"A Close Shave"

Title: This title was selected because it is a pun. The end was a ‘close save’ while also being a close shave on the dog’s fur. The opening credits foreshadow the sheep rustling and that Wallace and Gromit will be a part of it. It also shows who the bad guys are.

Story/Plot/Narrative: The story was Wallace and Gromit trying to save the sheep and clear Gromit’s name. The plot of the story was that Preston was actually a robot and he was using the sheep to make his dog food.  Also that Wendolene was a part of the rustling.  The narration of the movie is Wallace and Gromit find a sheep in their home after returning home from washing windows and Wendolene’s shop, who Wallace has fallen for. Preston finds Wallace’s lab and steals the blue prints for his knit machine. Gromit tries to save the sheep from Preston, which results in him getting framed by Preston. Wallace and the sheep rescue him, but Preston and Wendolene find the sheep and that’s where the climax occurs. Preston turns on his owner and Gromit must save the day. You then find out Preston is a robot when he is put in the machine and malfunctions. This is foreshadowed when Wendolene says that he ‘wasn’t created for this.’ Audience feels certain emotions when Gromit is framed and when he is trying to save the sheep and his owner from getting turned into dog food.

Motif: Eerie music is played through out the film whenever something happens that can’t be explained or understood yet or when the characters are in danger.

Characterization: The central characters are Wallace, Gromit, Preston, Shawn, and Wendolene. The minor characters are used to help the main characters.

Wallace- happiness, awkwardness, ignorance

Gromit- curiosity, happiness since he’s the hero, sadness when he is framed

Preston- fear

Shawn- happiness

Wendolene- sadness

Scene and Sets: The set is made small and of clay. The setting helps with the action because it is easier to do the things they wanted to do. The setting is important because it takes place in a small town where there are a lot of sheep and everyone wants wool, which would be dated a few decades ago, which it is. It conveys this well.