We need to talk about Kevin scene analysis

Kevin bosses Celia around [01:00:30]

Scene	Micro features	Narrative features and ideological analysis
Mise en Scene 01:00:40 Cinematography 01:00:52 Sound 01:01:06 Sound 01:01:37	Colour palette - Although Christmas brings with it the colours red and gold, Celia is tied up with tinsel. Framing - Alignment between Celia, the cleaning products and Eva. Camera angles - Low angle shot, showing Celia interacting with Kevin by hugging him. Performance - the way Kevin interacts with Celia Ambience - Familial Christmas-y music harmonising in the background	The choice of using red tinsels can be supported by the repetition of the colour red throughout the film represents Kevin's way Kevin truly acts in a cynical way to his sister; the gold tinsel, on the other hand, can represent Kevin's hidden yet true love for Celia. Following this, Celia says: 'I was playing Christmas kidnapping with Kevin'. The spectator had been told that the reason for Celia's accident held Eva responsible due to cleaning product, and previously, Franklin had blamed her for the accident. As this film acts as the perspective of the protagonist, this could be a hint in Eva's memory implying her true responsibility, where the truth of her doings have been blocked from her mind. In addition to this, the way In this shot, the frame cuts half of Celia due to it's showing how much smaller she is than Kevin. Following this, the camera pans to track Celia following Kevin's orders. This further explains the relationship between these siblings, which creates a huge shock when he finally kills her even though they're relationship seems emotionally stable. Furthermore, Kevin does call her by her nickname which increases evidence for him having lover for her or contrastingly evidence for his fake personality. After doing a favour for Kevin, Celia receives what seems to be a correction to a mistake. Celia is clearly just trying to impress Kevin in this scene, and in Kevin responding in this way, the teenager does not necessarily assert dominance over his sister, but rather asserts control over Eva. This is prominent (due to the contrast in the births of both children for instance) as Kevin has complete control over Celia in this moment, ceasing Eva's only source of happiness, which can be seen as a direct insult to Eva also. The use of music relates to the point made in 'Camera angles', where the music played harmonises to create a cozy, festive atmosphere in the house, showing Kevin is relatively involved in the family's festive affairs - makes the shock even greater when he murders them.

Prison scene - Ending [1:37:00]

Scene	Micro features	Narrative features and ideological analysis

Robin Hood book reading scene ()

Scene	Micro features	Narrative features and ideological analysis
52:50 Kevin ill – reading Robin Hood with Eva	Mise-en-scene Costume – Kevin wearing blue pyjamas with robots on them. Typically boyish and childlike; appears vulnerable Costume – Eva’s white dress as she finds Kevin at the top of the stairs – angelic connotations Setting – Kevin’s bedroom – neutral colours (blues, greys) Performance Kevin’s limp body as he allows himself to be lifted into his mother’s arms Sound Mother’s Last Word to Her Son – Washington Phillips – directly links with the ending, during the reconciliation Mise-en-scene Props – sponge and bucket as Eva cleans Kevin’s vomit from the carpet Props - sponge and bucket as Eva cleans Kevin's vomit from the carpet. Casting - Tilda Swinton sometimes appears quite masculine (e.g. wearing Franklin's Led Zeppelin t-shirt); at other times, she is represented in a more feminine way Mise en Scene - the Bobo doll is absent while Eva is reading the story. However, it reappears when Kevin is better and dressing himself ('I don't give a Rat's Ass' scene)	This is one of the few scenes – the other, perhaps, being the reconciliation with Kevin at the end – in which Eva displays any kind of maternal bond with Kevin, and it’s reciprocated by him. Why does Kevin let her in at this point? ·       He uses his illness as an excuse so that she will display intimacy with him – he has been starved of this during his childhood, so he takes it any opportunity he can get ·       He is ill; this is proof that he is just a vulnerable little boy – his mother has misrepresented him ·       His natural defences are lowered; subconsciously (?) he loves her ·       He is intrigued by the story she reads him – about Robin Hood – and uses her to gain access to a story about death – and, specifically, archery. The fact she chooses this story demonstrates her negligence as a mother. The archery foreshadows Kevin’s modus operandi for the high school massacre. Is this the first time the seed of death is sown? If so, it directly relates to considerations of maternity, and the bond between the two of them – the seeds of death are sown in her role as mother Narrative – Oedipal trajectory ·       During a moment of tenderness between mother and child, Franklin, the father, enters the room. Having let down his defences, Kevin feels intimacy with his mother. Their physical proximity foreshadows the sexual awakening Kevin will feel – or perhaps already subconsciously feels – for his mother. Franklin disrupts this, and Kevin tells him, “Go away. I’m tired.” Kevin therefore feels threatened by the father figure, who has lawful sexual access to the mother. The site of the confrontation is significant. Mother and child are seated on Kevin’s bed, which has connotations of sexual congress. Kevin considers this his territory, and is protecting it from his father – and, in doing so, protecting his mother. He has assumed the role of the alpha in the herd. Finally, the nature of the story itself – the firing of arrows – has connotations of ejaculation. Linking to the massacre, one might hypothesise that it’s a subconscious realisation of ejaculation – the ultimate form in which Kevin displays his subconscious desires for his mother. This is a realisation of Kevin’s id. Feminism Role of the female as mother and caregiver.          Mary Anne Doanne refers to the performed quality of femininity, like a masquerade: “Womanliness is a mask which can be worn or removed”. Generally speaking, Eva fulfills this. She pretends to be a mother, though beneath this she feels antipathy towards her son (Fish Tank might portray the opposite of this – Joanne displays antipathy towards Mia, though beneath this her maternal instincts are apparent. However, in this sequence, Eva seems to display genuine love for her son. Perhaps this is simply because she has achieved a victory over him. She has become the dominant figure in the power struggle between them.