STAR WARS PODRACE EXTRACT ANALYSIS

In what two ways are the narrative and characters typical of the AA genre?

We can immediately recognise this clip as an action and adventure film because there is a large amount of speed and motion. The speed and motion is shown clearly in the Pod race in which Anakin Skywalker is competing. The race seems exciting, intense and difficult as the crowd are seemingly buzzing with anticipation of what will happen next. The race also seems difficult as the track is dangerous; involving a risky chasm where Anakin has to rotate his Pod racer at a 90° angle in order to pass through. This means that to take part in this race you require a large amount of skill and bravery. The Pod race is obviously very fast and across a hazardous terrain which also adds to the spectacle. The vast desert in which they are racing shows that the Pods are travelling very fast as they zoom across the landscape. Anakin gets in a tangle with his opponent’s Pod racer which means any accidental movements will evict him from the race so he has to be very precise and accurate with his driving and aware of Sebulba’s tactics. He has to stay steady and speedy in order to still be in a chance of winning this race which obviously means a lot to him, even though he is unaware that if he wins the race he will win his freedom from slavery.

Anakin is another representation of an action and adventure film. He is a recognisable heroic protagonist as he is not only young but extremely brave. We can tell he is brave as he has entered into a possibly life risking race against older and aggressive competitors. His bravery and youth highlights that he is the protagonist, especially as Sebulba, the meanest alien he is racing, is sly and cruel to the young Anakin. This shows Sebulba as the villainous antagonist who is selfish and greedy as all he wants to do is win even if that means majorly injuring or killing a little boy. We can also tell that he is the antagonist as he is always the one trying to sabotage Anakin instead of Anakin being the one to interfere, showing Anakin as a fair racer. Sebulba as a bad loser who stops at nothing to try and win this race, he is rude and dangerous. We know also know that Anakin is a heroic protagonist as he is just a young child slave which means that the audience will be sympathetic towards him, this sympathy is created purely so the viewers’ find it even easier to recognise him as the good role.

Camera work & Sound Effects:

We are shown a lot of different angles and camera shots in this extract from Star Wars. They include a range of close ups which enable the audience to see small details and expressions on the characters faces. Close ups also show us the emotions and reactions of the drivers of the Pods: such as fear; worry; anticipation or even enjoyment from over taking other opponents. There are frequent establishing shots which clarify that this race is in a dangerous environment. They allow the audience to get a look at the type of place this Pod race is set, in this case it is in Tattooine – a planet in Star Wars. There are tracking shots which follow the course of the race to show how extensive the course is. They follow the pods which also emphasises the speed these pods are supposedly travelling at. Tracking shots move along with the object, they can easily create intense involvement and make the audience feel as though they are watching in the crowd or from another Pod racer. As the Pods are moving incredibly fast so are the tracking shots so they really capture the action and excitement in the atmosphere on the race in Tattooine. Tracking shots are perfect in action and adventure films as they really accentuate speed and motion. 

The point of view shots really emphasise the excitement and tension in the race as they put you in the driving seat. You are seeing what the driver would see and you can really capture the feeling of adrenaline as you fly across the race track. You get the view of the gears and dials which tell you how fast the racer is going so you can really imagine how Anakin is feeling. You also get the view of the track ahead showing the dangers in the race. We see large boulders and bits of rocks whizz by which could cause a fatal accident. There are a few slight Tilt Pan shots which are also point of view shots where the camera goes from looking at the dials of his Pod to looking up ahead. Tilt pan shots are commonly used as point of view shots when the character you are in the position of is intimidated or uncomfortable and looking up at a person or thing that is remarkably larger or scarier than them. In this case it creates a sense of discomfort as Anakin clearly has something wrong which his Pod and the camera, or his “eyes”, tilt up from the dials to the hazardous track and then back down. There are medium long shots which show spectators getting excited or worried about the race, these shots add to the atmosphere as they include variety of camera angles and make the racer seem very important and exhilarating. I didn’t notice many, or any, hand held camera work which creates an effect of being jostled in a crowd. The race is too fast for hand held camera work so most of the shots are tracking and would be assisted with technical equipment. 

There are many types of sounds which are vital to creating the effect the film makers want on the audience. There is an array of sound effects, from the sounds of racing cars used as the Pods zoom by, to the sounds of cheering and booing from the spectators. These two sounds would most likely be from a race car competition with a genuine live crowd enchanced with synthetic voices of the aliens which increases the intensity and volume. The sounds of the engines at the start of the race have an easily distinctive sound as the engines rev up as the race commences. The sound is a high pitched zoom which is commonly heard at race tracks caused by the friction of the tyres, the track and air. There are sounds of failing or faulty machinery when Pods get hit or start to combust, at the beginning the Pods go across a certain section of ground which has posts that hit the bottom of the Pods creating a banging which sounds like it could be created by drums. If this extract didn’t have any sound at all it would make the clip a lot less exciting and a lot less realistic. Without accurate sounding noises this clip would be very unauthentic as if a Pod were to burst into flames and fly off into a rock there would be a hell of a lot of noise. The sound effects really grab the audiences’ attention and keep it, it hold them in the scene and involves them in the events.

Mise en Scene:

This clip from Star Wars has many things in the scene which contribute to the authenticity of the film. There are different species of aliens with all kinds of fascinating features and textures, such as aliens with three eyes or antelope type noses. The Pods themselves seem to possess quite ‘alien’ technology, technology you would not seem to come across commonly on Earth. This also helps us recognise this extract is from a Sci-Fi action and adventure film. We can recognise that the film is Sci-Fi as the technology, clothing and creatures are not the sort of thing you would expect to find on Earth. Anakin’s mother and Padmé hold what would nowadays be called a tablet which enables them to what Anakin’s Pod through a live stream, this object could be found on Earth, however they have accessorized it with alien like symbols around the edge of the screen. 

There are some aliens that try to disrupt the race positioned ready to fire at the racers as they speed on past. This adds to the risk factor of the race and creates a sense of panic in the audience because if they target Anakin it will be very difficult for him to win at all having stalled at the beginning of the race. The two headed commentator is surrounded by wiring and alien technologies which add to our knowledge of this alien planet of Tattooine. The buildings at the rest stops for the Pods are quite abstractly designed, with smooth and rounded edges they look like structures you could possibly imagine on another planet. The clothing of the people of Tattooine all seems to be a very similar style. The colours are dull browns and greyish blues and appear to be of an itchy wool material, which makes that part of Tattooine look poor. 

We can tell the weather is extremely hot as everything looks dry, dusty and covered in sand, this means that the Pods are more likely to catch fire than if they were in a colder, damper environment. This means that the audience are more fearful for Anakin’s fate as he could be killed if there were to be an accident which seems very likely as Sebulba is clearly out to get him out of the race.