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Social conformity of the 1950s
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Colorful Beauty
Pleasantville is trying to portray society in a way that can be perceived that the world is beautiful. In the beginning of the movie it shows the viewer how ugly the real world is. When introducing the 1950s show Pleasantville, its conveyed to be a perfect little world where nothing goes wrong and everyone is just constantly in a happy state of mind. This world rapidly changes from black and white to color, which can be considered faulty or undesirable. The color represented a certain beauty that Pleasantville needed to be truly pleasant.It begins with David and Jennifer who are siblings and are present-day teenagers, both with different levels of high school popularity. David, is socially awkward, is a shy and withdrawn guy. But, Jennifer is an aggressive extrovert
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And this causes them to break their remote control. Then mysteriously, an old television repairman suddenly showed up and gave them a remote control. Which transported them into the television set and now they play as bud and Mary Sue on the show. Now they do things from their world and introduce them into Pleasantville. So every time things do not come about the way they should be in the show, Pleasantville happens to change from black and white into a colon. This consists of people’s faces and its surroundings. It also depicted communal protests in art earlier in the 1950’s. Pleasantville was to mimic how the 1950s society looked like. There is a standard in the Pleasantville community intended that everything and everyone has to be uniformed. If this standard was not followed, the community will go against the offender.For some the citizens in Pleasantville, they didn’t understand that color has a deeper meaning than it just being change. They did not dwell on its literal aspects and attributes as for its ornamental purposes and beauty. Color highlighted development in art during the 1950’s where paintings of Picasso and other famous artists during his time
Pleasantville is a movie written and directed by Gary Ross that reveals the dystopian elements hidden within seemingly utopian worlds by portraying the contrast between modern society and the idyllic setting of suburban 1950s’ America. The film follows the adventure of twin teenagers David and Jennifer as they find themselves transported into the world of the 1950s’ television show “Pleasantville”, replacing the main characters Bud and Mary Sue. In various events throughout the movies, both characters spark a series of changes in the conservative Pleasantville society that result in the town gradually transforming from repressive black-and-white to liberating Technicolor. In Pleasantville, Ross shows that the Technicolor version of Pleasantville
...ily instead of able bodied Americans (who they would have to pay 5 to 10 dollars per hour) are struggling in the job market. From this it can be concluded that a specific message that both films possess is that change is good and it is an essential element towards development. That is the reason why documentary film maker Michael Moore emphasizes in his documentary those American companies are required to hire Americans. In the film “Pleasantville” a great example of the above theme occurs when Jennifer points out two teenagers as proof that the citizens of Pleasantville have an abundance of potential, according to her they simply do not know any better. Two teenagers can be seen having a conversation, they seem to be engaged in a conversation but it is simply not going anywhere, but as they both begin to get physically closer the girl’s bubble gum develops colour.
The people that live there are extremely isolated and cut off from many things such as love, art or anything that is outside of their daily lifestyles. The Isolation that Pleasantville is in keeps the excitement and beauty of life away from the people of the town, and it causes characters such as Bill Johnson and Betty Parker much grief. Bill waited the whole year to do what he loved, painting the window of his restaurant, just once a year, and Betty has to live a lifestyle she is truly tired of. Pleasantville is so isolated from the real world that the people don't know that they can do what they want, the only thing they know how to do is to follow their daily routines and customs no matter if they enjoy them or not. This all changes however when David and Jennifer are sent into Pleasantville, Jennifer's actions causes the people of the city to become aware about sex, love and relationships, by doing that she starts to bring the town out of isolation and shows them the possibilities of what they can
The concept of change is conveyed through the film Pleasantville in various ways such as colour from black and white to a colourful Pleasantville. This film portrayed the changes that occurred in American society over the past 50 years. The movie describes various changes that occurred such as in sexual relations, violence, and family matters and roles. Pleasantville film represents the viewer with how the racial and sexual equality began and that the world we live in is not perfect. It also depicts the on-going changes in everyday lifestyles of the American citizens. Another change was the civil rights movements, reversed racism. Also, women’s liberation was submissive but not sexual. Moreover, sexual revolution the advent of the pill. Pleasantville
In the film Pleasantville everything is made to be perfect. Everyday is the same day. Everything is done a certain way so there is no room for change to occur. Change is brought upon their life through Jenifer and David. They turn their world upside down and bring conflict by introducing new things they were not allowed to feel or be aware of. They slowly introduce color into their world by doing this. The “perfect” village turns into a village full of emotions and new discoveries. Through this film important concepts are demonstrated such as social class, race/ethnicity, sex/gender, and social order and institutions.
They are “colored” because they are different from everyone else. They hold different views from everyone else and are the source of the change. Americans don’t like change and fear it. They are “to be feared” because Americans don’t want racial integration. The movie Pleasantville, represents the racial movement that was going on. Blacks demanded rights and freedoms that the white man had. They wanted racial equality all throughout the United States. White Americans didn’t want there to be racial equality. The racism is institutionalized. Mayor Big Bob and the town fathers establish laws so that the “colored” and the uncolored people of Pleasantville can get along. Big Bob closes Lover’s Lane and the Pleasantville Public Library. Closing the Pleasantville Public Library is harsh. The students who are reading the material that they received from the library affects how they view their world. For example, the art book that David gave to Johnson really altered his view. He began to paint! He never did this before. Big Bob also told the townsfolk that they could only listen to music that is pleasant. The public can’t sale umbrellas and anything that helps prepare for the weather. This is a change from what Pleasantville has been. Pleasantville always had a high and a low of 72 degree weather. Now they are seeing rain. It is a dramatic change and he doesn’t want the townsfolk to buy anything that he thinks is
“Someday, I will have a best friend all my own. One I can tell my secrets to. One who will understand my jokes without me having to explain them” (9). These are the longing words spoken by Esperanza. In the novel The House on Mango Street, Esperanza is young girl experiencing adolescence not only longing for a place to fit in but also wanting to be beautiful. This becomes complicated as Esperanza becomes more sexually aware. Throughout the novel, Cisneros argues the importance of beauty and how Esperanza deals with beauty as a part of her identity. When Esperanza meets Sally a new friend, Esperanza’s whole world is turned upside down. Esperanza’s views on beauty change from a positive outlook to a negative one by watching how beauty has damaged Sally’s life.
In Pleasantville, everyone is so empty in their minds. For instance, every character always did the same thing over and over. It’s like everything falls into the right way that it should be. The basketball players always score, the wives are always cooking and taking good care of the husbands and children. Husbands are working, children are little precious angels who never get in any kind of trouble. No worries, no problems, just plain good stability. There is no wrong for them because everything was in sync.
Some of the antagonists’ poor personality traits are revealed by implication of what will happen later in the story. Jennifer threatens to leave Norman for ridiculous reasons showing she does not truly care for him and Liam’s ignorance is revealed. Nature is also connected with the characters feelings. The bear and rain represents the characters problems, now gone. Jennifer and Liam’s true characteristics are revealed throughout the stories more so, when in conflict others. Liam is proven to be jealous and always thinking high of himself as Jennifer is beyond disrespectful. . Both protagonists in the stories have to rid themselves of their unhealthy relationships and the negativity in their life to be self-empowered thus being the only way to gain
The change in a social class is something that is shown in every day life and the media. It is the American Dream to move upward in society. The movie Sweet Home Alabama is a prime example of social mobility in the main character. The main character Melanie Carmichael left her small town Alabama home and achieved an impressive upward social mobility. She began her life as a daughter of a respectful working class family to become a world famous fashion designer in New York City. At the beginning of the movie, Andrew, the mayor’s son, proposes to Melanie. She says yes, but before she can marry him, she has to clear up a not so final divorce with Jake, her high school sweetheart she left behind. Melanie is now caught between two classes and two cultures, the working class that she grew up in and the upper class she has now placed herself in. As the film continues, her dilemma will require her to acknowledge and reconnect with her mother who lives in a trailer park while still trying to impress h...
Pleasantville is about the radical changes that happened to Americans as many started to modernize not only in technology but social reforms. Jennifer is the sister of David who was obsessed with an old television show called Pleasantville that described the perfect American family. Jennifer is a self-obsessed teenager who only cares about boys, smoking cigarettes, and basically not following the norms of society. After being transported into the television show by a mysterious old man, she is forced to act like the other teenagers despite her being the completely opposite from them. After becoming the character of Mary Sue, she begins to change others around her. Instead of their actions being dictated by external factors such as the City Council and and what seems to be right, they begin making decisions of their own. The women in the show, including Jennifer, were very limited in their rights in the world of men. They were seen as homemakers, to cook and clean for the family, but Jennifer, being Jennifer, starts to preach that they do not have to hide. There is a much higher quality of life if they can embrace the change. They come up with new beliefs such as openly showing affection, which the adults are extremely worried about. Back then, such public display was not right and made
“Pleasantville” Conflicts and clashes of all sizes occur throughout the movie. The conflicts cover a wide variety of subjects, from sexual morals to discovering something new about one’s own self. The movie plays out individual struggles along with tying these conflicts in with a larger story line. The setting of the story is a 1990’s family. The parents are divorced, the son is a TV watching geek and the daughter is rebellious and popular at school. The Mom is leaving for a weekend trip, Jennifer, the daughter, has a date that night and David plans an evening home watching ...
Society is faced with various problems that hinder the development of its communities. These issues affect the society in a numerous of ways and has a major effect on the citizens of the community as well. Social adversities causes grief and is also the cause of crimes and other miscellaneous activities that occur in inequitable areas. In the film, Fruitvale Station, there are abundant amounts of these adversities and societal issues that are illustrated. Fruitvale Station is a great example of a film that shows accurate social issues that occur in today’s society. The movie demonstrates issues of inequality, racial prejudice, gang involvement and also unemployment. It also shows how the people who are forced to live with these issues, fight for survival to maintain to see another day.
In southern place of Rural Georgia there were racial issues. Walker discuss stereotypes that Celie went through as the daughter of a successful store owner, which ran by a white man Celie did not have no right to. The black characters and community were stereotyped through their lives to have human rights (Walker 88-89). Walker engages the struggle between blacks and whites social class, blacks were poor and the whites were rich. This captures the deep roots of the south discrimination against blacks. African-American women went through misery, and pain of racism to be discriminated by the color of their skin. Another major racist issue Hurston represent in “The Color Purple” is when Sofia tells the mayors wife saying “hell no” about her children working for her, Sofia was beaten for striking back to a white man (Walker 87). Racism and discrimination in the black culture did not have basic rights as the whites instead they suffered from being mistreated to losing moral
This is where the “leftover bond money” from her daddy’s jail bond gets delivered to her. Granik portrays a resolution and a sense of happiness that would never be attained in real life. A technique which is used to highlight the epitome of this happiness is the lighting. In this particular scene, you’ll notice it is significantly brighter than the rest of the film. This is because it’s the only scene which the sun is shining. This allows the audience to undergo a change of heart. It’s an offered resolution, which allows us (the audience) to distract away from all the misery and heartbreak. To reconsider the harshness of society. And makes us entitled to feel happy for the character. However, like earlier in the film where the dialogue was distracting away from the almost too perfect house, fit for the societal circumstances of the Ozarks. It outlines again that this film is a Hollywood representation of the unprivileged society. A resolution that is offered after the character having to go through traumatic events would be an unforeseen occurrence in real life. The particular resolution distracts away from the real life circumstances of poverty and welfare in America. This allows again for the viewers to reconsider the film and relate to real life thinking that people do get resolutions. Furthermore that people are “free to” but not understanding that they’re not “free