Film Analysis Part 1

    The opening scene of the film The Fault in Our Stars uses aspects of mise en scene, cinematography, editing, and sound to develop meaning and effectively set up the rest of the film. It begins with a shot of the night sky and then cuts to an extreme close-up shot on Hazel’s eyes, the main character. This implies that she is lying down, looking up at the stars. This shot/reverse shot action develops a connection between the limitless sky and her. It also shows that the night sky will be of some importance throughout the rest of the film. A voiceover begins, with Hazel explaining that “we have a choice...about how we tell sad stories.” She outlines the desire to sugarcoat stories, focusing on their happy ending, but makes it clear that this just is not realistic. The scene closes with Hazel stating “It’s just not the truth. This is the truth. Sorry.” She implies that the story that is about to be told does not have a happy ending. The story of her life will have its ups and downs, and she will not sugarcoat her hardships. Through saying these things in a voiceover, over the shots of her looking up at the sky, a very personal, intimate viewing experience is created. Mixed in with the shots of her eyes and the sky, there are scenes that tease what is to come in the film. The mise en scene of these “flashforward” scenes creates a very blissful tone around them. Hazel and her love interest are dancing around, kissing, and laughing together. The lighting is dim and romantic. Furthermore, these scenes are edited to be shown when Hazel’s voiceover is talking about the sugar-coated stories told in movies and novels, “where beautiful people learn beautiful lessons, and nothing is too messed up that can't be fixed with an apology...” Through explaining this idealized expectation of life, while showing these scenes with her boyfriend, it is shown that she was living the "perfect” life with him. However, it abruptly cuts back to Hazel’s eyes when she says that view of life is just not true. It suggests that something will likely come in the way of her relationship as the movie progresses. Overall, the opening scene has very minimal cinematography. However, the minimalistic approach is very effective, as it draws more attention to what Hazel has to say. The way these scenes are filmed is very effective in opening the film successfully, giving the audience important teasers without giving the conflict away.  

     This opening sequence is a lot simpler than the one we plan to make for our project. My group and I plan to have a lot more action in our opening scene. The scene from The Fault in Our Stars only consists of a few different shots: the sky, Hazel’s eyes, and the three flashforward scenes. Most of the meaning derived from the scene comes from the voiceover working together with the minimalistic shots. Similarly, though, my group and I plan to feature a voiceover throughout our scene as well. It is a very effective way of introducing a main character, and their internal monologue.