Research for EARNEST - The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)

The movie I'll be analyzing today is The Importance of Being Earnest (2002) directed by Oliver Parker. I felt like this was the best movie to start off with seeing as we're building our own one off of the story. This movie won the Nastro d'Argento for Best Costume Design, so I'm hoping to pick up some good tips and inspiration for our own short film.
For all other movies, I'll only be analysing the first five minutes, as that's how long our own movie has to be, but seeing as this is the story we're building our own one off, I decided to watch and analyse the whole thing. Our groups needs comprehensive knowledge of the plot line and characters if we want to make something from it.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a story of two young men in Victorian London, who use the same pseudonym to escape the restrictions of their lives. They are discovered when their fiancés meet, and brag about how they are both to be married to 'Ernest'

This movie is aimed at whoever knows the actual story, which is normally young to older adults, or maybe students who are studying it in school. It's a fun, easy to follow adoption of the story, and considering how heavy some of the older adaptions could be, the audience expectation for a lively story is met. Social divisions are addressed in this movie, but the social classes represented are hardly the most diverse, as everyone is upper middle class, and most of their problems are upper middle class problems. This is a deliberate point of the story however, and very intentional from Oscar Wilde.

Types of Shots

Close up

- This close up shot of Jack with a slight grin is the first insight into his mischievous character, compared to the studious, serious man we saw only a few seconds ago.

Medium Shot

- Medium shots are used as a constant throughout the movie, when nothing of great importance needs to be portrayed. 

- Once Algernon becomes 'Ernest', he and Jack start to mimic each other's movements, subtly, but definitely effectively. They become mirrors of themselves. 

Long Shot

- This long shot is used to show off the impressive set, Jack's costume, and how uncomfortable he feels standing in a strange living room with a woman he finds awful. 

Wide Shot

- The wide shot between Jack and Gwendoline show off both their longing to be closer and desire to be away form where they are now. It also makes the nonsense Lady Bracknell is talking about even funnier, as she's off screen, and makes everything coming out of her mouth have even less meaning then usual.

Two Shot

- Jack and Algernon's friendship is shown as mutual in their two shot, as they both occupy the same amount of space, and stand at the same height.

Aerial Shot

- During the opening shots of the movie, there is a chase scene. An aerial shot is used almost at once, to convey the twisting paths of the streets and clearly show both the person running and the people chasing.

- The mere fact that Algernon decides to approach the Worthing Manor in a hot air balloon speaks volumes for itself. But it does give us a lovely shot of the grounds and their house.

Point of View Shot

- Cecily's want for adventure and something wicked is what makes her point of view shot of the hot air balloon so exciting to the audience. We understand that she's finally getting something unusual. 

- The point of view shot from Jack as a baby adds to the mystery of his story, and also lets the audience understand how frustrating it is for him to not remember anything.

- For comedic purposes, when Jack and Algernon are found out, and begin squabbling among themselves, the girls spy on them from the house. This fully highlights how childish the men are, and is a subtle jab at the aristocracy from Wilde.

Over the Should Shot

- Used to show conversation between Jack and his butler. Jack is at a slightly higher angle, showing his role in the relationship. 

- Jack and Algernon's quick jibes at each other are made even sharper with quick camera chops back and forth between them.

Camera Angles

High Angle

- Given the context of the story, when it comes to affairs such as marriages, men had total control over what happened. This is shown clearly in an over-the-shoulder shot of Jack when he is proposing to Gwendoline. 

Canted Angle 

- A slightly canted angle is used during any scenes where the characters ride in carriages, shaking the camera slightly, to give the impression that the audience are also in the carriage. 

Low Angle 

- Lady Bracknell is more believable as an intimidating figure as she is introduced with a low angle. 

- Lady Bracknell continues with intimidating angles when Jack goes to see her, to convince her to let him marry her daughter. This shot is nicely coupled with some framing to highlight how small Jack feels in this huge house. 

Camera Movement 

Pan

- The way the camera pans with Jack when he walks and speaks echoes the way the room follows him, and he has everyone's attention. 

Tilt 

- The camera tilts between the girls and the guys failed serenade attempts, showing the new found power swap between them. 

Track

- The camera keeps tracking back and forth as the shots cut from Lady Bracknell to Jack. It seems the room is never still and adds to the uneasiness of the situation.

Zoom

- As Miss Prism and Cecily's conversation gets more personal about characters we know, the camera zooms closer and closer in on them, to create the impression we are eavesdropping on a private conversation.

- Not only used to show importance in people, zoom is used to highlight important objects that are necessary for the story. 

Framing

Framing 

- Algernon is framed by the door in this shot, emphasizing how quiet and empty the room is now that he's done playing. It also gives the audience the believable impression that the house is his, as it seems to revolve around him. 

- In several instances, framing is used to show us how the Worthings' wealth overshadows them, and we get a sense of how rich  they truly are.

- When Jack checks his reflection in the mirror, this is the first glance we get that he may be very nervous about proposing, and gives us an insight into his character; a little bit vain and a little bit apprehensive. 

- The Bracknell house is repeatedly shown to be huge, much larger then Jack's. We feel for him and his daunting task more and more, as the house gets bigger and bigger. 

Depth of Field 

- As Jack and Algernon argue among themselves, this depth of field trick is used to show off the forest they are hastily collecting flowers in. 

Editing 

Long take, short take 

- A long take of the courtyard shows off the size of it, and the number of horse and staff housed in it. Every chance the director gets, he shows off the wealth of the two families. 

Cut

- The number of quick cuts increases dramatically the quicker and wittier the dialogue becomes to increase the pace.

- Placing the bright flashes of the camera with quick cuts makes it impossible for the audience not to feel as unnerved as Jack, especially as we weren't expecting it.

- Used for comedy and irony, there are several cuts between Gwendoline and Cecily talking about how honorable 'Ernest' is, and then to Jack and Algernon showing how dishonorable they are.

Graphic Match

- When Gwendoline is seen to be firing an arrow, it then almost seems to fly between shots and 'pierce' Jack's heart, first indicating their relationship

Sound

Dialogue 

- With upper class English accents and a well-to-do way of speaking, even how the characters talk is an indication of their wealth and status.

- The dialogue is riddled with dramatic irony, eg, when Miss Prism speaks disapprovingly of 'Ernest' but highly of Jack, or when Gwendoline talks about how the name Ernest inspires 'such confidence'  (this scene is even repeated again later on with Cecily and  Algernon when he is 'Ernest')

- Lady Bracknell's lines are made all the more humorous by the fact she doesn't know what she's saying is funny.

- The quick one liners are what make this play so funny, such as when Jack is walking up the steps to meet Lady Bracknell, and a passing butler wishing him good luck.

- How the language changes so quickly is also used for comedy. In a matter of minutes Gwendoline and Cecily go from accusing each other of stealing their fiances to "My dear, sweet Cecily!" "My sweet, wronged Gwendoline!"

Diegetic Sound

- The band playing at the theater add to the atmosphere and vibe of the dance hall.

Nondiegetic Sound

- Lively, jaunty music is used during the opening chase scene to ensure the audience that the main character is at no real risk. This makes sense as the movie is of the comedy genre.

- The impatient off screen ringing of a bell helps the audience feel Jack's frustration with Lady Bracknell, and makes us as nervous as him.

Sound Motif

- When Jack reveals that his real name is Jack and not Ernest, confused, comical music begins to play to match Algernon's mood.

- This music reappears when Jack asks Gwendoline if she'd love him even if his name wasn't Ernest, slightly faster paced, to add urgency and a sense of trouble.

- When Jack realizes Algernon is now 'Ernest' and is forced to confront him in front of everyone he had just told his brother died, there is no music, and this adds to the tension of the scene. It's clear Jack is actually, truly angry. After they shake hands and make up, the jaunty music returns, and the ice is broken.

Sound Bridge 

- The sound bridge between Algernon realizing he can't get past the guards in the street, and climbing through the open window into the band, blends nicely with the rest of the movie. You don't see Algernon spot the window, just see him climbing in behind the bands' shoulders. It matches the rest of the movie well because, at first, you assume it's just another part of the sound track. 

Mise en Scene 

Location/Setting

- The audience knows instantly that this movie is not set in the present day because of the old London style stone of cobble stones streets and gas lamps. 

- As all the characters in this play are wealthy, all the settings tends to be luxurious houses and mansions 

Set Design

- Algernon's house is huge, and filled with furniture too emphasize his wealth. 

- All the sets are packed with access furniture and food, even extra servants. Even in the Worthings' garden, gardeners and housekeepers are constantly seen in the background. There are no empty scenes, this also adds to the feeling of always being watched by society. There is never any doubt for the audience how wealthy these people are. 

Makeup and Costume 

- The era of the movie is further enhanced in the opening shot by the Victorian style dress of the man on screen and the shape of his mustache.

- In comparison to the main character's colourful, extravagant clothing, the maids and butlers are all dressed in blacks, greys and whites.

- The difference between Jack and 'Ernest's' costumes are subtle, but effective.  In the country, he wears golds and browns to blend with his own house, whereas in the city, as Ernest, he wears blacks and whites to match with London. His outfit is less tidy and more rakish, adding to the personality difference. When he returns back to the country, as Jack again, even his expression changes. The audience gets the impression that Ernest and Jack really are two different people.

- During Cecily's fantasies, Algernon is often presented as a knight, and she as a princess. This mainly for comic relief, but it's also hugely ironic, considering that Algernon is a terrible liar, and a bit of a scoundrel back in London. 

- Lady Bracknell's clothing reflect her stifling and burdening nature: despite the warm weather, she is very heavily dressed.

Props

- Lady Bracknell and Gwendoline are first introduced in a humorous shot with bow and arrows, to show off their virago, tough personalities.

- As with the set design, there is constantly an overabundance of props, showing off how ridiculously wealthy the Bracknells are. There are also nods at earlier scenes through props, giving the movie good continuity. This is such as the bell we heard Lady Bracknell ring, but didn't see. 

- The sheer size of the magnifying glass and the huge leather books Jack goes through to try and find where he's from are both comically blown out of proportion for dramatic effect. 

- An urn is not normally a comical prop, but nothing is beyond Oscar Wilde, and in this story, it is quite funny. The dramatic unravel, plus Colin Firth's deadpan delivery, and the audience's knowledge that 'Ernest' is alive, well, and on the grounds, all adds to the comedy of this scene. 

- Unusual comedy props again are used when cigarettes become a joke. Two elegant young ladies bonding quickly over a smoke in the garden. The way they are so suddenly produced after a quick scene cut juxtaposes the depreciate and feminine appearance of the girls. 

- A quick shot of the girls reading each others diaries is a clever way to show how quickly they bonded in such a short space of time.

Lighting

- Natural lighting from the moon is used in the first shot to help the man running blend in.

- The dramatic artificial lighting of the theater causes all the colours to be richer and everything looks more extravagant.

- Because so much of the movie happens at night, or indoors, a lot of lamps seem to be needed. Algernon's seem to cast more of a golden light then others, as this is a colour associated with the Bracknells and the Moncrieffs.

- Any natural lighting lends to the colour scheme of the scene very well. At night, the moon is cold and blue, during the day, the sun is warm and golden.

Colour Design 

- The movie initially opens with a scheme of cool, dark, blues and blacks, emphasizing that it's late at night in the shady city.

- In comparison to the colourful countryside, London is drearily coloured, appearing crowded, dirty and dark.

- The warm red and golds of the theater are contrasted by the cold blues of the evening once Jack and Algernon leave.

- Inside the Bracknell Mansion is all gold, red and white; decadent, rich colours that emphasize their wealth. Inside Jack's townhouse, it's all dark greens. Whilst the green are rich, yes, they are also the opposite of red, showing, very subtly, his difference to Lady Bracknell. The colours in his home aren't quite are vibrant and bold, indicating his slight lack of wealth, in comparison to her.