Secondhand Lions Film Techniques

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In the film, ‘Secondhand Lions,’ the director has used various film techniques to demonstrate how Walter comes to trust others. ‘Secondhand Lions’ is the story of a cynical young boy named Walter, who is abandoned by his neglectful mother to live with her two grouchy Uncles: Hub and Garth. Throughout the film, the director has carefully manipulated a range of techniques to reveal to the audience pivotal changes that show Walter has become trusting - from the use of dialogue, camera angles through to scene composition. At the beginning of the movie, film techniques illustrate that Walter is untrusting; however, as the film progresses, Walter learns to trust others. Therefore, the director has exploited a variety of film techniques to show that Walter progressively develops trust towards others through exposure to the Uncles. …show more content…

Because of his relationship he has with his mother, Walter has discovered that people are not trustworthy. The first film technique used at the beginning of the film was a high angle establishing shot on the verandah, depicting Walter clinging to the porch bannister in fear. This shows that Walter was initially scared and untrusting in relation to how Walter saw the Uncles were characterised in the beginning of the film, positioning the audience to better understand that Walter was scared, small, alone and untrusting. Another film technique used towards the beginning of the film was dialogue whilst Walter was on the phone to the university. Walter's verbal exchange highlights his Mother’s lie and portrays a level of distrust with the university, which is implied through continual questioning. Therefore, film techniques have been used to show that Walter was untrusting to others in the beginning of the

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