlds
Begin screening of ‘War
of the Worlds’ (2005)

3. What if….?
The ‘What if…’ scenario is arguably the generic convention that most
defines the Sci-Fi Genre. It allows filmmakers to identify issues/taboo
subject in modern society and propose possible outcomes/reactions to
those issues
Did you identify any ‘What if…?’ scenarios in War of the Worlds?
What if we are apathetic to the
threats presented by terrorists?
What if we ignore the potential
dangers posed by ‘outsiders’?
What if America arrogantly
assumes they are immune to wide
scale assault?

4. 9/11 Cinema
The film industry has always held a prominent places in
society and has the power to alter, challenge and reinforce our
opinions and ideologies
Fantasy films for example, take what is
fantastical and makes it a reality
Horror films use lighting and sound (or the
absence of) to make our worst fears come to
life on screen before us
The things we see on the cinema screen come
from us!
They come from our society!

5. 9/11 Cinema
As a genre, Sci-Fi allows filmmakers to break or challenge
social norms through the use of the ‘What if…’ scenario
What if… we could travel in time?
What if… we discovered Alien beings?
What if… we could make Intelligent Robots that
think for themselves
When we ask the question ‘What if…’ we can
imagine the possibilities, but the question also
raises fears:
Fears of the ramifications of these developments!

6. 9/11 Cinema
War of the Worlds uses the ‘What if…’ scenario to comment
upon post 9/11 America
In our exam we must show an understanding of how
our focus films reflect the society that produced them
Since the events of 9/11 many films can be considered
‘Post 9/11’
What do you think ‘Post 9/11 Cinema
means’?
Films released since 9/11 that comment
upon the 2001 terror attacks, subsequent
wars or other social issues that have arisen
as a result of 9/11

7. Post 9/11
Cinema
Can you think of any films that can be considered post-9/11 cinema?
Films released since 9/11 that comment upon the 2001 terror
attacks, subsequent wars or other social issues that have
arisen as a result of 9/11
The films don’t have to mention 9/11 or war directly, just
contain some of the themes and social issues raised by the
attack on Sept 11th and the fallout:
War
Fear
Paranoia
Loss of certain freedoms

8. 9/11 Cinema

9. Read the ‘Post 9/11 Cinema’ essay and highlight
what you think are the most interesting points
Highlight areas that you may use in your
essay for War of the Worlds

10. Case Study 1- The
The first Batman movie was released in 1966 Dark Knight
and was a reflection of the optimism of a
booming post-war American economy and the
‘summer of love’ mentality
Watch this extract and consider the reasons
why The Dark Knight is so different
Unlike previous incarnations of Batman that
relied on camp mise-en-scene and hammy,
over-acted performances, The Dark Knight
positions the caped crusader in to a world very
similar to our own

11. Case Study 1- The
The threat The Dark Knight faces is a Dark Knight
villain aiming to destroy peoples way of “Some men aren’t
life and spread terror across Gotham looking for anything
(New York substitute) logical like money.
You either die a
They can’t be bought,
hero, or reasoned or
bullied, live long
How are the Joker’s actions / enough to see Some
ideologies similar to that of a negotiated with.
yourself become
men just want to
terrorist? the villain world burn”
watch the
We also see the best intentions of
politicians perverted by fear and
anger – we can read a lot in to the
role of Harvey Dent

12. Case Study 1- The
Dark Knight
Watch the following extracts and make notes
on the following questions:
In what ways can does the Joker reflect post 9/11
society?
What visual references to 9/11 can you identify?
What post 9/11 themes can you identify?
(remember the Patriots Act?)
If the Joker is talking about our reality, what does
he mean by ‘It’s all of the plan’?

13. Case Study 1- The
Dark Knight
Comic book characters have always seen a rise in
popularity after traumatic events
Superman & Batman were even transformed in to
Nazi bashing hero’s during WWII
By commenting upon issues such as a ‘hostage video’,
a secret surveillance system etc Nolan draws direct
parallels between the world of TDK and the real world
In placing the Joker as the sole enemy in TDK, Nolan is
exploring a fantasy that existed post 9/11
The Joker is easily identifiable as a villain and threat
to the American way of life – a clear representation of
terrorists

14. Case Study 1- The
Dark Knight
When a nation is at war films with clearly identifiable
heroes are favoured by audiences
I think people want to
Why do you think this is? get in to the minds of
people who do these
kind of things. And
When the target is clear the hero is able to
they want to see
play to an audiences desire for revenge American’s kick their
butts
Presenting the Joker as a clear representation
of terrorism the audience is hoping to see the
all-American Hero defeat the ‘bad-guy’
Portraying the Joker as a terrorist also offers an
understanding of the motives behind acts of
spectacular violence

15. Case Study 1- The
Dark Knight
The Dark Knight contains the following themes:
Gotham City (New York’s alter ego) is under
attack
Civilians are killed indiscriminately
The perpetrator has no apparent motive (Terror)
Politicians cashing in on paranoia A sky scrapper with a
burning hole in its
centre. This image is
Hostages used to relay demands on T.V. Screens
not seen in the film.
Why use it on a
A campaign against an ‘evil doer’ that transforms promotional poster?
in to a personal battle, not a reasoned response

16. Case Study 1- The
Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan tap’s in to our deep
cultural anxiety about terror to position
his vision of Gotham in a ‘reality’ we can
recognise
The closing vision of Gotham is of a
pessimistic landscape of corruption,
chaos and fear – an image that, even 11
years after 9/11, feels disturbingly
familiar

17. Case Study 2 –
‘Children of Men’
Children of men Trailer – download and embed

18. Case Study 2 –
‘Children of Men’
Set in the United Kingdom of 2027, the film
explores a grim world in which two decades
of global human infertility have left humanity
with less than a century to survive. Societal
collapse, terrorism, and environmental
destruction accompany the impending
extinction.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom—perhaps
the last functioning government—persecutes
a seemingly endless wave of illegal immigrant
refugees seeking sanctuary.
Director Alfonso Cauron described the film as
“a complex meditation on the politics of
today

19. Children of Men
Watch the following extract and make notes
about the social context
Consider:
What elements of our society are discussed within
the film?
How does ‘social context’ inform our opinions of
the film?
How does Alfonso Cauron (director) represent his
views on society?
Do you recognise any visual references to post
9/11 news/media?

20. Case Study 2 –
‘Children of Men’
Children of Men explores the
consequences of a culture of
fear being exploited by those in
power
The film is set in a ‘possible’
future based on the events of
9/11 and the fall out that
followed
Immigration is seen as a source
of terror and immigrants are
seen as something to fear

21. Case Study 3 – War
of the Worlds
In groups of 4 you must now create a PowerPoint
presentation entitled “Case Study 3 – War of the Worlds
Each presentation must contain at least 8 slides focusing on
a different theme / area of analysis / Post 9/11 reference
Consider:
• Reaction to the film
• Spielberg's thoughts on the films 9/11 context
• How does the film visually reference 9/11?
• How are the themes covered in our previous lessons
explored throughout the film?