Throughout the pursuit of happiness each character that we see in the mise-en-scene are represented in different ways to make us dislike, feel happy or sympathies for. Chris Gardner (Will Smith) represents a hard working, goal seeking person from the black society trying to make money for him and his family to get by.
The first scene we see in the film is Chris and his son Christopher (Jaden Smith) on there way to playschool. We see the two holding hands and in Chris’ other hand he is carrying a box which at this point, we are not introduced to. I think that this represents the two most important things in Chris’ life being held on either side of him. His son, showing his ability to be a father and the responsibility that comes with it. And this box, the thing that he’s sure is going to get him by and maybe even one day that he’ll live the American dream. It shows ambition, dedication and at this point in the film a steady income.
Linda (Thandie Newton) is then introduced on the screen looking unattractive and exhausted. The mise-en-scene that is used throughout the time we see Linda on screen during the film shows her in a grungy nurse’s uniform, wearing little makeup and never happy with the situation she’s in. I think the saying ‘the glass is half empty’ could be used to represent Linda’s view on life compared to Chris’ optimism in his choice of career. We know this because of the use of flashback when the machines were first being brought into the house; this shows the excitement and how much younger they look, being represented with bright lights and a sense of something good about to happen in their voices. The way Linda reacts when she first sees her husband in the film is forecasting the breakdown in her marriage and her leaving her son and husband behind.
The transitions of shots and tone of the music are changed when Chris is walking down a road with what we can assume from the mise-en-scene is in the middle of town, filled with well off, middle class business people. The shot shows all of them smiling which connotes that their happy with how their life’s going which is strongly juxtaposes with Chris’ life and how he has to walk though this part of the city to be turned down by what he thought would be a potential buyer of the bone density scanner which represents how much people with money matter to the character and how it could really help him.
The scene with the interview is probably the most juxtapose scene in the whole film because of the huge contrast between Chris and the rest of the interviewees in their designer suits and shaven faces compared to Chris’ covered in paint look, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. During the interview to the film there are a lot of point-of-view shots to put us in Chris’ position of being interviewed by these four intimidating men. I also noticed in this scene, the first proper bit of laughter in the film when Chris makes a jokes which results in us leading to positive thoughts and opportunities that might well come his way.
When this six month apprenticeship comes Chris’ way we see the best thing in his life happening in the worst time of his life. This career opportunity is probably the one chance he’ll get and yet his marriage is in pieces and his child’s educational needs aren’t being reached. Christopher represents the innocents and naivety to the harsh adult word and notices quite obvious things. For example when Chris manages to get a bone density scanner off the gypsy who stole it and their sitting on the bus with two he says ‘Your not meant to have any of them, you have two now’. These words would have been influenced by his mother and shows that there really is a halt of them not being sold.
Things are at the lowest point for Chris when he and his son are forced to sleep at the shelter due to being unable to pay the rent. I think that the film uses a stroke of irony when we see the cue for the shelter. In this, we see a lot of homeless, scruffy clothed and unshaven people. Then we see Chris, in his suit and looking tired from a hard day in the office however as it’s unpaid work he’s resulted to taking himself and his young son to this play filled with connotations of drug abusers and lazy workers. This scene puts Chris in the opposite position to where he was in his interview so shows that work has got better however the personal life is going down hill.
The last scene is very symbolic because Chris has just be given the opportunity of a life time, everything would be fine and he can bring his son up in a word where they wouldn’t have to scrape for every penny. We see the two walking in to the sunset, holding hands however this time Chris isn’t holding a big box in the other hand, but Christopher’s lunch box which symbolizes Chris being able to finally provide and take care of his child and finally be a proper father to his son.
No comments:
Post a Comment