The two main characters in the film are Jamal Wallace and William Forrester. These characters are important as they help show the themes of the film - fighting to achieve your dreams and the importance of friendship.
JAMAL WALLACE:
Jamal is a young black aspiring writer from the Bronx. He also has a talent at basketball which wins him a scholarship to an exclusive Manhattan Prep school called Maylor Callow Academy. Jamal tries to hide his educational ability from his friends for fear that they won't accept him. Being smart is not a quality which is respected in the Bronx. This is because for most young people in the Bronx ability is not enough to get them out, they also need money which they don't have. By not even considering school or university as an option they protect themselves from future disappointment. For Jamal is it basketball where he gains his acceptance. As well as his environment his home life is also chaotic. His father abandoned his family when he was young, this was when he started writing. His brother also dropped out of school and gave up a promising college basketball scholarship to help support his family.
Techniques used to create Jamal's Character:
Extreme close-up
Setting
Costume
Contrast
Dialogue
Extreme close-up
In the opening scene there is an extreme close-up of a pile of books in Jamal's room in his Bronx apartment. The books are all written by influential and renowned authors. This helps show that Jamal is not your usual Bronx teenager. This shot helps break the stereotype of people from the Bronx and shows that there is more to Jamal's character than just a talent at playing basketball.
Setting
The montage and various techniques used in the opening scene help create an impression of life in the Bronx. The Bronx setting gives viewers insight into Jamal's background and helps them understand why he makes the decisions he does. For example why he fights so hard to achieve his dream of being a writer and his battle with Mr Crawford. Mr Crawford is his English professor at Maylor Callow and accuses him of plagiarism. He can not believe that Jamal is so talented mainly because he is black AND from the Bronx.
Costume
Jamal's clothing helps show his character is from the Bronx. He is shown wearing loose baggy clothing, always carries a basketball, wears a cap and street shoes. This costume is typical of teens from the Bronx, particularly African Americans. It helps show his background and the environment he grew up in.
Contrast
A main contrast in the film is between Jamal and a fellow basketball team-mate at Maylor Callow. John Hartwell comes from a wealthy family and is in his senior year. Like Jamal he is of African-American descent and is the star of the basketball team. Jamal and Hartwell end up competing for the same position on the team. Hartwell resents the competition especially from someone who comes from the Bronx. He states "you may think we are the same but we're not". This contrast highlights the struggles and prejudices Jamal has had to overcome in his life. It shows that even though he has not had the same privileged background he is just as capable and talented as the other students at Maylor Callow.
Dialogue
Dialogue also gives viewers clues as to Jamal's character. While at a basketball party, Claire asks Jamal if he finds school at Maylor difficult. Jamal replies:
"whats hard is living in a place that even the police don't want to be after dark...and knowing that your safe there because those that you should be afraid of know you don't have anything to give them"
This helps give insight into how Jamal feels about living in the Bronx and the hardships he has had to overcome to get where he is.
WILLIAM FORRESTER
William Forrester is an eldery reclusive, Pulitzer Prize winning author. Forrester is deeply upset by the death of his brother early in his writing career. He then isolates himself from society and rarely leaves his apartment in the Bronx. His brothers death traumatised him immensely. Forrester prevents himself from developing a close with relationship with anyone to protect himself from further loss. He becomes terrified of leaving his apartment and refuses to publish anything ever again. He is also dying of cancer and knows that he does not have long to live.
Techniques used to create Forrester's character:
Close-up
High Angle
Dialogue
Costume
Non-Diegetic music
Mise en scene
Close-up
A close-up is used at the start of the film of the locks on Forrester’s apartment door. This helps show that Forrester is extremely untrusting and likes to keep people away from him.
Low Angle
At the start of the film Forrester is always seen from low angle shots. This helps portray Forrester as being a menacing and unfriendly character. He likes to keep up this appearance and reputation to keep people from getting close to him.
Dialogue
Forrester's dialogue at the start of the film is extremely hostile. He is usually shown swearing at people. Using numerous expletives to tell Jamal to stay away from his home. Jamal leaves his back pack in Forrester's apartment, when he comes to retrieve it he finds that Forrester has written comments on on his journals. Jamal asks him for help with his writing and Forrester replies:
"How bout 5000 words on why to stay the....out of my home"
He also has a Scottish accent which helps show that he is not originally from the Bronx. He is originally from Scotland.
Costume
Forrester is shown wearing old fashioned clothing. He wears corduroy pants, plaid shirts and Scottish caps. Everything in his wardrobe is dated and needs mending. This shows that he does not keep up with modern fashions and has not left his apartment in a long time.
Non-Diegetic Music
In the scene where Jamal breaks into Forrester's apartment it is extremely quiet. Low pitched, slow music is heard as Jamal searches the apartment. However as soon as Forrester appears the music increases in volume and intensity. This use of music helps reinforce the idea that Forrester's character is hostile and untrusting at the start of the film.
Mise-en-scene
Forrester's apartment is cluttered and filled with junk. As the camera moves around the apartment in the break-in scene you are shown an old fashioned television, shelves filled with books and papers, a telephone with no ringer, a typewriter and a writing desk. The arrangement of all these props on screen helps give the impression that Forrester has not been out of his apartment in quite some time. He writes but does nothing with it and does not have any modern appliances in his home. He also goes out of his way to cut off the outside world. He can ring out but no one can ring in!
Symbolism
An example of symbolism which shows Forrester's character is his bird-watching hobby. Forrester has a real interest in birds but can only study those he can see using binoculars from his apartment. His hobby is symbolic of what his life has become. He has become a 'watcher' who lives through others lives (watching Jamal) rather than living his own. His nickname of "The Window" is also symbolic as this is what he uses to 'watch' others and life pass him by.
Main Characters:
The two main characters in the film are Jamal Wallace and William Forrester. These characters are important as they help show the themes of the film - fighting to achieve your dreams and the importance of friendship.
JAMAL WALLACE:
Jamal is a young black aspiring writer from the Bronx. He also has a talent at basketball which wins him a scholarship to an exclusive Manhattan Prep school called Maylor Callow Academy. Jamal tries to hide his educational ability from his friends for fear that they won't accept him. Being smart is not a quality which is respected in the Bronx. This is because for most young people in the Bronx ability is not enough to get them out, they also need money which they don't have. By not even considering school or university as an option they protect themselves from future disappointment. For Jamal is it basketball where he gains his acceptance. As well as his environment his home life is also chaotic. His father abandoned his family when he was young, this was when he started writing. His brother also dropped out of school and gave up a promising college basketball scholarship to help support his family.
Techniques used to create Jamal's Character:
Extreme close-up
In the opening scene there is an extreme close-up of a pile of books in Jamal's room in his Bronx apartment. The books are all written by influential and renowned authors. This helps show that Jamal is not your usual Bronx teenager. This shot helps break the stereotype of people from the Bronx and shows that there is more to Jamal's character than just a talent at playing basketball.
Setting
The montage and various techniques used in the opening scene help create an impression of life in the Bronx. The Bronx setting gives viewers insight into Jamal's background and helps them understand why he makes the decisions he does. For example why he fights so hard to achieve his dream of being a writer and his battle with Mr Crawford. Mr Crawford is his English professor at Maylor Callow and accuses him of plagiarism. He can not believe that Jamal is so talented mainly because he is black AND from the Bronx.
Costume
Jamal's clothing helps show his character is from the Bronx. He is shown wearing loose baggy clothing, always carries a basketball, wears a cap and street shoes. This costume is typical of teens from the Bronx, particularly African Americans. It helps show his background and the environment he grew up in.
Contrast
A main contrast in the film is between Jamal and a fellow basketball team-mate at Maylor Callow. John Hartwell comes from a wealthy family and is in his senior year. Like Jamal he is of African-American descent and is the star of the basketball team. Jamal and Hartwell end up competing for the same position on the team. Hartwell resents the competition especially from someone who comes from the Bronx. He states "you may think we are the same but we're not". This contrast highlights the struggles and prejudices Jamal has had to overcome in his life. It shows that even though he has not had the same privileged background he is just as capable and talented as the other students at Maylor Callow.
Dialogue
Dialogue also gives viewers clues as to Jamal's character. While at a basketball party, Claire asks Jamal if he finds school at Maylor difficult. Jamal replies:
"whats hard is living in a place that even the police don't want to be after dark...and knowing that your safe there because those that you should be afraid of know you don't have anything to give them"
This helps give insight into how Jamal feels about living in the Bronx and the hardships he has had to overcome to get where he is.
WILLIAM FORRESTER
William Forrester is an eldery reclusive, Pulitzer Prize winning author. Forrester is deeply upset by the death of his brother early in his writing career. He then isolates himself from society and rarely leaves his apartment in the Bronx. His brothers death traumatised him immensely. Forrester prevents himself from developing a close with relationship with anyone to protect himself from further loss. He becomes terrified of leaving his apartment and refuses to publish anything ever again. He is also dying of cancer and knows that he does not have long to live.
Techniques used to create Forrester's character:
Close-up
A close-up is used at the start of the film of the locks on Forrester’s apartment door. This helps show that Forrester is extremely untrusting and likes to keep people away from him.
Low Angle
At the start of the film Forrester is always seen from low angle shots. This helps portray Forrester as being a menacing and unfriendly character. He likes to keep up this appearance and reputation to keep people from getting close to him.
Dialogue
Forrester's dialogue at the start of the film is extremely hostile. He is usually shown swearing at people. Using numerous expletives to tell Jamal to stay away from his home. Jamal leaves his back pack in Forrester's apartment, when he comes to retrieve it he finds that Forrester has written comments on on his journals. Jamal asks him for help with his writing and Forrester replies:
"How bout 5000 words on why to stay the....out of my home"
He also has a Scottish accent which helps show that he is not originally from the Bronx. He is originally from Scotland.
Costume
Forrester is shown wearing old fashioned clothing. He wears corduroy pants, plaid shirts and Scottish caps. Everything in his wardrobe is dated and needs mending. This shows that he does not keep up with modern fashions and has not left his apartment in a long time.
Non-Diegetic Music
In the scene where Jamal breaks into Forrester's apartment it is extremely quiet. Low pitched, slow music is heard as Jamal searches the apartment. However as soon as Forrester appears the music increases in volume and intensity. This use of music helps reinforce the idea that Forrester's character is hostile and untrusting at the start of the film.
Mise-en-scene
Forrester's apartment is cluttered and filled with junk. As the camera moves around the apartment in the break-in scene you are shown an old fashioned television, shelves filled with books and papers, a telephone with no ringer, a typewriter and a writing desk. The arrangement of all these props on screen helps give the impression that Forrester has not been out of his apartment in quite some time. He writes but does nothing with it and does not have any modern appliances in his home. He also goes out of his way to cut off the outside world. He can ring out but no one can ring in!
Symbolism
An example of symbolism which shows Forrester's character is his bird-watching hobby. Forrester has a real interest in birds but can only study those he can see using binoculars from his apartment. His hobby is symbolic of what his life has become. He has become a 'watcher' who lives through others lives (watching Jamal) rather than living his own. His nickname of "The Window" is also symbolic as this is what he uses to 'watch' others and life pass him by.