In the movie Looking for Alibrandi, director Kate Woods uses many techniques to help you understand the main character, Josie. Some of these techniques are internal dialogue and voice-over narration, day-dream sequences and colour enhancement. All these techniques help viewers to have a better understanding of Josie's character.
The first technique that Woods uses that is very effective appears in an important part of the movie. Internal dialogue is used so that we can hear how Josie is feeling about the things she is going through. An example of this is in the opening scene when it is the Italian community's “Tomato Day” and Italians get together to peel and stew tomatoes for tomato sauce. From voice-over narration we can hear Josie's internal dialogue and understand that Josie doesn't identify with this old-fashioned get together at all. We hear exactly what Josie thinks of it: “You might think this is all quirky and cute, but I find it really embarrassing. You would think we were still in Sicilly, but they left there 50 years ago...I've got to get out of here!” So therefore voice-over narration is a clever technique for helping viewers understand that Josie does not identify with her Italian-Australian heritage or the traditions they follow, and this is particularly useful in the opening scene because it explains what may lie at the heart of Josie's challenges and conflicts to follow.
The second technique used by the director to help us understand more about Josie is the day-dream sequence.Whenever Woods want the viewer to understand that Josie is having a day-dream the film is in slow motion and in sepia tones. An example of this is when Josie has a crush on John Barton, who is from a private boy's school. She imagines herself standing beside John who is now the Premier of Australia and that she is Mrs Alibrandi-Barton. Cameras