Analysis of The Rules of the Game (BBC Short by Tom Daley)

The beginning has shots of a dismal, landscape, which can be interpreted as pathetic fallacy and helps implies what may happen when the groom’s best man arrives. The use of a non-diegetic music beds also foreshadows what may happen. There is only one main actor and location, which helps keeps the audience engaged with the story that they are being told, supported by the fact that the character is speaking directly to them, asking rhetorical questions, and breaking down the barrier of the camera. The quick cuts to different scenes help to keep the emphasis on the narrative. The flashbacks or re-enactments of the story are used for comedic effect i.e. the blood spurting on his face, as a release of the tension that is built up. The fireplace and bell are everyday props used to aid the impact of the story and co-notates the alarm and explosion of anger towards the school. The ending of the short, leaves the audience on tenterhooks. They are shocked by the revelation that his fiancé is actually cheating on him with his best man. He takes a crossbow out of his car whilst on the phone and it leaves the reader wanting to know more.