[Sample Intro] In both Scorsese's Hugo and Von Trier's Dancer in the Dark, imagination is put face to face with technology. Scorsese's not so subtle message of the ill-fated progression of technology can be directly compared to- and contrasted with- Von Trier's more underlying comments on our need to see this progress as positive. The question was asked if machines could be employed for imaginative and playful purposes, and I think the answer is that they can be because it takes imagination to realize the full potential of what machines can do for us, but too much can be harmful. Both directors exemplify this in different ways, but the end message is all the same.
[Body 1] Two scenes that are easily comparable are ones that occur in the same places in both movies. The very opening scenes, before we even get to the films, we get scenes that symbolically sums up both movies. In Hugo, we see the dissolve of the inner workings of a clock to a Paris night scene. In Dancer, we see the dissolve of several different and vibrant paintings that eventually fade completely to white. Both scenes give us the views of the world as the protagonist sees it, and both involve dissolves which show symbolism. Hugo sees the world as this big machine, that all works together to do one big job; Selma sees the world as one big, beautiful painting that is slowly going blank. Both views take imagination to see, but the main characters eventually become so wrapped up in their ways that they don't see the harm they can do. Hugo becomes so wrapped up in his mission to find a role in the world, that he doesn't see that he could harm himself, or Isabelle, or Papa George. Selma is so set in her ways to stop her son from suffering the same fate as her that she has no regards for her self or the person she killed.
Ok--this is a start---
ReplyDeleteI like the idea that both films:
[show need for] imagination to realize the full potential of what machines can do for us.....
[why not frame this as a central concern--show how hugo is all about getting control of machines to return to early cinema.....
Dancer is a bit more tricky....
you say: Von Trier's more underlying comments on our need to see this progress as positive
[maybe....or do you want to talk about how his character engages with technology as background for her own private musical? do you want to say it's somewhat like Hugo----returning beauty to world? returning us to musicals?