Commentary guide for films - part 2

This is the same guide, adapted for films with a supernatural element.

Film 1 is Bram Stoker's Dracula. Film 2 can be Twilight or a film of your choice. This film MUST include a supernatural villain. The element of horror MUST be supernatural. So, no serial killers.

Watch each film and try to answer all the questions in this list, separately. You can do this while you watch, or immediately afterwards.

Compare the answers you have given in one film and in the other.

Try to make conclusions in your comparison. Don't be afraid to give personal opinions.

Your essay should answer most questions in this outline.

1 Genre.
What are the genres of the two films? (comedy, horror, drama, etc).

2 The Plot.
Make a brief plot summary of both films. It must be personal and very short.

3 The characters.
The hero (Male or female). This is an ACTIVE character: the person that fights against evil.
What are the hero's objectives?
What physical characteristics are very important for the story?
Personality traits, positive and negative. What makes him/her strong. What makes him/her weak.
Does the character “feel real”? Why or why not?

The heroine(s). This is a PASSIVE character: she (very rarely a man) needs to be rescued from evil.
Personality traits, positive and negative.
Have the heroines got any characteristics that make them interesting, apart from “needing to be rescued”?

Only if you are considering Twilight, you can go back to the information from the 1st term:
How is the relationship between hero and heroine? Can you imagine them together?
Are the couple more interesting when they are apart, or when they are together?

The villain. In the films we are analising, the villain is supernatural.
Who is the villain? Why?
What are the villain's objectives?
Personality traits, positive and negative.
What are the villains superpowers and strenghts?
What are the villain's weak points?

Only if you are commenting Twilight:
Why haven't vampires conquered all the world? After all, they are invincible, aren't they?

Hero's allies vs. villain allies.
How many are there?
How much power do they have?
How do they help the hero and the villain?

Is the fight between good and evil a metaphor of something that happens in the real world?

3 Time.
How fast does time pass?
How long does the events in the film take?
Is the film's rhythm “fast” or “slow”? Does it affect our enjoyment?
Does the film have a constant “pace”? Are some sections faster or slower than others? Which ones?
If a section is much slower than the rest of the film, that scene is probably very important.
Comment on the structure:

Are there three acts? What happens at the divisions?
Main event of each act.

4 Space.
Where does the action take place?
How does the location affect the events or the characters?
Consider: city vs. country, houses vs. the open air. Big cities, small towns. Places that make the villain comfortable vs. places that don't.
Consider symbolism: places where “good” things happen. Places where “bad” things happen.

5 The visual aspect.
Describe the use of the light and the décor in the film.
How does it affect the way we see the film?

6 Language.
How do the characters speak? (formally, informally, a lot, too little.....)
Mention some specific examples of language in the film that you find interesting and expressive (words or complete lines of dialogue). Justify your answer.

Commentary guide for films - part 1

This is a very general and wide template, created with romantic comedies in mind.

1 The characters.
The hero (Male or female). Who is s/he? What are his/her objectives?
Physical characteristics: What physical characteristics are very important for the story?
Personality traits, positive and negative.
Does this character “feel real”? Why or why not?

The heroine. Does she have any desires and interests? Which ones?
Physical characteristics. What physical characteristics are very important for the story?
Personality traits, positive and negative.
Does the character “feel real”? Why or why not?

For love stories:
Can you imagine the hero and the love interest together?
Do they have a positive relationship? yes, no, why?
Are the couple more interesting when they are apart, or when they are together?

The villain. Who is the villain? Why?
Personality traits, positive and negative.
Does the character “feel real”?

The antagonist. Is there one? What does s/he want?
Characteristics.

Is any character an antihero? Yes? No? Who? Why?

Hero's allies vs. villain allies.
How many are there? How much power do they have? How do they help the hero and the villain?

2 The Plot.
Make a brief plot summary.

3 Time.
How fast does time pass? How long does the events in the film take?
Is the film's rhythm “fast” or “slow”? Does it affect our enjoyment?
Does the film have a constant “pace”? Are some sections faster or slower than others? Which ones?
Comment the general structure of the film: which are the climactic acts and when do they take place?


4 Space.
Where does the action take place?
How does the location affect the events or the characters? (city vs. country, houses vs. the open air, etc)

5 The visual aspect.
Describe the use of the light and the décor in the film.
How does it affect the way we see the film?

6 Language.
How do the characters speak? (formally, informally, a lot, too little.....)
Mention some specific examples of language in the film that you find interesting and expressive (words or complete lines of dialogue). Justify your answer.

Real Love

John Lennon was murdered 30 years ago today. This song in the video here was released many years after his death and it's one of my favourite love songs ever. It is also a good way to revise the past continuous for those of you who mix it up with other tenses.



All my little plans and schemes,
lost like some forgotten dreams.
Seems that all I really was doing
was waitin' for you.

Just like little girls and boys,
playing with their little toys.
Seems like all we really were doing
was waitin' for love.

Don't need to be alone,
No need to be alone.

It's real love, it's real,
Yes it's real love, it's real.

From this moment on I know,
exactly where my life will go.
Seems that all I really was doing
was waitin' for love.

Don't need to be afraid,
No need to be afraid.

It's real love, it's real,
Yes it's real love, it's real.

Thought I'd been in love before,
but in my heart I wanted more.
Seems like all I really was doing
was waitin' for you.

Don't to be alone,
No need to be alone.

It's real love, yeah it's real,
It's real love, it's real,
Yes, it's real love, it's real,
It's real love, it's real,
Yes it's real love, it's real,
It's real love, it's real,
Yes it's real love, it's real,
It's real love, it's real,
Yes it's real love....