Pleasantville
Analyse how Nineteen Eighty Four and Pleasantville imaginatively portray individuals who challenge the established values of their time.
It is impossible for the individual who values freedom to be exultant in a society that is underpinned by rigid conformity. In the Novel “Nineteen Eighty Four” by George Orwell, a totalitarian future society is portrayed, through a man whose daily work is rewriting history and tries to rebel by falling in love. Whereas The film “Pleasantville” directed by Gary Ross, Two teenagers find themselves in a 1950’s sitcom where their influence begins to profoundly change the complacent world the portrayal how a dystopian and a utopian society, contest the value of time. The ironic comparisons are seen through exploring social constructs which create a certain message which shapes a certain thinking of the audience.
The text and film are challenging us to question conformity. The director of Pleasantville captures segregation, through the first medium close up of David, which shows him isolated against a blurred background, this stresses his outsider status. This Camera Shot is one of many trick camera shots in Pleasantville, as David appears to be holding a conversation with a ‘pretty girl’ who doesn’t speak, and appears to be paying close attention to David, whose voice can be heard over the reverse medium close up shot. But as the view cuts to another wide angle, we see that the girl is nowhere near David, whose isolated against the now nearly deserted campus is doubly accentuated. The effectiveness of this technique is you see how David is trying to contest society by speaking to someone out of his social group by allowing the audience to believe he is speaking to her. another example is later on portrayed through the first splash of colour in Pleasantville, which is a red rose seen by Skip. It is significant as it is the first colour object seen and through the close up shot shown you see Skip’s curious gaze. Red can symbolise
It is impossible for the individual who values freedom to be exultant in a society that is underpinned by rigid conformity. In the Novel “Nineteen Eighty Four” by George Orwell, a totalitarian future society is portrayed, through a man whose daily work is rewriting history and tries to rebel by falling in love. Whereas The film “Pleasantville” directed by Gary Ross, Two teenagers find themselves in a 1950’s sitcom where their influence begins to profoundly change the complacent world the portrayal how a dystopian and a utopian society, contest the value of time. The ironic comparisons are seen through exploring social constructs which create a certain message which shapes a certain thinking of the audience.
The text and film are challenging us to question conformity. The director of Pleasantville captures segregation, through the first medium close up of David, which shows him isolated against a blurred background, this stresses his outsider status. This Camera Shot is one of many trick camera shots in Pleasantville, as David appears to be holding a conversation with a ‘pretty girl’ who doesn’t speak, and appears to be paying close attention to David, whose voice can be heard over the reverse medium close up shot. But as the view cuts to another wide angle, we see that the girl is nowhere near David, whose isolated against the now nearly deserted campus is doubly accentuated. The effectiveness of this technique is you see how David is trying to contest society by speaking to someone out of his social group by allowing the audience to believe he is speaking to her. another example is later on portrayed through the first splash of colour in Pleasantville, which is a red rose seen by Skip. It is significant as it is the first colour object seen and through the close up shot shown you see Skip’s curious gaze. Red can symbolise