Analysis of the movie "10 things i hate about you’"

In ‘ 10 Things I Hate About You’, filmed in 1999, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), a popular high school sophomore who wears designer clothing, longs for a social life, but her father will not let her date until her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles), the most hated kid at Padua Stadium High School, does. Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) is is the schools teenage rebel who hangs out at pool hall in the local pub, smokes cigarettes and drinks. In the film Joey (Andrew Keegan), the schools popular model, starts paying Patrick to go out with Kat so that he can go out with her younger sister, Bianca. Sound familiar? That is because is film is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘ Taming of the Shrew’ set in a Tacoma, Washington high school.

Shakespeare is well served by this update of ‘ The Taming Of The Shrew’ that has loads of cultural throwaways that are laced with just enough quotes from William to keep those familiar with his plays amused.

The film exceeded in allowing the audience to see the emotional bonds being created between characters. This is seen between Kat and Patrick, and Bianca and Cameron as each couple become more than friends, in Kat and Bianca as they learn to love each other as sisters and between Kat and Bianca and their father as he learns to trust them when they leave the house and to live their own lives.

As satirical as it is romantic, this is one teen film that is wise enough to span generations in its love and appeal. One of the best things about this film is its detail and editing. Each non- speaking character has a purpose, whether explored through their dress, a Shakespearean quote or the roll of an eye. Their emotion speaks something to the audience that you don’t see very often in 1990s comedy/drama/romance films.

The music in this film plays an important part in providing insight to the characters with much of it being by the band ‘ Letters to Cleo’ which is subtle and inventive while still cheerful. In the opening scene where we first meet Kat, the lyrics of the music blaring out of her car stereo are saying, “ I don’t give a damn about my reputation”. This is sharply contrasted with the music generally associated with Bianca – this music is much more positive and feminine. Another example is when the viewer first sees the Stratford home. As the camera pans across, the lyrics of the song playing are, “ Sunshine on the window makes me happy”. However, as the camera angle changes and zooms in on Kat sitting by the window, the music changes and becomes much louder and adopts an angry tone. Therefore, the music clearly demonstrates the difference between the two sisters, helping the viewer to understand their lives and conflict.

During this film a large range of shots are used, this includes over the shoulder shots, extreme long shots, mid shots, slight close ups and so many more. Another camera angle that was used in the film was an a real shot that was at the beginning of the film that showed us, the audience, where the film was set and also allowed used see that it was filmed in a school. After this opening shot we see two characters walk on scene and the camera seems to follow them around head on, showing the audience their character and also how they are one of the main characters. This camera angle, follow shot, gives us the first few moments that set the whole movie into motion.

I liked the movie’s spirit, the actors and most of the scenes. The comedic/drama/romance film had lots of great editing as well, such as the opening title sequence that had an old 90s vibe with the font, the colors and overall size of the words.