Media Language

The connotations and denotations of the film are quite symbolic to the meaning of the film and that is he transition from a drug dealer to a successful rap sensation, in other words bad to good. Marcus is seen at the beginning, holding a gun the lighting is very low key and a close up is on his face with the gun. Marcus is seen reciting a few lines from a rapper called KRS, while looking into the mirror Marcus says "listen to my 9 millimetre go bang!" the camera pans across the mirror and fades into black then Marcus is seen as a teenager. The mirror scene shows the growth from a kid to a teenager. The denotations for a gun is a weapon that can harm people but the connotations is a protector but also, strength. Many people, don't know why they have a gun not even Marcus when he first purchases the gun in an alley way the long shot sees him walking up to a man, to the audience and he directly says to the audience "I didn't know what I wanted a gun for".The non verbal structure of the meaning in Get Rich Or Die Trying reflects the way the characters behave. Marcus the main protagonists is seen as the dominant character his body gesture is very strong but also, his persona comes across as if he is made from stone. Majestic points out that love isn't real "Rule number 5: Show no love, love will kill you". That motive is shown through Marcus's behaviour. The dialect is typical American colloquial language such as the reference to Black people is "nigga" in society that can be seen as racists comment however, Black people use it as a way of greeting. Marcus is also, seen as a character who is looking for love and that is his childhood love/best friend Charlene. Charlene is who motivates Marcus, to leave the ghetto lifestyle and pursue his dream. In the cafe, Charlene and Marcus are eating, the camera shot is a close up of the two. Charlene is curious to know what Marcus is doing, she asks him "So what do you do?" he replies with "I'm a ganagsta". Her facial expression, seems baffled and confused and carries on persisting on finding out what he does finally he replies with "I'm a gangster rapper". The clothing of the characters is a ganagster look baggy clothes, saggy jeans caps and bandanas.The significance of the mise-en-scene, sets and settings reflects the genre of the film and that is blaxoploitation. The generic conventions to the genre are pimpmobiles, guns, drugs and violence the settings are of the Bronx, and a typical ghetto neighbourhood infested with drug dealers. Settings and locations helps with the meaning of the film the other settings are a prison - which is significant because this is what makes Marcus realise that the drug life is not for him. He grows and develops his passion for music but also "expresses myself or die".Get Rich Or Die Trying tells it story from the point of Marcus who functions for most of the story as a homodiegetic narrator. A homodiegetic narrator is when he/she is inside the narrative as a first person. This makes it easier for the audience to see the parallel links between Marcus and 50 Cent but also, the soundtrack is gangsta rap music that reflects his career.