In Shrek there are familiar television programs and film ideas are used throughout the film to bring it upbeat and original. Television programs such as Blind Date are included into the story; the mirror on the wall shows the lord 3 princesses and he can choose any of them to marry. A stereotypical host voice is used top introduce the princesses that were in a way distressed. Shrek’s fight with the guards is like WWF wrestling match and the Matrix’s fight scene was used fighting the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest. The castle in which Princess Fiona is trapped in looks like the Disney Castle.
Lighting is used to show characters in a particular way. When Fiona leaves Shrek it is dark and this gives us a romantic feeling and the moon suggests romance. Bright lights are used carefully so that they give the impression of how the characters are feeling. If it’s happy they show bright, cheerful colors and if it’s sad then they have dull, gloomy colors. Shrek and Princess Fiona are often pictured walking through meadows where the birds are singing, this also shows the romance between Shrek and the Princess.
Music and sound effects help us understand what the characters are like, for example when we first see Lord Farquaad the music is sinister (evil) or when Shrek enters the arena, there is organ music to suggest the importance of the tournament and of Lord Farquaad. Sad music is used when Shrek misinterprets the conversation between Fiona and Donkey and he thinks she doesn’t like him the way he likes her, and she thinks he’s just an ugly, green ogre, also when Shrek goes home sad music is played to interpret broken hearts, even Donkey and the dragon are crying.
The film makers use music and sound effects to help get across how the characters are feeling e. g. sad feelings they use slow, lonesome music and happy feelings they use fast, exciting music. Donkey is one of the most important characters because through him we understand what Shrek is really. He identifies his true feelings and without him we would not know what is on Shrek’s mind. Donkey is talkative and lively; it is obvious to the viewer that he is to be a main character throughout the rest of the film. He wins over the audience strait away as he stands up to Shrek’s unwelcoming attitude, and insists on staying with him.
Shrek’s relationship with the Donkey in the middle is more like a one day relationship but towards the end it is a friendly relationship. Although Shrek seems like a traditional ogre by the end of the film the viewers see him as a normal being that ends up having friends and a wife unlike normal ogres who end up getting killed. Although Lord Farquaad seems like a lord his actions, language and appearance suggests that he is the ogre or the villain of the story and that he is going to die with no happy future at all.
He teases the ginger bread man, ‘Run, run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man. ‘ and the ginger bread man also end up saying to him, ‘You’re a monster! ‘ which we get to know ourselves as the movie continues on. His appearance is quite different to what a lord is supposed to look like. Instead of being tall and charming he is extremely short and unattractive in a way. The story Shrek uses presentational devices o reverse the tradition so that by the end of the film we see the ogre as good the lord as evil and the princess as strong and independent.
The moral of this movie or the message that Shrek is sending out is that no matter how ugly or hideous you look on the outside it’s the inside that counts. In conclusion, the film brought to light that the rules of tradition are not always to be followed. Ogres will no longer be the expected ‘bad-guy’ and people will think twice about Princes with bad attitudes. This twist of fairytale will always be a unique and memorable production due to its clever humor and selection of illusory camera shots and cleverly presented ideas.
