The Breakfast Club -- Shot-for-Shot Analysis of the Opening

[@mattslupek7988]

The seating arrangement was basically the social hierarchy: Claire and Andy: Front row-sharing the table-both popular-most likely have friends in common in their respective circles Bender and Brian: Middle row-separate tables-both on bottom rung of social ladder-each has his own circle of friends Allison: Back Row-social outcast-no friends

[@LearningaboutMovies]

excellent, thank you.

[@achasingafterthewind]

This is a really fascinating analysis. It's one of those things where you can just passively watch the movie and not really pay attention to what Hughes is doing, but it still reaches your subconscious and primes you for how you should think about these characters initially. As the film goes on, it becomes obvious that all five characters define themselves significantly by how they feel about their parents and how they think their parents feel about them. This is something that pretty much all teens do, but as you grow up, you form your own thoughts, separate from the influence of your parents, and begin to think of yourself more in relation to other adults in your life. The reason these characters are able to transcend the roles they and their peers have placed them in is because they go through this process in the film, learning more about the world and the experiences of people not like them, in effect growing up and defining themselves in new ways. They are no longer who their parents say they are, but are on the way to thinking of themselves and each other in a more substantial way.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

weird that this was marked as "spam," which is why it took me awhile to get to it. thank you for the comment.

[@achasingafterthewind]

@@LearningaboutMovies Yeah, it's a problem I've been having recently, and I don't know why. I would encourage you to check your spam folder every week or whenever is convenient for you because there might be a lot of acceptable comments in there--certainly mine.

[@magicknight13]

Thank you for covering a movie from my childhood in a way that had me noticing things I had never even consciously picked up on before!

[@LearningaboutMovies]

you're welcome. there are always so many things we miss! and it's fun to keep looking for them.

[@anatoliagolden-hall4553]

Loved this analysis! You have really intriguing observations.

[@cherieannese1132]

Thank you for validating what I have seen so many times in the brilliant opening to such a brilliant film as I used to watch it over and over on VHS taped off the Tv :,-) (I was personally guttered when my 2000 born daughter watched this as a mid teen and proclaimed she didn't think much of it.... this is a perfect movie to me. Though she did love Ferris Bueller so you win some you loose some).

[@LearningaboutMovies]

you're welcome. btw, this movie does live on among Gen Z folks. Regarding attitudes towards school and American-teenage problems, nothing has improved since 1985.

[@mydreamquest]

Amazing analysis; thanks!

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thank you.

[@bia9843]

Hi! just found out your channel, and I think it's amazing! I just learned so much already by just seeing this video! Hope your channel gets all the attention it deserves :)

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thank you very much. welcome!

[@kevzsabz8253]

One of my favourite films of all time. This is the epitome of 1980s High School. I'm happy that youre given this a review and analysis. This still holds up very well to this day. Theres still a lot of High School cliques and believe it or not i pretty much experience a detention like this back in 2006. I pretty much can relate to this to the very best. 😊😊

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thanks. I need to make an actual analysis video of the entire movie, plus one on Say Anything (which I know backwards and forwards from teaching it a lot). thanks for your comment!

[@tamarabedic9601]

@5:46 you see Brian exiting the car, Mom is still inside... where is the pesky little sister? Also, I agree with you about Bender... he's centered, red scarf frames his face, he takes up a lot of space and the handrails are diagonals pointing towards him.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thank you.

[@p.fish_63]

It also has to do with space on screen bender is more sprawled out and vissible than the other students as well as the fact that hes horizontal and all the other characters are vetical and how bender becomes the one who unifies the group and clashes with the Principal

[@LearningaboutMovies]

excellent! thank you.

[@tumslucks9781]

Claire's father is wearing a Burberry check scarf. In the UK Burberry is associated with soccer hooligans and is considered low class apparel! I saw the breakfast club in 1985 when I was 14. American teenagers always have the most fun!

[@Wolfcat22]

One interesting thing to note about the sculpture is that, in a deleted scene, Brian uses it to represent his father who he bows down to in an almost religious manner. Maybe it symbolizes adulthood to some degree? In the beginning of the film, it looms over all of them menacingly. Divided and pressured by their own cliques, they are fated to grow up just like their parents. However, after reaching out of their pre-established stereotypes and vowing to not become like their parents, they are the ones who govern it, which is shown by Allison and Bender dancing / playing on it.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thank you very much. great observation.

[@ertfgghhhh]

I clicked "like" based on title alone

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thanks. wish I could talk about the whole movie like this!

[@ertfgghhhh]

@@LearningaboutMovies i would watch it with ya. I dont know any cinemaphiles in real life. Could u do this with the color purple? Would be interesting to see it done. Its not part of pop culture but is a part of africanamerican culture

[@LearningaboutMovies]

@@ertfgghhhh yes,. I was thinking of discussing Spike Lee at some point. Many others as well.

[@ertfgghhhh]

@@LearningaboutMovies word to the wise, u gotta be on ur ps and qs to do so. 80s and 90s spike used elements of our communitys struggle and culture. Ive never seen a nonmember get it right. Its sad though, spike has lost his touch after he got wealthy. The only movie of his after the turn of the century by him that i enjoyed was miracle at st ana. The color purple was more about feminism and lesbianism than about being black. It could have been about white people if u make shug a bar maid and not juke singer

[@thegabrielfrost]

I think there is an important clue that wasn't discussed concerning Ally Sheedy's character , "the female misfit". The car that she was driven to school in was upper class for that time period. Though she dresses in yard sale clothing her "misfit" branding is self imposed.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

good observation. what kind of car is it?

[@thegabrielfrost]

@@LearningaboutMovies It was a 1984 Cadillac Seville. The 1984 Seville base price was $22400. Having been in high school in 1984 I can testify that any family that could spend $22k + on a car was definitely living a comfortable life.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

great info, thank you. To many that car will look cheap or old, because it would be now. I'm going to be using this from now on, and thank you for bringing it to our attention!

[@thegabrielfrost]

@@LearningaboutMovies YW NP

[@Plantbliss]

I don’t know how KZbin knows this is happening at my house too😅. Literally the chihuahuas next door are digging their way under my fence 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@ertfgghhhh]

I first saw this in 1985 at 10yrs old. I always and still thought the nelson character was the true alpha of the entire group. Even though the estevez character looked down on him, he always physically respected him to his face. The delinquent ran the entire show

[@LearningaboutMovies]

yes, the delinquent makes everything happens. And he rules the school by going everywhere and defeating, in a way, the vice principal.

[@kevzsabz8253]

Hey Josh can you also do an Analysis on American Graffiti, Dazed and Confused, The Edge of Seventeen and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Please Please Please 🙏 🙏

[@LearningaboutMovies]

I don't know those last two. What are they?

[@kevzsabz8253]

@@LearningaboutMovies They are films from 2016 and 2015 and you should see them first before you make a Shot for Shot Analysis on them. 👍👍

[@LearningaboutMovies]

excellent, thank you.

[@darkduck189]

Thank you for this very detailed analysis of this opening scene I loved it. Also, can you please explain to me why I love this movie so goddamn much? Lmao

[@LearningaboutMovies]

it's well done. all of the actors are cool/appealing. It probably speaks to personal experience, to some degree. You might also be GenX, and if not then you identify with GenX's problems, which are institutions and parents that don't have their wellbeing in mind. Just guessing though!

[@maxeyre2024]

Awesome! Would watch you analyze this whole film haha.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thank you.

[@bonjovi7399]

#learningaboutmovies How about some love for Star Wars Return of the Jedi. I always loved the Emperors throne room scene at the very end. Say what you want about Return of the Jedi,. Not a single person was disapointed by the climax, how it was all wrapped up and this is mainly down to the throne room scene with the conclusion of the Luke, Vader storyline. It had the space battles, it had the ground battles and all the ground breaking SFX. But the key to the satisfying ending was 3 people in a room talking, with some space swords and finger lightening thrown in for good measure.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

if you see the movie just as one long romp, then it's fun and entertaining. Not a lot of meat here, as far as ideas, even far short of the space opera fare that preceded it. Lucas nearly ruined the movie with his "updates," including that abominable jazz-lounge scene that he inserted into the newer editions. Plus adding young Anakin in at the end, and bad CGI.

[@HILAL19564]

Man your movie analysis iq is superb.. Btw this movie takes place in 1984 not 1985. The movie is brought out in 1985. At the start of the movie I think it's Brian who says what date and year it is.. Little insignificant nitpick here

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thank you.

[@user-vv4lo5yz3h]

13:46 she didn't even go here 😂

[@eless9606]

What they do to Allison in the end is despicable. They each become comfortable with themselves and also each other yet she gets this superficial makeover. Might of been relevant to the time, perhaps but the overall message here has not aged well.

[@scotthite1089]

The school was conveniently & permanently closed.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

really? thanks.