Presentational Devices in Shrek

Presentational Devices in Shrek

In this essay I am going to show the different techniques the director

uses and analyse the characters of Shrek and Lord Farquaad to show how

the makers of the film reverse tradition and create an original and

amusing fairytale.

The film opens with peaceful, traditional romantic non-diegetic music

playing and the voice of Shrek as a narrator as he reads part of a

fairytale book. By using this music and Shrek as a narrator, the

director manages to lead the viewers to believe it is going to be a

traditional fairytale and so the director manages to create a false

mood. Then, in an instant, the audience’s thoughts are changed as a

large chubby green hand rips a page out of the book as the narrative

voice of Shrek says, ‘As if that’s ever gonna happen!’. The scene

changes, but is in the same location, and shows a small hut which is a

toilet. You hear the chain flush and for the first time in the film,

as a long shot, you see Shrek open the door and come out. The

brilliance of this opening is how well it manages to mislead the

audience.

When you see Shrek for the first time it is hard to know what kind of

personality he has. After the misleading beginning anything is

possible. Shrek neither looks kind nor evil.

Once Shrek is out of the toilet lively music is played whilst Shrek

gets washed, cleans himself and has breakfast like a human but in a

different way. For example, he showers himself with mud. The way Shrek

does what humans do suggests he isn’t the typical savage ogre from

fairytales.

Shrek is then shown painting something on to a large piece of bark

from a tree which is placed on...

... middle of paper ...

... be king. This is shown

when he laughs at Shrek because he is in love with Fiona and also when

he sees Fiona as an ogre he arrests her. He then frantically proclaims

himself king.

After analysing the characters of Shrek and Lord Farquaad I have

concluded that although Shrek looks like the traditional,

bloodthirsty, man-eating ogre, Shrek has feelings, friends and does

not like violence. Opposite to Shrek, Lord Farquaad initially looks

like the traditional fairytale prince but he is really a short,

overambitious, cruel man. This is shown particularly when he tortures

the Ginger Bread Man.

The film ‘Shrek’ uses presentational devices to depict Shrek as good

but Lord Farquaad as bad. The presentational devices are used to

reverse the tradition of typical fairytales. A good example of this is

the opening scene.