Friday, June 5, 2009

Autobiographies and biographies

Your bio/autobios are in the post and on the way...! In the meantime, check out
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/biography.html
for ideas of generic lessons you could present on biographies/autobiographies. Each island is going to be presenting a 5-10 minute class lesson on biographies/autobiographies (i.e. the value of this genre, creating your own, differences in style and intention, etc.)

Island Landlocked theme comments...

Theme: Freedom in surrender

Tsotsi gives up the baby at the parents’ house. He did not only free the baby but frees his conscience and emotional baggage as well.

Characterisation
• Tsotsi
We focus on Tsotsi’s character the most as we see the most change. Tsotsi becomes more vulnerable than the baby in this scene as he loses control. This is contradictory to his character in the beginning of the film.

Camera Movement
• Close up shot when Tsotsi puts the baby down.
• The camera zooms out from a close up shot when Tsotsi picks the baby up and hands the baby over.
• When the father approaches Tsotsi to get his baby there is a medium eye level shot.

Costuming
• Tsotsi wears white showing him surrendering and his growth as in the character. White indicates purity and cleansing and this shows Tsotsi becoming as better person.

Sound track
• Tsotsi’s leit motif in that scene shows or indicates the change in his character and him turning over a new leaf.
• The leit motif plays when his character is changing so the motif is particularly evident in this scene.