'The Giver': Film Analysis
Phillip Noyce's 2014 social science fiction film, 'The Giver', explores the contrasting societal structures of utopia and dystopia. The story, based on the 1993 novel of the same name, centres around Jonas, a young man, who lives in a 'seemingly idyllic' community free from suffering and difference. When Jonas is assigned the position of 'Receiver of Memory' he begins to discover the true pain and pleasure of life that he has been sheltered from. To show the differences between utopian and dystopian societies, Noyce has used various film techniques including setting, colour, costuming and camera angles and shots.
The community Noyce has depicted is a dystopia masked by a utopian façade. This is evident through the social heirarchy, lack of free-thinking and even infanticide. Although these factors are apparent, the people within the community live blissfully ignorant, unaware of the brutal realities present, a point that is accentuated by the Giver who explains to Jonas, "It's what he was told to do, and he knows nothing else."
The Giver highlights the importance of setting and colour as a way to develop and emphasise key themes within a film. To begin the film, the director has utilised a monochromatic colour scheme to create a sombre mood as well as to highlight the importance of …show more content…
uniformity within Jonas' community. Further into the narrative, as a result of stopping his medication designed as a behavioural control, Jonas begins to see and perceive colour. This is not only conveyed to the audience through the use of dialogue but also the introduction of colour into the originally black-and-white colour scheme. A number of scenes are shot within Jonas' dwelling which is one example of how the set has been used to establish the overall atmosphere. The architectural design of the dwelling is based around sharp angular lines creating a uniform, modern and almost clinical aesthetic. This contrasts with the Giver's house, which lies on the edge of the community, where curves and a more fluid design allow for a more personal appearance.
Costuming is central to the overall appearance of the film and is used to emphasise conformity.
One example of the use of how this component has been applied is at the ceremony where Jonas is assigned the Receiver of Memory. In this scene of the film, all members of the community apart from the elders, are dressed in formal white clothing. This stylistic approach depicts the community as one without prejudice and individuality. It also harnesses the use of white to symbolise purity, goodness and harmony which are some of the fundamental characteristics of a utopia. The use of these almost identical costumes highlights the unimportance of uniqueness and how much the community strives for 'Sameness'. Another example of where costuming has been used is in the Giver's attire. He is shown wearing slippers, this reinforces the giver's carefree attitude towards the rules and dystopian nature of his community.
The varying uses of camera techniques in The Giver creates an engaging final product that has a dominant focus on the emotions of the main characters.
Throughout the film a number of close ups have been used as a means of capturing the emotions of the character at hand. This particular type of shot is frequently used to show Jonas' initial reactions to memories he received, emphasising the fact that his community is denied the ability to experience emotions. Montages of memories from the past have been used in a number of scenes within the film. The use of this technique is seen each time Jonas' receives memory, this allows the audience to experience similar emotions as the
protagonist.
Phillip Noyce has successfully employed film techniques to show the contrast between utopian and dystopian societies. Through the use of setting, colour, costuming and camera angles and shots he has artistically portrayed a dystopian society and Jonas' journey within it. The thought provoking nature of The Giver allows the audience to reflect on the importance of individuality and freedom.
,
The community Noyce has depicted is a dystopia masked by a utopian façade. This is evident through the social heirarchy, lack of free-thinking and even infanticide. Although these factors are apparent, the people within the community live blissfully ignorant, unaware of the brutal realities present, a point that is accentuated by the Giver who explains to Jonas, "It's what he was told to do, and he knows nothing else."
The Giver highlights the importance of setting and colour as a way to develop and emphasise key themes within a film. To begin the film, the director has utilised a monochromatic colour scheme to create a sombre mood as well as to highlight the importance of …show more content…
uniformity within Jonas' community. Further into the narrative, as a result of stopping his medication designed as a behavioural control, Jonas begins to see and perceive colour. This is not only conveyed to the audience through the use of dialogue but also the introduction of colour into the originally black-and-white colour scheme. A number of scenes are shot within Jonas' dwelling which is one example of how the set has been used to establish the overall atmosphere. The architectural design of the dwelling is based around sharp angular lines creating a uniform, modern and almost clinical aesthetic. This contrasts with the Giver's house, which lies on the edge of the community, where curves and a more fluid design allow for a more personal appearance.
Costuming is central to the overall appearance of the film and is used to emphasise conformity.
One example of the use of how this component has been applied is at the ceremony where Jonas is assigned the Receiver of Memory. In this scene of the film, all members of the community apart from the elders, are dressed in formal white clothing. This stylistic approach depicts the community as one without prejudice and individuality. It also harnesses the use of white to symbolise purity, goodness and harmony which are some of the fundamental characteristics of a utopia. The use of these almost identical costumes highlights the unimportance of uniqueness and how much the community strives for 'Sameness'. Another example of where costuming has been used is in the Giver's attire. He is shown wearing slippers, this reinforces the giver's carefree attitude towards the rules and dystopian nature of his community.
The varying uses of camera techniques in The Giver creates an engaging final product that has a dominant focus on the emotions of the main characters.
Throughout the film a number of close ups have been used as a means of capturing the emotions of the character at hand. This particular type of shot is frequently used to show Jonas' initial reactions to memories he received, emphasising the fact that his community is denied the ability to experience emotions. Montages of memories from the past have been used in a number of scenes within the film. The use of this technique is seen each time Jonas' receives memory, this allows the audience to experience similar emotions as the
protagonist.
Phillip Noyce has successfully employed film techniques to show the contrast between utopian and dystopian societies. Through the use of setting, colour, costuming and camera angles and shots he has artistically portrayed a dystopian society and Jonas' journey within it. The thought provoking nature of The Giver allows the audience to reflect on the importance of individuality and freedom.
,