Stage 1: Analysis
Ms. Biglow indicates film as the interchange where different ideas intersect (Dargis, 2009). Each film is a creative work of a big team and, while analyzing a movie, we must realize that it is all a huge team work. The aim of the paper is to give the analysis of the science fiction film Back to the Future. It gives contextual information, describes the difference between the story and the plot in the movie, and explains aesthetic choices, social and personal impact of the film. Film theory explores the backbone of the cinema and provides methods for understanding not only a film’s plot, but also its relationship to reality and other arts. It deals with different aesthetic choices and reveals an impact on individual viewers, and society at large.
Contextual Information
The title of the film under analysis is Back to the Future. The film was released in 1985. It was not just an American film in the science fiction genre, but also an adventure and comedy film. Some even saw some romantic traces in the movie. All of this together made it very attractive for the audience. Robert Zemeckis was the director and wrote the scenario together with Bob Gale. Gale thought of writing the story, after he imagined a situation: he and his father went to the same school. He wondered if they would be friends and they have common interests.
Steven Spielberg soon became the movie’s producer, while the production was given to the Amblin Entertainment company. Meanwhile, Universal Pictures played the role of the distributor. The film cinematographer, Dean Cundey, made up his mind to participate in the film, after he shot his famous Halloween in 1978.
If to discuss the cast, there were some interesting facts in the choice made. As far as Marty McFly role was concerned, there was confusion with its performers. Michael J. Fox became the first who was chosen for the part. At that moment he was participating in a TV family project and could not possibly act in the film. This was the main reason, why Eric Stoltz became a new choice for the role. Meanwhile, when the film was in the process of shooting, Stoltz, and then he was supported by the filmmakers, realized that he was the wrong actor among the cast. Concequently, Fox was invited for the role again and as luck would have it, he agreed.
The film directors together with its producer made up their mind to reshoot the film, even though it would increase the film budget up to $3 million. Then it was already possible for Fox to make a schedule and to devote enough time to both. Fox suited the role as he liked skateboarding, chased girls and wanted to be a rock star himself.
Christopher Lloyd was cast as Doc Brown and though much taller than Fox, he suited the role perfectly. Doc's notable hunch was a necessity as they needed to look closer in height.
Stoltz became a crucial point in choice or dismissal of actors in the film. In such a way, Lea Thompson was chosen as Lorraine McFly, after she had acted opposite Stoltz in The Wild Life. Claudia Wells was cast in the role of Marty's girlfriend Jennifer, while Melora Hardin was dismissed as too tall to be playing against Fox.
The film became very popular among the viewers all over the world and made an international phenomenon. It led to the second and the third films. That was the way how Back to the Future became a trilogy, when in 1989 Back to the Future II and in 1990 Back to the Future III were shot.
Back to the Future is a representative of the fantasy genre. As a true fantasy, a story use for the movie script lets its characters escape from reality, experience situations where they act beyond the limits of real life. It goes without saying, this makes these kinds of movies extremely popular among children and teenagers (Grant, 2012). However, not only the young generation enjoys letting go while watching the movies. Many enjoy escaping reality, which is exactly what the movie provides.
While watching fantasy, viewers often travel together with the film characters to unknown worlds, alternative realities, the future or the past. In such a way, they can let their problems go and forget about difficulties. In the film analyzed, the fantasy genre crosses with other subgenres, such as science fiction, adventure and comedy.
No doubt, the film is created to entertain. However, Back to the Future, as the best representative of the genre, possesses a hidden meaning to think over and reveals a number of touchy issues. Soon we realize a huge philosophical problem of change in the past and what follows it.
In 1955 Marty manages to get his parents’ relationships back on track. Nevertheless, he influences his father’s character, makes him believe in himself and his skills. When he returns back in 1985, the present is quite different! In such a way we can come to the conclusion – our past makes our future. Young people usually notice the ideas when they grow older. In a nutshell, the fantasy genre offers escape from reality for the young people and reveals a row of sore subjects for adults.
Story and Plot
The story is bigger than the plot. Moreover, there are many factors in the characters' lives which are not mentioned in the plot. The final script is a combination of carefully chosen elements from the story, arranged into an order carefully chosen by the writer. In other words we can compare the story with a whole life, while the plot is one of its most interesting and touchy events. The story is what happens in a film, while the plot is how it happens (Goodykoontz & & Jacobs, 2014). No doubt, when we retell a film, we mention the plot events, while the whole body of the story is hidden from first view.
A short summary of the movie is required in order to better understand it on the whole. The film takes place in America of 1985. The main character, a teenager Marty McFly, lives with his parents, his brother and sister in a rather poor house. His father is a loser and is constantly bullied by his supervisor Biff Tannen. His mother is depressed and alcohol addicted. After a scientist Doc Brown invents a time machine, his friend Marty, inadvertently travels back in time to 1955. The boy wanders around the past, enjoying the cheap prices and the old style of life.
The binding of the plot happens when he meets his parents there, they are still teenagers. Marty unintentionally appears in the way of his mother’s and father’s romantic relations. The fellow faces two main problems in the past. He needs to find Doc Brown there to send Marty back to the future, and it is not an easy task to do. Moreover, the fellow has to get his parents’ relations back on track, as his own existence is at stake.
Lorraine invites Marty to come to the dance at school as her boyfriend, and Marty makes a plan in which George "rescues" Lorraine from Marty's rude behavior. The plan fails when Biff commits an attempt to rape Lorraine. In a fight, George rushes to Marty’s rescue only to find Biff in his place. George finally hits Biff with a knock out and Lorraine comes to the school dance with George. There they dance with the music playing and the two start to slowly falling in love. This makes Marty think that his past is back on track and he goes off to find Doc. Little did he know that even the smallest changes of the past can lead to drastic changes in the future.
With some difficulties Marty returns to the year 1985, the month of October, only after the lightning bolt hits the clock tower. Doc finally brings Marty home only to leave back to 2015. The next day starts very unexpectedly for Marty - his family altered: George is now a successful writer, Lorraine is beautiful and happy. Soon Doc appears and insists on accompanying him to 2015.
Aesthetic Choices
The term mise en scène is a French borrowing which means "placed in the scene" (Goodykoontz & & Jacobs, 2014) and consists of large number of additions, which may not be visible right away. Some specific techniques and design elements were used in the film as they help to focus on the narration and theme. All the things that we are looking at in the film, have been carefully considered and put there by the filmmakers. They assist the viewers tell the story. It may so happen no word explanation is needed.
If to discuss mise en scène shown in Back to the Future, it is really diverse. First of all, let us have a look into McFly’s house setting. In the beginning of a story it is low-key lighted, which speaks much of the gloomy characters who live there. In 1955 it is stylized in accordance to the period. However, we observe its prosperity and realize the family, who lives there, is comfortably off and well-organized. Here we pay attention to the character costumes, props and furniture too – all of it underlines the time and speaks much of the characters. In the end of the story it is a modern luxurious building and this marks the character change.
The opening shots show close-up male steps in white sneakers along wet and dry pavement lit by three-point lighting. Then a viewer sees DeLorean’s door open - it is brightly lit by the light. In a while we watch colorful buttons, numerous switchers and wires. At last we, much intrigued already, see a face of the main character in sunglasses. Reflection of light is there too to play the role of awing the viewers.
Moreover, some of the characters need prosthetic makeup for scenes at the different stages of the film. Lorraine’s appearance is much changed in the beginning of the film. Biff’s face also much differs from his young look. All of this was carefully planned and implemented by the make-up artists’ part of the team. However, they are only one part of the bigger story.
Cinematography is alsonextremely significant in filming. The position of actors and settings, the way the scene is designed, types of shots and lighting – all contribute into a general look of the film. Moreover, if cinematography is done well, it establishes an additional meaning to the film story in general.
Dean Cundey showed his talent as a cinematographer in the whole movie as he used almost all the techniques known then: different types of lighting, close-ups, medium and long shots, deep focus, over-the-shoulder shots, zooms, normal and high angles etc. All of them impact the film image and influence the viewers in their own way.
Speaking of their meaning, we should indicate: the long shot is used to introduce the setting in a distance. In the film Cundey applied it in the scenes with Libyan terrorists and Marty in the city centre, etc. The close-up shot is used to dramatize a scene, or to draw the audience’s attention to a person or thing. The viewers are intrigued and expect an action to begin. In general we observe the shot in the film opening to create a kind of suspence and to induct the audience into the story. Moreover, medium shot is the most common as it is close to our everyday life and makes an effect as if the action goes on in our own imagination.
A huge team worked for special effects in the film. Much can be said of the introductory part, where Doc’s laboratory is shown. All the props were created for the viewers to understand his personality: he was fond of clocks and inventions, though extremely distrait. Just like that, with only a few shots of the scene and the setting, the viewers get to know the character.
Social/Personal Impact
As far as the social impact of the film is concerned, it became extremely popular among teenagers in 1980s all over the world. Marty became a superhero for young people, they liked him skateboarding, playing the guitar, being cute and funny. I was impressed by the story as it teaches to invest in the present so that to improve the future. Besides, I feel responsible for destinies of others too, while we influence each other’s characters.
Stage 2: Reflection
In a nutshell, we can admit the course is extremely important and useful for individual reflection development. Before the course, watching a film was just a kind of entertainment for me. Moreover, then I evaluated a film as good, when I enjoyed it; and as bad when I did not. Now it is quite different. It is impossible to just simply watch a movie now. I cannot help noticing different techniques and solving the riddles on screen, searching for the bigger picture. While analyzing a film, you pay attention to the details, settings, props, costumes, posture and gestures. Besides, now it is clear why all of them are there. A film is not just a moving and speaking picture for me anymore. Now a huge team work of the director, the producer, the script-writer, the cinematographer and the editor is seen alongside all the actors. Moreover, I understand if those people applied some techniques in the film, they mean something and my task is to guess what is hidden.
After the course, I know for sure, for example, what a low angle shot means in a movie. It is definite: a director just makes a character bigger, stronger and more important. The language of cinematography looks like the language of gestures for me – all here has a meaning of its own. Moreover, I wonder that society can influence film release, when a film object sets up a current or topical issue. And vise versa, film can have an impact on the society afterwards. Everybody understands, movies can manipulate people and change their attitude to different issues.
References
Dargis, M. (2009). Action! The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/movies/21darg.html?_r=0
Goodykoontz, B., & & Jacobs, C. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education Inc.
Grant, B. K. (2012). Introduction. In B. K. Grant (Ed.), Film Genre Reader IV. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com/corp/
Zemeckis, R. (Director), & Spielberg, S. (Producer). (n.d.). Back to the future part II [Video file].
