Dear John Deconstruction

 

Dear John

A "Dear John letter" is a letter written to a husband or boyfriend by his spouse or significant other, telling them that  their relationship is over, usually because the author has found another love, so the audience will be expecting a breakup at some point.

 Typography

• There is not a space between the two words which could also symbolize John and Savannah’s love and togetherness
• The contrasting of colours in the title is symbolic to the differing backgrounds and characteristics of the main characters, Savannah, who seems to be clear to read from the very beginning (white) and John, who reveals clues about his past as the movie goes on so the audience may not have as much of an understanding about him until the end (peach/yellow)
• The simply font represent the characters, who are quite ordinary

How it conforms to the common conventions of Romance


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGGmTl1E7B8

In this section of the film, John is presented as heroic as well as strong (being a good swimmer). This is appropriate for its genre of romance as in many romance films, there is rivalry between two characters, the one who is seen to have the upper hand or an advantage is generally the one who ends up getting the girl.



Sound

When there is a sense of happiness as Savannah talks about falling in love with John in the voice-over  the non-diegetic sound is of soft wind and piano music. However, when we see John leaving, there is a sense of sadness and the string instrument is replaced with a flute-like sound. The panning shot also shows the change in time.

Throughout the film, there isn't any sounds of low pitched or heavy instruments (such as drums), which is appropriate for the genre as it helps the audience to be emotive towards the characters.

Also, the diegetic sounds of insects in the countryside highlight the peacefulness of the location. This is helpful in painting the romantic ambiance as the scenery and bare area go well with the high key lighting in order to create the light atmosphere.

This long shot shows the emptiness of the countryside which could be to emphasize that John and Savannah are in their own world and that when they are together, they are worry-free.

Mise en Scene (Spot the Difference)

Throughout the film, Savannah is repeatedly dressed in white, which could be to present her innocent as well as to make her likable to the audience. She also gets on well with children which further emphasizes this idea as well as her often having her hair tied back.

Innocence is a common theme in Romance films as the audience may find it harder to feel sympathetic towards a rebellious character.

 

John's dark clothing is also in juxtaposition to Savannah clothing. However it could be argued that when Savannah also wears the blue hoody, it is to represent their compatibility or their coming-together.

The camera focus changes to a close up shot of  John’s ring which puts emphasis on  his commitment as a soldier. It could also be argued that his relationship with Savannah couldn't last long as he was already committed to something else.

Juxaposition

The juxtaposition of their body language, as well as their over-the-shoulder shot emphasizes how close John and Savannah are. The opposite medium shot doesn't show the two engaging or having any interests in engaging with each other.

 

Artificial Vs. Natural Lighting

In the film when John visits Savannah again after she gets married to Tim, the set is Low-Key lighting however, at first, when they are having dinner, there are a several examples of artificial lighting (lamps).

After John confronts Savannah about her sudden marriage and they begin to reminisce about their lives as a couple, the sit near the window where the moons natural light is present.

The back lighting creates a silhouette however the audience is still well aware that it is Savannah. This is to emphasize their several encounters. 

The top lighting in this reaction shot could be to clearly show her reaction to Mr Reed’s death. Savannah’s wedding ring is included in this shot which also emphasizes how long its been since the two have seen each other as well as much things have changed since she last saw John.

There is also the common convention of romance films having a ‘happy ever after’ which can be inferred from the last scene. Unlike the beginning of the film, John is the one who is  wearing the lighter colored clothing whilst Savannah wears black which suggests that they both have changed. (which we know as John is no longer in the army and Savannah is no longer married to Tim). The shot also continues to have high key lighting as well as is being a mid shot, which is reoccurring throughout the film.

Pros of doing this genre of film:

•Loads of High-Key lighting-can be shot during the day.

•Non-diegetic sounds will be easier to make.

•Not as many sub-genres so its common conventions will be easier to add.

Cons of doing this genre:

•Hard to get the plot across without having any speech (which makes the opening scene look amateur/fake)

•Suitable location may be harder to find.