Intertextuality is the reference to another text within another text and is a vital element of postmodernist films, which are films made a significant time before the present. We find a variety of examples within the film Pleasantville such as: links to visual art, literature, religion and Harper lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (a book written in the 1950’s set in the 1930’s) to express ideas of change and ways to deal with it. Pleasantville was a film made in 1998 and directed by American director, Gary Ross. It consists of brother and sister David (Tobey Magurie) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) becoming stuck in a 1950’s sitcom by a strange TV Repairman’s (Don Knotts) magical remote. Through the use of colour, this film was able to allude …show more content…
to popular stories of the Bible, which are deeply rooted in the history of western culture. We see change mainly being symbolised through the use of colour, giving the impression of sin, to which we see the non-coloured people wanting to eradicate from their ‘perfect world’. Pleasantville is likely to be the equivalence to the Garden of Eden, with Lover’s Lane holding Tree of Knowledge. Before Jennifer and David arrived, it’s clear that everything with the utopia-like world has a strong sense of order and perfection, though a substantial lack of passion. Lover’s Lane was only a place where young couples sat together and held hands, nothing more. However, when the two siblings arrive, Jennifer virtually takes the role of Satan. She introduces sexual intercourse to Skip, who then proceeds to inform his friends, then the whole of the young community. Betty Parker (Joan Allen) is the mother to Bud and Jennifer and the subjected housewife to George (William H. Macy). In the biblical story Genesis 3-7, Eve was tricked by Satan to eat from the tree, despite being warned not to by God, therefore bringing knowledge to mankind. Again, we see Jennifer taking the role of the latter by educating Betty to find enjoyment in other ways. Betty ‘sins’ by acting on this information and becomes Technicolor like the rest of the young folk of the town with this newfound ‘passion’. Here we sense an idea of two powerful beings withholding information to Adam and Eve (or the equivalent) so a sense of order is maintained because they already ‘know what they need to know. When each push past these bounders, they’re both excluded from their homes because of this knowledge. We see many examples of intertextuality supporting Gary Ross’s ideas of change through the use of literature. Jennifer’s book that she receives in the film, Catcher in the Rye, especially contributes to these ideas as it strongly alludes to how Bud searches for change (or more rather, a better, ‘perfect’ lifestyle) because the protagonist in that book searches for a different life altogether. It certainly should be noted that Ross included these books in the film because of their infamous history. They were among the most widely banned books in America because of their unwelcome content to the public. The context latter is also portrayed in the film by the silent battle against the monochrome and Technicolours since the former don’t agree to the changes that the former are bringing and wish to ‘exile’ them from society. The latter fact that they eventually all become Technicolour is similar to how the changes in America and other countries today are more welcome to the content in texts today. Art is also another contributing factor in supporting the ideas of change.
While Bill is looking through the art book given by Bud, we see Rembrandt’s self-portrait which symbolises the inner strength of humans and the conflicting nature of humans. The purpose of this painting being introduced in the film helps the viewer understand how the Technicolour characters in Pleasantville revolt against the old ideas of order and push forward new ideas of chaos and excitement. A newfound inner strength is found in these people, in other words. The painting itself was painted in the 17th century in the Netherlands, at the heart of the ‘Dutch Golden Age’ – a period where Dutch trade was among the most acclaimed in the world and a time where the country lived without any war. This may have foreshadowed the events to come from the conclusion of the film, where the town finally becomes free of the bounds that restrain the town from passion. In the film, Cezanne’s Still Life with Apples and Oranges is seen when Betty comes into his shop. Bill is trying to replicate the same painting himself, though with his own twist and technique. The painting itself was a major breakthrough during the French Renaissance, as it symbolised the time itself through the use of still objects. The apples and oranges in the painting are different, yet still fruits, and are placed in bowls or placed randomly around the table. Picasso’s Sleeping Woman Before Green Shutters again plays an important role in supporting Ross’s ideas of change in the film. In fact, it appears as a turning point of the film where Betty finally accepts her colour and gives an emotional impact on
her. To Kill a Mockingbird is also strongly alluded to in Pleasantville from almost identical scenes to even the names of certain characters. For example, the coloured individuals from both the movie and book have them standing in the gallery before a one-sided case in favour of the non-coloured people. The coloured people have barely anything to support their own word and only just have the support of those in the same situation as they were. Additionally, even the insults towards the coloured people and the names of certain characters (e.g. Bill Johnson and Tim Johnson) is very similar to that of Mockingbird. Despite each case having different outcomes, they still impact both towns with new knowledge and perspective of the struggles of the coloured people. Gary Ross uses intertextuality and allusion in a powerful manner to express his ideas of change and the ways it can be dealt with. Whether it be through scenes strongly referencing To Kill a Mockingbird or the protagonist in Catcher in the Rye, Ross uses these ideas to allow his characters to break the restraints of change and search for ways to deal with all the new experiences that they are to undergo.
Carol Armstrong begins her essay by pointing out the two main points that come about when discussing A Bar at the Folies-Bergere. These two points are the social context of the painting and its representation of 19th century Paris, and the internal structure of the painting itself with the use of space. She then goes on and addresses what she will be analyzing throughout her essay. She focuses on three main points, the still life of the counter and its commodities, the mirror and its “paintedness”, and the barmaid and her “infra-thin hinge” between the countertop and the mirror.
The only real way to truly understand a story is to understand all aspects of a story and their meanings. The same goes for movies, as they are all just stories being acted out. In Thomas Foster's book, “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, Foster explains in detail the numerous ingredients of a story. He discusses almost everything that can be found in any given piece of literature. The devices discussed in Foster's book can be found in most movies as well, including in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic, “Pulp Fiction”. This movie is a complicated tale that follows numerous characters involved in intertwining stories. Tarantino utilizes many devices to make “Pulp Fiction” into an excellent film. In this essay, I will demonstrate how several literary devices described in Foster's book are put to use in Tarantino’s film, “Pulp Fiction”, including quests, archetypes, food, and violence.
Michael Moore states in his film that we are now living in sick times, a time where financial profit is more important than human lives. That is not true although in the 1950s were “Pleasantville” is set. It is an Idyllic time where structure, laws and family values are widespread throughout the land; it is more highlighted to be golden age as we are subjected to David and Jennifer’s modern world, a world very similar to our own where the college counsellor shatters dreams, the health teachers labels the act of non-monogamous relations as dangerous and deadly and to add insult to injury the science teacher warns of further catastrophe as the ozone layer depletes, the stunned students in this world look to a future of despair. Even though Pleasantville looks to be pretty tempting by this point, that world is not all lollipops and rainbows. It is in fact very black and white. The film “Pleasantville” and the Michael Moore documentary “The Big One” show how sinister the trend of conformity could be as a result of change which is caused by racism, prejudice and discrimination. The film “Pleasantville” has a very different plot from the realism of the issues raised in “The Big one” but both explore different societal issues and how both films relate in terms of their themes.
Contextual Theory: This painting depicts a portrait of life during the late 1800’s. The women’s clothing and hair style represent that era. Gorgeous landscape and a leisurely moment are captured by the artist in this work of
When looking at the painting it gives us a glimpse of the past. It looks almost like a photograph. The fine detail from the building on the right with the statue on top. The citizens walking around.
The concept of change is conveyed through the film Pleasantville in various ways such as colour from black and white to a colourful Pleasantville. This film portrayed the changes that occurred in American society over the past 50 years. The movie describes various changes that occurred such as in sexual relations, violence, and family matters and roles. Pleasantville film represents the viewer with how the racial and sexual equality began and that the world we live in is not perfect. It also depicts the on-going changes in everyday lifestyles of the American citizens. Another change was the civil rights movements, reversed racism. Also, women’s liberation was submissive but not sexual. Moreover, sexual revolution the advent of the pill. Pleasantville
With the arrival of the TV repair man we get more sense of the sci-fi
Phillips, Gene D. Conrad and Cinema: The Art of Adaptation. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 1995.
The art piece chosen for analyzing in this essay is from Claude Monet, The Windmill on the Onbekende Gracht Amsterdam oil on canvas painting from 1874. Claude Monet was born on November 14 in 1840 in Paris, French, and he death on December 5 in 1926 in Giverny, France. He was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement 's philosophy of expressing one 's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plain air landscape painting. According with the information next to the painting in the museum of art in Houston “on one of his visits to Holland, Monet was intrigued by this charming windmill situated on the small “unknown quayside” in Amsterdam. The mill, built in 1656, produced textile dyes and was demolished in 1876.
Neill, Alex. “Empathy and (Film) Fiction.” Philosophy of film and motion pictures : an anthology. Ed. Noel Carrol and Jinhee Choi. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. 247-259. Print.
Art in general is a factor that allows humans to express their creativity, as they apply the essentials of history, media, elements and principles of design. It was those recent class trips, that I had taken to La Salle Art Museum, that instantly allowed me to acquire a deeper passion for art. Soon enough, in the 17th century exhibit, I saw a piece of artwork that was remarkably aesthetic for me. The artwork is ironically titled, “Still Life with Fruit”. The approximate size of this artwork is 16 inches wide by 20 inches long. The artwork dated back to the year of 1689. A Dutchman named, Jan Mortel, born during the year of 1650, was the artist of this artwork. Judging from the artwork, Jan Mortel had a great talent for oil painting. Jan Mortel
Barsam, Richard. Looking at Movies An Introduction to Film, Second Edition (Set with DVD). New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. Print.
This painting by Vincent Van Gogh is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, in the Impressionism exhibit. There are many things going on in this painting that catch the viewer’s eye. The first is the piece’s vibrant colors, light blues and browns, bright greens, and more. The brush strokes that are very visible and can easily be identified as very thick some might even say bold. The furniture, the objects, and the setting are easy to identify and are proportioned to each other. There is so much to see in this piece to attempt to explain in only a few simple sentences.
The postmodern cinema emerged in the 80s and 90s as a powerfully creative force in Hollywood film-making, helping to form the historic convergence of technology, media culture and consumerism. Departing from the modernist cultural tradition grounded in the faith in historical progress, the norms of industrial society and the Enlightenment, the postmodern film is defined by its disjointed narratives, images of chaos, random violence, a dark view of the human state, death of the hero and the emphasis on technique over content. The postmodernist film accomplishes that by acquiring forms and styles from the traditional methods and mixing them together or decorating them. Thus, the postmodern film challenges the “modern” and the modernist cinema along with its inclinations. It also attempts to transform the mainstream conventions of characterization, narrative and suppresses the audience suspension of disbelief. The postmodern cinema often rejects modernist conventions by manipulating and maneuvering with conventions such as space, time and story-telling. Furthermore, it rejects the traditional “grand-narratives” and totalizing forms such as war, history, love and utopian visions of reality. Instead, it is heavily aimed to create constructed fictions and subjective idealisms.
“Entertainment has to come hand in hand with a little bit of medicine, some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything’s okay. I don’t make those kinds of movies. That, to me, is a lie. Everything’s not okay.” - David Fincher. David Fincher is the director that I am choosing to homage for a number of reasons. I personally find his movies to be some of the deepest, most well made, and beautiful films in recent memory. However it is Fincher’s take on story telling and filmmaking in general that causes me to admire his films so much. This quote exemplifies that, and is something that I whole-heartedly agree with. I am and have always been extremely opinionated and open about my views on the world and I believe that artists have a responsibility to do what they can with their art to help improve the culture that they are helping to create. In this paper I will try to outline exactly how Fincher creates the masterpieces that he does and what I can take from that and apply to my films.