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The Constant Gardener Analysis
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Detailed analysis on the film, The Constant Gardener.
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THE CONSTANT GARDENERDirector: Fernando Meirelles
BEGINNING - how is Africa portrayed ?
- Voice over (British) = [Britain colonised Kenya forcing their culture onto them]
- Couple is intimate = [Tessa & Justin]
- Light gets brighter, over exposed, to show the start of a new scene = jump cut
[time is not linear/not chronological]
- Tilted angle is used to show us that something is off/not right
- Juxtaposition = close up of the car vs long shot of birds
- People collect bodies of Tessa+Arnold [doctor], shows that africa may be
beautiful but there is also violence
- Sandy coming to tell Justin that they found Tessa’s body
Choice of actor / how they are portrayed
- Justin [Ralph Fiennes] = gentle, simple, dress well, put together. He is calm,
caring and still remains controlled when he hears the worst news. He is
passionate about her
- Tessa = social activist
- Actor chosen for Dr Lobre = bad [accent] - not aware of the hypocrisy/irony inside
himself
HOSPITAL SCENE
- Hospital = old + decay, greenish palette [70s], dirty, sick
- White cloth = contrast, pure
- Subliminal message = lots of violence and death in Kenya
- Handheld camera = we are there [apart of scene], shaking
- Low angle = looking down at Tessa [vulnerable]
- High contrast lightning = shows rawness of everything
- Reactions = Sandy [physically ill - close relationship]
- Director sets Justin up as considerate, well mannered
KENYA
- Fast paced music = feeling of busy, colour, chaos, jump cuts = bright & colorful
[shows jubilant & happy atmosphere]
- Handheld camera
- Director can relate to slums - Brazilian [not foreign to him, does not scare him]
- Establishing shot used to show Tessa in her environment
- She has been accepted, knows peoples names
, - Film is about Aids, but Tessa doesn't worry about that [kisses kid] - even though
she's pregnant
- Makes film authentic that you hear people speak Swahili
- Misconceptions about AIDS
- Clinic ran out of medicine
MEMORY
- Creates suspense that Tessa is having an affair with Arnold [email used + playful
banter between Tessa & Arnold] - sexual innuendo, plays with mind
- Colour palette = bright
KENYA COUNTRY CLUB
- Different ideas of Kenya
- cigars , food and alcohol
- Confronting minister of health = he is corrupt, squandering money
- Dypraxa
- Arnold works to do well
- As europeans, corruption = not well perceived
- “No drug company does something for nothing”
- Drug companies act like they want to help but they are just concerned with
making money
HOSPITAL
- In beginning Tessa is breastfeeding a black baby with Arnold next to her [creates
a feeling Arnold is father]
- Sandy [Justin's boss, head of British high commission] said surely she wouldn't
have her baby at a government hospital [she can afford private]. She doesn't
mind, she thinks everyone is equal
- Sandy doesn't like environment of hospital [covers mouth with cloth]
- Wanza Kalula [15 year old], Tessa finds out what drug company is doing through
her
- “Doctor Lorbeer, you've got to stop testing on patients with HIV”
- Ironic = Wanza’s brother fanning + trying to help her with cardboard from drug
company, but it is the thing that is killing her
HOUSE
- Same company that makes Dypraxa also makes pesticide, Tessa gets angry
[justin doesn't know because she hasn't said anything about research]
- Theme = lack of communication
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