The movie ‘Shine’ is about the plight of a boy through his childhood and his later life. The movie focuses around the main characters, David’s, childhood, university years, years of madness and adult years. The movie is full of values and attitudes that are shown with very subtle film techniques, i.e. lighting, angles and the starting and ending credits.

The starting of ‘Shine’ expresses a very strong value. This is done by showing the viewer some black and while titles. Also, the piano in the background prompts the viewer to expect that the attitudes of the movie be based around a piano or music. There is also someone effervescing in the background. This gives the viewer the notion that the movie may be about someone’s struggle through life. After this the movie starts to flashback onto the main character’s, David’s, childhood, with a brief look at his present in-between.

David’s childhood was a very painful time for him. David’s house was viewed with a dull light, this gives the effect that David’s family were not very well off. Also, the music while viewing David’s house was either dull or piano music, this reinforces the current feelings the viewer has about the movie. David is usually viewed with the camera above him, giving the effect that he is weak and intimidated. Whereas, Peter is usually viewed with the camera below him, giving him a strong intimidating look. This is reinforced when David tries to defy his Father’s wishes by going the Royal School of Music; Peter starts to beat David around and eventually subdues him. David leaves and goes to the Royal School of Music.

David is driven insane while trying to play one of the hardest pieces of piano music. When David is learning to play the piano, the camera is always positioned near David and the room is full of light, this gives the effect that David is elated and powerful. When David tells his teacher that he wants to learn the Rack Three the camera is positioned lower than David giving the viewer the message that David is confident in his playing abilities. While learning the Rack Three the effects shown cause the viewer to feel that David is going through hard times. When he finally gets to play the Rack Three he has an enormous crowd. While playing the camera zooms into David’s face on a Dutch Angle and the noise fades away, this makes the viewer realise that something very weird is happening to David. This was later on clarified at a hospital when the say that David has gone mad.

The viewer is positioned to see a different side of David at the end of the movie. This is because most of the problems David has been having have been solved. One of the problems was not being able to play the piano. This was solved at the concert near the end of the film. The reason the viewer knew that David’s problems were solved was because the camera was high than his eyes; the panning shot of the audience also added effect. The graveyard scene with the very high camera angle shows that David is finally over his Father. After this the movie comes to a close.

At the end of the film we once again see the back and white credits and this once again adds simplicity to the film. The movie ‘Shine’ was focused on positioning the audience to feel for David’s plight through his hard childhood, mad adolescence and his sad adulthood. ‘Shine’ is a must see film.