Place And Space In The Film, Man On Fire And Elastic Heart '

Dance is a form of movement in demonstrating expression, escape, and exhibiting individuality, while place is associated to the experience and meaning that has been embedded within the space from the performance. The two music videos, “Man on Fire” and “Elastic Heart,” both reveal the variation of scale and place, while signifying the issue of ethnicity and gender. On the other hand, the “Fatboy Slim” film centers on the notion of space, and how space can be distinguished between private versus public space. In brief, all three films evolve around the concept of place and space through the interpretation of an individual or a group’s experience of dance.

The film “Man on Fire” by Edward Sharpe concentrated on the idea of scale, place, and

The scale changes dramatically as a boy tumbling down a basketball court to a team of cheerleaders practicing in a gymnasium. Moreover, according to lecture, place is a location where individuals embed meaning through the process of experience (Zonn, 09/22). Likewise, the article Place: An Experiential Perspective by Tuan specified that place is created when individuals bring meaning to a particular space (Tuan, 1975). Similarly, Edward Sharpe defined place by the perception of the performers changing the nature of the space and place based on their spirit and experience. In other words, Edward Sharpe characterizes place as something that was created through the meaning and experiences that were added from individuals, whereas society defines place based on the expected uses and activities upon the appropriate space. For example, the film “Man on Fire” presented a ballet performance in a New York alley where people would generally consider the space as a place to walk through. While the alley is interpreted as a narrow passageway, it meant for a place of presentation, dancing, and reunion for the

In “Elastic Heart,” the environment was simple with the white painted walls and the modest iron birdcage. On the other hand, although the scenery was straightforward, the performance was confusing and complex. Unlike Edward Sharpe’s video, the audience could not interpret the lyrics of the song with the performance. Because of the issue of gender and the dramatic dancing, the audience was not able to focus on the connection between the music and the performance. In other words, the audience could not comprehend the music because of the dramatic, modern tender approach that was given by the performers. Overall, besides the simple and bare scenery, place was created through the strong emotions and interactions between the two performers. The two individuals showed strong facial expressions and fast reactions towards one another’s dance. For example, the small girl played by Maddie Ziegler would jump, yell, and fight against the man, while the man played by Shia Labeouf would yell back or try to be friendly. As a result, place was embedded within the space of the birdcage from the two dancers’ experience and relationship towards one another. Although Maddie Ziegler had the ability to escape, she would return back into the birdcage and continue dancing. Meanwhile,