Hi guys!
Last blog I discussed that our 2-minute film would have the genre “drama”. This blog I decided to analyze three films that contain the genre drama and how they've inspired my work.
To begin with, I selected the infamous film Joker (2019) which depicts mental illness in complex ways including chronic depression and trauma. This film also explores the result of a failed mental health system. This film is used to educate people who may be unfamiliar with mental illness and to encourage its audience to reflect on their current roles in society. Throughout the film you can visibly see a man experiencing extreme psychological distress which is likely a result from a combination of childhood trauma, social isolation, and a neurological condition that stimulates uncontrollable laughter. This ultimately highlights the effects of untreated mental illness and the effects of individuals feeling ignored and drawn to the edge by society. This inspires my work being it portrays a protagonist's struggle with mental health, by capturing their raw emotions in a short but impactful way. This films use of color, lighting and cinematography to convey emotion inspired me to illustrate internal struggles without heavily relying on dialogue. Another hot take from this film was its use of an unreliable perspective that blurs the lines between reality and delusion. Incorporating this in my film could provide an immersive experience that mirrors the complexities of mental health challenges.
The next film I selected was WALL-E which subtly incorporates mental health and drama themes through its storytelling, world-building, and character development. Throughout the film WALL-E is isolated on earth and experiences deep loneliness. His collection of small treasures and longing for companionship reflects the emotional needs that we all have. This can correlate back to our film where Andres will be using a guitar as a way to cope through his substance abuse. Just like Andres WALL-E finds joy in the little things such as music which ultimately highlights mindfulness and gratitude. Not to mention, WALL-E's loneliness and ability to feel love for other robots shows his capacity for human like emotions. Although he isn't able to verbally express his emotions, he communicates through body language and robotic sounds. This inspired me for my film being this movie showcases how you can still deliver emotions that the audience can understand without having to verbally announce anything.
The last film I chose was The Little Prince (2015) which explores mental health through themes of childhood wonder, emotional repression, societal pressure, and self-discovery. The film portrays a young girl into a high achieving lifestyle by her mother, mirroring the struggles many teens face with academic pressure and loss of joy. This story highlights how suppressing emotions can lead to mental distress while rediscovering one's inner child fosters healing and self-acceptance. This approach prompts filmmakers that are working on teen mental health stories by encouraging narratives to emphasize self-exploration and breaking free from societal expectations. Through visually symbolic story telling such as structured adult world and the vibrant, imaginative universe of the Little Prince, filmmakers can creatively represent internal struggles. Using animation, dream sequences like The Little Prince can make mental health themes more emotionally resonant for young audiences, fostering deeper understanding and empathy. This film inspired my work being that my 2-minute film also targets a younger audience and shines a light upon the struggles many teens endure and mental health's oppressive nature.
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