Pleasantville and Hero Essay Example

David faces difficulties in dating, potentially leading to love-related conflicts throughout the story. The target audience for both movies consists of individuals over the age of twelve. This is because Hero contains intense action scenes that may be unsuitable for young children, while in Pleasantville there are some instances of explicit language.

The themes explored in Hero include love, fighting, honour, ritual, respect, pride, and loyalty. On the other hand, Pleasantville focuses on themes such as love, friendship, freedom, humour, and the belief in the possibility of changing destiny. While not all of these themes are introduced within the first ten minutes of each film, Honour and ritual are exemplified when individuals wearing robes form a path for Nameless to walk through. The incorporation of CGI in creating a large group of people provides visual spectacle. Additionally, humour is present through comedic moments such as those involving the teacher and the content being taught to the students.

Pleasantville and Hero have different approaches to morality. Pleasantville leans towards intellectualism, while Hero upholds traditional values. Each movie employs various media tools including lighting, sound, as well as shot types and angles for introducing their main characters. In Pleasantville, David and Jen are both introduced through shots featuring them, whereas in Hero, Nameless is established as the main character through his speech. The first 10 minutes of both movies introduce all the main and secondary characters. While Pleasantville lacks significant secondary characters, Hero prominently features the king as a secondary character.

The significance of this is portrayed in the plot and its importance to Nameless. In the movie Pleasantville, Jen embodies typical teenage traits such as her passion for fashion,

lack of knowledge, and emphasis on sex. Similarly, in the film Hero, the king is depicted as a stereotypical character with his arrogance clearly shown through his material possessions like his gold-plated armor, enormous mosaic image of war, and his palace size being emphasized by the phrase "100 paces away or will be killed". The director's choice of capturing the king in a low angle wide shot further enhances this portrayal. Additionally, the introduction of Hero's main character, Nameless, adheres to the conventions of the historical epic genre as his muscular physique is highlighted by the director.

This typically occurs in all films belonging to the historical epic genre. In Pleasantville, the compilation of clips swiftly introduces the characters and sets them up for the plot. This is a convention commonly seen in teen-flicks, as they tend to focus on the characters' situations rather than their individual traits, often relying on stereotypical portrayals. These characters are easily recognizable and do not require extensive introductions like those found in Hero and other historical epics. The initial visual elements displayed in the movies, which encompass the anticipated iconography of each genre, differ. In Pleasantville, the opening scene depicts someone changing channels on a television.

The television screen is shown in close-up with ample fill lighting to create a realistic atmosphere. Meanwhile, in the opening shot of Hero, "Nameless" delivers a speech about his past from a low angle mid shot. This scene features backlighting to enhance its spooky atmosphere. The logo of Hero is characterized by an orangey red color, which primarily connotes themes of bloodshed, battle, strife, conflict, and love. Additionally, the logo also signifies martial arts, as

it incorporates Chinese writing, representing Oriental script or ancient text commonly found in historical epics. These elements effectively contribute to establishing the setting.

The graphic representation of Pleasantville exudes a gentle and smooth pink and white aesthetic, symbolizing romance, femininity, aspirations, and youth. Throughout Pleasantville, the lighting is consistently bright, evoking a pleasant atmosphere even in moments of character tension. In contrast, Hero predominantly employs black and white hues, with dim lighting and ample backlighting to create suspense and anticipation. The use of black and white captures the contrasting concepts of yin and yang, as well as the battle between good and evil. Additionally, the incorporation of dark navy color schemes aligns with the traditional elements found in historical epics.

Both movies utilize color to create powerful effects. In Pleasantville, color is used to represent the essence of a character, with their entire color palette changing as they undergo a transformation. On the other hand, in Hero, color is employed to highlight the emotions and beliefs that drive a character's actions. For instance, during the scene where two women engage in a fight, the color red is used to symbolize love and passion, while also evoking connotations of blood. In contrast, in the King's theory, the color blue is used to convey a sense of coldness, callousness, and heartlessness. This technique effectively assists the audience in comprehending the film's narrative.

Many people believe that Hero is more effective in its use of color in spoken words. The colors values and the actor's actions align in Hero, making it an effective tool in this complex narrative. Both Hero and Pleasantville use sound to build tension and set the

scene. In Pleasantville, the first scene provides a major hint to the story of the film through the split-second saxophone tune played during channel flicking.

During the period of Pleasantville, the saxophone gained fame. The general music and sound throughout the opening and all the scenes had a friendly tone. However, there was one exception during the arrival of the television mechanic, where a sleazy, modern, and creepy track was played as part of the non-diagetic sound. In this scene, the diagetic sound included the ringing doorbell when the TV guy arrives. On the other hand, the sound in Hero was significantly different. It incorporated both diagetic sounds like wagons, horses, men fighting, and swords, as well as non-diagetic sounds such as drums of war, violin, flute, and eastern music to drive the movie forward.

Incorporating soundtracks in movies plays a crucial role as it sets the mood and identifies the genre. Soundtracks specific to each film's unique genre are included. There exist two kinds of sounds, specifically diagetic and non-diagetic sounds. Diagetic sounds originate from within the scene itself, like the ringing of a doorbell or noise from a fight sequence. Conversely, non-diagetic sounds are employed to intensify tension and ambiance such as sensual or oriental music tracks. Sounds also offer subtle hints about characters' personas. For instance, in Pleasantville, unsettling music served as an indication that there was something odd about the TV repair man for viewers. Likewise, in Hero, eastern musical tunes suggested that Nameless had an Asian descent.

In Pleasantville, the diagetic sound adheres to the conventions of its genres. In the beginning of the film, the female protagonist is seen talking on the

phone while chewing gum, which aligns with the teen-flick genre where teenage girls often showcase their social status this way, considering it as a symbol of being "cool". The sound in Hero also serves to define its genre. The use of drums builds tension, allowing the target audiences to instantly recognize the film's genre. Additionally, as the montage of clips transitions into the story of Pleasantville, 1950's swing music can be heard playing.

The use of non-diagetic features in both Pleasantville and Hero contribute to the sense of speed and fantasy in the respective genres. In fantasies, it is common for the protagonist's journey to be suggested, which is also evident in the plot of Pleasantville. The inclusion of the Pleasantville marathon adds an element of ambiguity to the story. Similarly, in Hero, the presence of oriental music aligns with the historic epic genre, where non-diagetic music from the relevant time period is typically incorporated. Additionally, tension is heightened in Hero through the use of voice over, giving insight into the protagonist's thoughts.

The text underscores the significance of the main character and follows the tradition of historic epics that typically revolve around a single protagonist. Likewise, another indication of Pleasantville's genre is depicted in the mise-en-scene, where the absence of music and the focus on the television can imply a forthcoming journey. This creates suspense, much like the audible thunder and lightning, which foreshadow an impending event. In cinema, there are three categories of angles - high, low, and medium - along with eight diverse shot compositions.

Characters' significance can be conveyed through two primary perspectives: high angle and low angle. High angle views tend to portray

the character as minute, frail, and susceptible, whereas low angle views present the character as towering, robust, and protective. Eight typical shot types are frequently utilized: extreme long shot (for illustrating a broad image and vulnerability), long shot, medium shot (to display interaction among characters), close-up (to capture intricate details and facial reactions), extreme close-up (commonly employed for emotional scenes), over the shoulder shot, point of view shot, followed by a two-shot.

In the movie Pleasantville, changes in characters' colors reflect changes in their behavior and thoughts. This can be seen within the first ten minutes of the film, where David and Jen are shown in a montage to highlight their similar actions. Similarly, the film Hero effectively uses flashbacks to progress the story. Additionally, in Pleasantville, close-up reaction shots are frequently used to illustrate the characters' emotions. This technique is commonly employed in teen-oriented films, which often revolve around emotions and challenging situations.

The film Hero incorporates numerous wide and low angle shots, which serve to highlight greatness, exemplify size and space, and convey a sense of freedom. It's ironic that this freedom is juxtaposed with the fact that "Before China was one great nation it was divided into seven warring states," implying that war restricts freedom. The low angle shots, on the other hand, symbolize power. As a war-torn nation and a historical epic, power and honor are important elements that adhere to the conventions of the film genre. Power essentially serves as the foundation for historical epics. In summary, both films effectively adhere to their respective genres.

Personally, in terms of the opening, Pleasantville was more explanatory, but Hero created more suspense and mystery. The

weakness of Hero, however, was that it was too complicated. The preferred movie is Hero because it was directed well and the use of color was more effective compared to Pleasantville. Both movies have different impacts on their target audiences. While Pleasantville's calm story about two teenagers may not appeal to fans of Hero, viewers who enjoy the fantasy genre can still find enjoyment in two hours of black and white "fun".

Similarly, the intended viewers of Hero may find Pleasantville intriguing but overly simplistic and surreal for their Sunday evenings. In Hero, Jet Lee serves as a prominent figure of "the star system," where specific film stars play a crucial role in the movie's symbolism. Jet Lee effectively accentuates the film's genre and martial arts elements. Although some argue that Jackie Chan would have been a more suitable option, he is primarily linked with comedic roles nowadays. Therefore, the casting team made an excellent decision in selecting Jet Lee.