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Film Analysis Worksheet Karmen Gei / Wednesday October 14, 2015
Karmen Gei
Director, Year
Joseph Gai Ramaka, 2001
Mode (for instance, adaptation)
Adopted from novel; influenced by Carmen.
Approximate time code (beg. -- end.) of selected scene
Title or brief description of sequence
Opening dance scene
Number of shots in selected sequence
What happens, at the level of plot or narration, in this sequence?
As a musical sequence, it sets the tone for the film and introduces the audience to the main character and the overarching themes including sexuality and the cultural constraints upon women of color. The dancer seduces a female prison guard into dancing, and when that happens, the entire group of women express their joy through their bodies.
What role does this sequence play within the larger action of the film (e.g. rising action, climax, turning point, exposition, character development, motifs, patterns, etc.)?
This scene is critical for character development and the exposition of themes related to female sexuality, as the sequence showcases the ways women contradict patriarchal power...
Note composition, lighting, camera movement, off-screen space, color, depth of field (focus/off-focus) etc.
Composition shifts from focus on the women and facial expressions, to their bodies and to overarching shots of the entire courtyard watching the dance. Wide depth of field, except during close-ups of women and body. Camera pulls out to reveal the prison.
Meanings. Note the ways in which the formal element contributes to our understanding of the theme you've identified.
The director shows the women are fully in charge of their power and sexuality by cutting between their smiling faces and the audience members, who are depersonalized. The camera pulls out to reveal the prison setting, with a deep sense of irony.
11) Mise-en-scene. Use of props, sets, costuming, lighting, etc.
Mid-range and close shots of the women, revealing their facial expressions; then the costumes worn by the Senegalese in the audience. The dancer is also barefoot in the opening scene.
Meanings.
The supremacy of Senegalese traditional culture, even in the midst of colonialism and in a post-colonial society; the power of women even in a patriarchal society. Being barefoot signals connection to grounding power and the ability to be uninhibited.
12) Editing. Pacing, rhythm, graphic matches, continuity, transitions, etc.
The editing is relatively quick, while…
Works cited. Think about and list some specific types of outside sources that may be helpful in your analysis (i.e., historical information, other literary texts, etc.)
Sources include references to the role of women in Senegalese society, including articles that show that Senegalese women are often asserting their identities and power: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/08/africa/gallery/yz-yseult-the-women-warriors-of-senegal/
Similarly, this United Nations website discusses the role of women in Senegalese society: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15857&LangID=E
16b) Which specific outside sources will you use (based on the information above)? Do you have specific quotations, paraphrases, etc. already identified? What are they?
The CNN article offers messages of hope and empowerment like those given in the film, whereas the United Nations website is more realistic in detailing the daily lives of women in Senegal, where "strong socio-cultural and legal constraints continue to stand in the way of the achievement of gender equality."
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