Color Vs. Black & White

In theory, everything is clearer in black and white. Most people try to reduce important issues this way. Two sides. Pro/Con. Black/White. But when we analyze any issue, we see that it has much more depth and breadth, that the issue is full of gray areas and certainly some colorful sides we might never have imagined upon first glance.

While Clerks is a black and white film, it is certainly populated by a colorful cast of characters who present issues that are anything but strictly black and white. Why film such a colorful cast and their controversial, sometimes offensive discussions in black and white? Wouldn't color film stock better illustrate the various shades and hues of these characters' lives?

In class, we have discussed personal prejudices against black and white films, and we have read what the experts think about it. While Kevin Smith made the decision to use black and white film stock based on the limitations of his budget, arguments can still be made about what the lack of color adds to or takes away from the film. Based on what you now know about visual design and cinematic use of color discuss the benefits or detriments of Smith's choice to use black and white film stock in light of its contribution to one or more narrative element (plot, character development, or theme).

Prevalent Themes in Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream

Darren Aronofsy's film adaptation of Requiem for a Dream deals with the destructive nature of addiction. It is easy to identify a theme here, some may even be tempted to say the theme. But other themes worthy of deeper investigation and discussion are present in the film as well, including the unattainability of the American dream and (if viewed in light of Aronofsky's entire body of work) obsession as catalyst for insanity.

Choose one of the film's theme to analyze. Articulate that theme as something more than the broad ideas listed above. Remember that a theme is something more than a moral or maxim for living; it is a complex argument about some idea that a literary work expresses subtly through its many nuances of character, plot, symbolism, etc. Examine how the film conveys that theme through its use of literary and cinematic conventions and how that theme is handled in comparison or contrast to other works of film and/or literature.

For Better or Worse: The Profound Impact of Art

Art is often created for the purpose of promoting social change. Other times, it causes change accidentally or in ways not intended by the artist. Consider, for example, Upton Sinclair's famous novel The Jungle. Sinclair meant for the novel to serve as social criticism, highlighting the plight of the American working class. Because his novel forced the American public to view uncensored the abject living and working conditions of the country's poverty-stricken citizens, then president Roosevelt authorized inspections which led to changes that eventually evolved into what is known today as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While not exactly the kind of change Sinclair had in mind when he self-published his novel over a century ago, this one artistic work caused change that still affects us in profound ways today.

It is highly doubtful that director Zack Snyder had such lofty intentions for his film 300. The controversies that arose in discussions about the film certainly didn't seem to indicate any postive changes for the US. In interviews, Snyder consistently denied any political agenda in light of current events and US relations with the Middle East. While his own political views likely influenced the creation of the film (in the way that our beliefs influence everything we do), we must either choose to take him at his word or not. Regardless of his intentions, the film definitely caused quite a stir around the world in light of the US occupation of multiple Middle Eastern countries including Iran. This particular work of art took on a life of its own. After all, once a film is released, the director cannot control how it will be interpreted by its many audiences. 300 certainly proved this. The film was praised for its high visual impact and special effects and criticized for such disparate reasons as mimicking the style of video games and being racist war propaganda. Somewhere in the middle of all that brouhaha Snyder's controversial film was contributing to serious political turmoil by poisoning the minds of Iranians against the US.

In the article "300 Sparks an Outcry in Iran" featured in Time magazine just a few days after the film's release, Azadeh Moaven describes the political unrest 300 caused half a world away from its release in the US for the citizens of a country already in conflict with the United States. Imagine you were native-born citizen of Iran, Iraq, or even Afghanistan and you became aware of the monstrous portrayals of Persians in this American film. How would you react?

Conduct some internet research and find other films that have had a significant impact on US society. Considering the two examples discussed as well as others you know of or discovered through research examples of how narratives, both film and literature, have impacted the political climate of the US, how sensitive do you think directors should be to the social and political ramifications of the work they produce?

Stranger Than...Allegory?

Allegory is a form of symbolism in which all elements of a story are symbolic. Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" is one of the most famous allegories that investigates the nature of knowledge and why many people choose to remain ignorant.

After reading Plato's allegory and conducting some online research to better understand this concept and how it is applied to literary works, explain how Stranger Than Fiction can be interpreted allegorically in light of the timeless debate of free will versus fate, defined as "the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power."