Ferris Bueller's Day Off: A day in the life of a mischievous teenager

The saying ‘Boys will be boys’ usually goes to say that adolescent boys are always up to mischief and will continue to do so because it is in their nature. It is a justification for young men to talk and behave the way they do while the rest of society chooses to accept them as they are, provided they do not cross the bounds of the societal norms. The same phrase would be most apt to describe the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, if it were to be explained in a single sentence.

Ferris Bueller is a mischievous school kid who is loved by everyone. His classmates and the rest of the school think he is a sweetheart and his gullible parents think that an angel like him could do no wrong. But unknown to them, Ferris always as some tricks up his sleeve and decides to skip school one day. He fakes an illness in front of his parents and claims to stay in bed the whole day. Instead he rings up his best friend Cameron and convinces him to take out his father’s Ferrari in order to rescue his girlfriend Sloane from the clutches of the school and have a day out on the town. They visit all the places they can think of and even manage to involve themselves in a parade. All the while, Ferris’ sister is aware of his sly ideas and vows to expose him before the day is done as does the dean at his school, Ed Rooney.

Written and directed by John Hughes and released in 1986, the film has gone down over the years as a cult classic. It is one among many films based on teenagers and specifically focuses on their school life. In its true essence, the film is all about a young man trying to fulfil his wishes to have a good time and wanting to stay away from responsibilities which are imposed on him. Thus the film reiterates the belief about young men being slack and that ‘boys will be boys’.

The most interesting technique adopted in this film is definitely the breaking of the fourth wall. Time and again the protagonist Ferris Buller, portrayed by Matthew Broderick, will step away from the normal proceedings of the story to speak to the audience and occasionally explain why he does what he does. In a way the film has an infomercial style to it with the protagonist giving the audience a list of do’s and don’ts, the text of which flashes on the screen as he recites it. On other occasions, he simply starts speaking to the audience about what he thinks and feels so as to make it easier for them to understand.

As mentioned before, the film is a cult classic. It follows a mildly dramatic plot and is infused with comedy at appropriate intervals. It is a good one-time watch.

Queen Live at Wembley

When it comes to a music concert, all the elements have to come together on the day to have a perfect show. There are many small factors like avoiding technical glitches and excellent weather conditions, and much more, which come into play, but the main elements to have a grand success of a show are inextinguishable reserves of energy from the band, a well rehearsed set list and amazing audience participation. One of the best examples where everything has come together perfectly for a great concert is Queen Live at Wembley.

The concert film begins with visuals of the entrance to the stadium and shots of the stage and equipment being set up with a background instrumental track. Following this, Freddie Mercury walks out onto the stage with his microphone in his hand and drives the crowd wild by leading the band into their first song, the energetic track titled One Vision, which is followed up with Tie Your Mother Down. Here Freddie takes a break to speak to the audience and welcome them before continuing with a few more songs including the hit A Kind of Magic. Once again, Freddie takes a break from the music as he leads the 72,000 plus fans into a session of chanting for which he receives an amazing whole hearted response from the crowd. The band continues with the performances of classics Under Pressure, Another One Bites the Dust, Who Wants to Live Forever and I Want to Break Free before having an impromptu jam session on stage followed by guitarist Brian May’s solo performance of Brighton Rock which leads into the song Now I’m Here. The concert moves forward with a small acoustic set which includes both originals and covers. After this, the band puts in a stellar performance of Bohemian Rhapsody as they leave the stage during the third section of the song which has them singing in the style of an opera. During this bit, the video of the empty stage is shown with a translucent video and audio from the music video of the song. Just as the fourth part of the song kicks in, the band comes back on stage with fireworks, flashing lights and Brian May wearing a long white jacket as he plays the guitar solo followed by Freddie belting out his powerful vocals. This song is followed by the powerful and energetic Hammer to Fall before Freddie brings out a guitar to perform the last song of their set list, Crazy Little Thing Called Love. After leaving the stage for a few minutes, the band then returns for an encore which starts with a cover followed by the song Radio Ga Ga, a performance of We Will Rock You which has the audience full of energy and singing in unison with Freddie and a soul-riveting performance of We Are the Champions when Freddie goes backstage to return dressed in a crown and cape. The band then takes their leave as the instrumental of God Save The Queen can be heard with the crowd singing the anthem.

The concert shows the band in all their glory, especially vocalist Freddie Mercury. It has been hailed as one of the best concerts ever performed. Freddie Mercury brilliantly brings out his onstage persona to give the audience a great show which also allows him to engage the crowd. His pauses to speak to the crowd are riffled with mild humour as he treats his fans as friends by calling them his ‘beauties’ and speaks to them openly about matters of the band breaking up which were falsely reported in the newspaper.

The concert has some of the best performances by the band and is in fact one of the best live performances by any artiste. It is not only amazing from the perspective of the effort put in by the band but also from the full bodied participation by the fans in most of the songs and during the interludes. This concert is a phenomenon that can be a guarantee for goosebumps on more than one occasion.