For this blog post the corporate blog that I will be analyzing is ESPN Wide World of Sports blog.
By following Dr. Lutterell’s 10 steps for a quality corporate blog I will analyze the ESPN blog and then determine if I think it is a well-kept blog or not.
Step 1: Determine your blog team for this site, blog posts are mostly posted by a team on the site, ESPNWWOS, but have a main author with their photo next to the article link and description. Some of the posts list only one specific author instead of ESPNWWOS. Personally I do not like the inconsistency of different interfaces posting to the blog. If an author wanted to post on their own, they should do so on their own personal blog. However, this seldom occurs and overall the team is clear small group of writers. I do appreciate that the authors are given credit to their work and one can put a face with the article.
Step 2: Determine the Blog’s purpose-The blog’s purpose seems to be to inform and educate readers of different perspectives, opportunities, and advancements in the sports world. More specifically, the site seems to be geared toward active families and also encourages people to stay at this one of many Disney World resorts. This is done subtly and tastefully. Little “Disney” touches such as the Mickey Mouse head icon on the blog’s tab help the reader think of the ESPN resort and corporation of having some Disney magic of its own.
Step 3: Determine the Blog’s target audience For the blog’s main page the audience is rather wide. It can range from sports enthusiasts to Disney lovers or maybe somewhere in between. To get a more narrowed range of a target audience, there are links at the bottom of the main page. This links can take the reader to a more specific section. There are 15 links for a different specific sport along with an “other sports” link. There are also links for information on the facilities, services available, and a Walt Disney World Link. The ideal target audience for the blog would be someone interested in visiting the facility or competing in one of their events but there are many possibilities provided.
Step 4: Determine a Persona and Voice of the Blog- The voice of the blog reminds me of a news team with different sections. There is one author who focuses on happenings in the resort, multiple authors who provide tips on how to help someone who is directly impacted by sports in their everyday life, and the author who seems to try out different things and provide a new perspective.
Step 5: Develop Meaning for Your Blog- The meanings of this blog seems to fall under the main categories of How-To guides, tips and hints, events and happenings, a few video clips, and accommodations/programs offered.
Step 6: Develop an Editorial Calender for the Blog- Posts seem to be added about once a month but do not have a specific date or may not even be posted in that month. The blog seems rather successful up to this step. It’s easy to navigate, is clean and clear, and has different types of readings available but the inconsistency of the postings could be frustrating.
Step 7: Determine a Publication Schedule Again, posts are inconsistent and to that point, could be frustrating.
Step 8: Develop the Rules for the Blog- If I had to pick rules for this blog I would say that it would be, in some way, shape, or form love sports. Features like the “2016 Disney Sports Mom” focus on and celebrate people’s enthusiasm and love for sports and support the rule to love sports.
Step 9: Develop a Content Curation Plan for Your Blog- This is accomplished well in the ESPNWWOF blog because the topics are clearly explained in the title of the article then have a short description. The articles could be more timely if they aligned with the current sports season that is in session when the article is posted. However, for many of the people who are targeted in this blog, there is no one “season” for a sport because they (or their family member) play year-round in different leagues or with organizations.
Step 10: Develop a Promotional Plan for Your Blog- This blog allows for articles to be shared and they also have a Facebook and twitter link under their “social” tab. However, many people who I have interacted with before are unaware that the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a part of Disney. I participated in a softball Spring Training program/showcase here as a Senior in highschool and unless you have been to the complex, it is not clear that Disney and the complex are connected. If Disney World promoted the complex more and the Espn made Disney a slightly less subtle part of their blog I believe their would be more interest in the complex.
Overall, this blog is rather successful according to the steps set by Dr. Lutterll but they could be more consistent in some areas. Articles could be posted more consistently and there could be articles for a wider range of sports more often. My last critique would be to have an author that provides more of an athlete prospective. The most clear perspective provided is that of the “team mom” and/or a team manager or coordinator. To have athletes have articles published on their experience at the ESPN resort or how the experience impacted their life as an athlete would help attract interest of athletes passionate about their sport and wanting to gain more experience and/or exposure to continue to enjoy the game they love.
Pretty Woman is a romantic-comedy film that was directed by Garry Marshall released in 1990 and stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. Of the eleven awards it was nominated for it won eight. The film’s plot is a wealthy businessman (Edward) meets a beautiful prostitute (Vivian) in Hollywood by asking her for directions. After some negotiation she decides to show him the way to his hotel personally. He then invites her to his room to stay the night. After spending some time with Vivian, Edward realizes that he enjoys spending time with her so he decides he can fix his problem of having to go stag to social and business events throughout the upcoming week by paying Vivian to be his “escort”. Vivian agrees to stay if she’s paid $3,000. Edward agrees and also buys her and entire new wardrobe. They attend a business dinner, a polo match, an Opera, among other things and the more they get to know each other, the more they realize that they’re in love. This modern Cinderella story is topped off when Edward comes roaring in like a knight in shining armor on his white limo, with red flowers, and climbs the urban tower of a fire escape to save the helpless Vivian from the evils of the world. And they live happily ever after.
The scene that I chose to analyze is towards the end of the film. Vivian and Edward get dressed up before Edward surprises her with a trip to the Opera. After letting Vivian put on a quarter of a million dollar necklace that he borrowed from the jewelry store they are on their way. Here is a link to the whole movie and the section I will be taking a closer look at is from 1:42:00 to about 1:48:39. I picked this scene because it is one of my favorite film moments of all time from one of my favorite films of all time and I think I plays an important role in shaping the movie.
Writing/Story:
The writing in this section helps to shape the story for the duration of the film and shows a true turning point for both of the main characters. By having Edward allow Vivian to borrow an extremely expensive necklace, it shows that he trusts her a lot more than he did previously. A time when he shows he doesn’t trust Vivian is on the first night that met when she’s flossing her teeth but he assumes that she is doing drugs. This film is realistic in the sense that its events seem to just speak for themselves without the need of a narrator. The writing of this film is very unconventional which is why it is so easy to watch this film over and over again without getting bored. In this particular scene when Vivian and Edward walk down from their Pent House Suite their transformation is astonishing and the audience is supposed to have a similar reaction to the reaction of the hotel staff. Everyone kind of clears way for the two stars of the film and quietly whisper, point, and smile, being pleased with the way Vivian and Edward have gotten their act together and shaped up. The way the storyline is written, the spectator is always captured by unconventional situations because Vivian starts out looking like a cheap hooker and then transforms into looking like a sophisticated lady, which is unconventional from her first appearance. The dialogue in this section also is very key. Vivian says that she’s never been on a plane before, she is surprised when there’s a band at the opera, and she thinks that her opera glasses are broken. All of these instances help reinforce and remind the audience that Vivian and Edward are still very different, and that is part of the reason why they enjoy each other’s company so much.
Vivian before & after
Photography and Mise en Scene:
One major important part of this scene is Vivian’s outfit. She is wearing a stunning, tight, bright red dress. The red of her dress represents the desire that Edward has for her and that that desire is starting to become love. It is clear that this was a purposeful choice because if Pretty Woman is a modern Cinderella story then Vivian could have worn blue or white and looked just as beautiful but she wore red to remind us of her sexuality and of the romance between Edward and herself. If she were to wear white or blue that point wouldn’t have been as clear and we may start to think that she’s innocent but that’s not the case either.
Her bright red dress also makes Vivian stand out more than any of the other characters in this scene. Even though most of the hotel employees have at least accents of red in their uniforms, the colors compliment Vivian’s dress rather than draw attention away from her. Also, right before getting on the plane there is a red carpet which also just adds to the romance of the scene, rather than take anything away from Vivian. Even with the Opera house having red doors, red curtains, and red seats, all eyes are still on Vivian and all of these color choices just enhance the glamour factor of the evening. No one else in this scene is wearing the amount of red that Vivian is, which helps her to stand out that much more.
Another important part of the Mise en Scene in this section is Vivian’s placement. From the moment that she comes out of the hotel room in her bright red dress until she is leaving the Opera, she is almost always in the center of the shot. This helps the audience realize that she is becoming more and more important in Edward’s life, and in society. Also, at the Opera the “couple” have box seats even though Edward is afraid of heights because, just like the Penthouse, “they’re the best”. This placement choice also reinforces Vivian’s importance.
Sound
The importance of sound here is done in a very odd way. In the beginning of the scene, you can easily hear Vivian and Edward’s conversation but as the scene progresses their conversations start to be drowned out by music. As the two are traveling to their show there is a nondiegetic song playing. The song playing is Lauren Wood’s Fallen. This song shows the feelings that the co-stars have for each other and that are becoming more and more prevalent.
The way that the characters speak shows their class, cultural background, morals, beliefs, and characteristics. When Edward talks it is very easy to see that he is upper class and that he is from a rich family or at least was wealthy from a young age. He talks about a limo, his private jet, and going to the opera like it’s just an everyday thing. Edward explains the opera like it’s a been there done that type of deal. He knows that opening night never starts on time, Vivian’s glasses aren’t really broken, and explains that the Opera is very powerful–even if you can’t understand the language it’s being performed in. From Vivian’s speech you can tell that she is not at all used to this type of lifestyle. She reveals that she has never been on a plane before, she is surprised to see a band, and she’s perplexed on how she’ll understand the show when it’s in Italian. perhaps the most clear indicator that shows Vivian is not used to this kind of life is when an elderly lady asks if she enjoyed it and she answers, “Oh it was so good I almost peed my pants.” The old lady is set aback by this answer and is much less confused when Edward says, “She said she liked it better than Pirates of Penzance”. This answer still doesn’t make sense, but in the mind of the old lady, it makes more sense than an elegant young lady saying she almost peed her pants.
Drama:
The drama in this scene is shown everywhere. The drama of the surprise leads to drama of the Opera which is only mirrored in the drama in the lives of Edward and Vivian. The drama really starts in the elevator, where Edward won’t tell Vivian where they are going. Then as they leave the hotel and go to a limo that takes the couple to Edward’s private jet, the audience is put in the shoes of Vivian because they also don’t know where the couple is going. When they get on the plane, the pilot says, “Well it should be a pretty smooth flight Mr. Louis, the weather is clear all the way up to San Francisco. We should be there in about 50 minutes”. So, not only is the audience informed on at least the city that they are going to, but also how long their trip will be. This helps the viewers gauge how long this event will take and they can safely assume that it will all happen in one evening. When arriving at the Opera House, the audience has a safe guess when assuming that Vivian and Edward are in a theatre but still are unsure of what type of event they are attending. The viewers can’t really be sure that it’s an opera until the characters go up to their seats where there are others that are dressed up just as much as the couple is and that have opera glasses. If the person watching this section missed all of the cues pointing to the show being an opera, they can be one hundred percent sure that that’s where they are when the usher says, “Enjoy the opera”. Another element that adds to the drama of this scene is the use of space. The areas that the couple are in constantly shift from being open to being closed. They start in the closed space of the elevator then walk to the openness of the lobby. This mirrors the wide range of possible things that they can be on their way to go do since Vivian doesn’t know yet where they are going. They then go to a closed space of the limo followed by another closed space of the plane. Both of these transportation spaces are closed because the driver and pilot both have a set destination and the possibilities are no longer infinite. Next, they go to the openness of another lobby. This open space shows another space of possibility because the audience is still unaware of what is going to happen next or what type of event is being attended. Finally, once it is clear that the couple are at an opera, the space is again closed. They’re seated in the box seats and Vivian is literally in the corner with nowhere else to go. When the audience is shown scenes of the opera that then cut back to medium shots of Vivian, it’s clear that the performers have a much more open space than Vivian does. This shows the contrast between the possibilities that are in media, performances, art, etc. versus the binding rules and guidelines of real life. Perhaps the most important part that made up the drama of this scene is Vivian’s reaction to the opera. She never seems to take her eyes off of the stage, once she figures out that her glasses aren’t really broken that is, she’s smiling, leaning on the literal edge of her seat, and she even cries at the end. Vivian’s reactions to her first opera going experience shows that art is powerful, even if you can’t understand it.
Acting:
The two featured professionally trained actors that star in this scene, as well as the film itself are Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Richard Gere is a personality star in this film. He plays his typical modern-day silver fox who is some younger, beautiful woman’s prince charming. Julia Roberts’ role in this film can now be seen as a role as a personality star but when it was released, she wasn’t very well-known. She got a lot of her fame from this movie and it made her into more of a personality star. Julia’s personality really starts to shine as soon as she puts on her red dress. Prior to the part of the scene that I picked can be considered the moment when America fell in love with Julia.
Here is a clip that is explaining the meaning behind the particular scene where Julia’s uniqueness shines through and ultimately sets her career on the track to her becoming a personality star. Both of these stars are usually cast in roles that are in romance movies. Richard is the typically prince charming who saves the damsel in distress and Julia is the beautiful, down to earth, girl next door who winds up sweeping her co-star and her audience, off their feet.
Movement:
This section has a lot literal and concrete sources of movement. In the parts where Vivian and Edward are in more open places, they are filmed walking towards the camera. This movement shows their confidence as well as their friendly, inviting, and seductive mannerisms. The parts where there are transportation methods required (the limo and plane) the shots are pans or horizontal shots in order to capture their movement. Then, when the characters are in sight of San Francisco there is an aerial crane shot so that it looks like they are seeing the city from the window of the plane. An important moment of movement is when Vivian can’t figure out how to use her opera glasses and thinks that they are broken. This is important because it reminds the audience again of the differences between herself and Edward when Edward easily “fixes” them. This part has a lot of movement to show Vivian’s struggle and then not much movement for Edward’s “triumph”. While Vivian is watching the opera, the camera captures her face in close and low angles. These types of angles help show the intensity of her facial expressions and the power that the show is having over her emotions.
Editing:
This scene has uses classical cutting. The shots are put together in a way that the events that would have occurred over the course of a few hours, happens in about seven minutes. We can have guess that this happens in a long time because the pilot says they’ll be arriving in 50 minutes and then just from general knowledge, it can be assumed the opera took a few hours. These moments all have smooth transitions from one location on to the next one. The close up shots of Vivian are all shot that way so that the dramatic effects of her facial expressions can be caught. Vivian’s expressions caught in a close up also helps to appeal to the emotions of the audience. There is an establishing shot when the doors of the Opera House are shown.
WWE is a truly theatrical performance. The wrestlers (a.k.a. performers) set up there act in order to engage and entertain their audience. In the film, The Wrestler the drama used in the ring during a show is carried on throughout the film by the acting techniques that Randy “The Ram” uses. In the movie, the sound that The Ram would hear from his fans before a match are “heard” before he goes to face a new and personally difficult task, customer relations at a grocery store deli counter. The soundtrack of the movie also matches the emotions that the actors are portraying at the time. This went so far, that Bruce Springsteen actually wrote a song specifically for this movie that plays at the end of the film. It captures the emotions, themes, and purpose of the film so perfectly that it’s clear that that’s why this song was written for this film.
(Above is the song, The Wrestler written by Bruce Springsteen being played to a montage of clips and still images from the film The Wrestler)
Another scene where sound is used to enhance acting is when Pam and Randy are in the bar getting a drink together and a song from the 80s starts to play. Here the characters can connect through the type of music that they both enjoy and also a more promising and sought after time for them. They talk about how they both hated the 90s and the audience is reminded that they are both kind of washed up and wishing that they still lived in the past because it was a better time than the present.
Although this section of the above scene isn’t necessarily very dramatic itself, it sets the groundwork that causes the domino effect of the drama that makes up the entire film. This scene is really where the characters both admit to being unhappy with the times they are living in and ultimately, the way their lives have turned out.
One of the most dramatic scenes of this entire movie is the final fight that Randy “The Ram” is in. He has gone against the orders of the doctors and has returned to the ring for one final rematch. In this scene he delivers probably one of the most memorable lines of the entire film when he tells Pam: “The only place I get hurt is out there.” This line is extremely dramatic and powerful because for the entirety of the movie we have witnessed all of Randy’s physical pains caused by wrestling, but to him, it doesn’t compare to the emotional pain he feels from societal pressures and expectations. Pam is also dramatic in this scene because she changed and feels that she deserves better than just being a stripper who is a single mom and tries to convince Randy that he also deserves better, but is shot down because of Randy’s stubbornness and will to perform for the only people who he feels love him, his fans. The drama of this scene all leads up to the most dramatic part of the film: Randy’s death. He knowingly chooses to die. This is clear from the way the actor plays the final fight. He would rather die a wrestling legend, than a societal burden. As Randy “The Ram” takes his final jump off of the top ropes, he plunges into a beautiful death, rather than taking the alternative route and playing it safe until one day society puts him down so far, that he eventually just happens to wind up in his grave.
In conclusion, “The Wrestler” pile drives the task of using drama, acting, and sound to tie the entire message of the film together. This is an emotional rollercoaster and is executed beautifully, I really enjoyed it but without the knowledge I have from this class I more than likely would have turned it off after 20 minutes.
The Blind Side is an incredibly wonderful, heartfelt, and eye opening film. Much of the power that the film has is its seemingly seamless editing. This makes the film, that is based on a true story, seem even more real. There are a few scenes that are edited in ways to provide emphasis on that particular moment.
One clear moment of editing brilliance is during a scene featuring “Big Mike’s” first football game ever. The specific section that I’d like to analyze is after Michael is kicked in the head by number 66 of the opposing team, a player who had been nothing but disrespectful and cocky since he was introduced in the film. After Michael’s coach begins to argue that there was no call for unsportsmanlike conduct, the refs makes a penalty call on him. At this point, the coach’s movements become sporadic and aggressive, then Michael controls him, taking control of the entire situation. The coach says that “he will protect Michael like he’s my own son” and wheels in Mike’s head begin to turn. He returns to the huddle and instructs the quarterback to run the ball. As Michael makes his way to the line of scrimmage and the impaniss number 66 says that “coach ain’t here to protect ya now, is he?” the background music becomes louder, the sounds of the game fade out, and Mrs. Tuohy voice calmly, and clearly says, “this team is your family Michael”. This is directly referring back to an earlier scene where she tells Michael to protect this team like it’s his family, so with that thought in mind, Michael then proceeds to protect his quarter back and send the other team home. Without this simple edited moment of about 3 seconds, really helps to show the development of Big Mike as a person altogether, with added emphasis on his growth as a football player and the impact that Mrs. Tuohy has on him.
This is the scene that I had just described, followed by the scene where Mrs. Tuohy initially tells Michael to protect his team like it’s his family.
Another key scene where the sound and movement are edited very well in The Blind Side, is when Michael goes to part of town where he grew up. In this scene, Michael becomes overcome with anger when one of his old “friends”, Alton, begins talking about Mrs. Tuohy and Collins. When Big Mike tells him to shut up, Alton says that he will “bust a cap” in Mike’s fat ass then go pay a visit to his new momma and sister. After hearing this, Michael goes on a bit of a rampage and begins to assault various people in the room. After a few moments of violence, the music again comes in stronger and the world seems to stop. Michael has a flash back to when he was taken from his mother as a child because there is a baby crying and its hysterical mother in the room. These flashbacks featured throughout the movie are done so well that they hardly seem like flashbacks.
Overall, The Blind Side is a heartwarming, feel good story that shows you that even if you come from a bad situation, if you surround yourself with good people and make good choices, great things can happen. I love this film and am happy to say that by breaking it down further and revealing what is under the surface, I love it even more now.
12 Years a Slave is a film that tells a horrific story through a beautiful use of photography, mise en scene, story, and writing. The ideology of this film can be analyzed through just one pivotal scene.
This scene shows the attempted lynching of the main character, Plat.
First, I will discuss the use of photography in this scene. Here the lighting is very natural, matching the outdoors setting of the scene. The natural lighting also mirrors the natural feel of this type of event occurring. It is rather clear that things like this even happen often and aren’t thought about twice based on the reactions of all of the other characters in the scene. The use of lighting in this scene also helps the viewer grasp how much time has gone by. By having the sun be the only source of lighting in the scene, the viewer can also use the sun as a clock. This gives them a better guess of how long Plat is left tiptoeing with a rope on his neck. The photography also shows how the the slaves were more focused on their own individual safety at this time, and not very concerned about the safety of others. This is most clear when the camera zooms in on the children playing behind Plat who are in a bright light and Plat’s face is shadowed.
The story of this scene is also wonderful. The movie is a whole is a conglomeration of stories that Plat experienced in his twelve years of slavery. This particular scene shows how an experience that the average viewer could not imagine happening, is seen as a rather typical thing at that time. This displays the difference in the type of thinking done in this time period.
The mise en scene in this scene does an excellent job in emphasising the divide among different people. Plat is essentially isolated from all of the other slaves, with the exception of one who gives him a sip of water and then runs away. All of the other slaves act as if he isn’t even there and chose not to help him, in feat that they may end up with the same fate, if not worse. The overseer is on the lower level of the house and is very distanced from the slaves, showing his class standing. Mr. Ford’s wife is also looking upon the slaves from a distance but she is placed very high above them on the balcony of the plantation home. This emphasises her upper class standing and gives her a God-like appearance above the slaves and the overseer. As for Mr. Ford, he is not placed above the slaves quite as clearly as the other two but it is still rather obvious. He comes in on a horse which makes him up higher and then when he is almost even with Plat, he cuts him down.
The writing in this scene seems to be lacking, but it is brilliantly done. There is no dialogue in this scene, except for background noise but this just emphasises the isolation of the classes and people in this scene. This also shows how the disturbance that the viewer feel towards the event, is absent from the characters in the scene. The character that shows the greatest absence of emotion, is Mrs. Ford. She simply stares at Plat struggling for a few seconds, then turns her back and acts like it’s nothing. The only two sources of empathy in the scene are the slave bringing water to Plat and then running away, and when Mr. Ford finally rides in like Plat’s knight in shining armour and cuts him down.
This uses all of its resources to emphasis the ideology of every man for himself, the class structure at this time, and the dehumanization of blacks in the south during the times of slavery. They truly were seen merely as property, nothing more.
The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an incredible movie that uses photography and mise en scene wonderfully. One shot that captures both of these structures very well is when Clementine and Joel are laying on a frozen river and are trying to find constellations.
This scene is ironic because Clem says “the ice won’t crack, or break” as they are literally surrounded by cracks in the ice. This should cause a sense of urgency for the characters, but they seem very peaceful and at ease. The lighting in this scene is low key, except for the artificial lighting around the two main characters. This “spotlight effect” is also used later on throughout the film when they are tracking Joel’s memory and trying to hunt down all of his memories of Clem in order to erase them. This choice in lighting also makes the characters dominant in the shot and the eye is instantly drawn to them, then the crack in the ice. The placement of the characters, or their Mise en Scene, is also important in this shot. They are placed in the foreground of the upper right corner, making their importance throughout the film clear. Also, even though Clem’s character is much shorter than Joel’s character, due to the angle the viewer is looking down on both characters and they seem to be about the same height. The shot is a bird’s eye view which also allows the framing to be more open and suggests freedom for Clem and Joel to move around.
The second shot I chose to analyze is when Joel is trying to hide Clem from the people trying to erase all of the memories of her. This shot has a neutral, or eye level angle and is allowing the viewer to be more actively involved in this section of the film.
Again the lighting is low key, with the the spotlight more clearly used than in the previous shot. Now, because the film is starting to get more intense, the shots become more and more urgent. This particular shot is showing Joel’s desperate feelings for trying to save the memories of Clem and both characters have shifted from the top right side of the shot to the bottom left. This shows that the characters have lost their power and are very vulnerable at this point in the movie. This frame is also dramatically less open than the previous example. They are also shown as moving about more than in the other example. In a still shot the attention is first drawn to Clementine because of her bright hair and clothing, but in the film the attention is drawn to Joel because he is moving more. This scene is very dense and with a lot of information inclosed in the medium shot. Having the characters being shot in a profile view in this shot versus the full frontal in the previous shot makes them more mysterious. In the beginning of the movie, it just seemed like a typical romantic comedy and the viewers already could guess what was going to happen between the two star-crossed lovers, but as the storyline progresses and takes a dramatic turn, the viewer is left guessing what’s going to happen next. By looking at these two separate shots alone and the Mise en Scene and Photography that is used, much of this story can be told.
Slumdog Millionaire starts as a story that seems to be a fantasy because who doesn’t want to be a millionaire? Who can honestly say that when they are watching Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune that they haven’t thought what it would be like to be on the show? That they know they are smart enough to win the big prize and what they would do if they won the show? Slumdog Millionaire takes its viewers on a journey to show how Jamal became the slumdog millionaire and how his life had impacted him so that he knew the answers to the questions he was asked.
This film is set up in a formalist fashion and the storyline is mixed up so that the plot is more intriguing. By beginning the film with Jamal being tortured and being accused of being a cheat the viewer is instantly drawn into the story. Then, by retracing his life and learning with Jamal, how he knows the answers to his questions, the viewer begins to identify with him and become more attached and involved in the movie. The story is structured in such a way that it takes you through the life of Jamal and watch him grow up and see his character develop. The story is also made in such a way that by following Jamal’s experiences, we also follow his brother, Salim, and his early childhood friend and the love of his life, Latika, thus forming the Three Musketeers.
The Three Musketeers becomes an allusion that is used throughout the entirety of the film. It is referenced early on when Salim and Jamal are called Athos and Porthos by their school teacher while they are reading the book. When they become orphans and meet their fellow orphan, Latika, Jamal asks Salim if she can be their third Musketeer. At the end of the film, before Jamal is reunited with Latika, his final, million dollar question, is what is the name of the third musketeer. He doesn’t know so he phones a friend, by doing this, he finds Latika again and even though she doesn’t know the either, he doesn’t care because he has found her. When everything in his life seems right, he doesn’t need to be on the show anymore and never cared about the money, he just wanted to be reunited with his third musketeer, Aramis.
One clear symbol that is seen throughout the film was Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tadan’s use of trains to foreshadow catastrophic events. The first time a train used as a symbol was before the death of Salim and Jamal’s mother, along with Latika’s family. After the train passed the Muslim’s were brutally attacked. The next time a train was pictured, was when “the three musketeers” were running away from their “saint” orphanage. At this point, Salim allowed Latika to be left behind, essentially ripping Jamal from his destiny.
After living life on the rails for awhile, Salim and Jamal fall off of the train and trains aren’t pictured again until Latika is running to Jamal again. It seems at this point that everything is going to be alight, until Salim shows up again and rips Latika away from his brother.
Slumdog Millionaire shows that sometimes no matter how much life shits on you, the underdog can end up on top.
Frozen and The Lego Movie are two seemingly unrelated movies when you look purely on the surface. At first, it seems that the only similarities they share are the fact that they are targeted for the same general age group. After digging a little deeper, it is clear that the underlying structure of these two films are surprisingly similar. These two movies are both set in very structured societies with their own specialized set of rules designed for all individuals to live by.
The ideology in The Lego Movie is to live by the rules and follow all of “the instructions” set by President Business. To do this, everyone must give up their individuality and do everything the same way, otherwise they will be subject to punishment. The group of individuals that openly chose to defy the boundaries forced onto them by society are the master builders. The master builders believe in the power of one’s one unique qualities, ideas, and capabilities. They repeatedly focus on the specialness of every individual. In this film Emmett, or “the special”, is a seemingly ordinary person who follows all the rules, all of the time. He doesn’t know anything other than living inside of the rules forced on him by the society in which he lives. The thing that ends up making Emmett special is the belief that he is special. There is no such thing as “the special”, but if given the opportunity to add some creativity to life and color outside the lines a bit, anyone can be special.
Similarly, in Frozen, there are rules that Elsa must abide by in order to live in and rule Arendelle. She is forced to conceal a huge part of her life and hide the fact that she has magical powers from everyone. She has to hide the thing that makes her special in order to fit in with society and be a part of it. When Elsa runs away from her kingdom she is freeing herself from society and the rules that it forces onto her. She can finally be herself and learn what she is capable of.
(below: a picture of Elsa embracing her new found freedom from societal pressure and the ability to break social norms and finally be herself)
When others try to change her mind and persuade her to not be a “monster” anymore, she resists. After much time and effort spent by Elsa trying to keep her new found freedom, she is forced back to Arendelle where she is then isolated from the world and literally placed in the chains of society.
(Below: a picture of Elsa, once again bound by the society she lives in to hide her individuality)
Both of these films have an ideology focused around individuality, but only within some limits set by society. In The Lego Movie, the reason that Emmett is the hero is he is a combination of an ordinary individual and a master builder. This means that he lives his life rather moderately. He lies somewhere between the polar opposites of the master builders and the ordinary citizens. In Frozen, Elsa is only released from the chains of society when she learns to be herself and she is no longer a threat to society. Both of these movies have the theme that only when you can learn to be yourself within the limits of society can you be a part of a functional society. This means that Elsa and Emmett can show their individuality but only within the means of the society that are already put in place. In both of these films there are individuals that break the social norms of their societies and escape from the pressures that each of their societies push onto them. But, in the end, they change the limitations of their societies and (in a way) compromise by following some of the rules while still holding onto and embracing their individuality.
Vivian before & after
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