Textual analysis for a scene in Shrek 2: When Shrek and his friends are trying to get into the castle.

Breif summary of the scene I am analysing:
As Shrek rides Mongo to the castle to break in, Prince Charming begins dancing with Fiona and forcibly trying to kiss her (to activate the love potion), but she keeps rebuffing him. Shrek makes it into the castle (though Mongo is doused with boiling milk and falls into the moat), and with Puss and Donkey races his way to the courtyard where the ball takes place. The castle knights give chase, and Puss falls back to repay his debt to Shrek by holding them off so that Shrek may continue.Just as Charming is about to kiss Fiona, Shrek arrives and stops them, enraging the Fairy Godmother.


One of the techniques used in this scene is slow motion it is used when Mongo is drowning this is done to help the primary audience who are children understand that something bad is happening and to create empathy for Gingy. The cinematography used in the scene is a big close up of Shrek which is then into a long shot while the parallel off-screen sound of “I need a hero” is sang by the fairy godmother which is parallel to the action we see (Shrek riding on a white horse which reinforces the stereotypes of a typical hero) this is done to help the younger audience identify with Shrek as he is the one playing the role of a hero. It can also be seen as ironic as fairy godmother is singing the song.


The representation of fairy godmother is challenged as they portray her as glamorous, conviving and selfish women. Moreover, in the beginning of this scene she is shown wearing a blue dress that could relate to the fairy godmother in “Cinderella” this is done so the older audience can recognise this and see the binary opposition, as the fairy godmother in “Cinderella” is perceived as good however the fairy godmother in Shrek 2 is represented as bad. Slightly after her dress changes to red which could be interrupted as her being the villain as red could connote evil/bad. On the other hand, it could connote passion and demonstrate that she is trying to be a matchmaker.


The expectations of puss in boots is subverted as at first they show a point of view high angle shot of the audience and the knights looking down on him with parallel music playing in the background to trick us into thinking he is cute and innocent but after a little while he starts fighting with the guards/knights by himself which shows that he is really tough and not weak. By taking on the knights puss in boots demonstrates how he plays the role of the “helper”.


DreamWorks tends to challenge stereotypical roles by mocking Disney for example when the gate is dropped open the three little pigs and the wolf are working together and cheering this also shows it is a parody of “the three little pigs”. Moreover, as DreamWorks is an American institution it reinforces American hegemony. The secondary audience for Shrek 2 are young adults so they use quite a lot of adult humour in the film. Furthermore, as DreamWorks is a big American institution they had spent a lot of money making Shrek and Shrek 2 whereas other CGI films such as “Hoodwinked” had been produced cheaply.


The narrative pleasures the audience have in this scene are suspense as you are wondering whether Shrek will make it in time to rescue Fiona from Prince Charming. Identification with Shrek is another narrative pleasure the audience feel as they use a point view shot when the knights from the castle are throwing the fireballs at Shrek and Mongo.