Some of Mike Leigh’s “auteur characteristics” are: Silent Close-Ups; which are used to express what the character is thinking, his psychology, these are close ups to express insight and deep feelings and/or emotions. The Class and Race Theme; in Mike Leigh’s Films the differentiation of the classes is always present, and most of the time, the lower classes identify with Marxist, Hippie and/or Asocial ideologies as opposed to the upper classes that identify with capitalism. Therefore, there always is a confrontation when these two classes bump into each other. Familiar Conflict; in the films of Mike Leigh, the conflict or the problems on which the movie is based always happen within the nuclear family, perhaps because in this sphere is where people are supposed to be the most accurate to what they really are. Reunions; generally in Leigh’s films there are reunions in which another motif appears, that is the appearance of food and eating, in this reunions is where usually the conflict of the film breaks drown, is the most intense moment of the film. Plus, these reunions are most of the time within the family or really close friends. Absent Love; in the every film of Mike Leigh there is always a character that receives no love, or at least very few, that is why this character is claiming for love throughout the film. Caricature vs. Naturalism; Mike Leigh’s films most of the time have two different type of characters that shine over the others, those are the caricature character which is annoying and exaggerated in its ways, and the naturalistic character, that portrays a person as close to reality as it could, according to the characters’ reality.
In the next lines this paper will identify these signature features in Mike Leigh’s films High Hopes, Abigail’s Party and Life is Sweet.
Silent Close-Ups:
High Hopes. In this film there is a sequence in which Cyril is fighting with his sister Valerie
about how Valerie treats Mrs. Bender and the way the carry on with their lives. While the discussion is being heard as a background we see a slow close up to Mrs. Bender’s face while everything he could hear diffuses. Mrs. Bender face shows her frustration with her children, she probably is thinking in what she did wrong, so that their children got that point, Cyril is a lower class Marxist with almost none life expectations and Valerie is a hyperactive frustrated woman, with an inferiority complex.
Abigail’s Party. In this film, there is a scene in which Laurence is talking about life and saying something about how unfair things are, but how we should keep trying and suddenly he stops talking as a slow close ups of him is shown, he is totally outside that room he is thinking probably in the fact that he considers himself as a looser that keeps trying, but life won’t let him go on. It is a moment of meditation and insight.
The Class and Race Theme:
High Hopes. In this film Cyril represents the lower class with a hippie-Marxist ideology and Rupert and Letitia represent the upper classes that portray the ideology of capitalism with words like Rupert’s “What made this country great is that there is a place for everyone and everyone is in its place.”
Abigail’s Party. In this film the differentiation of the classes is made through the clothing. Beverly, even tough she is totally bogus, with her fancy dress and hair do, represents the upper class as does Laurence with his good taste for Classical music. On the other hand, Angela with her ugly looks, awful dress and make up as really unattractive glasses is totally hideous, but what is more important she has no taste fro nothing and agrees to everything. She represents the lower classes.
Life is Sweet. In this film even though Nicola and Natalie belong to the same class, as they are sisters. Natalie represents the ideology of capitalism and the upper classes, she works and has aspirations in life, and she is and active member of consumism. On the other hand, Nicola is represents the Marxist-hippie-asocial ideologies, she represents the lower classes, she has no work, no friends, no social life, she is deviant and has no aspirations.
Familiar Conflict:
High Hopes. The conflict in this film is familiar and political, and it takes place within the Berder’s nuclear family. Cyril is a hippie a communist and a drug addict. Valerie as a said before is a hyperactive frustrated woman, with an inferiority complex that tries to make everyone do what she considers is right, and Mrs. Bender who is a poor old lady whose children are always fighting. The whole problem is in the internal family.
Abigail’s Party. The conflict in this film is between Laurence and Beverly. Even tough they have no children, they are a familiar couple. Laurence is classy man with good taste for literature and music, concerned with his friends needs. And Beverly is an empty woman that compulsively tries to fit in or construct a self. And the conflict is extrapolated to the other invited people as they are caught in the middle of their personal fights.
Life is Sweet. In this film the conflict appears between Nicola and the rest of the family, because Nicola feels that no one loves her she is always in self defensive position criticizing everything that the other members of her family do at first chance. Another problem is that Natalie is a “Tom Boy” and probably will become a lesbian further on her life, and the other problem is that Andy’s dream to work for his own might never become real, no matter how badly he wants it; the destroyed caravan proves it, this caravan represents his dream.
Reunions:
High Hopes. In this film, the whole conflict explodes in the reunion that is being held at Valerie’s place, we see the presence of much food. Cyril fights with Valerie while Mrs. Bender is sitting there in a silent close-up. And the whole conflict as a said before is about the really divergent ways in which each sibling lives its life.
Abigail’s Party. There is no doubt that in this film the conflict explodes within a reunion in which its participants are really close to each other. The whole film is about a reunion. The conflict, once more, explodes because of the differences between the main characters and the insistent pushing of each to one another, until they can’t resist anymore.
Absent Love:
High Hopes. The character that is claiming for love or attention throughout this whole film is Valerie, she claims for love from her husband, but she receives loves neither from him, nor from anyone else. Because she is so annoying that everyone just tries to avoid her.
Abigail’s Party. In this film, the character that claims for love is Beverly, she claims for Tony’s love or something like that. As a matter of fact, this paper believes that the whole point of the reunion in Beverly’s house was for her to flirt with Tony and get him to bed.
Life is Sweet. In this film the characters is Nicola, but the effect is a more psychological one, because it is not that their parents and sister, even more her lover, don’t give her love. The real problem is that she rejects it because she thinks they are being condescendant and pity with her. Therefore, she rejects them with her attitude and they retire from her. But deep inside, all that rejection and verbal violence she is just eager for love and caring.
Caricature vs. Naturalism:
High Hopes. In this film the caricature character which is annoying and exaggerated in its ways is Valerie, and the naturalistic character, that portrays a person as close to reality as it could its her brother Cyril.
Abigail’s Party. In this film, the caricature character which is annoying and exaggerated in its ways is Beverly. Beverly’s problem is what she is –everything she feels, knows, and believes –not something that does or does not happen to her. (The Films of Mike Leigh: Embracing the World, Cambridge University Press, 2000, 99). Beverly, being less a hostess than something much more unsettling: something playing at being a hostess. In a sense there is no Beverly. (The Films of Mike Leigh: Embracing the World, Cambridge University Press, 2000, 100). She has given up her identity, such as it is, to play a role, which she acts out not only in public but, more disturbingly, even in private. She is performing not for an audience but something much spookier: performing for herself, validating herself to herself. (The Films of Mike Leigh: Embracing the World, Cambridge University Press, 2000, 100). Beverly is completely and utterly sincere; she means what she says; she is not being deceitful. Which is the true problem. There is no reality lurking in the depths; everything is fake. Beverly’s ideas and emotions are no different from her jewelry: Both are equally cheap knockoffs. Her most private, inner experiences are as clichéd as her expressions. (The Films of Mike Leigh: Embracing the World, Cambridge University Press, 2000, 101). And the naturalistic character that portrays a person as close to reality as it could is Susan. Life is Sweet. In this film, the caricature character which is annoying and exaggerated in its ways is Nicola and Aubrey. As opposed to these two, the naturalistic character that portrays a person as close to reality as it could is depicted by Wendy.
In the next lines this paper will identify these signature features in Mike Leigh’s films High Hopes, Abigail’s Party and Life is Sweet.
Silent Close-Ups:
High Hopes. In this film there is a sequence in which Cyril is fighting with his sister Valerie
about how Valerie treats Mrs. Bender and the way the carry on with their lives. While the discussion is being heard as a background we see a slow close up to Mrs. Bender’s face while everything he could hear diffuses. Mrs. Bender face shows her frustration with her children, she probably is thinking in what she did wrong, so that their children got that point, Cyril is a lower class Marxist with almost none life expectations and Valerie is a hyperactive frustrated woman, with an inferiority complex.Abigail’s Party. In this film, there is a scene in which Laurence is talking about life and saying something about how unfair things are, but how we should keep trying and suddenly he stops talking as a slow close ups of him is shown, he is totally outside that room he is thinking probably in the fact that he considers himself as a looser that keeps trying, but life won’t let him go on. It is a moment of meditation and insight.
The Class and Race Theme:
High Hopes. In this film Cyril represents the lower class with a hippie-Marxist ideology and Rupert and Letitia represent the upper classes that portray the ideology of capitalism with words like Rupert’s “What made this country great is that there is a place for everyone and everyone is in its place.”
Abigail’s Party. In this film the differentiation of the classes is made through the clothing. Beverly, even tough she is totally bogus, with her fancy dress and hair do, represents the upper class as does Laurence with his good taste for Classical music. On the other hand, Angela with her ugly looks, awful dress and make up as really unattractive glasses is totally hideous, but what is more important she has no taste fro nothing and agrees to everything. She represents the lower classes.
Life is Sweet. In this film even though Nicola and Natalie belong to the same class, as they are sisters. Natalie represents the ideology of capitalism and the upper classes, she works and has aspirations in life, and she is and active member of consumism. On the other hand, Nicola is represents the Marxist-hippie-asocial ideologies, she represents the lower classes, she has no work, no friends, no social life, she is deviant and has no aspirations.
Familiar Conflict:
High Hopes. The conflict in this film is familiar and political, and it takes place within the Berder’s nuclear family. Cyril is a hippie a communist and a drug addict. Valerie as a said before is a hyperactive frustrated woman, with an inferiority complex that tries to make everyone do what she considers is right, and Mrs. Bender who is a poor old lady whose children are always fighting. The whole problem is in the internal family.
Abigail’s Party. The conflict in this film is between Laurence and Beverly. Even tough they have no children, they are a familiar couple. Laurence is classy man with good taste for literature and music, concerned with his friends needs. And Beverly is an empty woman that compulsively tries to fit in or construct a self. And the conflict is extrapolated to the other invited people as they are caught in the middle of their personal fights.
Life is Sweet. In this film the conflict appears between Nicola and the rest of the family, because Nicola feels that no one loves her she is always in self defensive position criticizing everything that the other members of her family do at first chance. Another problem is that Natalie is a “Tom Boy” and probably will become a lesbian further on her life, and the other problem is that Andy’s dream to work for his own might never become real, no matter how badly he wants it; the destroyed caravan proves it, this caravan represents his dream.
Reunions:
High Hopes. In this film, the whole conflict explodes in the reunion that is being held at Valerie’s place, we see the presence of much food. Cyril fights with Valerie while Mrs. Bender is sitting there in a silent close-up. And the whole conflict as a said before is about the really divergent ways in which each sibling lives its life.
Abigail’s Party. There is no doubt that in this film the conflict explodes within a reunion in which its participants are really close to each other. The whole film is about a reunion. The conflict, once more, explodes because of the differences between the main characters and the insistent pushing of each to one another, until they can’t resist anymore.
Absent Love:
High Hopes. The character that is claiming for love or attention throughout this whole film is Valerie, she claims for love from her husband, but she receives loves neither from him, nor from anyone else. Because she is so annoying that everyone just tries to avoid her.
Abigail’s Party. In this film, the character that claims for love is Beverly, she claims for Tony’s love or something like that. As a matter of fact, this paper believes that the whole point of the reunion in Beverly’s house was for her to flirt with Tony and get him to bed.
Life is Sweet. In this film the characters is Nicola, but the effect is a more psychological one, because it is not that their parents and sister, even more her lover, don’t give her love. The real problem is that she rejects it because she thinks they are being condescendant and pity with her. Therefore, she rejects them with her attitude and they retire from her. But deep inside, all that rejection and verbal violence she is just eager for love and caring.
Caricature vs. Naturalism:
High Hopes. In this film the caricature character which is annoying and exaggerated in its ways is Valerie, and the naturalistic character, that portrays a person as close to reality as it could its her brother Cyril.
Abigail’s Party. In this film, the caricature character which is annoying and exaggerated in its ways is Beverly. Beverly’s problem is what she is –everything she feels, knows, and believes –not something that does or does not happen to her. (The Films of Mike Leigh: Embracing the World, Cambridge University Press, 2000, 99). Beverly, being less a hostess than something much more unsettling: something playing at being a hostess. In a sense there is no Beverly. (The Films of Mike Leigh: Embracing the World, Cambridge University Press, 2000, 100). She has given up her identity, such as it is, to play a role, which she acts out not only in public but, more disturbingly, even in private. She is performing not for an audience but something much spookier: performing for herself, validating herself to herself. (The Films of Mike Leigh: Embracing the World, Cambridge University Press, 2000, 100). Beverly is completely and utterly sincere; she means what she says; she is not being deceitful. Which is the true problem. There is no reality lurking in the depths; everything is fake. Beverly’s ideas and emotions are no different from her jewelry: Both are equally cheap knockoffs. Her most private, inner experiences are as clichéd as her expressions. (The Films of Mike Leigh: Embracing the World, Cambridge University Press, 2000, 101). And the naturalistic character that portrays a person as close to reality as it could is Susan. Life is Sweet. In this film, the caricature character which is annoying and exaggerated in its ways is Nicola and Aubrey. As opposed to these two, the naturalistic character that portrays a person as close to reality as it could is depicted by Wendy.
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