Master and Commander Questions

1. The extract is a historical, swashbuckling AA film. This extract is typical to the AA genre as it creates tension in the sense that it is a boat on open waters that is vulnerable to enemy attack. The fog that surrounds the ship creates a sense of mystery and fear because it is unknown what could be on the other side. The heroic protagonist is always centre of the screen and is well dressed for the period, and seems to be superior to everyone else on the boat. He gives the commands and everybody respects him and his word to the letter. He is confident and courageous in the face of danger, never letting the boat go down without a fight.
    
   In the extract, a fight scene ensues in which two boats are firing cannons at each other. This is a convention of the AA genre as it includes lots of explosions and destruction caused by cannonballs, and an immediate sense of danger is created because any of the men could die at any point, and if the cannons create holes big enough then the ship could sink. This essence of danger helps create an atmosphere in several films of the AA genre because it builds up tension in the audience, and leaves you excited.
2. The soundtrack of this extract is effective because it contains no music, instead it enhances the background sound of people talking and the waves of the ocean. This creates effect because it makes the scene ever more realistic and much more relatable. When the signal to return to quarters is initiated, drums start playing, and drums are usually always associated with war and battle. These drums are ambient sounds, which helps create suspense. The complete silence at certain points in the extract creates an eerie sense of tension as it leaves the fate of the characters completely unknown, and reveals nothing to the audience
   The camerawork in this scene is effective as it uses several pan shots to reveal the expressions on the faces of the soldiers to create a sense of emotion and atmosphere, as the scared faces of the soldiers helps add to the atmosphere of tension.  Several of the shots establish the sailors as being superior before the enemy boat attacks as it is trying to establish them as strong men. An establishing shot of the boat is used to revolve around each edge of the boat to show the audience what is happening and where and also how they are isolated in the fog.
   The editing in this scene is effective as it includes several shot-reverse-shots to try and switch between the protagonists and reveal the emotions they are feeling. The sound of the cannons is effective as it is a real sharp, quick sound that takes you by surprise and leaves the audience in surprise and fear for the characters. The cannons are extremely realistic and the effect for the splinters of wood being blown everywhere immerses you in the events of the narrative and certainly makes it much more realistic.
   The mise-en-scene in this extract is extremely effective because it looks realistic because it adds to the realism of the narrative. The extract is set on a British ship in 1805, and you can really immerse yourself in the scene because the props are authentic to the time (such as the boat, the objects and the sails) the costumes are also authentic, and they add up to make the scene much more realistic and immersive, which adds to the overall effect, making you feel as if you are there with the sailors and experiencing the same dangers as them. It also serves as educational, showing you events that are very likely to have happened in the time period.