IMPORTANT INCIDENT
In the film “The Notebook” an important incident is when Noah and Allie are at the lake.
The lake incident occurs towards the end of the film. The scene begins with a shot of Allie and Noah sitting in a row boat politely talking about their lives and feeding the flock of white geese which surround them. An oncoming storm forces them to begin to row back to the dock. Eventually the clouds erupt into a full on downpour accompanied by thunder and lightning. The storm acts as an emotional release for Noah and Allie who suddenly burst out laughing. However as they approach the shore Allie becomes upset. Once at the dock Allie jumps from the boat then confronts Noah as to why he never wrote to her. Noah tells Allie that he wrote her everyday for a year and that it’s still not too late for them to be together. Allie and Noah kiss passionately then return to the house where Allie will eventually have to decide between a life with her rich fiancé Lon Hammond, and the man who was her first love.
WHY IS THIS SCENE IMPORTANT?
This scene is important as it is the main turning or climax point of the film. As Allie and Noah confront the pain of their break-up and realise the love they still feel for each other they set into motion a series of events which will change both their lives.
This scene also shows the theme of the film which is that true love can triumph over any obstacle. Allie chooses Noah (true love) over her upper-class fiancé Lon, who everyone in society expects her to be with. This shows that true love always triumphs in the end.
TECHNIQUES USED TO SHOW THIS INCIDENT:
Close-ups
Symbolism.
Non-diegetic sound
Dialogue
Close-ups
Close-ups are generally used to show detail or emotion between characters. This visual technique gives viewers an insight into the situation between Noah and Allie and how they feel about each other. In this scene there is a close-up of Noah laughing when the rain begins and he and Allie get soaked. This close-up highlights the emotional barrier being broken between Noah and Allie. They had previously been talking but were very polite and restrained with each other. The humour of the situation allows them to relax and be honest with their feelings.
Also in this scene is a close up of Allie and Noah kissing after their fight over the missing letters. The camera cuts between close-up shots of both Allie and Noah’s faces. This is used to show the emotions of the two characters and to portray to the audience the pain both of them endured as a result of being separated from each other. It also aids in showing that they are both still in love with each other. This passion is further exemplified in the use if a close-up shot as Noah pulls Allie to him and kisses her.
Symbolism
The first example of symbolism in this scene is in the presence of the birds. The white geese which surround Noah and Allie’s row boat are symbolic of freedom and happiness. The birds are only present in the film when Allie is with Noah. This is important as it helps indicate to viewers how Allie feels when she is with Noah. It also represents the freedom and happiness that a relationship and life with Noah could offer as opposed to the restricted, suffocating life she would lead with her socialite fiancé. The birds never appear when she is with her fiancé. The presence of the birds at this point in the film help show that Allie has a choice to make between true love and what is expected of her.
Another symbol used in this scene is the storm which occurs as Noah and Allie row back to shore. Before the storm both Allie and Noah held back their real emotions, conversation was polite and restrained. The storm represents a release of their true emotions. Storms are also symbolic of chaos or change. The presence of the storm in this scene indicates that by admitting their true feelings for each other Allie and Noah are about to spark a series of events which will ultimately change both their lives.
Non-diegetic music
The soundtrack during this scene begins with soft, calm, romantic music while Allie and Noah are talking and feeding the geese. During their argument at the dock the sound of the storm almost completely overpowers this music, however, as Noah grabs Allie to him and kisses her the music increases both in volume and intensity. This not only builds up the tension of the scene but indicates that the event is a climax point of the film.
Dialogue
The dialogue used in this scene helps show that Noah and Allie still have feelings for each other. When they arrive at the dock Allie gets very emotional. She asks Noah “Why didn’t you write me? It wasn’t over for me”. Noah then tells her that he wrote her 365 letters which she obviously did not receive. After this revelation Noah tells Allie “It wasn’t over, it’s still not over”. This dialogue is important in this scene as it helps show that Allie is going to have to make a choice between the man she is expected to marry and her true love.
IMPORTANT INCIDENT 2
Another important incident is the ending scene. Allie and Noah are now an elderly couple in a nursing home. Allie has Alzheimer’s and rarely remembers who she or even Noah. In this particular scene Allie remembers and asks Noah if their love is strong enough to take them away together. He replies “our love can do anything”. Later that night Allie and Noah pass away together. The last image of the scene is of a flock of white geese flying into the sunset.
WHY IS THIS INCIDENT IMPORTANT
This incident is important as it shows the theme of the power of true love. Allie and Noah’s love is so strong it overcomes a number of obstacles. There love keeps them together even in death. (see ending scene for further information and techniques)
IMPORTANT INCIDENT
In the film “The Notebook” an important incident is when Noah and Allie are at the lake.
The lake incident occurs towards the end of the film. The scene begins with a shot of Allie and Noah sitting in a row boat politely talking about their lives and feeding the flock of white geese which surround them. An oncoming storm forces them to begin to row back to the dock. Eventually the clouds erupt into a full on downpour accompanied by thunder and lightning. The storm acts as an emotional release for Noah and Allie who suddenly burst out laughing. However as they approach the shore Allie becomes upset. Once at the dock Allie jumps from the boat then confronts Noah as to why he never wrote to her. Noah tells Allie that he wrote her everyday for a year and that it’s still not too late for them to be together. Allie and Noah kiss passionately then return to the house where Allie will eventually have to decide between a life with her rich fiancé Lon Hammond, and the man who was her first love.
WHY IS THIS SCENE IMPORTANT?
This scene is important as it is the main turning or climax point of the film. As Allie and Noah confront the pain of their break-up and realise the love they still feel for each other they set into motion a series of events which will change both their lives.
This scene also shows the theme of the film which is that true love can triumph over any obstacle. Allie chooses Noah (true love) over her upper-class fiancé Lon, who everyone in society expects her to be with. This shows that true love always triumphs in the end.
TECHNIQUES USED TO SHOW THIS INCIDENT:
Close-ups
Close-ups are generally used to show detail or emotion between characters. This visual technique gives viewers an insight into the situation between Noah and Allie and how they feel about each other. In this scene there is a close-up of Noah laughing when the rain begins and he and Allie get soaked. This close-up highlights the emotional barrier being broken between Noah and Allie. They had previously been talking but were very polite and restrained with each other. The humour of the situation allows them to relax and be honest with their feelings.
Also in this scene is a close up of Allie and Noah kissing after their fight over the missing letters. The camera cuts between close-up shots of both Allie and Noah’s faces. This is used to show the emotions of the two characters and to portray to the audience the pain both of them endured as a result of being separated from each other. It also aids in showing that they are both still in love with each other. This passion is further exemplified in the use if a close-up shot as Noah pulls Allie to him and kisses her.
Symbolism
The first example of symbolism in this scene is in the presence of the birds. The white geese which surround Noah and Allie’s row boat are symbolic of freedom and happiness. The birds are only present in the film when Allie is with Noah. This is important as it helps indicate to viewers how Allie feels when she is with Noah. It also represents the freedom and happiness that a relationship and life with Noah could offer as opposed to the restricted, suffocating life she would lead with her socialite fiancé. The birds never appear when she is with her fiancé. The presence of the birds at this point in the film help show that Allie has a choice to make between true love and what is expected of her.
Another symbol used in this scene is the storm which occurs as Noah and Allie row back to shore. Before the storm both Allie and Noah held back their real emotions, conversation was polite and restrained. The storm represents a release of their true emotions. Storms are also symbolic of chaos or change. The presence of the storm in this scene indicates that by admitting their true feelings for each other Allie and Noah are about to spark a series of events which will ultimately change both their lives.
Non-diegetic music
The soundtrack during this scene begins with soft, calm, romantic music while Allie and Noah are talking and feeding the geese. During their argument at the dock the sound of the storm almost completely overpowers this music, however, as Noah grabs Allie to him and kisses her the music increases both in volume and intensity. This not only builds up the tension of the scene but indicates that the event is a climax point of the film.
Dialogue
The dialogue used in this scene helps show that Noah and Allie still have feelings for each other. When they arrive at the dock Allie gets very emotional. She asks Noah “Why didn’t you write me? It wasn’t over for me”. Noah then tells her that he wrote her 365 letters which she obviously did not receive. After this revelation Noah tells Allie “It wasn’t over, it’s still not over”. This dialogue is important in this scene as it helps show that Allie is going to have to make a choice between the man she is expected to marry and her true love.
IMPORTANT INCIDENT 2
Another important incident is the ending scene. Allie and Noah are now an elderly couple in a nursing home. Allie has Alzheimer’s and rarely remembers who she or even Noah. In this particular scene Allie remembers and asks Noah if their love is strong enough to take them away together. He replies “our love can do anything”. Later that night Allie and Noah pass away together. The last image of the scene is of a flock of white geese flying into the sunset.
WHY IS THIS INCIDENT IMPORTANT
This incident is important as it shows the theme of the power of true love. Allie and Noah’s love is so strong it overcomes a number of obstacles. There love keeps them together even in death.
(see ending scene for further information and techniques)