Scene composition

Aesthetics

The main aesthetic features of the Twinkle Toes scene from Stardust are the contrasting scenes of the captain in his cabin with all the luxurious clothes (and in particular, dresses) and the battle that is happening above deck between the dark clothed pirates and the prince's guards. They are the antithesis of each other and this is visually intriguing and prominent to the audience.

Also one of the opening shots to this scene shows all the guards lined up at the front of the ship and the Prince standing in the middle creates an aesthetically pleasing shot where it is identical on both sides as it used the rule of thirds.

Space and composition

As I said before, the filmmakers used the rule of thirds to help with the composition of the scenes as well as close-ups to shift between scenes and the type of action occurring in the scene. Over the shoulder shots are used in abundance within the scene as well as medium close-ups so that you can still see the thrilling action but details, such as the swords crashing together, are emphasised by this specific shot. Space is considered especially well when above deck on the ship where each battle fills the scene so even though it is only around 20-25 people fighting, it looks like a larger, more intense battle.

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Acting

In this scene, we learn more about the Captain as a character as we previously knew him as the tough Captain who ran his ship with a tight fist and only saw a bit of his feminine side. Here we learn the extent of his love for fashion and cross-dressing. So here we have the contradiction of a large, intimidating man in petticoats and pink dresses. This is hammered home even more with the inclusion of the fighting pirates above deck in the muted, dark and plain colours that he fits into. The excited, feminine acting he does is amazing and done really well and is enough to convince the audience of this alter ego that the Captain has. Throughout the scene, the pirates stay as an intimidating force that they have within the film and the Prince stays as an arrogant and selfish character that forces everyone to do what he wants for his personal gain.

Narrative

Act 1 - Setup
Act 2 - Confrontation
Act 3 - Resolution

Act 1

The beginning of the scene sets up the characters and their adversity to each other so that the tension is recognised. The two sides are established as well as what is going on below deck with the captain so the audience can see where the scene will go and it adds to the excitement for them as well.

Act 2

This is where the Prince is stalking after the captain and the fight between the enemies begins. The time is ticking to see if the crew can beat the opposing side to save the captain from the approaching prince as well as seeing if the captain will notice the danger that is so close. The tension is built as well as comedy which is cleverly used to juxtapose typical scenes like this.

Act 3

Finally, at the highest point of tension, the Prince is threatening the Captain for answers and we don't know who is winning the fight until the crew burst through the door. In this, the side-characters that are aiding the protagonist are once again on top and the resolution is that the antagonist has to jump out the window to escape and the Captain is saved.

Technical aspects

Some technical aspects that the film crew uses are the different lighting between the dark and dingey lighting of the fight scene to the brighter, more colourful light of the Captain enjoying his time away from the crew. The direction of the scene is done to a high quality as the juxtaposition of the frolicking captain to the intense battle scene is also done to a very good standard. All the acting is spot on and you can believe that the captain really does enjoy dressing up below deck as all of this is accompanied by the great use of cinematography and music editing.

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Editing

Overall, the editing is quite well done and the quick cuts add to the fast-paced feel of the battle and the juxtaposition between the captain's scenes and the pirates fighting. However, continuity is sometimes lost due to the faster editing style and in one case the scene cuts from the pirates on top of the prince's guards to them running forward to start the attack. It doesn't affect the scene too much but it could be quite detrimental to the overall film if it does happen too often.

Sound

The sound of this scene is very interesting due to the way non-diegetic sound is implemented into the scene in post-production. One feature that is used incredibly well is the synchronisation of the sword crashing sounds alongside the background music just adds another element to this great scene. The juxtaposition of the music to the fighting and guttural sounds that the pirates make helps set the scene for the type of movie it is and makes it a quite comedic scene. The sound mixing is done well and all elements of the scene fit and flow together in a realistic way.

Representation

Finally, representation is used in this scene as the film is from 2007 and it demonstrates that cross-dressers are no less than others and it doesn't matter who you are. It allows the captain to be what he wants to be and the crew immediately accepts him for who he is and state that he's "still their captain". Also the clothing and set design of the set is very representative of steampunk as well as elements of clothing that have been worn throughout history. It demonstrates a futuristic version of these concepts and applies them to the world that the director has created.