Section B - Popular Film and Spectatorship

With reference to the films you have studied for this topic, explore in detail two of the key elements that produce an emotional response in the spectator.

Film is fundamentally a form of communication as as such it can be said to involved the transmission of messages with senders, (the filmmakers, producers, etc), encoding messages and receivers, (audiences and spectators), de-coding them. In other words, the filmmakers are attempting to alter the state of mind of another person.

Our emotional response to a film is determined by how we are made to connect with the characters. This is call alignment, which is the process of identification with something or someone.  From the opening scene in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket the audience are denied the opportunity to align with any characters. In this scene, we see multiple characters getting their head shaved. This process signifies the removal of the identity of the characters, making each of them look more alike. The cinematography in this scene is basic, and each shot is uniform; same shot type, same shot length. This reinforces the feeling of equality among the characters, as no one single character stands out, that the intro has - making it more difficult for the audience to align with any specific character, and begins the audience on their journey to alignment with the group as a whole. If we have more access to the point of view and subjectivity of a character we identify with them, in a sense endorsing their behavior and their attitudes.

This can be seen in Full Metal Jacket’s boot camp first half.  The whole point of boot camp is the dehumanization of the recruits is so they can be re-branded into ruthless killing machines. The spectator is not made to align with any one character but with ‘the group’ as a whole. This can be seen with opening rant by Hartman, only character that shows a trace of individuality, like Joker, is rebuffed. The character of Pyle is shown to be an outsider. The spectator is discouraged from aligning with Pyle through many techniques. He is physically and mentally different from the group; his weight, height and behavior are not the norm. Only negative aspects of Pyle are shown, his performance during boot camp is singled out by the cinematography, continually showing his failings. His failures are highlighted too, as soon as Pyle steps out of line he is dealt with by Hartman. This creates an emotional response of sympathy in the spectator, which drives a disconnection. Hartman is an embodiment of this; he is not purposely cruel to Pyle but only seeks to make him tougher before he goes to Vietnam. A spectator’s response to this could also be influenced by their ‘situated culture’. This concerns their situation, their daily lives, routines and relationships that can affect how they respond to films. From experience I have been in groups were there has been a weak link and it is extremely frustrating to help them when they continually fail.

Allegiance, like alignment is constructed by forces outside of the spectator’s control. During the jelly doughnut scene, the spectator sees Pyle holding back the group, stopping them from progressing. Everyone else suffers because of his failure. The spectator is positioned on the same level as the group, further bonding them. When the film reaches Pyle’s beating sequence, the spectator has already given their allegiance and devotion to the group.  The spectator view Pyle similar to the group and understand that this is their first operation as a unit to isolate the weakest link. Post beating, Pyle suffers a complete loss of humanity, showing no emotion or empathy making it now completely impossible for the spectator to align. They now see him as dangerous and a threat. The emotional response from the spectator now is that there allegiance is fully with the group and the Marine Corps ideology.

Another way Full Metal Jacket creates an emotional response in the spectator is Joker’s duality. Joker claims his motifs, a peace badge pinned to his chest and ‘Born To Kill’ written across his helmet, represent the duality of man. It is often used to reflect the inner confusion of the soldiers throughout the film. Kubrick presents Joker as a symbol of man’s duality, wanting to do good but often submitting to man’s animalistic desires to do so.  Joker’s empathy drives a connection to create an emotional response. The spectator can understand what he is feeling because everyone has had crisis of being conflicted in their lives. An example would be the scene with the young sniper who begs Joker to put her out of her misery. Joker wants to commit an act of mercy and the end her life. However, to do this he must give in to his primitive desires and murder her. The scenes reinforces the themes of duality through Joker himself and the opinions of his comrades. As a spectator, the viewer with have a different emotional response to whether he should kill the sniper of let her suffer out of retribution for his fallen comrades.

Another Stanley Kubrick film, A Clockwork Orange, also creates an emotional response within the spectator through it shocking content. Personal response is important for the spectator with A Clockwork Orange, especially with regards to gender. A spectator’s response can depend on how their gender is represented. A woman watching the home invasion scene may have a different response in comparison to a man. As a woman, I found it hard to watch due to the extreme violation which happened to the only female character shown in the scene. A spectator’s response to this scene is also contributed by their cultural experience. This is where a spectator’s culture, upbringing and beliefs affect their individual response.

In conclusion, filmmakers have always attempted to gain some sort of emotional response from the spectator, and for their part spectators have always responded emotionally to film. More than that, spectators have always attended cinema in order to have their emotion arouses and with the expectation this will take place.