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Get Out Film Analysis

Decent Essays

Get Out: A Narrative Analysis

Get Out (2017) is a Hollywood film in the Horror genre (Jarvis 2018, p. 98; Lally 2017, p. 60; McDonagh 2017) set in the United States of America in the present day (Henry 2017, p. 334). The film was written, produced, and directed by Jordan Peele (Jarvis 2018, p. 102) and it is his first feature film (Lally 2017, p. 60), which won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 2018). Jarvis (2018, pp. 102-103) contents that the film's narrative encapsulates the film's title by utilising ‘...subtext and paranoia…’; while Henry (2017, p. 333) asserts that the film effectively depicts ‘...the racial tensions, anxieties, and animus that has long beset the United States…’. …show more content…

1713), providing ‘...an emotional ride and some intellectual exercise…’ (Cutting 2016, p. 1736). It has three parts: a ‘...state of equilibrium…’ in Act I, ‘...a state of conflict…’ in Act II and ‘...a resolution…’ in Act III, (Stadler & McWilliam 2009, p. 157). Within this three-act structure, each act has two parts (Thompson, cited in Cutting 2016, p. 1716). Act I contains a prologue and then a setup, Act II complications and developments and Act III a climax and an epilogue (Thompson, cited in Cutting 2016, p. 1716). Get Out (2017) follows this structure. Its prologue is Jeremy kidnapping Andre. It then setups Chris and Rose as characters, their relationship, and that they are visiting Rose’s parents. The visit is complicated by the growing unease Chris feels amongst the Armitages, their employees and their guests. The development is when the audience learns Chris is being auctioned. The film reaches its climax as Chris makes his escape. The film's epilogue is Chris and Rod driving away from a dying …show more content…

18) asserts Get Out (2017) was conceived as a film that can be viewed multiple times with the first viewing providing a ‘...series of revelations or twists’. Narrative twists cause the audience to be disoriented and then reorientate (Kendrick 2010, p. 9). Twists provide the audience with the experience of a revelation, which prompts a revaluation of the film (Cossar, cited in Cameron 2017, p. 158), which reveals the film's true story (Neupert, cited in Cameron 2017, p. 156); although, a false story has already been constructed (Cameron 2017, p. 156). Despite twits, an ‘intact story’ and closure is still present, which are features of classical Hollywood narration (Cameron 2017, p. 156). Get Out (2017) initially creates the false story of race causing awkward situations before revealing its true story to be about Chris being sold by the Armitages. Anker (2014, p. 796) contends that horror follows the revelation of the horrific and Cameron (2017, pp. 155-156) contends all fiction films build suspense by concealing key narrative points. This is true of Get Out (2017), as the true intentions of the Armitages are central to the film's horror but are not revealed until later in the

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