Analysis of the opening two minutes of ANgus Thongs and perfect snogging discussing what is represented and how these representations are constructed

1. Opening Analysis

2. • Concern with appearance
• Friendship issues
• Interest in boys
• Mean Girls
•Imperfect protagonist
• Romantic comedy (genre)

3. • Concern with appearance is represented within the first
two minutes of the film as the song states “she’s so lovely”
and discusses a girls appearance. This introduces concern
with appearance as a theme
• Also a diegetic laughing sound shows that others are
concerned with the protagonist’s appearance
• There is use of crabbing shots showing old people staring
at the protagonist which also shows a concern for
appearance
• As the protagonist runs she looks around at others
therefore representing her as self conscious and therefore
concerned with her appearance
• Use of high angled shots forced the audience to look
down on her and this represents her as having low self
esteem which links to concern with appearance

4. • Friendship issues are introduced within the first two
minutes as the protagonist is first shown without her
friends whereas her friends are introduced together, this
represents that the protagonist is left out of her
friendship group
• friendship issues are also represented through a mid
shot of her friends showing them to feel embarrassed by
the protagonist and therefore represents friendship
issues as a theme.
“but we said we’d all go as h’orderves to be original”
shows a lack of solidarity within the friendship group and
shows the protagonist to be let down by her friends
• Friendship is portrayed to be an important theme
within the film as is pushes the title sequence.

5. • Concern with boys is shown thought the use of
medium long shot showing the reaction of boys to be
judgmental, therefore showing interest in boys as a key
concern within the film
• Also interest in boys is represented as a key theme
because the protagonist’s friend says “boys don’t like
girls for funniness” therefore putting boys before her
friendship, representing interest in boys as a theme
within the film

6. • Mean girls are introduced within the first two
minutes of the film through the use of dark colours.
The antagonist is dressed in all black to contrast the
bright colours that the protagonist is dressed in, this
represents their contrast and foreshadows a clash of
their personalities.
• Mean girls are also introduced through a close up of
the three girls, this shows their facial expression which
are of sarcastic smiles. This represents them as fake
which corresponds with the character of a ‘mean girl’
• Mean girls are also portrayed through a close up the
antagonist, showing her as the first one to laugh at the
protagonist therefore representing her as the mean
girl.

7. • The font used for the titling is swirled therefore
corresponding with the ‘girly-girl’ character which is
commonly found within romantic comedy.
• The situation shown within the first two minutes
represents the protagonist as goofy and imperfect,
this causes the situation to be comedic, as also shown
by the song (describing a beautiful girl whilst the
protagonist is dressed comically in the shot) creates
comedic irony.
• The use of high key lighting is often found within
romantic comedies because it links to an upbeat and
positive tone
• The use of white writing also represents romantic
comedy as a genre again linking to a bright tone,
showing the audiences that the film will be light
hearted.