Leon is a 1994 film directed by Luc Besson. It introduces Leon (Jean Reno), a professional assassin, and Mathilda (Natalie Portman), a 12-year-old girl seeking revenge. Mathilda witnesses her family's murder and finds shelter with Leon. She convinces him to train her, and they develop a close relationship. Meanwhile, the corrupt cop Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) who killed Mathilda's family is determined to kill Leon and Mathilda. The film climaxes with a confrontation between Leon and Stansfield that results in both their deaths. The Departed is a 2006 Martin Scorsese film adaptation of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs.

1. Introduction
We respond to media products in many ways, some of the approaches may be in the
manner in which we analyse; Genre (a type or category of media product e.g. action, horror
etc.), Semiotics is looking at the signs in the film such as sounds/music and studying how
they’re used e.g. the connotations. Representation the way a character or demographic is
portrayed. Narrative the way the plot is told and developed. In this acritical I will be looking
at the above four areas when analysing film texts.
Leon
Leon is a Luc Besson directed film that was released in 1994; it stars Jean Reno as Leon, a
young Natalie Portman and future Oscar nominee Gary Oldman. Leon is centred quite
obviously on the character named Leon (Jean Reno) who is a highly capable, professional
and deadly assassin living a life of solitude. We find all of this information about Leon in the
very first scene which works as an exciting exposition scene to explain to the audience Leon
is a very dangerous and professional killer. We see Leon take out an entire group of drug
dealing gangsters with nothing but a pistol and stealth this works as character development
because we learn Leon is somewhat of an anti-hero; because the characters he are killing
are high up criminal but because he kills them he is not a full blown conventional hero like
you would see in a Superhero film for example who’s code is never to kill . Mathilda (Natalie
Portman) is a 12 year old New York girl who is living an undesirable life among her half-family.
Her father stores drugs for two-faced cop Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman). Only
her little brother keeps Mathilda from breaking apart. One day, Stansfield and his team take
cruel revenge on her father for stretching the drugs a little, thus killing the whole family.
Only Mathilda, who was out shopping, survives by finding shelter in Léon's apartment in the
moment of highest need. Soon, she finds out about the strange neighbour's unusual
profession - killing - and desperately seeks his help in taking revenge for her little brother.
This is the inciting incident for the movie. Reluctantly Leon accepts to train Mathilda for
revenge and then a good 45 minutes of the film is spent training Mathilda up with multiple
events taking place where Mathilda makes Leon move such as Mathilda telling a hotel
receptionist that there lovers. Mathilda then goes back to the flat where her family killed to
collect money and as she is finding the hidden money, Stansfield and numerous other
policemen enter the building Stansfield is questioned on why he killed children and he
shouts to the policeman that kids should be at school, and also shouts his office number. As
Mathilda increases her confidence and experience, she locates Stansfield, follows him to his
office in the DEA building in an attempt to kill him, only to be ambushed by Stansfield in a
bathroom.This where the rising action starts. Léon, discovering her intentions after reading
a note left for him by Mathilda, rushes to the building and rescues her, shooting two of
Stansfield's men in the process. Stansfield is enraged that what he calls the "Italian hitman"
has gone rogue and is killing his men. He confronts Tony and threatens him, eventually
beating him into surrendering Léon's whereabouts. Later, as Mathilda returns home from

2. grocery shopping, an NYPD ESU team, sent by Stansfield, takes her hostage this the climax
for the film and attempts to infiltrate Léon's apartment. Léon ambushes the ESU team and
takes one of their members hostage, rapidly bartering him for Mathilda's freedom. As they
slink back into the apartment, Léon creates a quick escape for Matilda as he reassures her
and tells her that he loves her moments before they come for him. In the chaos that follows,
Léon sneaks out of the apartment building disguised as a wounded ESU officer, almost
unnoticed save for Stansfield who recognizes him and silently sneaks up and shoots him
from behind. This is the falling action. Looming over the dying Léon, Stansfield jeers him
haughtily. However just before he gives out, Léon places an object in Stansfield's hands,
which he explains is "from Mathilda". Opening his hands, Stansfield recognizes it as the pin
from a grenade and rips open Léon's vest to discover several grenades on his chest.
Stansfield lets out a brief and final quip "Oh, shit" right before a massive explosion
devastates them both. Mathilda heads to Tony's place as she was instructed to do by Léon.
Tony will not give Mathilda more than a few dollars of the fortune Léon had amassed, which
was being held by Tony. His reasoning is that she is not old enough to receive the large
amount of money and that school should be her priority until she's older. When Mathilda
asks Tony to give her a 'job', and insists that she can 'clean' as Léon had, Tony sternly
informs her that he 'ain't got no work for a 12-year-old kid!' Having nowhere else to go, she
is then seen going to Roosevelt Island using the Roosevelt Island Tramway. The next day,
she returns to school in NJ. Seemingly readmitted to the school, Mathilda walks into a field
in front of it with Léon's houseplant in hand, she digs a hole and plants the houseplant in the
grounds of the school, as she had told Léon he should, "to give it roots." This is the
denouement for the film.
There are elements of the film that are used to develop the genre for example the setting of
New York is very conventional for action thrillers because of the connotations of crime and
violence in the alleys of the big city. The way the main protagonist, Leon, is pretty
conventional there is an opening scene where he takes out a group of armed drug dealers
with just his stealth and skill but the way his female companion is portrayed is very
unconventional. She is a 12 year old girl set out for revenge against her family’s killer and
has a strange attraction to the assassin looking after her and wants a relationship with him.
Quite obviously this controversial and unconventional but I think besides that there is a
positive image because its showing women can be strong and independent and not just
adult women, young women also. Iconography is used throughout the film by using shots of
landmarks in New York, close ups of guns and gun fights and the creation of an iconic
costume that Leon wears, a black beanie hat and round sunglasses. Which when put on it
seems Leon becomes a different person almost like the Heisenberg effect in the future
Television show ‘Breaking Bad’. The style of the film also helps to develop the genre for
example the fast-paced editing in the fight scenes.

3. The Departed
The Departed is a Martin Scorsese directed film released in 2006. Starring; Leonardo
DiCaprio (Multiple Oscar Nominee), Jack Nicholson (Multiple Oscar Winner) and Matt
Damon (Oscar Winner). Martin Scorsese won best achievement in directing at the Oscars for
this film and has been nominated numerous other times. The Departed is obviously a loved
and critically acclaimed film but what most people don’t know is the film is an adaptation of
a Japanese film called Infernal Affairs. The Departed has two main characters and it switches
between the two stories throughout the film, the characters are very similar and both have
started to work for the police force in Boston but have had different opportunities mainly
unfairly. Colin Sullivan is one of the main characters, we see him
from a young age being helped by an older man with money and
groceries after the old man had collected protection money from
the local grocery store. It turns out the Old man who helped
Collin was the crime boss Frank Costello, Frank (Jack Nicholson)
tells Colin (Matt Damon) if he wants to earn some extra money
to come to his place after school. We fast forward in time and
Colin goes through the police academy and quickly becomes a high ranking officer and gets
all the way up to the special investigations unit because of his clean past and special help
from Frank Costello. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) has had a much harder life. His
uncle was shot in a mob related incident and it is
hinted that the murderer was Frank Costello either first
hand or had some involvement. There are also
rumours that his Dad was involved with the mob but
they remain unconfirmed rumours that Billy
strongly denies. Billy also goes through the police
academy at the same time as Colin and has showed he is
a promising cadet. He works his way up through the police force working in drug raids until
he gets a chance to be on the
special investigations team.
Colin and Billy’s interview for
special investigations are on the
same day and as Colin leaves
with a smile on his face because
he’s been accepted they call Billy
in. Billy is not greeted with the
same hospitality, Captain
Queenan (Martin Sheen) and the
unpleasant Staff Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) are the ones interviewing him. Queenan
shows Billy some respect but Dignam believes billy should be nowhere near the job and
rants at him about his life making reference to his uncle and father working with the mob

4. and ends on ‘I know what you are, okay? I know what you are and I know what you are not.
I'm the best friend you have on the face of this earth, and I'm gonna help you understand
something, you punk. You're no fuckin' cop!’ Queenan offers one way he can still walk the
force, to go undercover, as his family ties to organized crime make him a perfect infiltrator.
He drops out of the academy and does time in prison on a fake assault charge to increase
his credibility. This is where the opening credits appear which shows the audience all of the
events before that point were character development and exposition to explain to the
audience the plot of the movie.
After being released from jail Billy is eating at the counter of a store like that in which
Sullivan originally met Costello, Costigan confronts two Italian mobsters from Providence
extorting protection money from the store owner. He beats the two men up badly, breaking
his hand when he hits one of them. Costello learns of Costigan's actions and summons him
to a meeting. He offers to protect Costigan from the Mafia, who, he promises, will return
with reinforcements to kill Costigan. He invites Costigan into a back room where he instructs
Mr. French (Ray Winstone), a senior member of Costello's crew, to check Costigan for
weapons or a wire. Mr. French breaks Costigan's cast open and Costello beats Costigan's
broken hand with a shoe, trying to get him to confess being a cop. Costigan withstands their
beating and is accepted as a legitimate crook by Costello. Both Sullivan and Costigan gain
credibility within their respective organizations. Sullivan visits a crime scene where the two
Mafia men from Providence are found. Sullivan contacts Costello, who directs him to
influence the investigators away from Costello. Both Sullivan and Costigan gain credibility
within their respective organizations.
Sullivan then visits a crime scene
where the two Mafia men from
Providence are found. Sullivan
contacts Costello, who directs him to
influence the investigators away from
Costello. Numerous scenes happen
after that which are just Colin and
Billy getting higher up in their opposing organisation’s and gaining trust from the person at
top until It becomes evident to both Sullivan and Costigan that there is a mole in each
other's organization but they do not know each other’s identity, this is the inciting incident
for the film and the plot point that kick-starts the main narrative. Costello tells Sullivan to
find the "rat" among his crew. Sullivan asks for his crew members' social security numbers
and other ID so he can track them down. Costigan searches for the informant and learns
from a member of Costello's crew that Costello is an FBI informant, explaining why federal
prosecutors repeatedly fail to indict and arrest Costello. Costigan visits Queenan at home
late at night and tells him that Costello is an FBI informant. Then Ellerby puts Sullivan in
charge of the investigation to find the mole in the Special Investigations Unit, citing his

5. "immaculate record." So Sullivan knows he’s safe because he’s looking for himself in the
unit. Sullivan tells Costello to trail Queenan to a meeting with Costigan. Costigan gets away
before Costello's men throw Queenan off the roof, landing at Costigan's feet. As Cosello's
crew leaves, Costigan joins them, pretending he's just arrived to join them in the
assassination. Fitzgibbons (David O'Hara) is mortally wounded. Back at their bar, Fitz fingers
Costigan as the mole but dies before he can tell anyone else. A news report reveals that
Delahunt (Rolston), a crew member, was an undercover cop and Dignam is forced to step
down from the police force as a result. Using Queenan's phone, Sullivan reaches Costigan,
and fails to persuade him to quit his work as a mole. Sullivan learns from Queenan's diary
that Costello was an informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He worries that his
identity as a mole for Costello may be revealed. With Costigan's help, Costello is traced by
the police to a cocaine pick-up, where a gunfight erupts between his crew and police, during
which most of Costello's crew is killed. This is where the rising action starts in the film
Sullivan confronts the wounded Costello, who admits he is an occasional FBI informant.
Sullivan shoots him multiple times. Sullivan is applauded the next day for having killed
Costello by everyone on the force. In good faith, Costigan comes to see him, seeking to get
his civilian identity restored and to collect his back pay. He tells Sullivan he intends to
resume his civilian life. Sullivan leaves to look up Costigan's employee record when Costigan
notices the envelope from Costello on Sullivan's desk. Costigan finally realizes Sullivan is
Costello's mole. Returning to his desk, Sullivan realizes that Costigan has figured out his true
identity, so he erases Costigan's employee records from the police computer system.
Madolyn tells Sullivan she's pregnant, but doesn't reveal who the father is. A few days later
she receives a package in the mail from Costigan addressed to Sullivan. She opens it to find
it contains a CD of Costello's recorded conversations with Sullivan. Sullivan walks in as she is
listening and tries unsuccessfully to assuage her suspicions. He contacts Costigan, who
reveals that Costello recorded every conversation he had with Sullivan. Costello left the
recordings with his attorney, who has given them to Costigan. Costigan says he wants his
civilian identity back or he will implicate Sullivan. They agree to meet on the roof of the
building where Queenan died.
When they meet, Costigan catches Sullivan off-guard and handcuffs him this scene is the
climax of the film. As Costigan had secretly arranged, Officer Brown appears on the roof as
well. Shocked to see Sullivan in handcuffs and held at gunpoint by Costigan, Brown draws
his gun on Costigan. Costigan explains his actions by revealing that Sullivan is the mole.
Costigan asks Brown why Dignam did not accompany him, but Brown doesn't answer.
Costigan leads Sullivan to the elevator and Brown takes the stairs to follow them. When the
elevator reaches the ground floor and the doors open, Officer Barrigan (Dale) shoots
Costigan in the head. When Brown arrives, Barrigan kills him too. Barrigan reveals to
Sullivan that Costello had more than one mole in the police and that Costello was going to
give both of them up to the FBI. When Barrigan momentarily turns, Sullivan shoots him in

6. the head. At police headquarters, Sullivan concocts a story to protect him, identifying
Barrigan as the mole and recommends Costigan for the Medal of Merit. At Costigan's
funeral, Sullivan and Madolyn stand by the grave. Sullivan attempts to talk to her, but she
ignores him and walks away all of the previous scenes were the falling action. As Sullivan
walks to his apartment, he is met by Dignam, who shoots and kills him then the film ends
this the denouement for the film and resolves the injustice of Costigans death.
There are multiple elements of the film that help establish the genre, the setting for
example, Boston, is a huge element of the film because the opening dialogue courtesy of
Jack Nicholsons amazing voice over explains the rise of the Irish Mob in Boston “Twenty
years after an Irishman couldn't get a fucking job, we had the presidency. May he rest in
peace. That's what the niggers don't realize. If I got one thing against the black chappies, it's
this - no one gives it to you. You have to take it.” This makes reference to the Kennedy
assassination and the struggle of African-Americans in the USA. This tells the audience that
the setting of Boston at the time of the film there is a rise of Irish Americans gaining power
in cities like Boston by just taking it. The characters also help develop the genre because of
the iconic nature of the big bad Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) not only is he conventional
to crime thrillers but the characteristics are also iconic for Scorsese movies. An ambitious,
criminal with a short temper whose pride is ultimately his downfall (Frank Costello-Jack
Nicholson) this is seen in other Scorsese movies such as Goodfellas with Henry Hill (Ray
Liotta) taking this role, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) seen in Wolf of Wall street.
Among many more examples. Other aspects that are iconic more to the director than the
genre are the use of multiple tracking shots throughout the film which people link to
Scorsese and the use of voiceovers by the main character which is seen at the beginning
with the amazing Jack Nicholson voice over. The style of the film also helps develops the
genre throughout the film for example whenever a character is about to die there is a black
cross hidden somewhere in the mise en scene of the shot.
Pulp Fiction
Pulp fiction is a 1994 Quentin Tarantino film starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L.
Jackson and Bruce Willis. The plot is told in an episodic non-linear structure and the timeline
is not clear until the end when you think about it. Because the following scene may of
happened before the previous and so on. The film I believe is mainly about 2 people’s
stories, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Bruce Willis (Butch Coolidge). Vincent Vega has
just returned from Amsterdam, where he lived for 3 years working for Marsellus Wallace.
When he returns he is tasked with retrieving a case by Marsellus (the contents of which are

7. unknown) with Jules (Samuel L Jackson). Everything goes to plan and they retrieve the case
but there is a hidden person in the bathroom that unloads a full gun clip at Vincent and Jules
but not a single bullet hits. Jules takes this as a sign of god and says he’s retiring from being
a gangster. They take one of the people that were in the flat with the case for Marsellus to
talk to but when Jules drives over a speedbump to fast Vincent accidentally shoots the
young man and the inside of the car is painted red. Jules and Vincent then take the car to a
friend’s house that needs the body out of there within the hour. Marsellus sends a helper
round to sort the situation out called Mr Wolf, they have to do some unpleasant tasks but
the car is finally usable again. They go to breakfast after the ordeal and a robbery takes
place mid-breakfast and Jules instead of killing them like he could of tries to get them away
from robbing and gives them his money and tells them to get their life back on track. They
then got to Marsellus and give the case back to Marsellus and Vincent is tasked with taking
Marsellus wife out for the night, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman). They have a good night and
win a dancing competition but Mia snorts Vincent’s Heroin thinking its Cocaine and
Overdoses. Vincent drives her to his dealer’s house to give her a shot of adrenaline and she
survives.
Butch Coolidge is an aging boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his next fight. But ends up
killing the other boxer in the ring. Coolidge had placed bets on himself to win after it had
leaked that he was going to throw the fight so the odds are ridiculously high. He flees from
Marsellus and his gangsters but his girlfriend Fabienne forgets to bring his golden watch that
has been in his family for many generations. Butch returns to his apartment and he faces
Vincent and shoots and kills him. Later Butch bumps into Marsellus by accident there is a
huge fight which ends in a rednecks gun shop. They are tied up and put in the basement, it
turns out that the men are sadistic gay rapists. They take Marsellus into the next room and
start to rape him as Butch escapes, Butch has a chance to leave and let whatever’s going to
happen to Marsellus to happen but he returns and saves him and Marsellus says everything
between them is cool now.
The film uses multiple scenes that contain aspects of post modernism and pay homage to
past music, film and television. For example there is intertextuality with films such as Grease
and Saturday night fever, John Travoltas past work, which also makes it s elf-referentiality, in
the scenes where John Travolta and Uma Thurman dance together (Saturday night fever),
this also could be considered as parody. Also there is car scene which looks extremely
similar to the Grease car scene. There is also a pastiche reference to the iconic Marilyn
Monroe scene in 7 year itch where the skirt flies up and she tries to keep it down. There are
many examples of this in the Jack Rabbit Slims restaurant becaus e all of waiter and
waitresses are famous celebrities from the past. For example the waiter for Vincent and
Mia’s table is dressed as Buddy Holly among other references to previous actors/ singers.
There are also multiple self referentiality aspects of this scene to previous and future
Tarrentino projects, for example Mia Wallace among other characters smoke Red Apple
cigarettes (a brand invented by Tarrentino), which are used throughout Tarrentino’s work as

8. characters main choice of cigarette. There are also references throughout the film to future
and past work. For example Mia talks about the pilot she appeared in which starred the
‘Fox Force 5’ the characters of which are explained have extremely close similarities to the 5
women that appear in Tarrentino’s future film ‘Kill Bill’.