Boyz N The Hood - Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwmJwcEkln4

Camera:

In the beginning of this short scene, we are able to hear a commotion, which was shortly followed by gun shots and a little boy saying his brother had been shot. The audience are unable to see what had happened however a text appeared on the screen stating: "One out of every twenty-one black American males will be murdered in their lifetime". The camera angle was then used to zoom in on a red stop sign, this could represent how this sort of violence towards black people needs to come to a stop. The camera then cuts onto a young boy waiting for his friends on the corner of a street. This shows the audience how innocent the people are living in this neighbourhood. In this cut, the camera uses an extreme long shot and pans left as his group of friends begin to walk with him. This has been done to allow the audience to see how dirty and rough the area these innocent children were living in. As the scene moves on, the camera changes to a high angle of the children crossing the road which represents how powerless they are. Once the children are at school, the camera pans across the classroom to allow the audience to see how everyone in the classroom was dark skinned apart from the teacher.

Mise En Scene:

In the beginning of this scene, we are able to see how filthy the area is that these children are growing up in through the use of props. On the way to school, the audience are able to see the overflowing trash bags that had been dumped on the side of the pavements with wild dogs walking around. This creates the idea that no one cares about this area, which is also portrayed through the red graffiti on the walls. The colour red could symbolise the violence and anger which takes place in this area. Additionally, the use of yellow police tape signifies the danger and cautions of this neighbourhood. As the scene goes into school, we are shown the children's drawings of police cars, helicopters, and a man in a coffin which allows the audience to be able to see how much they are affected by the surroundings they are bought up in. Furthermore, in the classroom, the only person who isnt coloured skinned is the teacher who is standing with her arms crossed. This usually symbolises anxiousness or feeling afraid, however as she begins to pick on one of the children, her body gesture changes to hands on hips which could represent how she feels dominant and in charge. Finally, on the boys way home from school, he walks straight through the middle of a group of older men fighting which allows us to be able to see hoe used to it he is and also allows us to see where his behaviour comes from.

Sound:

In the beginning of this opening scene, we are only able to hear the commotion and gun shots followed by a text on the screen. This is called non-diegetic sound, and was used to allow the audience to understand the event which had taken place earlier on. As the new scene of the boy comes on, we hear diegetic sounds which allow us to feel more connected to the film. We hear this through the helicopter and the dogs walking around in the street. As the boys friends join him, we hear their dialogue which is shortly followed by non-diegetic music to add a sense of fear for what they are about to see. As they enter a crime scene, we are able to hear 3 gunshots (non-diegetic sound) which signifies the event which had previously took place.

Editing:

A the start of this clip, they have added in some text to allow the audience to understand the importance behind the film. It stated: "One out of every twenty-one black American males will be murdered in their lifetime." This was then followed by: "Most will die at the hands of another black male". This allows the audience to get a clear message and understanding from this film. I think the main part of editing which they done was when they connected the three gun shots to the picture of the man on the poster. With each gun shot, the image got closer and closer, which really allows the audience to feel slightly agitated.