Textual Analysis - Representation of childhood in Super 8 and Moonrise Kingdom

The representation of childhood development is portrayed in various ways throughout Moonrise Kingdom and Super 8. Childhood development is shown in Moonrise kingdom where the children are eager to grow up and become adults, whereas in Super 8 the children in the film are forced to grow up and take initiative/take care of themselves. There are moments in both films where the children conform to their age and are portrayed as inferior, but the stereotype of a twelve year old is challenged due to the trials they're faced with.

In both films, the representation of childhood is presented to show how childhood development becomes altered. An example of this is in Super 8 where Alice is attempting to be a zombie and pretends to bite Joe's neck; this is an inference that their childhood is being sexualised and they're unknowingly taking on adult characteristics. The cinematography here includes the 180 degree rule to show that it's from a child's point of view. Medium close-ups and close-ups are also used to clearly see the facial expressions of the characters and how they react to one another. Another example of childhood becoming altered due to sexualisation is the scene in Moonrise Kingdom where Sam pierces Suzy's ears. The penetration of the earring to her skin is phallic imagery and could be a link to the loss of virginity. Ear-piercing is a job fitted for an adult, so with Sam piercing Suzy's ears he's trying to prove that he's mature enough to handle the task of penetration - further linking to the sexualisation of children in this film. The MICRO helps emphasize the MACRO in terms of seeing things from a child's perspective. The lighting in the cinematography is pulsating throughout this scene, enforcing their actual age despite their actions.

In both films, there's a scene where the two main characters are conforming to their actual age just by the conversation they're having - keeping their innocence and naivety intact. In Super 8, Joe and Alice are discussing the death of Joe's mother and Alice mentions that she wishes it her father who died instead of Joe's mother. The realisation of what's happened/happening to their parents appears to be a terrifying and traumatic experience for Joe and Alice which allows them to react in a way that reflects their age and makes them inferior. This scene is set at night time with dark blue lighting which is a symbolic representation of sadness and reflection which is their current emotions. The darker lighting shows that they're having a sincere and upsetting conversation but the light from the projector on their faces shows that their innocent and inferior. The cinematography is used in the form of close-ups and medium close-ups; this highlights their thoughts and feelings towards the situation they're in about their parents and how scared they are due to their age. In this scene in Moonrise Kingdom where they're on their own on a beach, Sam and Suzy are discussing their families, future and aspects of their lives. Although they try to sustain a conversation of serious subjects, they both unwittingly have immature aspects in their answers, proving that their clamour for adulthood and independence will naturally be hindered. The naivety of them being children makes them want to escape from their current lives into a world of their own adventures. This is a representation of how Sam and Suzy want to embrace their childhood. The cinematography in this scene emphasizes being seen from a child's point of view by dominantly using the 180 degree rule. Medium close-ups and close-ups are also used to illustrate their facial expressions of uncertainty throughout their conversation, signifying they're ideologies are beyond them. The warm, low lighting in this scene accompanies their personalities and outlook on the world - strange, unusual but beautiful to look at. 

Being part of a dysfunctional family is a theme that appears in both films and has an effect on the children psychologically and makes communication difficult. The representation of childhood in this aspect looks at how problems at home determine how children act and what their emotional responses are. The scene in Super 8 I've chosen to portray this interpretation is when Joe and his father are having an argument about Joe not being allowed to befriend Alice and Joe finally speaking up for himself. Joe's still dealing with the fact that his mother died and his father is never physically and metaphorically there for him, which causes him to lash out in anger throughout this argument. The breakdown of his family has caused him to breakdown emotionally. The low over-the-shoulder camera angles helps narrate the story from Joe's point of view and the medium close-ups and close ups helps convey how he's emotionally affected by his family situation. The lighting in this scene is generally natural due to being set in the afternoon but the contrast is slightly dimmed and cold to emphasize the tense atmosphere. In this part of Moonrise Kingdom, Suzy's mother is trying to have an emotional connection with her daughter by talking about her own personal problems within her life and family. The conversation their having fully illustrates how broken their family is with the mother having a continuous affair and Suzy being a social outcast who fails to connect with others her age. Suzy rebels and tells her mother that she hates her, fitting in to the role as a typical twelve-year-old with her sharp and anger-filled response. The pressure from her deteriorating family could be a possible explanation as to why Suzy is incapable of making friends and controlling her temper. The medium long-shots capture how both characters feel and their positioning determines who's the adult and who's the child in that situation. The dim lighting in this scene represents the melancholy, despair and inferiority Suzy is feeling due to being an outcast both socially and within her own family.

Taking on responsibilities, fending for themselves, leaving their fragile mind behind and attempting to be heroes are themes that occur in both films. The representation of childhood in these scenes show how the kids treat responsibility as an adventure. The scene in Super 8 where Joe and Carey return to their destroyed home town to save Alice demonstrates how young pre-teenagers try to handle an adult situation. Carey uses firecrackers and sparkles to create a diversion which is a childish take on the dangerous/intense situation they're in, proving that when responsibility is thrust upon them they act their mental age. The cinematography in this scene helps narrate the story; the upwards tilt movement of the camera and low angles signify that they have the power and control in the scene but the wide angles emphasize the amount of space in the shot and illustrates how small and inferior they are. This is an interpretation that the challenge they're faced with is beyond their comprehension. In this part of Moonrise Kingdom, the boys at the scout camp have been told to rescue Sam and bring him back but the boys have taken it upon themselves to bring weapons with them. They've been specifically told that it's a "non-violent rescue operation" but as children they take matters into their own hands and attempt to take on adult characteristics via carrying weapons. The medium close-ups that take up the majority of the shot demonstrates that the boys are, or want to be, of higher importance. The cinematography also uses tracking shots to convey the determination they have to complete their appointed task. The eccentric and animated lighting included in the cinematography helps the audience understand that the film is shot from a child's point of view and fixates on the fact that although they are going on many endeavors throughout their scout training, they're still young kids who are looking for adventure.

The representation of childhood is portrayed depicted through the adults as well as the children themselves. At this point in Super 8, Alice's father is attempting to talk to her and give orders but his authority is slightly hindered due to his alcoholism. Like a baby is dependent on breast milk to stay alive, Alice's father is reliant on alcohol which stops him from being a responsible parent and causes him to say things he doesn't mean out of anger - just like a child or teenager. The cinematography in this scene includes medium close-ups that take up most of the shot to show his dominance and the dark lighting in the room could possibly reflect his status as a parent. This part in Moonrise Kingdom involves Scout Master Ward looking for his troops and answering to a leader of higher power. His confusion and inability to keep track of a group of children proves that he himself is negligent while his troops are parading around the island with little to no guidance. He answers to the elderly troop master the same way the young boys answer to an adult, further having child-like qualities in his speech and physicality. His physical appearance assists the theory that he holds childish qualities seeing as his outfit is the same to the younger boys'. The cinematography helps back up this theory of Scout Master Ward acting like a child by using wide camera angles to emphasize the amount of space in the shot, making him look small. 

Some critics, like The Guardian, disagreed with how the representation of childhood was presented in Super 8 and that although immature stereotypes were conformed to at times, the children in the film seems to have the same characteristics of those in previous Steven Spielberg films. These quirky, nerdy and outcast pre-teenagers have become iconic in Spielberg films which helps narrate the story and victory of the "underdogs". In many ways, this is a romanticised version of Spielberg's type childhood, not only having a love interest between two of the characters, but in the sense that a group of witty, inexperienced teenagers are suddenly burdened with the responsibility of saving their home town and having to quickly adopt a surge of bravery in order to do so.  

Both Super 8 and Moonrise Kingdom challenge the conventions and stereotypes of teen films by thriving on themes of adventure and friendship rather than relationships, love interests and conflict. Super 8 and Moonrise Kingdom focus on children who are misfits and are looking for some sort of conquest to fill their time; with Super 8 it's the boys making a short movie, with Moonrise Kingdom it's Sam and Suzy venturing across the island of New Penzance to create their own lifestyle. Super 8 has influences from Spielberg's previous film E.T. in the sense that there's a group of kids who are keeping information from the adults about extra-terrestrial existence and deciding that they're mature enough to handle the situation on their own. This challenges the conventions of teen films by emphasizing a child's need for adventure and excitement which isn't always shown in teen films of today. Super 8 and Moonrise Kingdom highlight the innocence of childhood with dialogue and irrational antics. 

Throughout Super 8 and Moonrise Kingdom, the representation of childhood becomes both altered and conformed to. Sam and Suzy attempt to look after themselves by running away and even getting "married" but are hindered by the fact they're still children themselves whereas Joe and his friends are trying to save their town and Alice, challenging the stereotype of immature twelve-year-olds. Both films show the message of children who don't "fit in" with others due to their disruptive family life and discover their inner bravery as a result of the adventure(s) they embark on.