Directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out reinvents the classic whodunit as detective Benoit Blanc investigates the mysterious death of a wealthy patriarch. The film updates the genre with modern themes and sharp social commentary.
Genre & Techniques
Whodunit Mystery: Whodunits rely on deception, interrogations, and intricate plotting to keep audiences guessing. Knives Out modernizes this with nonlinear storytelling and character-driven humor.
Techniques: Shifting perspectives challenge the audience’s perception of the truth; production design subtly reflects character personalities; and precise editing controls the flow of revelations.
Discussion Questions
- Film Technique: How does the film use costume and set design to visually distinguish characters and hint at their personalities or motives?
- Genre: Knives Out flips the typical whodunit structure by revealing a key event early on. How does this affect audience engagement compared to a traditional mystery?
- Cultural Context: The film critiques class privilege and entitlement. How do these themes shape the motivations and conflicts of the characters?
- Personal Response: Did you like the film? Why or why not?
Film Technique: How does the film use costume and set design to visually distinguish characters and hint at their personalities or motives?
ReplyDeleteThe costume design is used to manipulate the audience's perceptions about the characters' personalities and motives. Marta is very visually disarming in our minds. The clothes she wears are soft and comfortable which paint her to be more trusting and a mother-figure type nourishing character which juxtapose with her “terrible” actions (before we know she didn't actually kill the grandfather). She also wears a lot of layers of clothing, which underscore the secrets she holds from the other characters. Similarly, Ransom also wears more comfortable clothing to visually disarm us and paint him as a trusting figure. He also wears layers of clothing which work to again win over our trust because in the scene with Marta and Ransom in the diner when he is being “honest” with her about his history with the family he is only wearing a sweater. This suggests that he is telling the truth and being open and honest because he doesn't have as many layers of clothing as he did previously, suggesting that he’s sharing his secrets with Marta. This works to remove Ransom as a suspect completely and reinforces our trust in him and conceals his true motives.
Genre: Knives Out flips the typical whodunit structure by revealing a key event early on. How does this affect audience engagement compared to a traditional mystery
By showing that Marta supposedly murdered the grandfather, it flips the typical structure of the typical whodunit genre. Usually, these genres begin with introducing the characters, then the murder happens, and then the detective works to reveal the murderer. Instead of that, we are introduced to the crime scene and the “murderer”, then we get familiar with the characters, then the big reveal happens. With this, we already think we know the murderer, so it makes the big reveal all the more shocking because we were expecting this to be a movie about “how Marta gets away with murder” not, “Who really killed the grandfather?” By doing this, it surpasses the audience's expectations and captivates the audience's attention throughout the story. We want to see Marta succeed because we know she didn't do it on purpose and it was a genuine mistake and it's all the more satisfactory when we find out that the bratty nephew actually did it and goes to prison.
DeleteCultural Context: The film critiques class privilege and entitlement. How do these themes shape the motivations and conflicts of the characters?
The whole family feels extremely entitled to their share of the inheritance, to the point where they don't feel sad at all when their loved one dies because they care mostly about the money they're getting. The Grandfather was an author and he worked hard to get where he was at. His family is very entitled and them being raised in wealth shows because they're all rude and selfish. This makes his motivations all the more believable when he cuts everyone out of the will to give it to Marta, who is also a honest hard worker like him yet hasn't been able to be successful. Ransom is the youngest and by far most entitled, when he gets cut out of the will he is outraged. He was raised in wealth (which made him bratty and spoiled), so he hasn't had to work hard for anything, now he will have to actually get a job but since he’s entitled and was raised from an upper class he feels as if he’s above the poor and middle class. This made his reasons for murder all the more believable because he is nothing without his money and will do anything to get that fortune back and he’s outraged when anyone tries to take HIS money away from him.
Personal Response: Did you like the film? Why or why not?
I really enjoyed this film. I first watched it when I was little but it remained in my memory throughout all these years regardless. I love the dynamics of the characters and the big reveal that Marta wasn't actually giving him the wrong dosage and she just knew based on the weight of the medication vials because she is a good nurse.