- This question comes from reading David Blakesley’s chapter, “Defining Film Rhetoric: The Case of Hitchcock’s Vertigo.” Blakesley makes the statement, “As a predominantly visual medium, film makes identification even more inviting than it might otherwise be” (pg. 129-130). He goes on to discuss how movies are able to make a quicker and more identifiable connection between characters and audience, compared to the character connection made in books. This struck me as surprising when he compared the two mediums and the difference in character and audience identification. It seems that books are able to create a memorable and more complete character that an audience can identify with as well. In your opinion which medium do you feel does the better job of creating a character that the audience can identify with, and why?
- In Blakesley’s article he also discusses the aim of rhetoric in films as identification (pg. 117). He states that for the audience “identification functions as desire, as an assertion of identities...we pursue that identification as one way of expressing our consubstantiality.” As humans we enjoy the opportunity to pretend and desire to be someone else, and the use of film is powerful in drawing that desire of identification out of the audience. I can still remember how much I wanted to be a Power Ranger when I was younger, and in my mind I thought I could do all the stunts and fighting. Can you think of a character that you desired to be when you were younger, or a character that you identified with in films? What about that character allowed you to make that identity connection?
- Another idea that Blakesley highlights is the use of visuals and their impact on what we believe. “Seeing is believing, but believing is seeing as well” (pg. 112). When I think of the visuals we encounter everyday and the movies that are made, I can’t help but think of all the effects that went in to making those visuals. Pictures and magazine covers are edited and airbrushed, movies have special effects, and most of the stunts we see in movies are animated. So many of the visuals we take in are not real, so how can we believe what we see? Based on what most of us know about the tools used to make these false visuals, what can we do as the receivers of messages in order to make real judgments about what we see? Do our beliefs in certain things distract us from seeing the truth in other things?
1. In your opinion which medium do you feel does the better job of creating a character that the audience can identify with, and why?
ReplyDeleteI think that both medium's does a good job of creating a character to an audience. I believe it depends on the audience that you can identify which medium fits best. Every one has there own view on how movies or books can affect them.
I know with some people they prefer books to identify with their main character. The audience likes to use their imagination and picture the main character as what they think it would look like. Books are a great medium it creates imagination for their audience. I know for me imagining characters from a book is really tough. Different images can come to my head when trying to imagine what a character looks like.
As for me movies would be a better medium, especially when identifying with my main character. I am an imaginative person, but I like to know what the exact character would look like. I have read many books and those books would come out with movies. A good example is Harry Potter and Twilight. I read through all the books for both and noticed that when reading them I didn't have a clear idea of the characters features or looks. I was able to imagine them just for a little bit. When the movie Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone came out I was amazed. I was able to identify with my character much better. I was able to see how the characters would act, how they felts, and what they looked like. I was able to relate to the book much better then I can with the book. Same goes for Twilight romance is beautiful in a novel, but when seen on the movie screen it is ten times better. You see the emotions and the feelings of each character come out in their own way. The description in the book was the same, but the movies make it realistic. I must say though that for most books the become a movie, the book tends to be better.
In conclusion, I think both mediums work for different audiences. As for me I would chose movies because I like to see the realism and the characters come to life. Maybe for others they have the same opinion, but I know there are people out their that would prefer a book to take them to their own imagination.
Response to Arianne's second question:Can you think of a character that you desired to be when you were younger, or a character that you identified with in films? What about that character allowed you to make that identity connection?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Arianne when I was younger I always wanted to be the pink power ranger just because I wanted to help take down the bad guys. I felt like I needed to be one of the Power Rangers in order to help the world with evil. I felt like if I was able to identify with many characters through out my younger years. I don't know if I was able to stick to one character because with every show came a different identification. I don't remember all the shows I watched when I was younger, but I know for a fact that the character that I wanted to be was a super hero. I didn't care who or what, but I always felt that I needed to save the day. I wanted to live in a perfect world and be the person who can make a difference in someone's life. I remember that I wanted to be Superman one time just to know that I can be super.
I think the reason why I wanted to feel like I was a hero is because it was a way for me to believe in something at a young age. As a kid I didn't know much from right and wrong, but I knew that if your a bad guy your not a good person. My parents have always told me to be a good person and to always listen and to the right thing. I figured that was what Superhero's do, they do whats right.
As I got older I was a big fan of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. I loved their movies and I always wished to be like them. They were always traveling and making movies around the world. I enjoyed watching them because of that reason. I was able to identify with them because I am close their age. They wore the cutest outfits and they made their movies interesting and fun. It was very easy to say, "I want to be like them." Traveling throughout the world has always been my dream and watching them do it at a young age made me want to travel too.
I think it is easy to identify with a character that has characteristics that you want or have.
In conclusion, there are many characters in movies and TV that I can definitely identify with, but only some that I can relate to. Identifying with a character is easy to do because sometime you want to live in someone else's shoes.