This is Englaplot

Plot:

• The film opens with a montage of 1980’s television, music and current events.
• Shaun wakes up and gets ready for the last day of term before the holidays in July 1983.
• On his way to school Shaun goes to Sandhu’s convenience shop to browse comic books but then is told to leave.
• Shaun goes to school and is immediately bullied due to his long trousers bought for him by his dead father. Shaun gets into a fight with Harvey and they are both punished.
• On the way back from school Shaun meets Woody and the other skinheads who comfort him about his bad day at school. Gadget (One of the skinheads) is annoyed that Shaun sat in his seat, Woody stands up for Shaun.
• Shaun goes home and the audience meet Shaun’s mum for the first time. Shaun and his mum talk about his day and Shaun’s dad.
• Time passes: Shaun washes cars for pocket money, buys a catapult and goes to the beach.
• The next day, Shaun is woken up by Gadget who comes to invite Shaun out to go hunting with Woody and the others. Shaun accepts and goes to an abandoned house with Woody and the others.
• During this sequence, they smash old furniture and ceramics. Gadget gets annoyed at Shaun and thinks he has ‘gone down in ranks’. Woody makes them make up.
• Shaun goes to the shoe shop with his mum and wants Dr Martins but is forced to have new shoes from London as instead.
• Shaun gets his head shaved from Lol (Woody’s partner) and is given a shirt to transform him into a skinhead.
• There is then a montage that shows Shaun joining Woody’s group and playing games with them. Shaun is introduced to the rest of Woody’s gang including ‘Smell’
• Shaun gets a lift home two hours late and his mum isn’t happy with his hair…
• The next morning Shaun’s mum confronts Woody and the others in the café but also thanks Woody for helping Shaun and lets Shaun stay with them.
• The film then cuts to the evening where Shaun and the others are at a house party, Shaun asks Smell to go out to the garden with him
• Combo and Banjo burst into the house and scare Woody and the others. Woody introduces Combo to the rest of the group.
• Shaun and Smell are still outside in the garden shed and they kiss.
• Shaun then comes back in with Smell where they meet Combo as he is showing his racist agenda
• The next morning: Woody and the others reflect on the party last night. Combo enters the café and speaks to Woody outside.
• Time Shifts: Woody and the others at Combo’s flat where he apologizes for his racism the other night and invites them to join his racist agenda. Woody and the others leave but Shaun, Gadget, Pukey and Meggy stay.
• Shaun and Combo talk in the car about Shaun’s dad before going to the National Front Meeting
• Combo and the others arrive at the Jolly Sailor Inn and hear the talk for the National Front.
• On the journey back, Pukey tells Combo he doesn’t believe in the national front which leads to him being kicked out of the car and left in the middle of nowhere.
• Shaun gets his England flag from Combo and a montage occurs showing Shaun with Combo and the other National Front Supporters. This montage shows Shaun getting his tattoo and shows them threaten the local Pakistanis
• Shaun goes into Sandhu’s shop and threatens him with Combo, they steal cigarettes and alcohol.
• Combo and the others take the cigarettes and the alcohol to Smell’s house for her birthday party. As they arrive, Woody, Milky and the others leave.
• Shaun and Smell go to her room and start dating officially.
• Time shifts: Combo stalks Lol and takes her into his car where its revealed that they were together at one point and Lol rejects him and his gifts.
• Smell meets Shaun’s mum before they go to Combo’s (He is still with Lol in the car at this point)
• After leaving the car, Milky is approached by Combo about buying drugs (Racism). Milky and Combo head back to his flat (Leads back into Combo’s flat with everyone)
• Milky and Combo arrive back at the flat and get high with the others.
• Later in the night Smell takes Gadget home and Milky and Combo talk about family.
• Combo rages at Milky whilst Shaun watches in tears.
• There is then an 80’s war montage showing death and the return of soldiers
• Shaun is sad at home where he talks to his Mum about his dad.
• Shaun goes to the beach and throws his England flag into the ocean.

Story:

The story is the same as the plot in the film, the major difference to the plot though is how time passes in the world of the film. This is shown through the use of parallel editing and montage.

Narrative:

Similar to trainspotting, the narrative of the story is unreliable since it takes place from the perspective of Shaun who is only a child when the film is taking place.

 

Trainsplotting

Story: Everything that happens in the fictional world of the film between the beginning and the end, including events that viewers infer or presume to have happened.

Plot: What the Viewers see on the screen and hear on the soundtrack to allow them to contract a story in their heads. Plots can begin anywhere on the chain of story events and can leap backwards and forwards in time and space.

Narrative: Flow of story information constructed by the plot at any given moment. Narrative implies a point of view which may be that one of the characters or an omniscient narrator.

Plot: 

• The film starts with Renton’s narration as he is running with Spud after shoplifting, Renton then gets hit by a car.
• The film cuts to the football grounds to introduce the rest of Renton’s friends: Begby, Sick Boy, Spud and Tommy
• Renton is then at Mother Superior’s and is shown taking his ‘last hit’ before quitting.
• Title Cards
• Renton is shown to return to his flat with two large shopping bags that contain ‘the sick boy method’ of quitting heroine which is narrated by Renton
• Renton visits Mikey to receive the suppositories (Pills)
• Renton then rushes into the bookies and uses the ‘Worst Toilet in Scotland’ where he hallucinates entering the toilet to retrieve the Suppositories. In reality, he just fishes them out of the toilet bowl.
• Later, Renton joins Sick Boy as they discuss Renton’s drug choice as they mess around with a rifle, which is used to shoot a dog which provokes it to attack its owner.
• Renton and Spud get milkshakes and talk about using drugs in his upcoming job interview, then we see Spud on speed in his interview which doesn’t go too well….
• Renton is in the pub alongside Begby and the others where Begby has just told his ‘story’
• Later, Renton goes to Tommy’s and gets the truth behind Begby’s story. Renton takes Tommy’s sex tape. – Flashback to Begby playing pool and the ‘story’ is shown
• Renton and Sick Boy watch Tommy’s tape
• Renton goes clubbing with Sick Boy and the others, Tommy and Spud rant about their partners whilst their partners are doing the same.
• Renton then meets Diane who he follows outside and into a taxi home
• Montage of Sex: Cutting between: Tommy, Spud and Renton
• Tommy and Lizzy (His Girlfriend) realize that their tape is missing….
• The Next Morning: Tommy and Lizzy are outside the video rental shop (where they think the tape is), Tommy and Lizzy break up
• Spud wakes up to find himself in a difficult toilet related situation
• Renton meets Diane’s ‘Flat Mates’ AKA her Parents…
• Renton then walks Diane to school
• Renton, Sick Boy, Tommy, Spud and Begby go to the train station, and then go for a walk (Tommy’s Idea). Renton rants about Scotland
• Another Drug Montage showing everyone doing Heroine, we also see Renton sneaking into his parents house to take money
• After a harsh breakup, Tommy Turns to Drugs
• Montage of Renton and the others stealing from the elderly: Taking TV’s + Drugs
• First day of the Edinburgh Festival: Begby bullies the Man from the USA
• Death in the Family: The Baby dies. ‘Sick Boy Changes’
• Renton is running with Spud after shoplifting (from earlier), Renton is hit by a car and is caught along with Spud
• Spud is sentenced to 6 months in prison by the court whilst Renton goes free.
• In the Pub with his family and friends, Renton’s parents are ‘Proud’ and Renton leaves the pub to go and do more drugs…
• Back at the Mother Superior, Renton does more heroine
• Renton overdoses and a taxi takes him into hospital where he relapses.
• Renton returns home and recovers in Bed, as he recovers he reflects on the events previously shown in the film such as: Spud in prison as well as the Baby
• Renton gets clean: goes to play Bingo + Visits Tommy who is now fully drugged up, we also see his Kitten (important!)
• Diane goes over to Renton’s and they talk about Renton’s future and that he should move away:
• London Montage
• Time shifts: Renton in his new job as an estate agent in his ‘new life’
• Renton receives a letter from Diane that talks about the changes at home and the situation Begby is in.
• Begby comes to stay with Renton, ruining his ‘new life’
• Begby forces Renton to go Gambling for him and Begby wins. (Renton didn’t actually go and the winning were Renton’s savings..)
• To celebrate, Begby and Renton go clubbing. Begby has a ‘gay’ experience when he unknowingly gets off with a man.
• Sick Boy comes to stay with Begby and Renton. Sick Boy suggests that Renton sells his Passport for some quick cash.
• After Sick Boy’s suggestion, Renton uses a storage locker to safely store his passport.
• Fed up of Sick Boy and Begby, Renton moves them into an apartment which was shown earlier when Renton was working
• Renton and the others return to Edinburgh for Tommy’s funeral. During the funeral Renton hears how Tommy died with edits between the funeral and Tommy’s kitten in his apartment
• Renton then goes to the pub with the others, including Spud (shows the passage of time). Renton, Sick Boy, Begby and Spud then go back to their apartment.
• In the apartment, Sick Boy pitches a large drug deal to the guys who accept but they need Renton’s savings to enact the plan.
• After buying the drugs, Renton is forced to test them to ensure the product is ok to sell.
• Renton and the others return to London on the bus, Renton takes one ‘last hit’ on the way.
• They arrive at the hotel and negotiate a price of £16,000 for the drugs which would be split four ways.
• After the deal, Begby goes insane in the pub and whilst in the toilet, Renton asks Spud about taking the money and leaving
• Later that night in the hotel, Renton takes the money and leaves. Spud sees Renton go but says nothing.
• Renton grabs his passport from the locker and leaves, smiling.
• Begby is enraged about Renton’s betrayal and the police are called.
• Spud opens the locker and finds his share of the money, left by Renton.

Story:

Overall, the story remains the same in the film with only a few changes to the order chronologically:

• The film starts with the Football Scene which introduces the characters, this is presumed to be the earliest point in the film since all characters are alive and this could have happened any time.
• This is followed by Begby’s bar fight which has to happen before Tommy tells the truth about Begby’s story.
• The film then stays in the same order until after the death of the baby which is when the shoplifting committed by Renton and Spud takes place in the film.
• After Renton moves to London, Tommy must die when Renton is living in his new life since Renton wasn’t in Edinburgh for the time of Tommy’s death. After moving to London, Tommy must also have bought the Kitten which he had originally planned to give to Lizzy (his ex-girlfriend).

Narrative: 

The film features an unreliable narrator in the form of Mark Renton who the audience follow throughout the film. This unreliability comes from Renton’s use of drugs which give the audience a distorted point of view and doesn’t always show the objective reality. There is also little to no indication of time which is done to show the world on drugs, the only major indication of time is Spud’s 6 months in prison which is used deliberately to show the passing of time.

 

No Country for Old Men (Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, 2007)

No Country for Old Men is a drama/mystery film which follows retired welder Llewelyn Moss as he discovers the aftermath of a drug deal and finds a briefcase filled with money which he then takes. This sparks the dangerous Anton Chigurh to hunt him down and to retrieve the money,  meanwhile local sheriff Ed Tom Bell realises that Llewelyn is on the run and is also trying to track him down to protect him.

My initial thoughts about the film were quite mixed since I enjoyed the cinematography and sound design but found the plot sluggish but this changed when watching the film. I also enjoyed the acting as well as the locations where the action unfolded, my favourite scene was during the opening sequence where we are immediately introduced to the villain of the story. I also really liked how at the end of the film we don’t see the main character die but he is shown as a corpse when the sheriff arrived, this technique is used to make the audience think about what could have happened.

I believe the film is about the idea that old sheriff’s couldn’t keep up with the new and different crimes that were becoming more common as the sheriffs grew older. This idea is shown towards the end of the film when Ed is talking to the older police officers about the new crimes. I really enjoyed the film overall and would highly recommend it.

I give No Country for Old Men 7.5/10

Story, Plot and Narrative in Pulp Fiction

Story: Everything that happens in the fictional world between the beginning and the end, including events that viewers infer or presume to have happened.

Plot: What viewers see on screen and hear on the soundtrack to allow them to construct a story in their heads. Plots can begin anywhere on the chain of the story events and can leap backwards and forwards in time and space.

• The film starts with title cards defining the words ‘Pulp’ and Fiction’
• Cut to Honey Bunny and Pumpkin talk about robbery midway through the conversation, this is followed by the robbery starting and the film cutting away to the extended title cards.
• After this we meet Jules and Vincent for the first time who are driving to an apartment. In the car we hear about Vincent’s recent trip to Europe.
• Jules and Vincent leave the car and open the trunk of the car to gear up (trunk shot) before entering the apartment. When heading towards the apartment Vincent and Jules mention Mia before continuing the irrelevant conversation.
• They arrive at the apartment but are too early, so they continue walking and return shortly. Jules and Vincent enter the apartment to meet Brett who has a briefcase belonging to their boss, Marsellus Wallace. Vincent finds the case (McGuffin) and Jules starts to threaten Brett before killing him, before the scene ends their is a quick shot of a man in the bathroom of the apartment with a gun.
• This then leads to title card 1: Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife.
• The scene starts with the introduction of Butch, the boxer who Marsellus pays to throw his fight to earn money. During his conversation with Marsellus, Paul is introduced and lets Jules and Vincent (wearing odd clothes) into the bar to meet Marsellus. When Jules goes to the bathroom, we see Butch and Vincent meet before talking to Marsellus.
• We are then introduced to Trudy and Jodie who are talking about sex, we are then introduced to Vincent’s drug dealer Lance who sells Vincent some heroine which he does before going to pick up Mia from her house.
• After picking up Mia, they drive to Jack Rabbit Slims where they order a meal as well as a $5 dollar shake. Mia then goes to the bathroom to do some cocaine, when she gets back she wants to dance. This leads into the twist competition at the diner, after seeing them dance, the film cuts back to them arriving back at the house with the trophy.
• While Vincent goes to the bathroom, Mia finds the heroine in his coat and overdoses and has to be taken to Lance’s for medical help. Vincent injects the adrenaline needle into Mia’s chest, she recovers and Vincent drops her off home.
• This goes into title card 2: The Golden Watch
• We see a flashback 20 years earlier to Captain Koon giving young Butch his fathers watch, this cuts to the aftermath of the fight with Butch killing his opponent. We are then shown Paul and Vincent discussing the situation. We then see Butch escape in a taxi to a phone booth where he phones his friend about the money he won. Butch then goes to a motel to meet his girlfriend Fabien. As they prepare to leave the next morning, Butch can’t find his watch.
• Butch travels back to his apartment to get his watch. After finding his watch he makes some pop tarts. Butch then notices the gun on the side of the counter and hears the flush of the toilet. Butch open fires on the bathroom, killing Vincent who is inside. With the watch Butch escapes to a road crossing where he sees Marsellus.
• To remove the problem Butch crashes his car in hopes of getting Marsellus. Injured, both Marsellus and Butch go to a pawn shop and start to fight, before getting knocked out by the shop owner. They both wake up tied up in the cellar of the shop, as the shop owner calls his friend Zed. When Zed arrives they bring out the gimp to watch Butch while they rape Marsellus in the backroom.
• Butch escapes his ropes, knocks out the gimp and then proceeds to go upstairs. Once upstairs Butch grabs a Katana to save Marsellus. Butch slashes the shop owner and Marsellus shoots Zed. Butch then takes Zed’s chopper and leaves with Fabien.
• This cuts to the final title card: The Bonnie Situation
• We then return to Jules as he shoots Brett. After this the bathroom man from earlier goes through and open fires on Jules and Vincent missing every shot. Vincent and Jules then take Brett’s friend, Marvin into the car. Then Vincent accidently shoots Marvin covering the car in blood. Vincent then calls his friend in the neighbourhood, Jimmie who lets them use his house to clear up before his wife Bonnie gets home. Jules then lets Marsellus know about what’s happening, now aware of the situation Marsellus calls in the Wolf.
• The Wolf then helps Jules and Vincent clean up and take the car to the scrapyard. Then Jules and Vincent get a taxi to the diner to have breakfast where Jules tells Vincent he wants to quit.
• When Vincent goes to the bathroom (again…) we see Honey Bunny and Pumpkin robbing the diner taking wallets. When Pumpkin goes to take Jules wallet he sees the briefcase and wants to see what’s inside, this leads to Jules using his hidden gun to force Pumpkin to surrender. Then Vincent comes out of the bathroom and aims his gun at Honey Bunny.
• Jules then bargains with them and makes them leave the diner, then Jules and Vincent leave to take the briefcase to Marsellus.