Coach Carter and Hoosiers
Question
Compare and contrast the two films (Coach Carter 2005 and Hoosiers 1986)
in terms of how the socio-political culture of the time influenced each film, technical elements (cinematography, lighting, editing, mise en scene, color usage, etc.), and content (theme, acting, myths perpetuated, etc.)
What I don't want: pages and pages of plot summary! What I DO want: analysis! What's different and why? What was/is each director trying to do? How is each film representative of the attitudes, political climate, available technology, etc. of the time period from which it arose? Stuff like that!
Also fill out film analysis form.. does not count towards paper words
Film (Date) _______________________________________
Collaborators
Screenwriter:
Director:
Cinematographer:
Actors
(Characters):
Plot Structure
Protagonist:
Antagonist:
Act I: The Setup
Who:
(Main characters and their relationships)
What:
(Dramatic Premise)
Where/When:
(Dramatic Situation/Circumstances)
Why:
(Theme)
How:
(Mood and tone)
PPI
(The Inciting Incident):
Act II: Confrontation
(Include the major events):
PPII
(The Climax):
Act III: Resolution
Genre
Type:
Stage
in Evolution:
Character types:
Locales:
Plot formula:
Iconography:
Theme:
Cinematography
Light (color, director,
intensity):
Perspective (distance, angle,
movement)
Focus: (soft, deep, shallow,
rack)
Sound
Music (score composer, type of
music):
Notable Sound Effects:
Visual Special Effects (notable):
Editing (anything notable):
Academy Awards and
Nominations:


Solution
Coach Carter and Hoosiers
Both Coach Carter and Hoosiers are two films under the
same theme but shot and produced and two completely different times. The two
films are similar in numerous ways since they both focus on the same subject, basketball
coaches who are so determined to attain success with their teams. Also, the two
leading characters in the films are criticized by their immediate people, for example,
Samuel L. Jackson acting as Ken Carter is criticized by his players and their
parents while Gene Hackman acting as
Norman Dale is criticized by the community but remains
dedicated to winning. However, the fact that the two films have been shot at two completely different times 2005 for
Coach Carter and 1986 for Hoosiers means that there are significant changes in
the movie. All the elements, though might have similarity, they will have
variations as a change in time brings
with it change in socio-political culture, technology and attitude.
How the socio-political culture of the time
influenced the film’s Mise
en Scene
There are similarities and differences between mise en
scene of the two films. In both films,
mise en scene has been used to depict the socio-political culture during the
time of their production. In Coach Carter, it has been used to describe the differences between age groups in
the society. Even though all the characters in the cast as per the film come
from the same neighborhood, it is clear
that they are completely different in things like clothes, talking, walking and
even thinking. In the movie, Carter wears
a suit. By wearing a suit, he is trying to signify that he is a higher class as
compared to the others. On the other hand, the others are wearing very baggy
jerseys and jeans (Potrac 45). This has been used to signify that the society
of the time distinguishes the elderly from the young by how they dress. There
is a possibility that Carter could have worn the same baggy jerseys and jeans
when he was their age. On the contract that he signs, he clearly points it out
that all the players will have to dress up in suits on a game day. By doing
this, he is trying to make the young players looking distinguished like him. On
the other hand, in Hoosier, the same notion of difference in clothes or rather
costumes has been depicted among the band members. In the film, the band
members clearly point out that they could
look modern by wearing chinos. However, it is
clearly noted that wearing chinos will be impossible for them as they do
not have access to such kind of clothes (Sutherland and Kathryn 84). Eventually,
they chose on jeans and t-shirts which implied simplicity. From this depiction,
it can be clearly seen that the
production industries and societies of the two times were different in time of capital. In Coach Carter, which was produced in 2005, wearing any clothes is
not hard and its personal choice while in Hoosiers, the choice relies on their financial capability.
How the socio-political culture of the time
influenced the film’s Editing
Both films have been
well edited. In both films, editing has
been used to effect the different scenes. However, there are several
differences between the two films. First, there are numerous editing techniques
used in Hoosier while there are few editing techniques used in Coach Carter
(Sutherland and Kathryn 84). This
portrays that the difference in time has brought up simplicity. Even though
technology advances, producers are beginning to be simple and only use essential editing techniques unlike the
producers of the past such as in Hoosier. In Coach Carter, the most common used
method is straight cuts while in Hoosier,
it has been edited using both straight cuts,
cross cut and dissolve cutting. Moreover, in many scenes in Coach Carter, very
straight and sharp cuts are used especially in the scene whereby Carter and
Cruz are conversing (Potrac 45). This has been employed to show realism while
when Dale is speaking to the team members, dissolve cutting is used which does not demonstrate any form of realism.
How the socio-political culture of the time
influenced the film’s Camera
Shots
Most of the camera shots in the two films are similar.
In Coach Carter, the director heavily relies on over
shoulder shot. He has lied on this shot mostly when Carter speaks to Cruz. The
use of this kind of shot has been used to give the sense of realism. The shot
gives the reader a feeling that they are together with the characters in the
situation and the cast. On the other hand, when Dale is speaking to the team
members, an over shoulder shot is used to show realism, making the audience
feel like they are part of the conversation. Even though there are many
similarities in camera shots between the two films, there are also differences that can be noted (Potrac 45). Each time during the basketball
game when a shot was made, the camera
shot taken in Coach Carter was an aerial shot.
On the other hand, in Hoosier, when a shot was about to be made, the camera was
tilted upwards to take the short. Moreover, when Hoosier’s starts, extreme long
shots are taken to show the location of the movies. On the other hand, long
shots but not extreme ones together with
aerial shots have been used to show the
location of Coach Carter. These differences indicate that when Hoosier was being shot, aerial shots could be taken, but they can now be taken as seen in Coach Carter. The
difference in the shots is an indication that there is an advancement in
technology in between the years. Now, planes are readily available in taking aerial shots,
but in the past, they were not available.
How
the socio-political culture of the time influenced the film’s theme
In coach Carter the theme of ‘rags to
riches’ is very evident. The social-political culture of the time affects the film in a great way. The film
portrays how the black people are viewed
in the society. Carter shows how he has struggled through all odds to become
successful. He emphasizes that the players in his team must make sure they pass
above average in their class work for
them to remain in the team. People from poor social class are seen as an issue to the society. In the film, it is
portrayed that teen pregnancies are
a major problem in more impoverished
communities. The black people also seem to be viewed in a bad manner in the society. Gangs and violence are associated with people from low social
class. The situation is no different in Hoosier film where the coach trains in
a school in remote Indiana where a teacher says the place does not even appear on most state maps. This shows that the social class in the region is very small and the state even fails to
recognize they exist. The film also portrays a man who happens to be a
drunkard. This makes it seem like people
from low social class are good for
nothing drunkards. The theme of poverty
in both films is portrayed due to the social-political culture of the time (Potrac 45).
How
the socio-political culture of the time influenced the film’s acting
The social-political culture in both
films affects how the films are acted. Dennis Hopper is acting like a
drunkard because the culture portrays people from low social class as so. The Hickory
team seems amazed when they go to the city and see a big stadium where they
will be playing. Their social class had not allowed them to be in the city
before and what they see surprises them (Sutherland
and Kathryn 84). The social class where the team comes from is
very low hence their acting is influenced
by what they are used to versus what they come to see in the city. In Carter film, the blacks are subjected to acting as bad people in the society. They are the
people who make up the gangs in the streets. The culture views the blacks as
bad people. The black kids seem to struggle from the factors surrounding them to survive. The culture appears to keep reminding the black kids
that they are lesser in social status compared to other people.
How the
socio-political culture of the time influenced the film’s perpetuated myths
The perpetuated themes on the people from low
social class are enhanced in the Hoosier
and Carter movies. The myth that blacks are of the less social class is well shown
in Carter film through their clothing,
language and behavior of the boys in the film.
The whites seem to enjoy class privilege where we even see one of the black
players being compared to a white
basketball player. It is also very evident that the black are discriminated and the myth of blacks not
having brains is obvious where there is a
stereotype that black children cannot
have both brain and brawn as their white counterpart (Sutherland
and Kathryn 84). Also,
the myth that blacks are associated with
drug-dealing is well shown when Tim Cruz gets into the gang and drug-dealing
after quitting playing. In Hoosiers’ film, the myth that the low social class people get the rejects of the
society is evident where Coach Norman Dale
is seen to have the last chance in life as he cannot be employed anywhere else.
Lighting
There is an advanced
use of light in Coach Carter than in
Hoosier. For example, in Hoosier, the director has only used high key lighting
in the basketball games and other scenes. This
has only been used to show the basketball players and their spectators in the
basketball court. On the other hand, various kinds of lighting have been used
to add effect to a scene. The first shot whereby Coach Carter is depicted
walking into the gym area, a medium shot that employs backlighting has been
used to establish a silhouette of the Coach. This
portrays an advancement in technology and also depicting a jovial attitude (Potrac 45).
Sound
There is the use
of sound in both films. However, the sound has been
minimally used in both films, but
instead, music has been used. In the film, Coach Carter sound has not been used so
much, but instead, music has been used to the evocative music. When the coach
is going through the record with his name on it, sound is there. On the other
hand, it is removed when he is talking to provide the film with to effect his
voice and show that he is talking something meaningful (Sutherland and Kathryn
84). On the other hand, in the film
Hoosiers, music has been used instead of sound to emphasize more on the theme
of the movie. Through the music, they manage to show that the modern depicted things in the film might have
been shot at a time earlier than the moment during the production.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the two films are both good and have
two good stories under similar themes. The analysis has clearly shown that the
difference in time has made the two movies have different film techniques
incorporated in them. Throughout the movies,
the socio-political culture of e
different times influenced their production and even the story. Also, the
advancement in technology has also brought up changes that are evident in the two films. Summing, the two films under
a basketball orientation has been well set and produced. Through these films,
learners can effectively learn the differences between the different technical
elements in film and how they have advanced with time bringing in more change
in filming techniques.
Works
Cited
Potrac, Paul, Wade Gilbert, and Jim Denison. Routledge
Handbook of Sports Coaching. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Sutherland, Jean-Anne, and Kathryn Feltey. Cinematic
Sociology: Social Life in Film. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications,
2013. Print.



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