Movie Detropia Essay

Detropia Although prior to the film, the viewer may have heard of the situation in Detroit, it takes a film as poignant as Detropia to really get outsiders to empathize with its problems. Director Heidi Ewing uses contrasts to illustrate the variety of challenges Detroit faces but to also highlight those actively seeking out solutions. Through the interviews, camera angles, and audio Detropia shows the viewer that though the situation may look bleak, there is still life in the Motor City. The interviews are done in ways in settings where the interviewee is clearly comfortable. Often the interviewee is completing a task during the interview. For example, as Tommy Stephens and his female friend talk the female friend makes drinks at the bar.
In another interview Tommy Stephens is watching the news. By having the interviewee focus on another task as they talk it helps the subject ignore the camera. By ignoring the camera the viewer feels like they are a part of the scene. The viewer is able to feel as though they are also waiting for a drink at the bar. At the same time, the director purposefully films them in settings that represent their character. George McGregor is interviewed driving, which is both a nod to his position as head of the United Auto Workers Union and a point of irony in the film. George is driving a Chrysler, a car produced by General Motors, the company that has negative effected the lives of many of his union members, including himself. The intimacy in these portraits makes it easier for the viewer to empathize with the plight of Detroiters. They are people who still possess positivity despite their circumstances. Because of their vitality, the viewer develops a hope for their happiness that keeps them engaged with the film despite the often-bleak outlook portrayed by other details and statistics Ewing features. Director Heidi Ewing juxtaposes images of nature and the city to illustrate the life and death that cohabitate in the city. On one hand, the nature shown is representative of nature reclaiming the city after years of neglect. This is certainly true in the shots of weeds overtaking abandon buildings and the wide-angle sky shots that show circling birds waiting to dive. At the same time, this nature imagery is suggestive of new growth, of the potential for a rebirth in Detroit. The potential is seen in the wide, high angle shots taken of Detroit from the top floors of buildings. From this height, the massiveness of the city illustrates to the viewer the large scale of Detroit’s problems. At the same time, such a high perspective minimizes the size of individual problems to the point that it allows the viewer to see the cityscape’s beauty. It is often said that to solve a problem, one must take a step back and view the situation in its entirety. The shots of the Detroit skyline visualize this concept. Perhaps the most memorable detail of Detropia is Director Heidi Ewing’s choice to include classical opera music in her portrait of Detroit.
At first the music seems in contrast to the city. The songs are rich and beautiful, unlike much of the dilapidated building and depressing imagery that often accompanies it. But, as the film progresses, the connections between the music and the city begin to show. The heightened drama of the operatic music connects to the heightened stakes that face the city. Opera is generally considered a dying art form, one whose heyday is past. This is not dissimilar to society’s perspective on Detroit. Through audio layering of city sounds and opera, Ewing literally overlays the narratives of opera and Detroit and sets the stage for their revival. This adds to the hope the filmmaker’s create within the viewer for Detroit’s revival. Through conducting intimate interviews, juxtaposing natural and urban imagery, and combing the sounds of the city with opera music, Ewing crafts a three dimensional portrait of Detroit. One that, although driving home a powerful message about the severity of Detroit’s problems, still manages to create a sense of hope in the viewer. The interviews, camera angles, and audio get the viewer to empathize with the citizens of the city and root for Detroit’s
comeback.