This task will require you to write a 1200 word report on a film text of your choosing. You must discuss these media concepts in relation to the film text in this report.

Micro-features- (One scene)

• Mise en scene (150 words)
• Camerawork (150 words)
• Editing (150 words)
• Sound (150 words)

Macro-features- (The whole film)

• Genre (200 words)
• Narrative (100 words)

Media Theory

Employ the use of two media theories (choose from Tunstall, Connell and Alvarados theories) in relation to the film text (300 words)

The Other Guys is based upon fraud schemes, which would have been in the news and familiar to audiences since it was released only two years after Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme and the 2008 Wall street crash. Due to the films use of believable settings and characters, the film is successful at entertaining, whilst also reflecting the target audience’s perspectives and offering a sense of personal identity to audiences with office jobs who seek a more exciting and fulfilling career.

The genre of’ The Other Guys is not only a hybrid between comedy and crime, but it also includes a lot of action within the film. This is made clear through the use of police cars and realistic uniforms in the opening scene and consistently throughout. Terry and Allen enforce the idea of binary opposites between the two main characters both being the ‘hero’ figure in the film. Terry is represented as aggressive and controlling which is reinforced from his clothing consisting of mostly leather jackets. The more respected cops Danson and Highsmith also wear leather jackets which forshadows Terrys potential in the police. In contrast to this, Allen is portrayed as determined and loves his simple office job with the use of smart outfits which he even wears when he is at home to reflect his positive and committed attitude towards working in the police department, this is opposite to Terry’s informal clothing outside of his work.

The first scene includes an establishing shot of New York City and the narrator introduces Danson and Highsmith first to represent the unimportance of Terry and Allen. The first scene is a chasing scene which is filmed with a handheld camera and therefore has an imperfect effect to it, it also highlights the chaotic and exciting jobs that Danson and Highsmith have contrasted with Terry and Allen’s office duties. This unsteady camera work enforces the idea of unprofessionalism which is repeated throughout the film during chasing scenes. Danson and Highsmith’s muscle cars were used in the first scene which later contrasts Allen’s prius, this underlines the different roles which Terry and Allen are familiar with in the police force, they are treated with less respect by their coworkers with Allen being considered too irresponsible to have access to his own gun for most of the film.

The narrative of the story follows a linear structure throughout with occasional flashbacks for comedic and contexual purposes. The film begins with Terry hating being partnered with Allen in the police force and they often got into confrontations. However, there is a consistent use of flashbacks primarily on Allen’s life as the audience and Terry learn about his past, exploring the idea of two points of view narrative due to their continued contrast of opinions and differences. This is used to generate a bond between the two characters and makes the experience more personal. By the end of the film, there is closure at the end regarding both of their relationships and careers.

The structure of the narrative has a repetition of disruptions which both main characters have to overcome. The film starts with the equilibrium as Terry and Allen are working in the office together but Danson and Highsmith are killed and the police are in need of two ‘heroes’ to save New York from white collar crime. Allen becomes suspicious and begins to investigate the David Ershon case before anyone else in the police department, signifying his importance in the role.  The story is resolved when they capture Ershon and stop the frauded money transfer with Allen and Terry being presented as heroes throughout the film as they are held back multiple times but eventually solve the case together. In one of the last scenes, it depicts Terry and Allen driving away in a muscle car, this represents them finally being respected by their coworkers for their duties.

In the film Connell’s theory on the typical representation of masculinity is contradicted throughout. Hegemonic masculinity is shared between the two main characters, Terry and Allen, whilst Terry represents physical toughness and strength, Allen has the element of marriage and is capable of doing independent detective work at several points without Terry. This typical rule of masculinity is broken again by Terry and Allen having to rescue David Ershon in a hostage scenario, which presents a male character as ‘the princess’ that therefore needs saving (Propps character types). Allen’s wife Shelia is the only female main character in the story and she is presented as domesticated and defined by her husband as she  is only in scenes centred around either their home or scenes including Allen . Shelia’s actions of kicking Allen out of the house progresses his and Terry’s relationship as they both can relate to relationship troubles in their life and therefore become more connected to later progress the story.

In one scene, Terry and Allen had been temporarily dismissed from the case they were working on. Allen breaks into Terry’s apartment claiming that he had information about the case but is worried Terry’s house might be bugged and decide to discuss the case under the bed. Terry is wearing a suit to highlight that he has moved on since working on the case and it is no longer a priority to him, this is contrasted by Allen wearing more casual clothing, this connotes the change in both characters views and opinions and that it is like they have switched roles compared to the beginning. It begins with a shot of the empty apartment in low key lighting to present that Terry is on his own, when Terry arrives in his apartment there is uses of harder lighting to introduce Allen into the scene.

There is the use of close-ups of Terry and Allen to show a intimate verbal exchange with the camera positioned at eye level with low-key lighting and shallow focus primarily on their faces to show the privacy of the information Allen is sharing which makes the audience feel involved. The editing used in this scene shows straight cuts between shots to reinforce the snappy exchange which is taking place on-screen. There are eyeline reverse shots each time one of the characters speak as they look off camera presumably to the other person whilst the movement of the camera stays fixed. There is little spacing in these shots to represent the responsibility that is being shared with Allen’s private information. In the background there is diegetic radio sound that is muffled by the dialogue happening on screen so the audience can hear the conversation more clearly.

As the verbal exchange turns into an argument, both characters change from a setting of soft low key to hard high key lighting in order to follow this change in conversation. Now the editing cuts includes over the shoulder shots with the focus upon the person in the background who is speaking. The shot types are medium long shots that show Terry and Allen are stood further apart from each other than before, showing the argument as less private and heartfelt.