film analysis

Staten Island (Little New York) and Sisters (Сёстры). The first one isn’t a great movie, but the opening embraces the gangster genre conventions. The second one is an interesting choice but it perfectly establishes the tone for the rest of the film through its use of music and choice of setting.


Staten Island directed by James Monaco is a film in the Gangster/Crime genre based in Staten Island… The plot is eccentric… using a nonlinear narrative, however, the film opening establishes a good tone through the use of setting, as it serves where the movie will be taking place, and how it ties in with the main character, a mob boss who aspires to “take over” the island for his illegal activities. It starts off with shots of mobsters outside their homes in Staten Island, the surroundings, and the supposed symbolism behind the street names. The film opening establishes the background story and creates mystery on what Staten Island represents for these mobsters. Monaco definitely used what he knew, as he grew up in Staten Island and you can’t live there without knowing about the mob families who resided there.


Sisters (Сeстры) directed by Sergei Bodrov is about a girl named Sveta, the main protagonist and her half-sister, Dina and their difficulties with each other due to different lifestyles along with Dina’s gangster father. The film opening helps introduce the main character, coming from humble backgrounds who seems to be pitiful and tired of parental figures evident through her phone call with her grandmother. The music (Kukushka - Viktor Tsoi) which plays, later on, is very well-known with defiant teenagers which compliments Sveta’s character. Her character is completely contrasted with her bratty half-sister.