That is one of my favorite scenes! It is just to refresh your memory. The important question is, how does it fit into the film as a whole story?
Now it is time to write about this film and practice your film analysis.
Answer all 10 questions in complete sentences and short paragraphs. Use details and examples from the film where you can. Feel free to include images.
Semiotic
1. How does clothing reveal character or character development in this film?
2. What other signs and symbols do you find in the film? How do these reflect on character?
3. What might the three main characters represent or embody both individually and in relationship to one another?
Narrative Structure
4. Explore the story line—the plot—both in terms of a sequence of events but also in terms of geography.
5. Does the film follow a recognizable narrative structure? Is there a beginning, middle, end? Is there a climax? A resolution?
6. How does the structure of the story reveal its major theme? Explore other themes such as direction, time, and spoken communication.
Context
7. How does the New Orleans setting function to establish contextual meaning for the characters?
8. Does the film reflect a particular culture or historical period? Describe.
Mise-en-Scene
9. How is lighting reflective of mood? How does black and white contribute to mood, theme, or meaning?
10. How does music function in the work? Listen to Waits’ lyrics on his Album Rain Dogs (some of which comprise the soundtrack for this film).
