Blade II - Textual analysis
Certificate - 18
Cast:
Wesley Snipes
Kris Kristofferson
Luke Goss
Ron Rerlman
Norman Reedus
Director - Guillermo Del Toro
Screenwriter - David S Goyer
Running Time - 117 minutes
Cast:
Wesley Snipes
Kris Kristofferson
Luke Goss
Ron Rerlman
Norman Reedus
Director - Guillermo Del Toro
Screenwriter - David S Goyer
Running Time - 117 minutes
The title of the movie I will be analysing is Blade II (2002) which, like my own groups production, is a hybrid Vamp action/thriller film; the only difference being the age of the primary target audience. Ways this could be shown is by the level of violence depicted in our opening sequences and also the age of our main characters. The movie was made by New Line Cinema, a denomination of the Warner Bros conglomerate; and directed by director Guillermo Del Toro and produced by Wesley Snipes who also happens to play the lead role of Blade. Del Toro is well known for producing and directing other famous movies of a similar genre and fantasy elements such as ‘Splice’ and ‘Hellboy’. The film conventionally follows the chronological order and Todorov’s narrative theory: of equilibrium, followed by a disruption, recognition of this disruption and reinstatement of a new equilibrium. This conventional method allows us as the audience to fully understand the narrative as it develops and draws us in as well. After watching through the movie several times, I agree that the use of the basic vampire movie conventions were loosely followed and the image created/conveyed was effective.
The very 1st shot shown of the film is the brand logo of New Line Cinema; however it is not in its usual blue but in red, in order to add to the sinister feel of the blade films. Although blue represents peace and purity, red represents blood, lust and violence. Having it used here creates a much better image that blends in with the film. Having blue at the start would make it look out of place; this also plays on the juxtapositions of heaven and hell, light and dark. What’s most important about this editing is that it needs to create the atmosphere of darkness and evil which I think it succeeded in doing.
The title consists of one colour which is silver; however it has a red tint on it, sort of like blood stains on swords. This could either connote violence, danger or even revenge. All of which are major themes in this specific film genre. The font of the title is simple and not to extravagant. This simplicity draws our attention more towards the background pictures. The genius behind the title is not the design but the way the title comes onto the screen. While Blade is doing tricks with his blades the title slashes onto the screen sort of like an extension of Blades swords. The title is placed at the centre of the screen with the background fading to black; this central placing of the title is conventional of all films in general. A repetition of an over exaggerated blade whistle is heard when the blades swing into position, this makes it seem cooler to the audience, which is exactly how blade is meant to be portrayed.
The title is shown at the end of the opening sequence, around 5:00 into the film; this is conventional of thriller/action movies as they tend to start off with an action scene at the start. Movies use this certain skill repetitively because the action before the title is shown helps draw in the target audience’s attention and makes the brand name that much more memorable in the targeted audiences minds. The title is shown after the name of the main box office draw: ‘Wesley Snipes’, this is an example of celebrity endorsement. This is also significant because Wesley Snipes had done such films of the same genre in the past as ‘Blade’ and ‘Demolition man’ which expands one, the fan base of the franchise and two, and the expectations of the film. The beginning credits were all in a blood like colour which sticks to the synergistic red in order to represent blood and violence. The background consists of a montage of all his specific gadgets and uniform parts as he puts them on; flashbacks can also be seen of him and his master during the montage. This constant imaging of blades and action –combined with the upbeat theme music and narrative voice over- creates a sense of thrill and adventure.
The opening sequence sets up the expectations that the movie will be highly thrilling and will contain a lot of action, it does this through the high octane chase scene, the CGI enhancements in action, the use of Blades extravagant weapons arsenal and even slight motor bike action in the mise en scene. Though the setting is not the typical pitch black setting you would expect of such a scene, it still manages to create the same effect of danger and the whole scene together gets the audiences adrenaline pumping. There’s something about the reddish air in the scene which makes you feel warmth on the inside, as if Blade is extinguishing the darkness and the scene gets brighter and brighter following this. As the scene was shot at night time I can imagine that a lot of artificial light was used as the scene progresses from low key lighting to high key lighting. Though the colours used are mainly the colours of fire and torture; there’s a certain beauty to it.
The movie itself is the story of Blade, a half human and half vampire consumed by the desire to seek revenge after the curse of his birth that has kept him from bonding any real human relationships. His aim is to save humans from this blood drenched Armageddon brought about by a new race of super vampires which roam the sewers where the sun doesn’t shine. The aim of these new creatures is to eradicate vampires and humans alike so Blade must team up with other vampires and vampire hunters who came seeking his help, in order to face this new threat.
This movie follows Todorov's narrative structure, as do most other stereotypical films of all genres. The particular movie in question however is left with an open ending as Blade is left unharmed to roam the streets continuing to do his job. Though most films have a new equilibrium at the end; Blade follows a new route. In the 1st and 2nd films his love interest dies and he is again left with no one at the end. The narrative returns to the same exact equilibrium as the beginning with no changes, in this way every new film in the trilogy can be seen as its own movie with its own story; nothing continues on or develops plot wise. This is strange as other trilogies or groups of films such as X-men or Star Wars have recurring themes and ideas which continue on from film to film within the series. It is my understanding that the film goes against this simple convention of film series. This however has its plus points as it helps add to the overall surreal comic/anime effect of it all. I would describe the action in Blade II as simply something that crosses between the absurd narratives of resident evil and the heightened reality seen in Kill Bill. Blade also remains a fairly static character throughout the series; he shows signs of change but then returns to normal with the reinstatement of the new equilibrium.
This film breaks a lot of predetermined stereotypes of action films such as the one of men always being the ones in the position in power, saving the ‘damsel in distress’ as the female love interests were labelled by most film makers out there. The female lead in this film Nyssa (Leonor Varela) however was a Dynamic character who went through many stages as the narrative progressed. She went from being a stubborn hot headed alpha female type lead to a compassionate, more conventional type of lead at the end where she sacrificed herself to her brother as she felt it was the easier option instead of keeping the fight going.
The scene depicted in the screenshot above is where Nyssa finds the Nomak (Luke Goss) feeling weak and she –being his sister- decides using Jeremy Bentham’s theory of Utilitarianism in order to deduce that helping him in her heart will be the better of two evils. However her decisions are blinded by her sympathy towards her own brother; he however has no such feelings towards her and doesn’t even hesitate to sink he’s teeth into her. He probably did have some sorts of feelings for her but at that moment in time I think his behaviour would best be described using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, where self preservation comes near the top of the pyramid. The positioning of the characters in the frame is really important. Though he is the male figure, he is positioned lower then her and looking up to her which connotes that she is the one with the power. However the fact that she is leaning in towards him suggests some sort of compassion or care. Being able to show this sort of compassion to a different race of creatures isn’t something deemed normal by men. As women are seen as a lot more compassionate then us men this is accepted in a surreal way. This promotes the stereotype that woman are more understanding and caring than men. However in the same frame smartly enough the position of power is swapped between the man and the woman.
Blade is actually a film set in a comic book format. The subtle dark frames and subtle fades give the impression of something along the lines of an old fashioned slide viewer. Throughout the opening sequence the camera followed the action, flowing in the same direction as a comic book. There are constant tracking shots used in the opening to give us the impression that we are there actually experiencing the action 1st hand. The constant camera movement to the right, upbeat techno music and cheesy voice over all accumulate together in order to give the impression of reading through comic frames, this use of camera, editing and sound is used in order to emphasise and hint at the fact that Blade is a comic book adaptation from a comic book created by Marvel. These skills used in the opening sequence to this level of precision where anyone could pick it up were amazing. This film perfectly follows all the generic conventions of a Vampire action/thriller hybrid movie. The target audience –which are mainly fans of the blade comics or fans of fantasy action in general- will be attracted to this film through all of the stereotypical aspects elevated to their fullest such as heightened blood, gore, violence and weapons.
The unique selling point of this film is the main character of Blade, who is portrayed by Wesley Snipes on screen. This is because Blade is a vampire who has none of the weaknesses of evil vampires. This idea of turning the image of a creature that’s conventionally portrayed as an antagonist into a protagonists breaks conventions and adds a certain cool ‘alpha male’ quality to the character.
To conclude I think Blade II was a great improvement from its predecessor, from the comic strip type transitions and frames to its comic style abstract, vibrant colours. The narrative was structured and told spectacularly; and explaining Blades life in the 1st movie gave this movie a free slate to experiment with different ideas and storylines as nothing was connected. And not having to set the equilibrium up at the start this time gave the writers a lot more room and freedom to play with more scenes and longer ideas. For all these reasons above I’ve come to this conclusion.
Blade II - Poster analysis
Written form
The box office draw is stereotypically placed at the top centre
of the poster. It is pictured in the exact same colour as the border on the title/franchise name. This links Wesley Snipes to the brand and attracts people who maybe aren’t fans of the genre but fans of him; therefore increasing the number of people who go and watch the film and potentially revenue also. The red also connotes blood and violence. Blades costume is all black which connotes death and gives a sinister feel to the character so the audience will be able to guess that he is carrying his own problems and burdens around. This concept of the impure hero has been used in many other films such as The Dark Knight and Daredevil. It makes Blade more mysterious in a good way, making him more likable in the sense of being cool. The title being the main protagonists name is something usually depicted in a superhero film. This being used here subconsciously makes us aware that blade is the hero of this movie. Blade’s costume is the same to the previous film, this is an intertexual reference which helps the desired audience to familiarise itself with the trademark through the similarities of the hero. This again likens Blade to a superhero. The Blade title is also in silver which connotes actual blades and the red outlines make it seem as though the blades are covered in blood, this representation has been done purposely to depict violence. There is no tag line on the poster which is really unconventional for any franchise. There is technically no real light source to this poster however the white does represent light, and the back image which we can only assume is the main antagonist shrouds the light in a dark mist which connotes that he is the bringer of the disruption in this film. The darkness shown however is all behind blade connoting that he has left his own dark past behind. Blade also breaks the stereo type of the hero being of a Caucasian background. The main character ‘Blade’ has a direct mode of address and is in the centre of the frame. This conveys to the audience his confidence and bravery in the face of danger. His battle stance connotes that he is braced for something, giving us the impression that danger lies ahead. This face is however facing directly at this impending danger which could again connote that he’s a strong character/the hero. The weapon of choice may at 1st glance look un-stereotypical for a vampire movie however this was done on purpose to convey a modernised image of vampires and vampire slayers. The basic shape remains the same as a wooden stake. The majority of the killings in the film are done with stabbing motions to further convey this without taking too much away from the original stereotype. The production credits are written along the bottom in their
conventional position and font. This allows the audience to read on a bit further encase their attracted to any other member of the production team besides the box office draw. This film was made by New Line Cinema (a part of the conglomerate, Warner Bros) and Marvel Enterprises which are well known companies with allot of rep. The involvement of Marvel also plays into the superhero aspect of blade. These production houses being involved suggests a good budget which connotates a large amount of special effects and CGI work. The protagonist and outline of an antagonist are placed in juxtaposition to each other on the poster. There is also a juxtaposition of the colours black and white in the picture, supposedly standing for good and evil. The background isn’t conventional of a vampire sub genre, hybrid thriller/action film as the background is white. The white background could be in order to represent the rest of the world, as white connotes innocence and purity, it could have been used to show that the rest of the world is unaware of the dangers that lurk in the darkness. Blade is portrayed as black as even though he is a good guy, he is one of the vampires and so is seen as the enemy by society. He is in hiding and kills frequently. The main antagonist however is neither black nor white but a colour in- between; this connotes that the antagonists are something inhumane that upsets the balance between good and evil and that goes against the norms of society. The title of all the blade films is depicted in that synergistic font. The red border connotates danger and blood and the actual font purposely is meant to look like some blades, this sharpness links in with the meaning of the title and the name of the main character. The title being a brand name helps create brand awareness and associates this film with the previous already on the market. This will refresh the memory of the audience and persuade people to come watch the film who felt entertained after the previous film. It also helps the creators easily make spin offs and merchandise if wanted like games and lunchboxes, these being in circulation would also increase brand awareness in the market.
Blade II - Review analysis
Empire magazine
Empire is a British film magazine which issued its 1st magazine in 1989 when it was edited by Barry Mcllheney and published by Emap. Bauer Consumer Media purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008 and so now takes on the role of publishing Empire Magazine monthly. Empire magazine is now the biggest selling film magazine in Britain and also has sales abroad. The magazine is so successful they even host their own awards, which are sponsored by Sony Ericson.
Empire splits its reviews into 3 parts, the plot, the review and the verdict. This makes the review more presentable and convenient for readers as they can move to specific sections they want to concentrate on. This efficiency sets it apart from the Total Film magazine reviews which issue all the information in one or two bulks. This superior care for customer satisfaction adds to the fact that Empire is now more successful.
The plot aspect on the top of the page is written smartly in the way you’d expect a books blurb to be written. It keeps the plot description light and flowing, leaving the reader wanting more and at the same time attracting them to the film. It plays on the fact that readers researching the review already have some level of attraction to the product and then adds to their excitement.
It is written with a voice, as if the journalist is having a conversation with the reader:
‘‘Thought the first one was violent? Trust us, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.’’ This open chatty style is comforting to the reader and it subconsciously gives them the impression that the text can be trusted. This is because though reviews are stereotypically seen as more formal texts. However this conversation style gives the readers the impression that they are talking to a friend, this is smart because they know that people respond better when talked to in this manner. The tone and atmosphere is more casual, soft and command free which makes this review more appealing to the readers than newspaper reviews or more formal reviews. You may be thinking this is pointless as the readers will read it once and then go ahead to watch the movie, what is the real benefit of investing time into writing a review this way? Well it is an advertising mechanism for Empire. Those readers who read this review and are satisfied with it are more likely to come back and check the Empire website again the next time they have a query about a new film.
The review itself is very meaty with a thorough analysis of the aspects of a film series that the readers would conventionally be interested in i.e. the new antagonists, any changes to the main reoccurring characters in the franchise and or how the action matches up between this film and its predecessor. Comparisons with other films in the genre are also used in order to describe the characters:
‘‘An ingenious blend of Predator (their jaws opening out into gaping voids), Salem’s Lot (think the teeth) and Alien (as if all that weren’t enough, they’re equipped with a mouth within a mouth), this new breed is a consistent technological marvel.’’
This also aids the attraction of the audience as it creates a mental link in the heads of the audience between these successful media products already in the market to Blade II. This is also another smart marketing technique as it attracts the fans of those other films towards Blade II. The unnamed writer of this review also uses a smart pun in the end of that sentence as ‘Marvel’ is the creator of the original Blade franchise.
The final verdict of the review is basically that the film was great:
‘‘this is every bit as unsubtle, hectic and hyper-violent as you’d expect.’’
This use of the rule of 3 and the chatty tone helps to draw the audience in through comfort. This style combined with the use of great adjectives like ‘delightfully’ really gives off a good vibe and as I mentioned before that is the main purpose, to provide enough customer satisfaction as possible to insure that the readers will return to this site first when next looking for a film review.
http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=7802
Total Film magazine
Total Film is a British film magazine which was founded in 1997 and is published every 4 weeks (13 times a year) by Future Publishing.
This review also starts with the same chatty tone that we just saw used by the Empire magazine.
‘‘So here it is then, reviewed a month late. Got a problem with that?’’
As we already know this is being used in order to be comforting to the reader and it subconsciously gives them the impression that the text can be trusted. This is because though reviews are stereotypically seen as more formal texts. However this conversation style gives the readers the impression that they are talking to a friend, this is smart because they know that people respond better when talked to in this manner. The tone and atmosphere is more casual, soft and command free which makes this review more appealing to the readers than newspaper reviews or more formal reviews. You may be thinking this is pointless as the readers will read it once and then go ahead to watch the movie, what is the real benefit of investing time into writing a review this way? Well it is an advertising mechanism for Total Film. Those readers who read this review and are satisfied with it are more likely to come back and check the Total Film website again the next time they have a query about a new film.
The plot is not specified by this Total Film journalist but he/she does at least offer a subheading for the verdict so readers who are in a hurry and just need the conclusion can find it clearly. Literary techniques are skilfully used in order to attract the target audience:
‘‘Better, bloodier and bolder than the original’’
This line is amazing in order to promote the product as it does 3 things. Firstly and secondly it makes use of the rule of 3 and alliteration in order to be persuasive and attract the target audience. The review can get direct with views as it does not have to cater for the whole public. Only people who already have some sort of interest in Blade II or vampire films have clicked on this page so the review writer already to some degree knows who his target audience is, what they like. Age ranges and how to attract them. The third thing that this line does is that it not only compares Blade II to the original but also states that it’s going to be better than the original. This is smart as it broadens the audience with the people who loved the 1st film, almost promising them a better or at least similar experience. It could also less dominantly attract people who were not too sure of the original Blade film. Knowing that Total Film claims that the 2nd one in the series is better could be enough for loyal Total Film magazine readers to go watch the film. Which will in turn potentially raise the revenue generated by the Blade II franchise. If the film is successful the audience will then come back to Total film for reviews on future films. In this way the magazine and the Film help each other out unintentionally. The words and phrases used in the Total Film review gives us some insight into the age and ethnicity etc of the target audience of the site and Blade II:
‘Blade II is a two-Nurofen-and-a-bottle-of-vodka movie’’
The fact that ‘Vodka’ is used specifies that the audience will predominantly be made for the western world as that is the part that has largest percentages of the population who usually uses drinking as a form of leisure activity. The fact that ‘Nurofen’ is also used is amazing as I don’t see how drugs can be used as positive enforcement to watch a film. This also tells you that the audience it is trying to attract is that of legal age. This makes sense as the cencorship rating for Blade II is an 18.
http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/blade-ii
