Media Mock Exam Revision

Task 4- Violent Scene from a gangster film

Scarface (1983)



What is the effect of the scene on the audience?

In this scene from Scarface (1983) injects ideologies into the audience that violence is acceptable. The medium shot of the protagonist, Tony Montana with the machine gun connotes power and invincibility, as the protagonist feels in power whilst holding the gun. The adult audience could have oppositional readings towards the text, as it condones violence and features content which could result in younger audience copying the violence with tragic consequences. The diegitic sound of the gunfire and the tracking shot of the protagonist allows the audience to identify with Montana, as he is about to face his enemy and be killed. The contrapuntal sound of the Cuban music connotes tension, as the Montana is surrounded by the enemy and may not escape out of his mansion alive.

The constant parallel sound of gunfire and destruction may result in the audience becoming desensitised to the violence, as they may not realise the consequences in real life and may have a lack of morals. Yet it can be argued that the audience could watch the film in order to be educated on the consequences of drugs and power and may watch the scene in order to fit into a crowd. By watching this scene, the audience are able to identify with Montana's last moments in the film and gain gratifications through the reckless violence and destruction. In order ways, the audience may watch the scene in order to divert from real life, as the audience's expectations are fulfilled, as the violence in the film allows them to realise that being involved in crime is not as beneficial as it is constructed in the film itself. Though, the audience may also gain rounded views of the crime circuit by watching the film and this scene, as the gangsters are wealthy, violent and are represented as being all powerful. To younger audiences, the crime underworld may seem profitable and rich, but is mostly shallow and results in death, as signified with this scene.