“Copy the text below into a new post. Research and answer the questions. Augment your post with whatever you see fit — pictures, videos, stills, or anything else that might be helpful.”
“1.Define a portmanteau film. What are other notable examples from recent years?”
A portmanteau film is a film that combines two or more stories in the manner of a portmanteau(a blend of words). Some notable recent portmanteau films are The French Dispatch(Wes Anderson, 2021) and Ghost Stories(Andy Nyman, Jeremy Dyson, 2017).
“2.Give a brief synopsis of each of the stories in the film. Which are the most effective? Why do you think these stories have been chosen?”
The first story involves multiple people on a flight realisation through conversation that they are all related to one person, who is responsible for them being on the plane, revealing that the story is his revenge story, as he crashes the plane, killing himself and everyone on board.
The second story is of a woman who realises that her most recent restaurant customer is a loan shark responsible for her fathers suicide, and she is tempted by the chef to take her revenge on him. The plot to murder him is complicated as the waitress becomes conflicted as to what she should do, and eventually the chef takes matters into her own hands by murdering the man herself.
The third story is of a man who insults a reckless driver on an isolated road, and is forced to confront him after breaking down. The story evolves in a brief saga of revenge and obsession between the two men, who end up killing each other when their cars blow up.
The fourth story is of a demolitions expert who’s life crumbles when he is fired, publicity humiliated, loses custody of his daughter, and frequently/unfairly fined. He eventually takes matters into his own hands by detonating a bomb in a tow company car. Park, and ends up being revered as a hero in prison, who stood up to a corrupt system, and is appropriately nicknamed “dynamite”.
In the fifth, a wealthy man hires his groundskeeper to take the fall for a hit-and-run committed by his son, but events begin to spiral out of his control as his lawyer, prosecutor and groundskeeper all demand higher compensation. The story ends with a deal being arranged, but is made pointless when the groundskeeper is, presumably, murdered by the drive-by’s grieving husband as he is escorted out of the house.
In the sixth and final story a bride discovers, at her wedding, that she has been cheated on by her new husband. This sends her into a drunken spiral fuelled by obsession and revenge, which ends by ruining the entire wedding and mentally breaking herself and her husband. The car and dynamite stories are the most effective, since they do not last too long or little time, and also use their time effectively to build subtle character arch’s and get across their themes, and also build suspense to satisfying yet unexpected endings. The stories have been chosen since they involve themes of violence and revenge, building suspense through their character development and the actions that they take, often through unpredictable routes.
“3.The literal translation of the title is Savage Tales. How is this a more appropriate title and how well does it apply to each of the stories in the film?”
This is more appropriate since the actions that the characters often take are outright or more implicitly savage, for the effects that they have on the people around them. It applies well to each story in the film since all stories follow characters who lose their innocence and even sanity in the face of unfortunate events, often leading to acts of incredible violence and savagery.
“4.Explain the title sequence — how is it an appropriate choice for the tone, message and aesthetics of the film?”
The title sequence shows clips of wild animals. This is appropriate since may of the story’s portray certain characters as prey and others as predators, which adds an interesting theme to the classic revenge formula, by making the method of revenge and questions about morality lend depth and seriousness to the simple plot of revenge.
“5.What does the viewer learn about Argentine society from watching the film? Does this accurately reflect the political and social reality?”
Some of the stories deal with social issues of sexism, the poverty and wealth divide, and government incompetence. These social issues are mostly focused on in the dynamite story, in which the protagonist takes on a powerful tow truck company, and the wedding episode, where a grieving bride takes revenge on her husband who takes advantage of her, and the hit-and-run story where a wealthy man tries to entice a poor man into taking the fall for a horrific crime with the promise of money. This is accurate, as reflected by the most wealthy 3% of Argentinian society, and the issue of corrupt politics is reflected in the restaurant story, in which a loan shark runs for mayor.
“6.Are there aesthetic differences between each of the stories? How do the aesthetics support the story being told?”
The aesthetics are gritty and violent, reinforcing the themes of brutality in the film through blood, dirt and uncleanliness. This portrays the loss of innocence, as seen with the blood soaked wedding dress, or dirty and blood stained suit. It symbolises the loss of civility and rationality through corrupted versions of neat clothing and appearances.
“7.Are there any notable similarities or differences in the representations of men and women, rich and poor?”
Yes! Women are depicted as powerful but often underestimated by men, who are portrayed as obsessive and power-driven. Some of the stories in this film explore themes such as women standing up to men who attempt to undermine them, and how men can get into conflict when their pride is damaged or challenged.
Finley Cairns A-Level Film Studies Blog 
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