Story Film Analysis – Tree Hugger
The film starts with the two main characters talking on a bed. You can already tell by the colour contrast, with the male wearing blue clothing, laying on a blue pillow and throwing a blue ball. The female within the film is also on the bed however, in laying on a red pillow. The female protagonist then intercepts the ball.
The camera is slowly zooming in on the two. Giving the audience that sense of some kind of link/romance going on.
When they both close their eyes on the bed they are then moved into this different area, where they’re both wearing bed robes. The main-focus of this scene is blue making me think that this is within the male’s head.
When the camera returns to them both on the bed the music then cuts down towards just the piano, this is when the female protagonist is talking about this other male in which she has an attraction to.
You can see the determination within her eyes however, his eyes are closed and quite upset when she says that.
The camera then cuts out to the high school. The walls and surrounding area are yellow which gives a sense of hopefulness and sunshine. The female protagonist then walks down the corridor. She closes her eyes again which takes her back to his dream in which the male and female protagonist were having. However, she is along and there is now a lit path showing her the way.
Which then turns into a red path. The music then changes to become very dark and sinister. They is also these contrasting colours of blue and red. The camera then cuts back to the female protagonist approaching Leo. The reason that he called Leo because you can see he makes tries to make himself look the most impressive as well as being the centre of attention.
Leo is also wearing black and red. Which are the colours of darkness, gloomy, seduction and betrayal. Which then leads to the main female protagonist being betrayed and shut down. This makes her look paler and bluer. Simulations of cold and upsetting.
The camera then cuts to the two friends outside the barn where Clara is meeting Leo. The colours are darker due to the change in timing. However, loads of blues are used. This could be foreshadowing what is going to happen between Clara and Leo. Furthermore, at the start of the scene Clara is in the light. When Cody approaches, we’re firstly not shown his face to add suspense.
When Leo arrives, we again don’t see his face until Clara has taken his hand. Furthermore, when Leo arrives he looms a shadow over her foreshadowing what will happen to her. When she looks back at Cody he is in the light while she is pulled into the darkness by Leo.
When Leo brings Clara to the room. There is still a slim bit of light coming from a small square window. When Clara sits down the lights cuts across her making the audience see how innocent she is.
When the camera cuts to a over the shoulder shot of Clara just emphasis how innocent she is. This shot also keeps Leo faceless which causes suspicion. When the camera then cuts to Leo we can see that the light is half over his face, showing us that he is very two faced.
The camera then cuts back to Cody, outside. He goes to hug a tree which takes him back to this dream. This is dark however, has blue which represent calmness and smoothness. This is Cody’s happy place.
This then cuts back to Clara being kissed by Leo. Leo when he kisses her pushes her into the shadow adding that suspicion. When Clara goes into Leo and says ‘I cannot believe my first kiss’ this leaves her with a shadow across her face like Leo. This shows that she is being tainted or fading. When the camera zooms in on Clara’s face, Leo remains face-less and the sound of clock chiming, this is a representation of Clara heart-beat which is chiming very fast.
When Leo says, ‘You should lay down’. This pushes Clara out of the light and into her dream world. However, her dream is different to Cody’s because Clara’s is red and darker due to her being tainted by Leo. In her dream she lays down just like Leo asks her to do. This is when Leo is then represented by tree roots. Pushing her downwards so she can be assaulted. The camera goes up and down the points in which she is being clamped to emphasise that she is trapped. Furthermore, she keeps repeating to herself ‘I like you’. Which is going back to the beginning of the film.
The camera then cuts back to Leo’s hand going up Clara’s leg. You can tell that she in uncomfortable due to the goose bumps on her leg. Furthermore, there is not minimal light but then is soon just over-throne by Leo. The camera then goes up towards Clara begging Leo to stop. The only light that is left now is the ‘tainted’ light in which Leo had lit before.
The camera then cuts backwards Cody whose lights in the background change from blue which throughout the film has been used for calmness and natural colour, to a yellow. When the colour changes Cody’s face changes as if he knows that Clara is in trouble.
Cody goes to try and stop Leo but by the time he gets there Leo is still left in the darkness but Clara is returned to light.
Stephen Marsden Media 