Plot Summary
In Birdman, A unsuccessful actor, Riggan Thomson, who some years back was an iconic super-hero, fights his egocentric life and challenges to make amends with the family, the lost career and his own life just days before the opening of a new work; the Broadway. Riggan Thomson is a famous actor who 20 years ago had played the superhero role in a film dubbed "Birdman". In his middle-age life, he struggles to direct a debut on Broadway, in a play titled ‘What We Talk about When We Talk about Love’. The efforts of the assistant, the daughter Sam, and producer Jake bear less fruits. He faces lot of internal issues, the maximum efforts become useless. The unanticipated voices of the old character in the Birdman, pushes his saneness till the first inauguration show.
A discussion of the Film’s Mise en SceneThe Story
The film, Birman is based on a story or theme of duality. No matter what the actor does, he is embodied with the Birdman personality that appears behind him and speaks into his ear. All the characters suffer from a psychological split disorder, particularly Riggan and Norton. Riggan Thomson is on a drive to determine who he actually is, as he is not actually capable of providing a self-assured answer to this question firstly. He seeks to find out whether he is what the media talk about him, or a bad father, a superstar or an ordinary actor.
Acting Performances
Birdman is a masterpiece with unique acting performances. Keaton, Riggan, and Galifianakis standout as accomplished cast. Their acting performances are predestined to be eye-catching and showy. When the actor get to act, such as Norton's read through, and the monolog by Keaton, the audience gets mesmerized with the magic of performance that makes the film moves.
Cinematography
The Mise-En-Scene is methodically applied through different cinematographic features. The use of imageries and metaphors appearing imperceptibly through the work are confirming this. These features of mise-en-scene effortlessly work well as allegory (one-shot as guess of Riggin's ubiquitous doubt) and a cinematography spectacle.The film effectively outlines the best use of a camera to accomplish some unbelievable cinematic features that help in building both the theme and plot of the film.
The use of floating camera as well as the trick photography intermingled with the unique digital elements generate very claustrophobic tensions as the audiences are confined in the continuously domineering existence of an actor in the public's eye. The use of dream in the third Act, as Riggin hovers above the city, eludes the director’s creative stress. The Director’s Style
The director employed superhero genre as a style in the film. Based on this style, Birdman is presented as flashier aspects of some supernatural power. This is achieved through the contemporary aspect of the art. In the style, the superhero genre can be referenced overtly through Riggin's previous role as the famous near immortal Birdman. The genre is also evident through the references of superhero characters like The Avengers and Iron Man.
A personal Reaction to the Film
As a personal reaction, the film seeks to show how self-image, pride, ego and one’s ignorance can make him make a fool of himself. The film scrutinizes midlife predicaments through the uncertainties related to the dual persona of a top performer or a public figure Riggan, having accomplished the intended fame and new status as a Birdman, happily left his screen role. However, he is continually combating the innermost voices that make him believe he had seized the whole world, becoming the most powerful individual.
Nevertheless, at the end, the fame counted for nothing. He felt empty. As a personal reaction, I believe that if inner peace and contentment lack in life, people get to regret. In the film, Riggen struggles to shake off the old association with the famous Birdman character.
