Lone Star Literary Elements

Lone Star Literary Elements

Director

John Sayles

Leading Actors/Actresses

Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Pena, Kris Kristofferson, Clifton James

Supporting Actors/Actresses

Matthew McConaughey, Miriam Colon, Joe Morton, Ron Canada

Genre

Drama, Mystery

Language

English

Awards

Nominated for Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Date of Release

1996

Producer

R. Paul Miller, Maggie Renzi

Setting and Context

Texas

Narrator and Point of View

Point of view is that of Sam Deeds

Tone and Mood

Dramatic and Mysterious

Protagonist and Antagonist

Protagonists are Sam and Pilar. Antagonist is Charlie

Major Conflict

Charlie's body is discovered in the Texas desert and Sam believes his father is the one who killed him.

Climax

Sam discovers that Hollis killed Charlie and his father covered it up. Also that Buddy and Mercedes were lovers and Pilar and Sam are half brother and sister and didn't know it all of their lives. Sam and Pilar have been lovers.

Foreshadowing

The skull in the desert represents that a buried past will be brought to the surface.

Understatement

Sam and Pilar being brother and sister is understated until the end of the film

Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques

n/a

Allusions

The film alludes to the continuing racism in Texas in the 1990s and how the past atrocities have contributed to the current day relationships between ethnic groups.

Paradox

Charlie is the Sheriff, but he only serves himself and not others as he only seeks to take money from them.

Parallelism

The drive-in movie theater at the end of the film parallels the scene between young Sam and Pilar.

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