RESEARCH: Deconstruction #1

 

Title: UP
Director: Pete Docter
Year: 2009
Genre: Adventure
BBFC Age Rating: U
Starring: Edward Esner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger

UP begins by showing a film-within-a-film by way of a newsreel. The content of the news real is used to establish the films' theme of discovery and adventure, and also is a nod towards classic adventure films, especially The Lost World (1925, 1960). This firmly establishes the genre of the film for the audience.

Partway through the newsreel, the camera zooms out to show the audience the cinema in which the film is being viewed. There is then a close up of the main character Carl, which shows him wearing standard clothes for the era, but with a pair of flight-goggles on his head. This establishes that Carl has been greatly interested in discovery from a young age, but, judging by his clothing, his family have normal, every day jobs. By having Carl wear normal clothes with a pair of flight goggles on his head, the shot makes a nod to his method of flight later on- an everyday thing (his house) with a means of discovery (balloons) on top. The idea of an amateur becoming a great explorer is another conventional theme used in the classic films of the Adventure genre , further establishing the film as being an adventure film in the style of a classic.

The character on the newsreel, Charles F. Muntz looks like a combination of Charles Lindbergh and Howard Hughes, two great aviators from the period. The use of a Howard Hughes reference would suggest to the viewers that Muntz may in the future become an eccentric recluse, which is indeed the case. His airship is named The Spirit of Adventure, a reference to Lindbergh's Spirit of St.Louis plane.

The rest of the scene in the cinema shows actions on the newsreel and reactions from Carl. This allows the audience to see that Carl considers the character on the news reel to be a hero, as he expresses shock and anger when the explorer is labelled a lier. The only shots used are of the newsreel and of Carl, suggesting that the explorer and Carl are two main characters who may cross paths.

The clothing, architecture, language and use of monochrome on the newsreel suggest that the opening two minutes of the film is set in the early-to-middle of 20th century (1930-1950), which was a time when many of the classic adventure films was made. This once again helps establish Up as being a classic-inspired adventure film.

The final scene of the opening two minutes shows Carl running down the street carrying a balloon with the words Spirit of Adventure on it. By having Spirit of Adventure on the balloon, the scene suggests that Carl's hopes and dreams of adventure will involve lighter than air flight, which it does. Also, by using Adventure, it yet again establishes the genre of the film.

In conclusion, the first two minutes of UP fit the film in very well with the conventions of a classic adventure film. The era shown was one that generated many of the great classics, the use of an adventurous amateur and a depiction of unexplored lands allows sets the audience up for a film of risk, adventure, and discovery.