Remember the Titans

Question: how the event was a turning point in the text, using examples of visual and/or oral language features to support your ideas.

An event that was a turning point in the film Remember the Titans, directed by Boaz Yakin was when the boys in the team were taken on a training run by Coach Boone. This event was a turning point in the film because Coach Boone used the story of the Battle of Gettysburg to show the boys that if they kept fighting amongst themselves, with hatred in their hearts, like the young soldier did in the battle, they would never be a winning team. They would destroy themselves. It was a turning point because from then on, the boys tried to change their attitude and they "tried" to approach each other with respect however someone in their team would eventually start a fight. It took allot of courage and inspiration to get the team together, this is again turned back to Coach Boone's speech when they started to consider more on the team then themselves.

In the very first scene of where Coach Boone takes the boys out for a run, we see a college and it's dark, probably the time most of the people are still sleeping, as the scene of the college runs we hear a horn and Coach Boone's voice saying "Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go! Wake up, gentleman, it's late. It's 3am in the morning." This gives the audience an idea that the boys might be up and ready for training. The audience soon discovers that the boys are taken out for an early morning run through the woods and some muddy puddles and waterfalls. In the background we hear music telling the scenario as it goes "A Hard Rain Gonna Fall" this tells the audience that they are having a hard time in their training and it is not easy. During the early morning run we then see Coach Boone stopping the run at Gettysburg, a shot of a foggy cemetery with trees and a dark lighting, but bright enough to see. Coach Boone then begins his speech, first explaining where the boys are and then explaining about the battle of Gettysburg, how men died fighting the same fights as the boys are now fighting. He gives a very essential thought, that if the team doesn't come together, nothing will work out for them and it's hard for them to remain as a 'team'. He then concludes himself by saying "...I don't know, maybe we'll...learn to play this game like men." The reason behind this speech was because of the outrages and inappropriate behaviour by the boys, being nasty to one another and calling each other 'black or white' (etc).

Different camera techniques were used to show that this event was a turning point in the film. When we first see the boys, they have just woken up and the camera pans across their faces, showing their facial expressions, looking very tired, half asleep and just not awake. The camera