Dear John (2010) Deconstruction

Dear John (2010) Deconstruction

This film opens with the production company's logo (Screen Gems and Relativity Media). This then cuts to another set of production titles. A 'cut' is used to transition to the introduction of the main character (John) with a close-up, high-angle shot of him lying on the ground in an army uniform with one of his colleagues propping him up against the wall because he has just been shot.

The camera then backs away from the actors and is raised slightly in the panning shot that follows. However when the coins start to get thrown at them the camera gets closer to the two men again. During this time a voiceover of John is played. He is talking about what he was thinking about before he blacked out. It was his tour of the US Mint. The camera then cuts to a close-up of a younger version of John and falling money is superimposed on the screen.

A close-up of coins on the machine is shown, followed by various close-up shots of coins being made in a machine and the younger boys reaction to it. This then cuts to an extreme close-up of a coin being flipped through someone's fingers before another extreme close-up of John's face.

The voiceover has continued and he is now talking about how coins can relate to his position in the United States Army. A low-angle close-up shot is shown of John's co-worker rushing to try and keep him alive. During this shot the focus is blurred to indicate John is losing consciousness.

Two more extreme close-ups of coins being rimmed and bevelled are then shown before a close-up shot of John's face lying on the ground as he begins to lose consciousness. Uplifting music is played throughout the entire opening.

Conventions identified:

• Cuts
• Close-up shots
• High-angle & low-angle shots
• Panning
• Voiceover
• Non-diegetic music throughout