Love Me or Leave Me Alone-Basic Notes

Love Me or Leave Me Alone-Basic Analysis Notes

Dir: Duane Hopkins

Year: 2003

Location: West Midlands

Length: 15 Mins

Genre: Drama/Social Realism

·         First shot-Medium/Close up-To Camera shot of boy—Eye level, show’s he is 100% sure of his decision to spit on the girl.

·         We see the shot again at the end of the film-Symmetry between the beginning and ending shots. Why?

·         Jump-cut from him spitting to the shot of the girl-shows a disconnection between of the two characters. We get and Emotional and intellectual understanding of this.

·         Girl’s eyes are always in and out of the frame.

·         High angle her, maybe to suggest more of the male characters dominance-Shows his control of the situation at this point.

·         Strong representation of age-Immature, male response/actions.

·         Lots of jump cuts use, shows the girl’s emotional turmoil.

·         Fast editorial pace, implies the violence/ stress and frantic nature of the scene.

·         This emphasises the violent, animalistic teenage relationship-Lack of maturity.

·         Scene of confrontation between the two-hand held camera, swinging from side to side. This emulates the disorientation and sense of unease between the two.

·         Wide/Long shot shows the two apart, with a wide backdrop-shows divide and vulnerability of the two individuals and their relationship.

·         Boy goes into barn/seating area-pitch black-safe haven.

·         When he’s sitting down-wide/medium, to camera shot, however he has changed since the beginning to camera shot: hunched, vulnerable and uncomfortable. This shows his short lived burst of power at the beginning of the scene.

·         He is now isolated due to his behaviour.

·         Wide shot of the girl afterwards mimics his isolation.

·         Close up/medium of boy to show gesture-head falling down, show’s his regret and remorse.

·         Close up of girl. Girl is framed at the front of the shot-faint outline of the boy. This again show’s how he’s animalised, alone in the darkness. She feels hurt.

·         This is emphasised by the proxemics,

·         Photographic shot-Pronounces the emptiness of their relationship even more.

·         They have no understanding of each other and what’s going on between them.

·         Accurate representation of year 10’s (14 and a half to 15 year olds)?

·         We are shown another defined character code from the boy. His hands into the eyes. This show’s his embarrassment, esteem and self frustration.

·         Quick cut as the girl enters where he is and picks up the bag.

·         Shows a decisive, snap reaction- She shows (tries to?) to control, however she has a sense of being lost.

·         Shot from boy’s point of view looking outside: Pitch black where he is,, then bright outside. It shows how black and white his and maybe her outlook is. They see things in simple terms.

·         The shakiness of the the camera shows the underlying edginess and uncertain of what has just occurred.