The Minority Report

Short story by Philip K. DickFilm directed by Steven Spielberg

Thinking about the future…

STEP ONE –

Make a list of every machine that helps you in your life.

› eg. This might start with an alarm clock when you wake up, or an electric blanket that helps you through a cold night.

STEP TWO:

What would life be like without these machines? (100-150 words)

Thinking about the future…

Whatsamabob!STEP THREE: Thinking about the

future, what do you think could be a machine people will need? Create a machine that does not exist at the

moment which you think futuregenerations will find crucial to living. Draw your invention and label it to

make it clearwhat it is supposed to do.

Tom Cruise – Chief John Anderton

Colin Farrell – Danny Witwer

Max Von Sydow – Director Lamar Burgess

Samantha Morton – Agatha

Stephen Spielberg – Director

Philip K. Dick – Short story author the film was based on.

Oscar nominated – Awards

CAST LIST AND IMPORTANT DETAILS

1st viewing – 0.22 minutes

2nd viewing – 1.04

4th viewing 1.44

FILM PROGRESS

Question time

On separate pieces of paper, write down any questions you have about the film.

These questions will be drawn out anonymously, so there are no stupid questions!

Timeline Create a timeline that plots out the ten

most important events in the film.

Make sure they are in chronological order.

TIMELINE

Watching the film…

Write a synopsis of the film in exactly

123 words.

Every element in a film is a purposeful decision by the director for a certain effect. They want the audience to feel a certain way about an idea or a character.

These tools or techniques can be subtle or obvious and build up through the movie to leave us with an idea or theme in our minds, even if we don’t know it!

Can anyone think of what some of these techniques might be?

FILM TECHNIQUES

Camera shot Description

Extreme close up Camera shot showing the face or parts of it. Used to show emotions, reveal private information.

Close up Shot showing the neck and head. Can reveal detail clearly.

Medium close up The basic shot of television. Shows some background, with good facial detail.

Medium or mid shot From knees (or hips) up. Can show action and give some facial expression. If used too much, it makes people seem remote.

Wide shot Can establish an overall view of a scene. Shows the entire person.

Extreme wide shot Often used as an establishing shot, telling the viewing where the scene is set.

Birds eye view A shot that looks down on the character or scene.

High angle A high angle shot looks down on the figure.

Low angle A low angle shot looks up at the figure

Camera shots and angles

But wait… there’s more! Directors have even

more tools at their disposal… on the match up sheet, try and match the film technique on the left with its definition on the right.

When you’re done, try and think of any examples for any of these from movies you’ve already seen.

In groups try to come up with as many themes as possible.

Our overarching theme is the future but the film has many other themes as well.

Try to think about what the director wants us to think.

Themes and ideas

Write a paragraph explaining what this theme means to you.

Try to include an example from the film.

Use the essay style paragraph writing. SEXY

The DANGERS OF UNCHECKED TECHNOLOGY

The Minority Report

CharacterisationLighting

SymbolismDialogue

CinematographyThemes

CHARACTER INSIDE/OUTIn small groups you are going to do a Character Inside/Out About John Anderton 

1. Draw an outline of John Anderton, the space inside the outline should be roughly equal to the space outside. 2. Label the outside ‘Physical’ and label the inside ‘Psychological/Emotional’. 3. On the outside of the outline you are going to make points about all the physical characteristics of John Anderton as a character. (Costuming, Make-Up, Body Movement, Voice) 4. On the inside of the outline you are going to make points about all the emotional/psychological characteristics of John Anderton. (Emotions, Feelings, Dreams, Aspirations, Insecurities) * We will gather all the data from the smaller groups into one huge Inside/Out which you will need to take down as notes.

         

Darkness           

         

Light     

LIGHTINGIn The Minority Report, lighting plays an important role in showing characterisations and themes. In the below box make a list of all the ideas that are represented through ‘darkness’ and ‘light’ in the film. (You must come up with at least three for each side.)

Howard Marks: I didn't do anything! I wasn't gonna do anything!

Dr. Iris Henimen: “You shouldn't. You shouldn't trust anyone. Certainly not the Attorney General who just wants it all for himself, and not the young Federal agent who wants your job. Not even the old man who just wants to hold on to what he created. Don't trust anyone. Just find the Minority Report.”

Dr. Iris Hineman: Sometimes, in order to see the light, you have to risk the dark.

John Anderton: There hasn't been a murder in six years. The system, it is perfect.

Agatha: [to John Anderton] You still have a choice.  

John Anderton: You see the dilemma don't you. If you don't kill me, precogs were wrong and precrime is over. If you do kill me, you go away, but it proves the system works. The precogs were right. So, what are you going to do now? What's it worth? Just one more murder? You'll rot in hell with a halo, but people will still believe in precrime. All you have to do is kill me like they said you would. Except you know your own future, which means you can change it if you want to. You still have a choice Lamar. Like I did

John Anderton: [to Agatha] Everyday for the last six years I've thought of only two things. The first is what Sean would look like if he were alive today, if I would recognize him if I saw him on the street, the second is what I would do to the man who took him if I ever found him. You're right... I'm not being set up.

Lamar Burgess: “Think about all the lives that little girl has saved. Think about all the lives she will save. That little girl could have saved Sean.”

Agatha: [to John] She didn't die, but she's not alive. 

GAP Sign: Hello Mr. Yakamoto and welcome back to the GAP!

John Anderton: You used the memory of my dead son to set me up! That was the one thing you knew would drive me to murder. 

DIA

LO

GU

ETASK: You need to put the following quotes into order of importance. You then need to analyse the most important quote by explaining

why it is so important to our understanding of the film.

1. Eyes and sight.

2. The three dimensional images of Anderton’s

son.

4. Anderton’s watch with its countdown to

the future.

For two of these symbols (or one of your own) you need to explaina) what they teach us about

the dangers of unchecked technology and/or the other main themes. (75 words = A)(150 words = M)(200 words = E)

Remember to use the “SEXY” structure.

c) Draw a picture to make you remember this symbol.

S= Statement. Stephen Speilberg uses eyes and sight symbollically in Minority Report to teach the viewer the dangers of unchecked technology.

E= Example. An example of this symbolism can be seen when John Anderton has to have his eyes removed in order to escape detection.

X= Explain. This example is important as it shows us how intrusive and invasive technology has become in the world of the film. John, along with the other people in the film, has his eyes scanned everywhere he goes. The eyes are a method of identification and provide advertisers, the police and the government information about everything from what you are purchasing to where you are at any moment of the day. Etcetc

E= 2nd Example A second example of this symbolism is when Agatha says, “can you see?”

X= 2nd Explanation

Y= Your opinion. Minority Report taught me how much we should value our privacy and identity……

Or… I was shocked at how much control the police in Minority Report had thanks to technology…

Lets bring it all togetherChoice and freewill

The dangers of unchecked technology

Work in a group – and be prepared to present your findings back to the class.

Choose one of the two themesand try to find as many

examples of film features

(dialogue, camera work, lighting,

symbolism, characterisation) that

support that theme.

ALTERNATIVE ENDING:

Your task is to write an alternative ending to The Minority Report.You must have at least three different language features in your writing.(250-400 words)

A quote from the actual short story/film. One simile (a comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’) One metaphor (a direct comparison. eg. My childhood was an onion. The

more I peeled away my memories, the more insignificant it became.) A variety of complex and simple sentences. eg. ‘I was trapped.’ is a

simple sentence. ‘I was trapped within the fears of my childhood and all the love that I had felt was transformed into salty tears.’ is a complex sentence.

The use of interesting adjectives and verbs. eg. ‘sauntered’ instead of ‘walked’, and ‘wizened’ instead of ‘old’. HINT: don’t overdo the use of creative adjectives/verbs or they will seem boring, but when placed sparingly throughout your writing they will be punchy.

Paragraphs. Correct spelling. (HINT: have a dictionary at your side) Neat writing. 250 - 400 words.  

What you need…

The Minority ReportShort story by Philip K. Dick

The Minority ReportShort story by Philip K. Dick

1. Minority2. Blithely3. Methodology4. Maliciously5. Resolutely6. Muzzle7. Futilely8. Clique9. Neutralised10.Prophylactic

For each of the below words, look them up in the dictionary and then write down the definition in your own words. Also, give an example of how you might use the word in an everyday sentence.

Same, same but different…

There are some significant differences between the short story and the film.

As we are reading, think about what is the same, and what is different in the story.

Once we are finished you’ll be collating your information in a group.

Story v film

In groups outline as many similarities and differences as you can

If you finish early, pick 2 differences and explain why you think Stephen Speilberg made those changes…

Questionsfor chapter one

1. What use of listing is used in the opening paragraph?

2. What does this listing tell us about Anderton?

3. Explain the concept of a ‘precog’. (75 words minimum)

4. By what percent has Precrime reduced crime?

5. What do you predict will happen in the rest of the story?

Questionsfor chapter TWO/THREE

1. Who does Anderton suspect has framed him?

2. How would you explain Anderton’s reaction to his wife calling Mr Witwer “Ed”?

3. What plan does Anderton come up with to avoid his fate?

4. Who is Anderton supposedly going to kill?

5. What does ‘I want him neutralized’ mean?

1. How likely do you think it is that there have been innocent people convicted under Precrime?

2. Who does Fleming say is behind Anderton being framed?

3. How does the public react to there being an ‘escaped criminal’?

4. What is a majority report? (50 words min.)

5. What proof does Anderton find that the card is invalid?

6. In what does Lisa say Witwer passionately believes?

7. Why does Anderton decide he has to kill Kaplan?

8. Name the place Lisa and Anderton are heading at the end of the story.

Questionsfor the rest of the story