A Review of the Film Take the Lead Paper Example

In the first few minutes of a movie, a director has many tasks to accomplish. Watch the five minutes of your feature film. Then answer these questions:

How does the beginning of this film capture the audience's interest?

The director captures the audience attention by introducing action in the ordinary act of dressing up. For instance, at 0:40 - 0:58, the film introduces Pierre Dulaine (Antonio Banderas) dancing his way to the dressing table. The director, thus, prepares the audience to expect an all-action, charming performance from Antonio Banderas. The director also ensures the camera focus on the action sections rather than the static parts in the early dancing scenes of the film.

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What characters are introduced? What do you learn about them?

Right from the onset, the film introduces Pierre Dulaine, LaRhette (Yaya DaCosta), Ramos (Dante Basco), Rock (Rob Brown), Augustine James (Alfre Woodard), Caitlin (Lauren Collins), Sasha (Jenna Dewan), and Kurd (Jonathan Malen). From these introductory scenes, we learn that Dulaine is charismatic, dresses impeccably, and is a ballroom dancer and dancing instructor. As for LaRhette, we get to see her as a responsible young lady for she makes sure she feeds the younger child of the two children she is looking after despite appearing to be in a hurry. We later learn those children are her siblings and that she takes care of them when the mother is out working. Ramos comes out as a party person since we meet him among of a group of young people, who are showing off their street dancing moves in what appears to be an underground club. On his part, we learn that Rock lives with his parent and his father is an alcoholic. Augustine James comes out as strict as we first see her ordering her assistant while relentlessly walking. Caitlin comes out as nervous since she stumbles during the student exhibition dance. The film does not offer significant details about the other at this point.

What conflict or conflicts are introduced in the first five minutes?

The film introduces a conflict between the calm, serene, classy, and disciplined world of ballroom dancing amidst the chaotic, an uncoordinated world of rap, club, or street dancing presented. The soundtracks of the film are jazz and rap, which interchange invariably, thus, emphasizing the conflict between calmness and chaos.

Describe the setting of the film. (Think about time and place.) How do you learn about the setting?

The setting of the film New York and the opening events take place in the evening. The context of the movie is apparent because of the Empire Building scene at 00:29. The audience can tell it is in the evening because the characters we meet are dressing up to go out as well as the fact that some cars in the street have their headlights on.

What mood or atmosphere is created in the first five minutes? How is this mood established?

The atmosphere of the film is tense. The scene with Banderas dancing as he dresses introduces a cheerful, and a breezy mood. However, the part where LaRhette is feeding her sibling presents a stressful scenario. Likewise, the section where Rock is preparing himself in the bathroom and his father stumbles in vomiting presents a sense of concern and irritation. These different moods give the opening scenes of the film a degree of emotional tension. The film leaves the audience wondering whether it will turn out to be a cheerful or a miserable story.

To maintain the audience's interest, the director must develop suspense or tension throughout the film. Explain how the director keeps the audience curious and interested in the rising action of the film.

The quick succession in which the director switches from the ballroom dancing to the club dancing scenes and vice versa leaves the audience hooked to the film with the hope of finding out how the film will reconcile these two extreme worlds.