Movies

Centering on the 80s Manchester music scene, the movie traces the citys musical evolution from the days of Sex Pistols to the birth of rave culture and the arrival of the DJ. Tony Wilson, a journalist from whose viewpoint the events are narrated played a pivotal role in the formation of the independent music scene in England which changed the history of pop culture forever (IMDb,2009). His contribution is highlighted in the movie, which covers the rise and fall of Joy Division, the unprecedented success of New Order and the beginnings of dance music with Happy Mondays. As a source at Rotten Tomatoes(n.a) puts it
Wilsons energy gave an entire subculture of Manchester youths their place in the spotlight, forever changing the face of popular music in the process.

The creation of Factory Records and the ups and downs of the iconic Hacienda club parallel the histories of the bands. Taken from the Happy Mondays song title, 24 Hour Party People is a first hand look at the nascent phase in Manchesters independent scene which although, path paving, was too good to last forever.

Scene chosen

Ian Curtis, Joy Division vocalist, commits suicide
Location His house

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The filmmaker has literally hundreds of ways to convey meanings. (Gianetti,. In this particular example Michael Winterbottom uses the setting, art direction, ambient sound and effective color coding to bring out the pathos of the scene.

THE ROOM
The moment Ian Curtis enters the house you notice a poster of Jim Morrison to his right and a little further down in the next room a poster of Elvis Presley, both great musicians who died young. In the sitting room near the window is an LP player the television is switched on but we are not shown the visuals although we can hear the audio which conveys loss of hope, a situation that cannot be redeemed. This essentially sets the mood of the scene. Next to the television set is an alcohol bottle which conveys that he drinks quite often. Above the television set is a photo frame with a picture of him, his wife and child. He gets up from his chair goes up to the television, turns the frame face down, this signifies that he is letting go of them and as though he doesnt want them to witness what is about to happen. The only ones to witness his death are the two posters, which foreshadow the event that is about to follow when he walks in.

The images shown on the television such as the fireman picking up the rifle parallels Curtis state of mind. This is shown by zooming into the television screen followed by a close shot of him sunk in his chair. The final shot of the scene shows his dangling feet in the foreground and in the background, the comedic almost farcical image of a chicken dancing on the television screen. This shot while creating a stark contrast may also convey the directors view on Curtis suicide as being an act of cowardice.

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USE OF COLOR

The room is lit dimly to give it a dark and dingy feel. The color green is used quite prominently there are objects like the telephone and the dustbin which are green in color, the furniture is dull brown, thus these two colors enhance the mood of the scene. A hint of red is added by a little object placed near the window, through the window there is a reddish yellow light coming in. It gives the scene a dull feel as though something ominous is about to happen.

MUSIC

The only piece of music that plays in this scene is through the television show. The music is an absolute contrast to the situation its a funny, comedic tune. As a result the shot comes as a surprise because the last shot is a quiet shot and all of a sudden you are hit with the sound of a mouth organ and an image of suspended legs.

ACTING

Sean Harris who plays Ian Curtis in the movie does well to stay in character throughout, from the epileptic arm flailing stage act to the deadened numbness prior to his death. Being a heavy smoker, Ian Curtis and the cigarette became synonymous. Sean Harris portrays this habit with the same practiced hand as Curtis. He is seen with a cigarette in his mouth even before his death.