Review of film High Fidelity

Review of film High Fidelity

This film is built around different top 5 lists. The protagonist Rob

Gordon (John Cusack) lets us into his life and through his depression

and self-analysis he describes us his top 5 all time break up list,

throughout the film. Stephen Frears uses a wide range of narrative

techniques to make the film have a more entertaining yet poignant look

at breaking up.

Frears uses a non-linear narrative to lay out the film so we can gain

different information as the films goes on. When the film begins we

start at the middle; this is the day when he and Laura (Iben Hjelle)

first break up. Then eventually as his depression and self-analysis

develops, flashbacks are used and we go to the beginning. This is

where he begins to show us the start of his top 5 all time break up

list. The film soon jumps back to where it left off and as Rob

continues to describe his thoughts and feelings as he begins to show

us more and more about his life.

Frears uses a restrictive narrative so we don’t have any more

knowledge about the break ups than Rob. This also gives Rob power

over us because we will only know what he shows us. Frears also uses

little cause and effect narrative in his film, he does this when Rob

thinks about his top 5 break up list (cause) and then when he actually

goes to visit the girls some time after (effect). During the middle

he goes into more self-analysis and goes into more detail of why the

girls might have “dumped” him and why it didn’t work out.

As the film continues Rob also persists with how he and Laura could

still work out. He goes into even more depression when he uncovers

that Laura has been having an affair with Ian (Tim Robbins) this is

when he really starts look at his life and then later decides to go

and visit his ex girlfriends.