A Structural Analysis of the Film Waltz Duet - Paper Example

Structuralism is an approach that seeks to understand the human culture in relation to the structural systems they operate in. Structuralists believe that language is a method organized by rules and patterns that do not change. Structuralism has also been adopted by filmmakers to convey meaning to the audience. Structuralism in films uses codes to convey meaning as language is used to convey meaning. Structuralists are of the thought that everything in life has to follow certain pre-constructed rules. In films, these rules apply to characters, props and the setting of the film.

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The Waltz Duet Film is a short animation about two sisters in a world of music. The film starts with a young girl seated in front of a grand piano, the shot that follows brings her face closer and the eyes are filled with sadness, but as she closes her eyes and touches the keyboard a heartwarming music escapes the keys. The camera shifts to the right-hand sides and reveals a second girl seated next to the first one. They look deep into each others eyes and we can tell they are communicating from the looks they exchange. It is a look of deeper understanding. The first shot of sadness explains their life in the house away from other people in the world. It seems like they have been shunned because they are conjoined twins and live alone in sadness but find refuge in the music they make.

The music itself when played conveys a melancholic mood depicting the sadness that surrounds the house and the story of the lives of the girls. On the other hand, outside the house, there is a man passing and he is drawn to listen to the music, his facial expression shows that the music touches on his emotions and he with curiosity walks to the window with curiosity to see who is playing the music. His reaction after seeing the girls is that of shock and disbelief. What he sees is not what he expects. His facial expression conveys a different kind of a shock to the audience. It is not the shock of finding out about the person who is playing the music. This man is shocked by the fact that the as, to begin with, two females are playing the piano, and they are also conjoined twins. His presence alerts the girls and they walk to the window and draw the curtains, shutting themselves out from the prying eyes of the young man. They walk to the mirror, one girl holding her face in her palm, while another one the other is holding her back. This gesture and the circumstances show that the girl s, who are conjoined twins is ashamed and feels bad when the young man sees them. The gesture also explains that the girls are shut out from the society, they are not accepted and this results in a feeling of shame and sadness once people react in shock when they see them.

The Waltz Duet Film has an interesting setting too. It starts with the scene of a snow- filled morning and a house that appears deserted and cold from the outside. The setting depicts a culture that is cool and calm. The young man as he walks is carrying a violin while the ladies are playing the piano. They use music to communicate to each other. The use of music and musical instruments show that the people from this age valued music and it was part of the culture that identified them.

The Waltz Duet Film has also employed the use of an enigma code. An enigma code is an aspect of mystery that is used to attract the audience. The purpose of enigma codes in films is to make the audience develop the urge to watch what happens next.

In this film, the enigma code has been used several times. First, when the film starts, it only shows one girl sitting at the piano, as the camera rolls further the face of the second girl appears, and they look into each others eyes signaling the start of something. The audience at this juncture wants to continue watching the film to know who is playing the piano. Second, the enigma appears again when the young man peeps at the window and sees the two conjoined twins. The moment is described with shock and uncertainty of the individuals next action after the incidence. Audiences after watching the film the viewers will want to know what will the girls will do after being seen and what, what about the young man what does he do next. Third, when the girls play the piano for the second time the young man joins in the music with the sound of his violin. The girls open the curtains and open the doors to go out. It is a scene full of suspense as the audience waits to see what will happens once the girls are out of the door.

The film has also used equilibrium in the film. Equilibrium is defined as the balance and harmony that exists at the beginning of every story. The Waltz Duet starts with a somber mood with piano music complementing the mood of the story. However, as the animation continues to develop a moment of disequilibrium crops up. A disequilibrium moment is characterized by the disruption of a flow by something bad. The flow in the Waltz Duet was that of music, suddenly a man peeps at the window and disrupts this musical moment. The facial expression on the girl's faces and including the one on the mans face shows that it was a bad thing. The girls show that they are not supposed to be seen by anybody, and this young man has just seen them. They hold faces full of sadness, disappointment and embarrassment. However, the young man joins the girls in music portraying that they need not be afraid of him and should stop feeling embarrassed about their image.

Structuralism in films is always portrayed with the presence of binary opposites in films. Binary opposites create conflicts that aid in the development of the story. This dictates that the story needs to end when the binary opposites reach to a solution of their conflict. The binary opposites also create tension that is required to make films exciting and worth watching. The girls are a total opposite of the young man in the film. Once the man sees them, he does not identify with them in terms of image. They repel each other and there is tension between the two parties. However, this tension is resolved through use of music to breach the gap that was created when he first saw them. As the movie starts, it is dark in the house with curtains hanging all over the windows. Nevertheless, after the young man plays his violin music, the girls draw the curtains letting in light. The end of the scene becomes so bright, full of life and a charming music from the piano and the violin fill the air.

In conclusion, as Ferdinand De Saussere states, that we understand culture as a system of signs. Structuralists always use these structures to form certain, meanings of the world around us. Waltz Duet has successfully used the structuralist school of thought to explain that the conjoined twins were shunned by other people. To feel good about themselves they resorted to playing the piano and with each stroke of the keys felt the loving world around them. The Supamonks Studios produced a good film that uses structuralist theories to explain the meaning to the audience. The music was chosen selectively to complement the codes of the language used in the animation. It delivers best where words may fail to deliver.