Compare and Contrast: Discuss Parallels, Patterns & Mirroring
“Pleasantville” “The Name of the Rose”
Theme – A theme of a film is a common thread or repeated idea that is incorporated throughout the storyline. There is often more than one theme incorporated in a film, however some themes are made evident to be more important, or central, than others. Themes are often portrayed through development of characters that the audience can relate to.
Point of View – The point of view (POV) of a film is the way the events of the story are conveyed to the reader; it is the “vantage point” from which the narrative is passed from director to reader. There are three possible points of view that are commonly used in film as well as in literature. The first person point of view involves the narrator of the story is a character within the story. In the case of first person, the opinions and biases of this character are expressed, creating a sort of intimacy between the narrator and the audience. The pronoun "I" is associated with this point of view. The second person point of view, which is not very often used in the entirety of a film, is when the viewer can place him/herself in the action of the film. The pronoun "you" is associated with this point of view. Although the film Memento is primarily told in first person, the main character/narrator uses second person frequently as he describes his disorientation upon waking up to the audience. For example, the first lines of the film are as follows: "So where are you? You're in some motel room. You just - you just wake up and you're in - in a motel room. There's the key. It feels like maybe it's just the first time you've been there, but perhaps you've been there for a week, three months . . . " The third person point of view involves a narrator whose identity is not known to the audience. In other words, the narrator is a not a part of the story and is speaking from the position of an onlooker.
Narrative – A narrative is a collection of events that tells a story, which may be true or not, placed in a particular order and recounted through either telling or writing. Most novels and short stories are placed into the categories of first-person and third-person narratives, which are based on who is telling the story and from what perspective. In order for a film to be considered a narrative, it usually has a single and persistent narrator whose voice can be heard throughout the film at different intervals.
Conflict – In film as well as literature, there are three main categories of conflict: Man v. Man, Man v. Himself, and Man v. Nature. Man v. Man is a struggle between two characters, for example the protagonist and his/her enemy. This type of conflict could stem from a competitive or opposing action of a character, an antagonistic state or action of a character (as of divergent ideas, interests, or persons), or a mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands. The conflict of Man v. Himself can be defined as the internal or personal struggle of a character. In this case, the character is torn between two courses of action and cannot decide which one would be more beneficial. The conflict of Man v. Nature occurs only when a character must battle the elements. An example of this can be seen in a certain montage in the film Forrest Gump as Forrest describes the excessive rain that he and his platoon experienced in the Vietnam War.
Technique – Technique, in film, involves different aspects of how the film was made. Some major areas of cinematic technique include the following: camera angles, mise-en-scene, lighting, and editing. As a viewer, you may notice that some films have more noticeable and effective technique than others. For example, although Vertigo is a fairly old film, the cinematography in it is noticeable and contributes to the mystery of the story.
Relationships – In all films, relationships between characters can either be presented from the start of the movie or may develop over the course of the story. These relationships can be easily analyzed. For example, what caused a relationship to come about? There is almost always foreshadowing in the characters' actions as to the development of relationships. Not all relationships are positive. When two characters disagree with each other or argue often, they have what can be called a conflicted relationship. An example of this can be seen in Umberto D as Umberto is constantly struggling to pay his rent and constantly being harassed by his landlady. Umberto and his landlady have a conflicted relationship.
Characterization – The term characterization is usually applied to literature, however it is also present in movies and films. In literature, characterization refers to the author's description of the appearance, actions, and thoughts of the persons discussed within a text. In film, characterization means pretty much the same thing, except instead of being described in words the characters are portrayed on screen. The characterization of a character in a movie includes the director's portrayal of his or her style of speech, mannerisms, attitude, and overall unique personality. How a character interacts with other characters and his or her actions and decisions also contribute. In order for a character to be realistic and believable, he or she must be portrayed as having a unique personality just like any real person would. Characterization aims to do just that in literature as well as in film. Four main aspects of characterization include the following:
1. a unique way of behaving
2. a unique way of speaking
3. a unique appearance
4. a unique was of thinking
If this can be accomplished, the film/text will achieve a heightened sense of believability.
Emotional Appeal – Most films possess emotional appeal in that they reach out to the audience through characters and events that are relative to real situations. When viewing a film, audience members very often can directly (or indirectly) relate to the situations and feelings of the characters. For example, The Bicycle Thief contains a very emotional scene in which a father steals a bicycle and as a result, becomes a disappointment to his very young son. Fathers generally want to be good role models for their children to look up to. Therefore, it is safe to say that any father viewing this film could easily sympathize with the shameful feeling the on-screen father must be experiencing. Emotional appeal can also refer to the attachment that audience members feel towards likeable characters in a film. When a director creates a character whom is immediately liked by most audience members, the audience automatically cares about what happens to this character throughout the rest of the film.
Bias – In filmmaking, it is common for directors to create films that are bias, which means that they express a specific outlook on a certain subject. This outlook or opinion is usually that of the director, and he or she may incorporate it purposely or subconsciously. Bias in filmmaking is very frequent, especially in documentary filmmaking. For example, Michael Moore has directed multiple documentaries on political/social issues such as gun control and war. His personal opinions are obvious to the audience of his films, therefore preventing the documentary from being pure. Directors usually include and enforce certain information that supports their opinion and exclude information that goes against it.
Imagery – In literature, imagery is a very descriptive type of figurative language that expresses things in a way that the reader can relate to the words through their senses. In film, imagery can be anything from vivid photography to very emotional and realistic acting. Anything that appeals to the senses is imagery.
Irony – Irony, in general, can be defined as an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. There are three types of irony that can be applied to both literature and film. They are as follows:
· Verbal Irony - Irony in which someone says something and means something different.
· Situational Irony - Irony in which the outcome of a situation differs from what was expected to happen.
· Dramatic Irony - Irony in which the audience knows something that a character or characters are not aware of in a film, drama, or literary work. For example, in the film The Picture of Dorian Gray, the audience is aware of Dorian's aging portrait, but the rest of the characters in the film do not know the explanation for his strange behavior and young appearance.
Music – In some movies, a score, or theme, is written especially for the film and becomes its signature. For example, the Star Wars trilogy has a very well known theme. Also, most movies have a soundtrack, and some are very distinctive and meaningful. For example, the film I Am Sam has a soundtrack of Beatles' songs covered by different artists to go along with the main character Sam's love of the Beatles. Some films have soundtracks that are specific to the time frame in which the story takes place. For example, in Pleasantville, music by 50's artists such as Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent are played to go along with the old fashioned setting.
Language – In film, language can mean two different things. First off, if bad language is used in a film, it can influence the rating it receives depending upon how severe and frequent the inappropriate words/phrases are. Secondly, certain movies that were made in or take place in different countries feature all or some characters that speak the language of that particular country. For example, the bicycle thief is an Italian film, therefore the characters in it speak Italian. Even films taking place in the United States may feature accents or different dialects depending on what part of the country it takes place in. For example, the bicycle thief is an Italian film, therefore the characters in it speak Italian. In Sling Blade, the exact geographical setting is never revealed but is implied through the southern accents of the characters.
Ideas – In film, ideas are presented through the story that is being told. These ideas can be expressed in the form of conflicts or the decision-making process of characters and can represent morals and opinions, and usually relate to the theme(s).
Culture – Culture is depicted in some films through behavior, beliefs, and traditions of the characters. In foreign films, culture is usually very obvious because it stands out to viewers that are not accustomed to certain practices. Culture can refer to the way of life of a certain place and time period. For example, The Name of the Rose is a film that depicts the culture of a certain time as well as a certain place: the 1300's in Italy. The film Amelie portrays the culture of modern France.
Symbols - A symbol is something that on the surface is its literal self but which also has another meaning or even several meanings. For example, a sword may be a sword and also symbolize justice. In this case, the symbol embodies an idea. The two general types of symbols are as follows:
· Universal Symbol - a symbol that embodies universally recognizable meanings wherever used. For example, a light bulb usually symbolizes an idea and a skull usually symbolizes death.
· Constructed Symbol - a symbol that is given meaning through its presentation and development in a story (literary work, drama, film, etc.) by the story's creator (author, playwright, director, etc.). For example, in the film Citizen Kane, the sled painted with the word "rosebud" is presented at the beginning of the film at Kane's childhood home and again at the end being burned with the rest of his possessions after his death. It represents how the fact that he was ripped from his home at such a young age was, in fact, very devastating for him and shaped his personality for the rest of his life.