Amongst the many film articles that 'Sight and Sound' magazine includes, I chose to analyse 'White Material' as it is a perfect representation as to the type of film the international film magazine reviews, giving a synopsis and critical response.
When first viewing the two page spread, it is the proportion of text which stands out against the other features, covering about 65% of the space. The article by Claire Denis talks about both the pros and cons of the film. Although complementing the physical and abstract melodrama, commenting of the master of rhythm within as well as the fusions of image and sound, she also makes the point that the obscure pieces of the plot make more sense 2nd and 3rd time round of being watched, possibly because the images create the narrative rather than vice versa. The perfect balance of critical and complementary points make the article an enjoyable read, appealing to a more older, middle class reader who appreciates the long wordy review. To promote the film in order to successfully achieve having a wider span on viewers, there are constant references to similarities between this and big budget movies. The mention of well known actor Johnny Depp further shows the standard of 'White Material'.
Other text on the two page spread which is deliberately made to stand out against the other text is of the bold slightly larger font. One- 'The symbolic centre of this maelstrom...who seems to be a dead man from moment we glimpse him' relates to the image of the close up of the man and explains the idea of him looking 'dead' just as the fear of the man we sense from the image displays. The mans facial expression denotes the problems which occur in the film, and we as viewers gather him being a victim.
As the image on the close up of the man is on the left side of the page, so is another image of two other protagonists in which text surrounds both. Just as there is a divide of race in the film, both images denote this message. The use of colours in both images are contrasting. The man appears to be in a room, looking as though he is too afraid to leave. The interior from what is visible is dark and glum with a bleak atmosphere. The second image on the other hand is a shot filmed with high key lighting during daytime, with the characters surrounded by greenery. Although the atmosphere is not uncomfortable just as the first image is, the medium shot of the characters engaging denotes concern, evidently from their facial expressions.
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