Never Let Me Go Study Notes - Film...

Directed by: MarkRomanek

Certificate: 12A

Running time: 103minsRelease date: 11February2011

Synopsis:Kathy,TommyandRuthliveinaworldandatimethatfeelfamiliartous,butarenotquitelikeanythingweknow.TheyspendtheirchildhoodatHailsham,aseeminglyidyllicEnglishboardingschool.Whentheyleavetheshelteroftheschoolandtheterribletruthoftheirfateisrevealedtothem,theymustalsoconfrontthedeepfeelingsoflove,jealousyandbetrayalthatthreatentopullthemapart.

These Study Notes are designed to support work in English, Media and Film Studies and related subjects at GCSE, A Level and equivalent.

Never Let Me GoStudy Notes

©Tw

entiethCenturyFox

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Before viewing

Never Let Me GoisadaptedfromanovelbyauthorKazuoIshiguro.Thetextbelow,takenfrom the film’s officialwebsite http://www.foxsearchlight.com/neverletmego/, refers tothekeyaspectsofthenovelthefilmdrawson:

Inhishighlyacclaimednovel‘NeverLetMeGo’,KazuoIshiguro(TheRemainsoftheDay)createdaremarkablestoryoflove,lossandhiddentruths.Initheposedthefundamentalquestion:Whatmakesushuman?DirectorMarkRomanek,writerAlexGarlandandDNAFilmsbringIshiguro’shauntinglypoignantandemotionalstorytothescreen.

z FromthisinformationandtheothersynopsisdetailsatthestartoftheseStudyNotes,whatexpectationsdoyouhaveaboutthisfilm?

Trailersplayacrucialpart in themarketingofmovies.Watch the trailer forNever Let Me Goaspartofyourpreparation forseeing thefilm:http://www.foxsearchlight.com/neverletmego/

z What does this trailer suggest about the film’smood, dramatic conflicts andoverallnarrative?z Although the film certainly contains science-fiction elements, on the basis ofthistrailerwhatothergenresdoyouthinkitmightcrossintoandwhat‘headline’themesdoyouthinkitcontains?

After viewing

Fiction and Reality: The Premise

Thefilmopenswithsomebaldstatementssettingupthe‘context’forthefilm.Apparently,these explanationswere addedbecause theUS audiences for early screeningswereconvincedNever Let Me GowasdescribingrealeventsintheUK.Laughableperhaps,butthefilmisveryeffectiveatcreatingahighlybelievableandconsistentsettinginwhichmuchisentirelyrecognisableandfamiliar.

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©Film Education July 2011. Film Education is not responsible for the content of external websites.

www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org

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©Film Education July 2011. Film Education is not responsible for the content of external websites.

www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org

z What,inyourview,contributesmosttomakingthefilmandtheworlditdepictsseemhighlyplausible?z The film slowly reveals that things are far from ordinary for the children atHailsham.Make a record of how that strangeness is gradually explored andrevealedinthefilm.Yournotesshouldincludebothwhathappenstothechildrenasapartoftheirroutineandalsothewaycharactersrespondtothem.z Inwhatwaysarethelivesofthedonorsandourownsimilar?Beforeansweringthis question consider the following comment by the film’s director MarkRomanek:‘The film is about the urgency of embracing the people you love in the moment because time is so short.’(fromthefilm’sproductionnotes).

Creating Mood

Thefilm isextremelymelancholicand it is interesting toseewhatcontributes to thatdownbeatmood.

z Consider the contribution that the setting and themise en scène (what’s putinthescene–furniture,keypropsetc.);certainmotifs (aball ingrass,plastichangingtobarbed-wireetc.)ormusicplayinfixingthatmood.

ThedirectorMarkRomanekexplained‘I wanted to make an unashamedly beautiful and un-ironic film… It was especially important to me that the film should be romantic, because the truth this film explores is a bittersweet one.’(fromthefilm’sproductionnotes).

z ‘Beautiful’,‘un-ironic’,and‘romantic’:howpresentweretheseelementsinthefilm,andifso,whatcontributedtothem?z Howfarwouldyouagreethattheideasthefilmexploresare‘bittersweet’?z WhydoyouthinkthecharactersinNever Let Me Godon’ttrytoescapetheirfate?

Critical Responses

z How did you respond to each of the lead actors in the film? Search onlinefor reviewsof the film that commenton theperformancesofCareyMulligan,KeiraKnightly andAndrewGarfield.What points do theymake?Do you findyourself agreeing or disagreeingwith the reviewers’ responses to the actors’performances?

Criticshavesingledoutanumberofkeyquestionsraisedbythenovelandthefilm-versionofNever Let Me Go.What answers do you feel the film has, if any, to the followingquestions:

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©Film Education July 2011. Film Education is not responsible for the content of external websites.

www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org

z Areweincontrolofourdestiny?z Doweliveforourselvesorotherpeople?z Whatmakesushumanbeings?z Doyouthinksuchthingsasartorourcapacityforlovingoneanotherrevealour‘souls’?

z Never Let Me Goisfarfrombeingaconventional‘entertainment’butdoesthatmatter,anddoesitinfactcontainquitealotthatis‘entertaining’?

Extension

Itisnowincreasinglycommonplaceforpeopletolivebeyond100,butcanyouthinkofadvantagesanddisadvantagesinhumanitygreatlyextendingitsaveragelife-time–evenifthatcouldbeachievedinwayslesscruelandexploitativethanthoseshowninNever Let Me Go?

Written by Jerome Monahan