Film Analysis - Week 25 - Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Film Analysis – Week 25

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – Directed by John Hughes

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck and Mia Sara

This film is a Teen/Comedy that revolves around the life of popular teen Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) and the antics that he faces as he skips school. Contextually this film is very important as it promoted a new attitude that had risen during the 1980s of ‘living in the moment’. Ferris represents all teens stuck in school all day looking for a day out in the town. The most notable feature of the film that has been replicated several times after this is the ‘breaking of the fourth wall’ in which a character talks directly to the audience, often other characters are unaware of this and no explanation is given as to why a character knows that they are being filmed however it is brushed under the rug as a story telling trope that allows for a very close connection between a character and the audience. Often the character will makes jokes or somehow relate to the fact that the audience and watching a film and play around conventions that would usually go untouched if the character did not acknowledge the film’s existence in the world of the film itself, such as when a character is shown to be in the shower. This film revolutionised the ‘teen’ genre, tailoring directly towards teenagers, using humour, sexual references and relevant contextual information that would only apply to someone of the age. Of course contextual references would have lost some of its prowess as in this situation as the film is currently 30 years old, however at the time the references would have worked. The film explores themes of fun, freedom, friendship and truancy.

The film uses a clear narrative structure and very cleverly integrates an antagonist into a story where one wouldn’t seem to be needed. Usually in a film, the protagonists are aware of the antagonist’s goals and arrival therefore they do all in their power to prevent it, although in this case Ferris, his friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) all go out for a fun day without an concern or knowledge that their principal Ed (Jeffrey Jones) is determined to find them. This leads to two contrasting narrative elements, as Ferris is out having fun doing various things, their principal is in another part of town searching for them. As the two groups get closer and closer to each other tension builds causing the audience to feel involved, constantly worrying and being hyped up on the edge of their seats.

A farfetched yet highly credibly analysis that can be made is that Ferris is a sociopath, this however cannot be confirmed yet it can be assumed through his action and performance in the film. The reckless attitude towards society and the disregards for his friend’s safety, wellbeing or whether not any of them get in trouble are several of the marks of a sociopath. He is never seen to be directly violent, however his conniving ways that get him around the system and the obvious stealing he must do in order to afford the adventures he performs throughout the film make him quite vicious. A key scene in which this is visible is after Ferris’ father calls him to check on his ‘illness’. Here the audience can see that his loving father has taken time out of his day in order to call him for his safety and wellbeing. After immediately lying to his father’s face, Ferris proceeds to hang up, turn to the camera and discuss ‘his’ problem regarding his girlfriend. His ability to switch between his roles in the film and his self-obsessed personality creates a terrifying image of Ferris to the audience, it shows that a teen hero only seems that way because of his harrowing personality and disregard for societal conditions. The lengths to which he goes in order to escape school is rather astonishing and not something a normal teenager would have the knowledge nor patience to be able to do.