Analysis of Annie - 1982 - John Huston

Annie was released in 1982. The target audience for this film would be people of any ages, the age certificate is a U. I think that this musical would really appeal to children as the main character in this, is a child, so there would be a sort of connection with being similar ages. As its a U this shows that the language used is very simple so that the younger audience can understand it and be entertained by it. The visual styles of this film are contrasting, as the orphanage is very dark and dreary, this represents how it is quite a depressing and shows how the lower class lives, although the children themselves are shown to be happy, especially through the main character who always seems bright, this emphasized by her bright orange hair.

The structure of this film is Linear Narrative, this will allow children to follow it much easier and it will make more sense to them. The exposition of the film is when Annie gets introduced to the audience and shows around the orphanage and she tries to escape. She then meets Mr. Warbucks and he doesn’t like her at first but then she charms him and they begin to have a ‘father-daughter’ relationship, throughout the time in which she has stayed with him. The climax of the film is when Mr Warbucks puts out a reward for Annie’s parents to come and get her, however Miss Hannigan makes a plan with two crooks to pretend to be her parents so that they can get the money. Annie then finds out that her parents have died, and that the crooks are not really her parents and she tries to find her way back to Mr. Warbucks. The resolution is that Mr. Warbucks finds out from the children that Annie’s parents have died, and that the two people playing off as her parents are frauds, he goes to the police and they try and find her. They eventually find her on a bridge, and then he takes her back into his home, like a daughter.

The scene that I am focusing on is the final scene, where Annie and Mr. Warbuck sing to each other, it is an overall happy scene as everything has turned out right. The setting in this scene shows the difference from the beginning, at the orphanage where it was all gloomy and horrible, to now where she lives in a billionaires mansion where everything is extravagant with bright colours. It also shows the change in classes from when Annie was a servant, cleaning up the orphanage, as opposed to having servants at her beck and call. the costumes throughout this scene is very formal. Annie’s dress is now a bright red which represents her personality as bright and bubbly. The camera angles used at the beginning of the scene are more wide shot to show the surroundings and the home she now lives in. There are a few close ups which show Mr Warbucks and Annie’s facial expressions and emotions which allows the audience to show the happiness of them both. Doing this shows the difference in the relationship between Annie and Mr Warbucks compared to when they first met. The lighting in this scene is very bright and is emphasized through the entertainers who are playing with fire and wearing brightly colored clothes. Throughout this scene they’re singing a song to one another, this song is a very happy song which sets the scene and creates a happy atmosphere.

The main theme for this film is love, but instead of being a romance love, it is a platonic love between Mr Warbucks and Annie. this film helps bridge the gap between the classes i.e the lower and upper classes. This film is entertaining due to the comedy shown throughout it as well as a gripping story line. annie is more of a heartwarming film where the audiences emotions reflect the emotions that Annie is feeling herself.