Saturday, June 27, 2009

Mean Creek Essay #2

Question: describe how the beginning and end of the film are connected

The beginning and end of the film Mean Creek directed by Jacob Aaron Estes is connected through two main events and scene's. By connecting the beginning and end of the film it helps to unify and give a sense of a completed cycle within the storyline.

The connection between the beginning and end of the film is shown in the very first scene, George turns on his video camera to film himself playing basketball this symbolizes the start of the film. By using this visual technique we are seeing life in George's perspective which helps the viewer to see his point of view. This scene is connected to the final scene when the detectives discover George's camera after he has drowned. "The inside of my mind has a zillion things about it but... people that don't see inside of my mind don't know there are a zillion things and... Y'know, since no one sees inside my mind, no one really knows". The final scene ends with George turning off his camera this symbolises his death and the end of the film. These two scene's show a connection, they both use the same visual technique to start and end the film through the turning on and off of George's camera . Mean Creek starts and ends with a close up shot of George through the view of his camera so we are seeing the situation from his perspective. By the director connecting the beginning and end of the film it gives the viewer the sense of a completed cycle, as it ends the same as it started. I think it is very clever how the director does this as it show thought on how he wants the viewers to perceive, and what he wants the viewers to take away from the film, it gives the film more meaning and emphasizes the moral.

Another connection between the beginning and the end of film, is through the two scene's in Sam & Rocky's bedroom before and after George's death. In the beginning the room is shown with a carefree vibe, it is well lit, up beat music in the background and games being played whilst Rocky is calling George as part of their prank "he said he would love to come".After George's death the film returns to Sam and Rocky's room, this shows a connection to the scene described earlier as the film is returning to the same setting where the revenge plan was put in place, this is a major turning point.Physically the room is still the same, but there is a change in the vibe as characters have all come to a guilty realisation of the effect of their actions, this gives a very tense atmosphere. Change in atmosphere shown by a change in lighting it has now become darker, the music has slowed and the use of static camera movement .By doing this it helps show the the major change and loss of innocence in the characters by being able to see them before and after George's death, in the same setting of Sam and Rocky's room this helps viewers to compare "we can never be forgiven for what we did". A connection like this is very useful in showing the consequences of the accident, as we are able to see effects of the George's death on each character individually. The director has used this technique well as it clearly shows the changes in the characters so we are able to see them before and after George's death which makes it easier to compare and understand for viewers.

In conclusion the connection of the beginning and end of the film are shown in two main events and scene's. Connection is shown by the beginning of the film starting with George turning on his camera and ending with him turning it off, this is a connection as the same visual technique is used. Beginning and end of Mean Creek is connected also by the before and after scene's of George's death in Sam and Rocky's bedroom. This shows as connection as it is the exact same setting but with a major atmospheric change. This setting is also where the decisions for turning point occur, the decision to get revenge and the decision to come clean. Jacob Aaron Estes ties the end back to the beginning as it gives a sense of a completed cycle which is a well thought out way to end a film.

By LilyRose Dyer.

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