Close Reading of Film Stills in "A Beautiful Mind"

(Figures 11 & 12 in class handout)

In the first film still, John is with the psychiatrist in his office. John is still unable to move on the floor after her falls out of his wheelchair. From the point of view, you can see the doctor walking away and leaving him on the floor. While watching the exact scene in the film, it is clear that being shackled in the institution angers John. The doctor walks off from John as a way to show him that he is serious about helping him. The director uses a wide angle to show how big the doctor's office is. The doctor is a no nonsense guy and has a very high level of professionalism. The decor of the office shows how high of a rank the doctor is in as well. This still could be of good use when describing the characters mindset. In the second still, John is receiving insulin shock therapy for his schizophrenia. Back in the day this treatment was okay to do but now it is completely unorthodox. The doctor and his wife are both present for this separated by glass. There are a variety of emotions happening in this still. As John receives the therapy, the doctor is able to watch as he has seizures. Because John is his patient, it is his responsibility to look on and see the results unfold. On the other hand his wife is facing the opposite direction. The difference of emotion can be analyzed in this powerful scene. The director also achieved a sense of realism with his wife unable to watch this treatment. No one wants to watch a loved one has seizures, let alone ones that are purposely triggered. She cannot stand the sight of her husband going through this. This still can be used to show how strong love is and to know that it is not easy to watch someone go through excruciating pain. From analyzing these film stills, I've learned that focusing on the little details can bring much more out of a scene that just watching the film roll by. In real time, one really has no time to go into that much discussion in a few seconds.

FREEWRITE: Are Hollywood Films Realistic

 I think Hollywood movies are in some way realistically but not fully. When writers think of what the movies is going to be about they have to get inspiration from somewhere. For example, when the movie starts it say "inspired by a true story", that does not mean that it is the true story being replicated. Hollywood seldom gets true stories correct. The portrayal of John Nash in A Beautiful Mind got some facts right but left out some of the important stuff out. Just like how a movie is just a few pages out of the whole story. Hollywood has to find ways to compact the whole story into 1 or 2 hours.

Welcome!

Hi, my name is Aneilia McKay. I am 19 years old currently attending LAGCC. I transferred to Laguardia in the fall of 2013 from Cazenovia College in upstate New York. There I began studying the art of photography but realized I enjoyed it more as a hobby than a career. The college was five hours away, and I was suffering from homesickness. With that being said I am now back in the city pursuing an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts: Social Science and Humanities. After I receive that degree I am continuing on to another four-year university to study advertising. Besides burying my head in the books I am a barista at Dean and Deluca. I have been in the coffee business now for about a year. When I’m not making lattes, I am usually shopping or doing makeup. When I’m not doing either of those, you’ll find me at the movies or at home watching Netflix. My favorite movies are 300 and The Ugly Truth. For books, my favorite is “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger. I had the pleasure of reading it my freshmen year of high school. I consider myself a technology optimist. Ever since I was introduced to Apple technology 5 years ago I was hooked. I have a macbook and an iphone, and I have found that these gadgets have made my everyday life easier and I am so accustomed to them. Today I feel people are optimistic about technology. Especially in this day and age, smart phones and tablets are becoming more and more popular. The factor of convenience plays a huge roll. In the distant future we can expect robots to be doing our jobs.