When we first viewed the establishing shots of Shrek we were lulled by the non-diegetic romantic theme music to believe that this would be a typical Disney fairy tale. The close-up shot of a fairy tale book with the traditional start and stereotypical characters being read by a gentle sounding narrator added to this assumption. Then the book is slammed shut and the words, “Like that’s ever going to happen” shock us into realising that this will not be a traditional story.
The inclusion of non-diegetic rock music and the long shot of a green ogre jolt us into realising that this will be a humorous subversion. The traditional fairy tale prince is handsome, noble and courageous. Shrek is a smelly, anti-social ogre who through mise-en-scene is shown bathing in mud, eating grubs and generally being disgusting. His anti-social behaviour subverts the genre and therefore adds to the visual and verbal humour. The camera is often tilted up to make Shrek look bigger and powerful.
Despite the fact that Shrek is an ogre, his wide smile and big eyes make him look funny and non-threatening. His lines are humorous, such as when he confronts the townspeople who are after him, and he says, “This is the part where you are supposed to run!”
Despite how many times we watch this film – some of us know the lines off by heart and all of the songs – we still laugh every time.
Bye 80 
