Close Reading

Title/opening credits:
The title was selected because it is comical. It also foreshadows the rest of the film. The opening credits look like something from an old fashion cartoon which sets the mood for the rest of the film.

Story/Plot?Narrative:
Wallace buy Gromit a pair of trousers for his birthday. This sends them into debt which causes them to go into debt. They rent out a room to pay off the debt and the penguin who rents it is really a criminal. He kicks out Gromit and uses the trousers to do a heist. Gromit catches the penguin and they use the reward money to pay off the debt.

Motif:
The biggest motif is the lightning. You see lightning at the opening scene and you also see it a lot when the camera is on the penguin. Also whenever Gromit and the penguin are int he same shot, they seem to lock eyes.

Characterization:
The main characters are Wallace, Gromit, and the penguin. Wallace and Gromit are smart, they have all these contraptions built but they live a simple life. The penguin is very clever. He dresses up as a chicken when he commits a crime and he uses Wallace and Gromit to stage his heist. There were no minor characters.

Scene and Sets:
The entire film was filmed on a set, since it was a claymation. The contraptions that are located all throughout the house are used by the penguin and Wallace and Gromit alike. Wallace and Gromit use them for daily tasks while the penguin uses them to set up his heist. The set is kind of important since it could have been shot somewhere else and still conveyed the message.