Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story - Movie Review Example

The major characters in the film are Tristrim Shandy, Captain Toby Shandy, and Elizabeth Shandy the minor characters are Person Yorick, Widow Wandan, and Susannah. These characters work together to produce a masterpiece. Tristram Shandy is the lead character who is the fictional author of the child whose conception, delivery, and circumcision form a sweeping narrative sequence. He is also the fictionalized writer of the opinions and life of Tristram Shandy. He relates to his family history and events that happened even before his birth. He also draws from his memories. Tristram is outspoken and opinionated. Parson Yorick is a friend of the Shandy family.

He is straight-talking and light-hearted. The movie portrays him as a misunderstood clergyman (Sterne 120). The widely used technique in the film is the film within the film technique. This is evident in Tristram’s conception, birth, and christening; the experiences of Uncle Toby at the Battle of Namur, and the wooing of Widow Wadnam. The latter happens dreamt by Steve Coogan. Since the movie is on a novel A Cork and Bull Story, which is about a man who fails in attempting to write his own autobiography the film portrays this remarkably well by taking the form of being filming an unfilmable (Sterne 200).