The Holiday analysis

          The Holiday was made in 2006 and was directed and written by Nancy Meyers. The film has a romance genre. The film has the age rating 12 which means the target audience is mostly females because romance films typically attract females. In addition the target audience is aged 12 and above. The film stars Jack Black, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Cameron Diaz  which creates a large target audience because they all have existing fan bases and they would be attracted to watch it. The Holiday is set at Christmas time which overall makes it more appealing this is because it reflects what Christmas time is about, this then reminds people every Christmas of the film.

The film starts with a mid-shot of trees and leaves and nothing is in focus which creates a soft opening for the audience. This scene is used to say to the audience who the producers are; this is written in white which denotes innocence which could say something to the audience about the film. A couple then comes into the shot kissing they are what is in focus saying that this has some importance for the film suggesting that the film is a romance film. The next shot is a mid-close up showing the top half of their bodies this shot shows a bit more scenery so therefore the audience know a bit more about the scene. Mise-en-scene is used in this scene because the clothes that they are wearing remind me of the same era in which Romeo and Juliet was set which is well known for love and romance. The woman is wearing a white dress which suggests she is innocent and pure. The guy in the scene is wearing a shirt and a casual waist coat which are commonly known for classic romance films.

           A slow zoom out is then used in the next shot which shows details that suggest that the film is being edited. There is also a keyboard and other monitors that suggest that technology may play a big role in the film or scene. The camera continues to zoom out then a pan is used to see the characters face. Also on the computer scene there is sheets of music, these are common convention of the romance genre. Another slow pan is used in order for the audience to see the characters face and to realise that in fact it is Jack Black. For the audience to know that Jack Black stars in the film suggests that the film might be a comedy.

          The next shot is of Jack Black’s face which is a mid-shot. A dirty shot is also used because the camera is placed behind the desk so the desk is obstructing the image. With the camera being placed behind the computer suggests he might do something computer related for his work. He then looks up past and behind the camera which makes the audience ask questions like who is behind the camera therefore it creates mystery. The is also the use of zoom which is when the camera zooms into his face making the audience aware of his emotions and implying that they are important. There is then use of the 180 ̊ rule when there is a conversation between the two characters which allows the audience to not be confused.  The shot where the woman is on the phone suggests that she isn’t as interested in him as he is with her because her attention is split whereas his is directed to her. The camera is also positioned a bit higher when she is in the frame showing that she has the most power in the relationship.

          The next shot is a wide shot following her as she walks towards the camera. This allows the audience to see more of the setting which increases the knowledge of the mise-en-scene used in this scene. The setting which is an aspect of the mise-en-scene suggests that the scene is set in a house or workplace. There are massive windows which shows the audience that the house is secluded because there are large amounts of trees surrounding it. This implies that the house may be expensive because of its location so gives an idea of what job he may have, in addition this may suggest that his job may be important for the film. Also with only giving little details about the location allows the audience to use their imagination and ask questions about the character.

          The next shot involves both characters which is the first time that this has happened. The characters are positioned differently, what I mean by this is that she is positioned higher than him, she is standing and he is sitting this suggests that she has more power than him in this scene. He is also looking up to her which could literally mean that he looks up to her. Jack Black’s character is presented as being a gentleman because in the next shot he reaches for her hand and kisses it which is normally associated with love and politeness. This is a point of view shot which is from her point of view. Her hand comes from the top right hand corner of the shot which further implies that she has all the power. With her being presented as the person who has all the power goes against the common conventions of a relationship it almost represents the modern day relationship. A low angle shot is then used as she goes up the stair which also presents her as someone with power. Throughout the majority of this series of shots the 180 ̊rule is used multiple times. 

          There is a pan that is used to transition between the different stories which allows the transition to be smooth. Within this transition the name of the film is made aware to the audience. The next scene is a completely different location and time because the scene looks as if it was set at night, with these alterations the change of story is made clear to the audience. Cameron Diaz who is also a popular and recognisable actor come into the frame in what looks like a car. There is a mid-close up shot of her face which shows the awkward look on her face which suggests to the audience that something isn’t right with this scene. She is also positioned off centre which creates the audience to feel uneasy suggesting that something is wrong. She then looks past the camera as if someone is there the audience is then curious to see who it is. Cameron Diaz is wearing a white outfit which suggest she is innocent and says something about her character. The 180 ̊rule is also used in this sequence of shots which infers that there is something between them.  There is another close up of the guy’s face who is also in the car, no words are said during these scenes which makes the acting even more important to the audience. Also in the next shot he is placed nearer to the camera almost making it a dirty shot and only Cameron Diaz is in focus which suggests she is more important in the story.

           The next camera angle is a high angled shot of the licence plate of the car the camera still focuses on the car as it drives away then a pan Is used to transition into the next story. The setting of the scene is dark which means it is set at night, this creates a completely different atmosphere for the audience compared to the first series of shots.

           The next shot is a mid-level shot of a person’s body, the audience can tell it is an old man because he has a walking stick which is a typical prop used to emphasis how old someone is. The focus of the camera then changes to a picture on the bedside table which implies she is someone very special to him, this emphasises that the film is a romance film. The man in the shot touches the photo and the camera pans and focuses on his face which shows his reaction to the photo and also suggests that it is a romance film.

            The music throughout this two minute intro is a classic romantic love song which starts off loud and then is quietened down for Kate Winslets voice over. The fact that Kate Winslet is doing a voice over implies that she is the main character. She speaks about love and relates it to the scenes that you are being shown. For example during the first story she says “love is blind” which adds to the fact that the woman in the relationship holds the power therefore the man is blind because of how much he loves her. In the second series of shots she says “love fades” which explains why they aren’t talking and suggests something is wrong. And then the last story she says “for others love is simply lost” this implies that he has lost her and therefore love has gone for him. With the film starting off like this makes the audience aware that these are the people the film is based on and gives hints on what it is about.