• the spoken words that occur in the film
• may be exchanged between characters
• voiceovers
• soliloquy

• sound effects of the film (sounds that actually occur in the story)
• dialogue
• sound effects
• ambient noise

• sounds that do not occur in the story of the film
• part of the cinematic experience
• e.g. the soundtrack, music, voiceovers

• the whole cinematic process
• includes the setting, props, lighting, actions of characters, costumes

• the person/object in the shot is photographed from high up
• usually implies a sense of inferiority, weakness, powerlessness

• the person/object is shot from below, causing the view to look up at them
• usually implies that this person is superior, power, dominating, has authority
• person ‘below’ is weak, inferior

• where people are shot at the same level
• equality

• a shot that usually shows half of the person (waist to head)
• personal relation to the subject

• displaying the entire scene
• usually provides context/background information

‘It’s not a ‘thing’. It’s…’

‘Sled’

‘Everything is connected, everything is a balance.. With a good there is always a bad.’

‘It’s a sled.’

The sled symbolises Jonas’ journey of discovery throughout the film. It is the first memory he receives from the Giver and his initial encounter with emotions of joy and excitement leaves him bedazzled, at a loss for words and further fascinated. His inability to name the sled reflects the nature of society – closed and unaware, shielded from the outside world. Yet Jonas’ ride on the sled ultimately parallels his own experiences. Exhilarating – yes, echoing his enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge, but it also underscores the difficult journey ahead, as portrayed by the bumpy ride. Ultimately he arrives at home. Noyce bookends the film by concluding with Jonas’ actual encounter with a sled. This moment is symbolic as it represents his entry into the real world.

The most prominent colour throughout the film is the colour red. He notices it first in Fiona’s hair and is almost immediately captivated by it. The very appearance of her red hair allows Noyce to insinuate that Jonas (and hence suggest that the colour red) is indeed different within the community, juxtaposing the notion of Sameness. Thus, red is a symbol of emotion – the ‘difference’ that sets Jonas apart from the rest of his community. Later, Jonas comes to discover the enforced repression of emotions, realising that ‘medication would stop them’.

Note: the monotone perception of the world aims to harmful emotions such as envy stemming from colour (i.e. skin colour)

‘But I had learned that knowing what something is, is not the same as knowing how something feels.’

‘Prick your finger and put a little blood on this apple.’

Conveying an almost biblical definition by emulating the ideals of the Garden of Eve, apples are employed throughout the film to display the ideas of reality, loss of innocence and the truth. After receiving his first memory, Noyce depicts Jonas holding an apple, displaying his attainment of the forbidden fruit of his society – knowledge of reality, emphasised when Jonas states that he ‘had learned that knowing what something is, is not the same as knowing how something feels’. Noyce further plays on these biblical allusions with Jonas’ act putting ‘a little blood on [his] apple’ in order to manipulate the medication system. Not only does it display Jonas’ personal development where he employs his growing intelligence to defy the very construct of society, but it also illustrates his embracement of prohibited actions.

‘I provide wisdom. That is now your role. To provide guidance in the present using memories of the past.’

‘We sit in chairs and don’t talk all day long.’

• act of receiving – symbolises the attainment of knowledge
• personal growth

Note the triangular shaped camera surveying the area

• restriction
• triangle
• a possible symbol of sanctuary and growth
• truth