Gathered Notes on Pleasantville

• Big Bob is often shot from low angle as seen in his first shot at the barbar where he hypocriticlly takes the seat. "I couldn't possibly take your spot" spoken as he takes the seat. this technique supported by dialogue shows big bob's nature, a dominant figure also hypocritical • Change in music - from Brass Band to Jazz/Rock music. When betty is playing cards. Betty realises she can see colour as her cards turn to a deck of red heart cards. • Dialogue - changes in this. Things go from being 'swell' to 'cool'. Things are better than 'pleasant' they are 'sexy or silly' • Parallel montage shots of the average day in Pleasantville and in David's school. • Colour - people turning colour by realisation, attitude and • Visual allusion - to Adam and Eve with the apple. • Symbolism - the mirror (idea of self-reflection/knowledge). the mirror behind big bog shows how he believes he is some messiah. its religious iconography • More symbolism - the handshake town logo • Staging - Bud often being seen in the foreground, watching - observing • The weather - pathetic fallacy • Costume - something we haven't considered much in class, but I think there is a very distinctive change in costume to observe • Balanced compositions - from the perfect shot of the Parker's house at the beginning, to the off centred shot after dark etc. • Ironic as Mary Sue gives betty sex education, shows how 'naïve' the residents of pleasantville. The 1990's advising the 1950's learning . • 'Honey I'm Home' it’s a motif from shows such as fater knows best • The melodramatic nature of the men in the bowling alley adds emphasis on the fear of the males. The low shots of Bob also add to the fear felt in the group making him appear sinister and dangerous. To make the effect that it is sinister to make it appear dangerous and exaggerate the men's overreaction to such a simple thing as rain. • The film opens up with a sequence of shots setting the scene of a 1950's