Analysis of a scene from a Film/TV show

1. Week 2 Homework
Film – 8 Mile
Scene – Ending Rap Battles
Harry Taylor

2. The main lighting in this scene is above the good character.
The light is very bright which makes it obvious who the viewer
should root for. This lighting could also be seen as heavenly
which suggests that the character has God on his side. As God
is a benevolent being, this shows further evidence for the
character being honest and respectful.
The second point to make about lighting is that this light is
facing away from the bad character. This implies that all the
attention is being taken away from the bad character and
everything the bad character did is now being made worthless
by the good will of the good character.
The extras in the background are all
seen behind the good character. This
shows the jealousy of the bad
character because he thought he was
the best but now the people are
backing the underdog.
The white jumper worn by Eminem in
this scene shows his innocence. The
colour white represents purity and
innocence. This colour is also
considered to be the colour of
perfection. The perfection is
delivered through the way Eminem
beats the bad character by using
clever word play and insults.
The grey hat is also an important part
of this scene. The hat could imply that
he is blocking everything else out of
his mind so that he can concentrate
on beating the bad guy. The hat is
also grey, a colour that is a mix
between white and black. This could
show that the character has to use a
little bit of evil to overcome the real
evil. It is the lesser of two evils.
The microphone is in the hands of the
good character. This represents the
power and leverage that the good
character has during this conflict. A
microphone amplifies everything you
say into it so I believe that the good in
this situation is being amplified and is
drowning out the bad.
The bad character is dressed in black leather. Black is a colour
that represents nothingness and evil, such as death. Leather is
also an intimidating clothing material as we associate it with
biker gangs and streetfighters. It is a stereotype clothing item for
a bad guy. This shows the reader that this character is
intimidating and for someone to be standing up to him is very
courageous. As the colour black represents nothingness, we can
think that this character has no remorse and likes to be evil as
he will feel nothing from doing evil.
The location of this scene is
underground. When the viewer thinks
about being underground, we
immediately think of negative
connotations such as waste, rats and
sewage. This sets a certain mood for
the viewers which makes the feeling
of tension and suspense rise because
the whole film has built up to this
moment.
The expressions of each character
clearly reflect their moods which
shows the passion each character
is putting into the situation. The
bad characters expression is
grumpy and jealous looking
because he realises he’s lost the
battle whereas the good
characters expression is deep in
concentration. Not only does this
show the viewer the differences in
character but it also shows how
the character deals with a situation
which is useful for the viewer
because it helps them understand
the plot and the story.