Banana in a Nutshell

Study Notes

WRITER and FILM DIRECTOR: Roseanne Liang

DVD copies of the film can be purchased: www.banana-film.com.

NCEA LEVEL	DURATION
1

ACHIEVEMENT STANDARD BEING ASSESSED	ACHIEVEMENT CRITERIA
AS90056 (English 1.5) View/listen to, study and show understanding of a visual or oral text.	Show understanding of specific aspect(s) of one oral or visual text using supporting evidence.

Before you Begin

Features of a Film:

Just as we study a novel, short story or poem and look at individual features such as language, setting, character, we separate aspects of the film in order to appreciate more clearly how it has been put together.

The main features we look at include:

1. Character/Subject: What they look like, how they speak, what they do, what happens to them, how they drive the story forward.
2. Setting: Time and place (such as 1950s or in the future), day or night, country, area. All these communicate specific ideas which have an impact on the atmosphere and therefore the events of the story.
3. Plot: Filmmakers carefully select the information, and the order in which the audience will see the story. This order determines our response/attitude to the characters and therefore the theme of the story.
4. Production Techniques: These are lighting, props, sound (including music), special effects, costume, the use of colour, camera angles for example. Filmmakers carefully arrange the above to emphasise an idea or to create (or add to) a particular atmosphere.
5. Dialogue: Sometimes a narrator is used to communicate or comment on the action; what characters say (or don't say) is important - every word counts.
6. The Title: This will be linked to the story or the message. Can sometimes be a pun or another type of word play but usually they have extra (sometimes hidden) meanings.
7. Theme: Most films have a number of ideas they explore. Often this is connected to something a character learns and therefore what we learn.

First Viewing of the Film

After watching the film, answer the questions below:

1. In which category (genre) of film should 'Banana in a Nutshell' be placed? Give reasons for your answer.
2. What is the film mainly about? Write a brief summary of the story.
3. What was your reaction to watching the film?
4. Record your impressions of Roseanne, Stephen, Roseanne's sisters Rhea and Renee, and their Chinese parents.

Second Viewing of the Film

Character/Subject:

As both the main character and filmmaker of 'Banana in a Nutshell', Roseanne's story is very much told from her perspective. Our opinions of things that happen are shaped by the way she has presented her own character. The following questions ask you to consider the way the characters in this film are presented to us - Roseanne's point of view as the filmmaker should be taken into consideration.

1. Describe Roseanne's home life. Include the positives and negatives.
2. Describe Roseanne's relationship with Stephen. What obstacles do they encounter and how are they resolved?
3. Describe Stephen's character. How does his character contrast with Roseanne's character?
4. What part do Roseanne's sisters, Rhea and Renee, play in the film?
5. Describe Roseanne's relationship with her parents. Include the positives and negatives.
6. How does Roseanne feel about her parents at the beginning of the film, and how has this changed by the end of the film?
7. What has caused these changes?

Character focus: Roseanne

1. Briefly describe Roseanne.
2. What does she want from life?
3. What hinders her?
4. What does she learn: about her family, about her boyfriend, about herself?
5. Describe Roseanne's relationship with
   1. Stephen, and
   2. her parents.
   For each, include comments on what difficulties she has with these people and how she resolves these difficulties over the course of the film.

Setting:

There are two main cultures identified in this film: the New Zealand (Kiwi) culture and the Chinese culture.

1. List what is seen as the good aspects and negative aspects of each of the above cultures as discussed in the film.
2. What is Roseanne trying to tell us about each of these cultures, and their co-existence?
3. What does the phrase 'Banana in a Nutshell' mean in cultural terms and why might it be considered a metaphor for the lives of Roseanne and Stephen?

Theme:

There are a number of recognisable themes in this film and they all stem from the main idea of cross-cultural navigation. Associated with this is the idea of familial love versus romantic love. The main themes we will study for this film are:

1. Cross-Cultural Navigation (refer back to your notes on setting)
2. Familial Love versus Romantic Love
3. The Generation Gap
4. Parent/child relationships

For each of the words in bold above:

• write down your personal definition of each word;
• write down the dictionary definitions of the words.

Using the same list above:

• list examples from the film which show these main ideas;
• explain what the filmmaker is saying about these ideas.

Sometimes a leit motif (a repeated image or idea) is used in texts to enhance our understanding of the main theme. In Banana in a Nutshell, the leit motif is the idea of duty.

1. Which characters feel a sense of duty? To whom or what ideals do they feel this sense of duty?
2. What things do they do because of their sense of duty? Without this idea of duty, would they have done the things they did? Why, or why not?
3. How does the idea of duty fit into contemporary New Zealand society, especially a growing multi-cultural society?

Important Quotes:

For each of the following quotations:

• Who said it? Who is it said to?
• Explain what is happening at that point in the film.
• Why is this quote important? Think about such things as character, theme, plot development.
• What is your personal response to the comment?

1. I hope to get you to give your blessing for our marriage. Please speak to me in English, because my Chinese is still very poor.
2. I see grown New Zealanders hugging and kissing their mums and dads- something I would never do, something I don't really remember doing.
3. The generation gap has grown so wide that we've given up shouting across the chasm.
4. You know, no matter how old you are, you will always be my child.
5. The Chinese way is not to say, "I love you". If everything we do shows you that we love you, then we do not need to say "I love you".
6. To me, the most romantic meal between couples is not the candle-lit dinner, but a leisurely breakfast.
7. I just can't flip a button and go, oh yeah sorry I'm only looking at Chinese boys now, sorry, yeah.
8. The Confucian way is that fathers do not defer to their daughters, ever.
9. I don't feel unlucky for having to do this, it's not like I'm having to saw off my left hand or anything..
10. We've been together longer than a lot of marriages have lasted and I want my parents who mean a lot to me to recognize how important he is.
11. Maybe it's just the Chinese way, maybe I should just accept that. Maybe you're talking from a Western point of view, I mean, I don't know.
12. In terms of basic humanity, I mean, it's your mother and father - they're always going to be your mother and father.
13. My mum really is a nice person. I mean you represent the loss of her daughter but I don't think it should be that way.
14. There's a long way for me to go, and a lot for me to do before I realise where I stand, culturally.. emotionally
15. Life can be hard, but you never know when it might cut you some slack.

Close Viewing of the Film

1. Close Reading of the Opening Sequence (Stephen's speech up to and including the title sequence with Roseanne in the giant nutshell):

   1. Draw a table into your workbook. As you view the opening sequence, record what you observe, what sounds and/or music you hear, what is said (in voice over and dialogue), what visual effects you notice (foe example colour, costume, shots, camera angles).
   2. From your close reading of this opening sequence, list all the clues the film maker has given us about the characters, plot, setting, and theme of this film. What information can we learn or guess about:
      • The characters?
      • The storyline?
      • The setting?

2. Look closely at the scene where Roseanne talks in front of a white background.

   • Repeat the exercise for 1a) above.
   • How is this an unusual or unconventional scene? How does it make you feel as a viewer, and why do you think the filmmaker created the scene in this way?
   • Explain, using examples and explanations, why this is an important scene

3. Look closely at the scenes where Stephen makes the phone call to Dr. Liang.

   • Repeat the exercise for 1a) above.
   • Briefly describe what happens.
   • Explain, using examples and explanations, why this is an important scene.
   • What modern techniques of showing 'reality' does the filmmaker employ? Think about television.

4. Look closely at the scene where Stephen comes back from the meeting with Dr. Liang, and sits with Roseanne in her car.

   • Repeat the exercise for 1a) above.
   • Briefly describe what happens.
   • Explain, using examples and explanations, why this is an important scene.
   • What modern techniques of showing 'reality' does the filmmaker employ? Again, think about television.

Response to the Film

Writing good literature essays:

Whatever level you are writing essays for, all markers want the same thing from you:

• evidence that you understand what you have read and,
• evidence that you can express your understanding in a logical, convincing, coherent manner.

For that to happen, you need to:

• read and understand the text;
• you must understand what is being asked of you;
• you must ensure you respond directly, with detail and that you fulfill the demands of the task;
• finally, what you write must make sense, be logical and, if possible, enlightening.

Below is a simple format for writing literature essays. It isn't the only way to write good essays but it is a sound way:

• Step One: Think about your response to the question. Jot down possible answers - reasons, examples, ideas.
• Step Two: Draft out your introduction. In two or three sentences, explain the main thrust of your essay with direct reference to the essay topic, and how you are going to go about explaining and supporting your ideas.
• Step Three: Paragraph one: Take one of the main points from your argument and write it down. Call this the statement.
• Step Four: Find an example from the text to support this statement.
• Step Five: Find a specific quote, or quotes from the text which adds to this example.
• Step Six: Finally, explain how this example and this quotation support or justify the statement you have made and how it links to the topic.
• Step Seven: Steps three though six form the structure of one paragraph. Repeat the process for each new point you make.
• Step Eight: Finally, again summarise in one or two sentences the main thrust of your essay. Summarise how you have explained and supported your ideas. Do not repeat phrases but do not introduce new ideas. Your conclusion should leave your reader/marker with something to think about.

Essay Preparation:

• From your notes, write down two main themes.

• Find at least two examples each which give evidence for these themes.

• Find at least one quotation to support each example and explain how that quotation relates to the example.
  

• From your notes, write down five main points relating to two characters from the film.

• Give examples which support each point.

• Find quotations to support each example and explain how that quotation relates to the example.
  

And so on.
This preparation encourages you to think carefully about the supporting detail you need to use to justify the statements you make as well as explaining how each example and quotation adds weight to your argument. It also means you attack almost any essay topic with confidence that you have the information to back up your arguments.

Essay Topics:

1. Describe an important idea dealt with in the text. Why is this idea important?
2. Describe the setting of the text and explain why this is important.
3. Describe an important character in the text and say why he/she is important.
4. Describe the beginning and/or ending of the text. Explain why you could describe it as memorable.
5. Choose several of the production features that work well in the text and show how they are important. You could choose from the following: music, dialogue, lighting, graphics, colour, props, special effects, costume, sound track, camera work.

Static Images:

A static image is an image that does not move. When you create a static image you need to consider these questions:

• why do you want to make this static image (purpose)?
• what do you want to say (message)?
• who do you want to say it to (audience)?
• how will you get it across (techniques)?

The last question is divided into two sections:
The visual techniques, for example:

• colour
• dominant image
• layout
• symbol
• contrast
• font or lettering
• logo

And language techniques, for example:

• alliteration
• rhyme
• pun
• cliché
• hyperbole
• simile
• listing
• imperatives
• jargon
• rhetorical question
• metaphor
• slogan

A static image is successful if it achieves its purpose.

TASK ONE:

Look at the video cover (back and front) of the film.

1. What is its purpose?
2. What is the message?
3. Who is the image aimed at? (Who is the intended audience?)
4. What visual techniques are used to get the viewer's attention?
5. How effective is the cover? Give reasons for your answer.

TASK TWO:

Design your own front cover for the video or a poster advertising the film and explain your answers to 1 to 4 above. Ensure you give detailed reasons for your choice of visual and verbal techniques.