Introduction
The purpose of film goes beyond entertaining audiences. Film is also a tool that is used to convey powerful messages. It is therefore little wonder that films continue to endure and captivate audiences. Seven Pounds is among the films that attempt to confront some of the issues that people grapple with every day. Guilt, selflessness and humanity are just some of the themes that this film explores. The film leaves the audiences reflecting on the meaning of life and the need for kindness, the power of love and deep reflection. For the most part, this film is effective in communicating these themes. Drama, aesthetic tools and remarkable character performance are some of the effects that the film relies on to gain and maintain the attention of its audience. This movie is a representation of the tremendous power and impact of film and art in general.
Analysis
For a full understanding of the film to be gained, one needs to conduct a thorough analysis. In the discussion that follows, various elements of the film are explored in detail.
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Contextual information
Gabriel Muccino served as the director of Seven Pounds (“Seven Pounds”, 2008). He should receive credit for the excellent performance of the various characters. The cinematography for Seven Pounds was the mandate of Philippe Le Sourd. The primary roles of the cinematographer in any film production include managing the crew responsible for the light and camera. Essentially, the cinematographer handles the technical production elements of a film. It is reasonable to assume that this was Le Sourd’s main responsibility. Will Smith is the main character in this film (“Seven Pounds”, 2008). He plays Ben Thomas, a man who has lost his fiancée through an accident that claimed the lives of six other people. Ben blames himself for the accident as he was texting while behind the wheel. In his effort to redeem himself, Thomas embarks on a journey where he identifies individuals whom he wishes to donate his organs to. He scrutinizes the lives of these individuals to ensure that they are worthy of his organs. Rosario Dawson is the main actress in the film (“Seven Pounds”, 2008). She plays the role of Emily Rosa, a woman with a congenital heart defect that will claim her life unless she receives a heart transplant. Dawson is among the people that Ben identifies as those who are to receive his organs. As the film progresses, Ben begins to develop feelings for Emily (Muccino, 2008). Other characters that play rather minor roles include Woody Harrelson who plays Ezra, Barry Pepper and Elpidia Carillo, among others (“Seven Pounds”, 2008). Seven Pounds was released in 2008. While the film combines different elements, it can be regarded as being of the drama type. This film falls in the romance/drama category. This categorization is based on the events in the film and the themes that it attempts to shed light on.
Story/plot
Plot is one of the critical elements of any film. Essentially, plot is concerned with the events in a film and the story that these events tell (Lewis, 2013). As described above, this film focuses on the life of Ben Thomas. After losing his fiancé and causing the death of six other people, Ben seeks to redeem himself and attack his guilt. He identifies various people who are in desperate need for organ transplants (Muccino, 2008). To qualify to receive Ben’s organs, the people must establish their worth. Ben demands that these people must be decent human beings. As noted above, Emily Rosa is among those who are set to receive Ben’s organs. Ben offers to give her his heart to address the heart condition that afflicts her. Initially, Ben’s plan is to investigate Emily with the aim of confirming that she is decent enough to receive his heart (Muccino, 2008). However, as he spends more time with her, romantic feelings begin to develop. These feelings introduce complications into Ben’s plan. Towards the end of the film, Ben sits in freezing waters in a bathtub before releasing his pet jellyfish into the bathtub (Muccino, 2008). The jellyfish bites him and this sets the stage for a painful death. Before his suicide, Ben calls the emergency services and directs them to his room. The people that he had identified go on to receive the respective organs that he had promised to them.
Aesthetic choices
The aesthetic choices that the creators of Seven Pounds are among the factors that make the film effective. To understand these choices, it is helpful to examine them through theoretical frameworks. The auteur theory sheds light on the aesthetic elements of this film. Essentially, the auteur theory focuses on the role that the lead party such as the director plays. According to this theory, the director is the main creative force behind a film (Nelmer, 2003). The director influences every major element of the film. As pointed out earlier, Gabriel Muccino serves as the director of Seven Pounds. Before working on this film, Muccino had joined forces with Will Smith for another film, The Pursuit of Happyness. Released in 2006, this film explores the experiences of the poor and the homeless (Muccino, 2006). In this film, Smith plays a character that has been evited from his home and faces hardships in his effort to secure comforts for his son. This film shares some of the themes that are conveyed in Seven Pounds. For example, The Pursuit of Happyness focuses on how enduring the human spirit is. The same can be said about Seven Pounds. In Seven Pounds, Smith ends his own life to offer others a new lease of life. His actions represent the enduring nature of the human spirit. Given the similarities in the themes that the two films explore, it is easy to understand the impact that the director had on Seven Pounds.
The aesthetic choices in Seven Pounds go beyond the role of the director. Mise en scène is another element of film production that influences the effectiveness of a film. Mise en scène is concerned with such issues as lighting, costume and frame composition (Gibbs, 2012). There does not appear to be any special costuming that has been applied to Seven Pounds. The characters in the film were regular clothes. An argument can be made that the regular costuming was a deliberate choice. It must be that the creators of the film sought to present the characters are normal people. When they normalize their characters, film creators are able to establish rapport with the audience. The audience finds the characters to be relatable and this enhances the impact of the film. While Seven Pounds combines different colors and moods, there appears to be a noticeable grey hue throughout the film. Grey represents ambiguity. One would be being reasonable when they argue that the creators of Seven Pounds included the grey hue to reflect the ambiguous and complex themes in the film. For example, as one watches the film, they become unsure about how to perceive Ben and his action. Does his scrutiny of the potential recipients of his organs amount to an insult? Is he truly selfless or is he simply trying to deal with his guilt? The grey hue clearly hints at these questions.
Editing and technology are other elements that define the quality and effectiveness of a film. Smooth transitioning is one of the editing techniques that are noticeable in Seven Pounds. The different shots in this film transition smoothly. The events are also arranged in a manner that allows for free flow. The smooth transitioning also appears deliberate. Thanks to this transition technique, the film is able to maintain its pace and the attention of the audience. Flashback is one of the special techniques that have been employed in the film. There is a scene where Ben remembers his experiences with his fiancé. It can be argued that the creators of the film selected to include the flashback with the goal of including important details without upsetting the overall smooth transitioning that has been employed throughout the film. Whereas the film maintains smooth transitions, there are various scenes where the transition is rather abrupt and somewhat wild. For instance, soon after Ben enters his hotel room, the audience is immediately shown another scene where he fills the fish tank with water (Muccino, 2008). It is possible that this wild transition is intended to draw attention to special and important events in the film. For instance, as noted earlier, the jellyfish causes Ben’s death after biting him. The wild and abrupt transition to the scene where Ben pours the water into the tank may have been intended to draw attention to the significance of the jellyfish.
In the discussion above, it has been pointed out that technology is among the factors that shape the effectiveness of a film. Targeted release venue is one of the aspects of technology which affect the performance and effectiveness of a film. The release venues of Seven Pounds deviated from tradition. Usually, films are released in locations that offer them maximum visibility. For instance, the creators of a film may choose to release it in a big city or a venue that is recognized for its influence on film. Seven Pounds was originally released in St. Louis, Dallas, Miami, Cleveland and Denver (Covert, 2008). These cities are not necessarily recognized for their impact on film. The creators of Seven Pounds selected these cities because they wished to use the film to generate finances to support food banks in the five cities. The release of the movie also coincided with the election of Barack Obama as the President of the United States. The creators of this film clearly sought to ensure that the film rode on the air of optimism and hope that the election of Obama created.
Social/personal impact
Seven Pounds addresses a number of critical themes that are a reflection of the state of human societies. In his review of this film, Mark Jenkins hints that the film sheds light on life and death (Jenkins, 2008). It is indeed true that this film explores how life and death are intertwined. The death of Ben introduces a new life for seven other people. From Jenkins’ review of the film, one can argue that this film has forced society to re-examine its perspectives on death and suicide. This film shatters traditional views of suicide and death. It suggests that death can mark the beginning of beauty and new life. It is worth noting that this film has received mostly negative reviews from film critics. Therefore, little exploration of the social impacts of the film has been carried out.
Whereas the social impacts of Seven Pounds may be limited, this film has had a tremendous impact on my personal life. One of its effects is that it has allowed me to understand the force of guilt. As was noted earlier, this film shows how guilt drives Ben to donate his organs after committing suicide. While I find Ben’s actions to be honorable and should be encouraged, I think that his suicide was unnecessary and difficult to justify. His suicide also reveals the darkness and pain that guilt forces people to endure. It is indeed sad that Ben found suicide to be the only exit from his guilt. This film has challenged me to develop healthy outlets for such toxic and dangerous emotions as guilt. I will open up to people that I trust to ensure that guilt does not consume me. Another impact that Seven Pounds has had is that it has shed light on the plight of the poor and the sick. In this film, Ben focuses his attention on different people who are dealing with a wide range of problems. For example, Emily is forced to refinance her house to pay for her medical expenses. Moreover, she does not qualify to be placed on the list of those who are to be provided with donated organs urgently. Essentially, without Ben’s intervention, Emily and the other recipients of Ben’s organs would be facing certain death or a life of anguish and pain. Another impact that Seven Pounds has had is that it has highlighted the failure of the American healthcare system. I think that it is very sad and unfortunate that people have to resort to suicide to save the lives of others. If we had an efficient and effective healthcare delivery system, I am confident that all those who require transplants would receive them. Seven Pounds is basically an indictment of the US healthcare system.
Reflection
This assignment has been satisfying and it has allowed me to understand the role that film plays in shaping society. Thanks to my analysis of Seven Pounds, I have been able to recognize that film analysis delivers a number of important benefits. Shedding light on the key themes that the film addresses is one of these benefits. Most people watch films with the goal of deriving enjoyment. Many are unable to grasp the underlying and hidden issues that the film explores. As I analyzed Seven Pounds, I was able to determine the main themes and messages that its creators sought to communicate. Another benefit that film analysis delivers is that it enhances our creative thinking skills while enabling us to reflect. The analysis of Seven Pounds challenged me to think about the meaning of life and the role that I can play to make the lives of others better.
Among the impacts that my analysis of Seven Pounds has had is that it has revolutionized my perspective on films. Previously, I found films to be tools that are merely intended to entertain. I also found films to be shallow and limited in their impact. After analyzing Seven Pounds, I now appreciate the role of film. I now understand that films are powerful as they highlight the meaning of life and the reality of human experiences. As I analyzed the film, I was also able to appreciate the complex processes that go into the production of films. Now, I understand that before a film is released, it has undergone a wide range of processes such as special effects and careful editing. Overall, the analysis of Seven Pounds has broadened my perspective on the meaning and impact of film.
In my analysis of Seven Pounds, I relied on established theories to extract meaning for this film. I also used criticism to explore the messages that the creators of the film set out to convey. The theories allowed me to understand whether Seven Pounds borrows any theoretical concepts. As my analysis above makes clear, this film is indeed founded on theory. For example, the creators of the film must have relied on the theories that shed light on film production when they cleverly selected the transition technique and the lighting effects to use. They recognized that these techniques would have a significant impact on the film. As I applied theory, I was able to determine that for the most part, Seven Pounds is in line with theoretical frameworks.
This assignment is part of a larger course that focuses on art. The impact that the course has had is tremendous and significant. One of the insights that I have gained through this course concerns the impacts that film has on society. Thanks to this course, I now recognize that society and film has a symbiotic relationship through which one benefits from the other. For instance, film borrows from the events in society to determine the issues to explore. On the other hand, film shapes society in many ways. Another insight that I have gained is that film can either have disastrous impacts on society or present society with positive effects.
Apart from enabling me to understand the film making process and the impact that film has on society, this assignment has allowed me to acquire various critical skills. Fair and objective film critique is one of these skills. I am confident that I am now able to explore films with the aim of unearthing their meaning. Another skill that I have acquired thanks to this assignment is film making. One of the tasks of this assignment was to identify the use of technology and special effects to achieve maximum impact. Whereas I understand that I am not a professional film maker, I am confident that I can create simple and decent short films.
Conclusion
Film has been part of human society for generations. It has defined society in a number of different ways. Seven Pounds is one of the products of the film industry. This film examines life, death, guilt and the quest for redemption. It shares the story of a man who is consumed by guilt which pushes him to suicide. His death allows seven other people to stay alive. In addition to depicting powerful messages, this film combines various production techniques that enhance its impact. The team behind Seven Pounds clearly recognized that film can be effective tool for speaking to the minds and hearts of audiences. Seven Pounds is a manifestation of effective and creative film production.
References
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Gibbs, J. (2012). Mise-en-scene: Film Style and Interpretation. New York: Columbia University
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Jenkins, M. (2008). ‘Seven Pounds’: Life, Death and Other Heavy Things. Retrieved 19 th
January 2018 from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98417422
Lewis, J. (2013). Essential Cinema: An Introduction to Film Analysis. Boston: Cengage
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Muccino, G. (Director). (2006). The Pursuit of Happyness. United States: Sony Pictures.
Muccino, G. (Director). (2008). Seven Pounds [Motion Picture]. United States: Columbia
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Nelmer, J. (2003). An Introduction to Film Studies. Abingdon: Psychology Press.
Seven Pounds. (2008). Retrieved 19 th January 2018 from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814314/
