{"id":46,"date":"2011-09-19T17:30:25","date_gmt":"2011-09-19T16:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.wpcoder.com\/dan\/wordpress\/?p=1"},"modified":"2014-05-07T18:27:39","modified_gmt":"2014-05-07T17:27:39","slug":"como-escribir-una-pelicula-para-que-diga-lo-que-quiero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/utiles-para\/utiles-para-audiencias\/como-escribir-una-pelicula-para-que-diga-lo-que-quiero","title":{"rendered":"How to make a movie say WHAT YOU WANT TO"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>17 Minute, 3 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

.<\/p>\n

An author’s message…<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many years ago, one of my university professors refused to explain what \u201cthe message\u201d of a literary work is, because he himself didn\u00b4t understand<\/em> \u00a0what it was.\u00a0 I soon realized that he did know, but was cleverly avoiding confrontation with his students in regards to values, ideas and beliefs, given that the \u201cmessage\u201d of a story\u00a0 usually exposes its author\u2019s ideology.<\/p>\n

The ideology \u00ad\u00ad\u2013and this is <\/em>important\u2013 colors every piece of information we transmit, and particularly every literary work, every work of art, every mass media product. \u00a0Ideology, in fact, intensifies (positively or negatively) the feelings these works awaken in us. Consequently, the \u201cpolitically correct\u201d version (that is: the \u201cideology-neutral\u201d version)\u00a0 of a tale such as Snow White<\/em> \u00a0is perceived as bland and unpalatable by most readers, which renders it entirely unsuccessful in terms of sales, in spite of the admirable intentions of its adaptors (they omitted \u201cdwarf\u201d in order to respect the feelings of shorter people; and Snow White and the Prince did not wed at the end, thus avoiding presenting marriage as a goal towards which we should all aspire, because not everybody is meant for marriage, amongst other things).<\/p>\n

How can we explain what a \u201cmessage\u201d comprises?\u00a0 The other day I saw Evelyn \u00a0<\/em>(starring actor: Pierce Brosnan) which is a film that lends itself well, to illustrate the point.<\/p>\n

Evelyn<\/em> is about a young Irishman \u2013Desmond Doyle, alias \u201cDessie\u201d, who is a fine master plasterer in construction, who\u2019s been out of work for some time-, and who spends his days drinking in a tavern.\u00a0 When he isn\u2019t there, we find him at home singing old songs with his father, \u2026drinking still more.\u00a0 In general, he is unshaven, and his hair is a mess. It is true that he always shows his deep love of his children, although it doesn\u2019t motivate him to change.\u00a0 His wife, of course, is fed up with the situation, and goes far away with an Englishman (a crime against <\/em>Ireland<\/em>!<\/em>). She seems not to take any further interest in her children \u2013or if she does, we are not told; but she does communicate with her mother, who, due to her worries about her grandchildren, files a complaint stating her son-in-law is incapable of caring for them.<\/p>\n

The judge rules that, indeed, the father is unfit to care for his kids, and unable to provide for their basic necessities; therefore, the judge awards custody to the State.\u00a0 In turn, the State rids itself of the problem by sending the children to Catholic boarding schools with \u2013according to one of the students\u2013 half the girls of Ireland. I find this unsurprising given that if the Mexican Government pretended to do the same, few children would be allowed to remain at home!<\/p>\n

Our protagonist fights passionately to recover his children (even attempting to kidnap them), but, of course, he fails as he continues to be out of work, a drunk and unkempt.\u00a0 His love for his children \u2013now that he has lost them, motivates him to take any work he can find, and stop drinking.\u00a0 Little by little he even begins to look after his appearance \u2013washing and shaving. Not only this: When the \u201cmedia\u201d find out about his \u201cstory\u201d, he even learns how to express himself in a way that wins both the respect and support of the people \u2013help he badly needs in order to put pressure on the authorities!<\/p>\n

In the end, he wins his lawsuit against the Government, which is forced to reform certain laws, as well as to return his children to him.\u00a0 We, the viewers, rejoice in his triumph, and cry when he gets his children back\u2026<\/p>\n

What is the \u201cmessage\u201d of this story? To answer this, we must ask ourselves: \u201cWhat did I feel<\/em> while I watched the film? What did it make me think about? What conclusions did the author want me to come to? What information did the writer omit, and what did he underscore in order to bring us around to his point of view?\u201d<\/p>\n

Let us analyze Evelyn<\/em>:<\/p>\n

The protagonist\u2019s wife is the villain of the movie, in spite of her limited number of appearances in it. She is always recalled in a negative light, and the least offensive adjective given her is \u201cbitch\u201d.\u00a0 The film does not provide us with any excuse for her behavior. Yet, is it not true that life with the protagonist was insufferable while he drank and remained idle? The bias against Mrs. Doyle is clear.<\/p>\n

The Irish government is the second villain in the film.\u00a0 Why? Because the government wants all Irish children to have food, clothing and an education \u2013even if this can only be achieved through the use of force\u2013; that: even if in order to achieve this end, the children must be forcibly taken from their parents. The orphanages that take in these children are, of course, the third villain.<\/p>\n

There is a truly evil nun \u2013Brigitte (the \u201cwitch\u201d of the \u201cstory\u201d) at the orphanage that takes in Dessie\u2019s daughter.\u00a0 One day the nun loses her patience and unjustly beats the girl. No one must ever lose control and beat a child \u2013of course; yet the woman is overworked and at-the-end-of-her-tether with so many girls under her charge, who hate her as though she herself had taken them from their parents…; the nun gets no respite:\u00a0 We see only three nuns taking care of all the girls, and they must manage to do everything by themselves They work as teachers, cooks, hairdressers and they even bathe and rid them of lice upon arrival.<\/p>\n

It is quite easy for the government to send the girls there, but there are very few nuns, too many girls and little money.\u00a0 Nevertheless, the film communicates quite clearly that the Church and the government conspire to take the children away from their parents. One must ask oneself what these two bodies gain in the process, so that we might really believe and be convinced by the argument.<\/p>\n

The hero, logically, is Evelyn\u2019s father \u2013played by Pierce Brosnan\u2013 who, with the support of the Irish people, fights the established institutions to recover his children. Our hero is this ill-tempered and permanently drunken man whose own lawyer cannot avoid commenting on his intolerable breath; and who forced his wife to abandon her home due not only to lack of income, but to her husband\u2019s distaste for working and maintaining some degree of personal cleanliness, too.<\/em> Our hero, nevertheless and according to the film, \u201cshould have beaten\u201d his wife because that would have motivated her to behave better\u2026<\/p>\n

Though it may well be that there is no justification for taking a child out of his\/her home (except for very exceptional cases), this movie manages to make the villains appear to be heroes, while those unsuccessfully attempting to do something to repair the situation, are attacked.\u00a0 The author achieves this by merely skimming the surface of the wife\u2019s crippling circumstances, exaggerating Dessie\u2019s goodness and achievements, and vilifying all who oppose his wishes.<\/p>\n

In this way, although we are not subjected to political propagandizing \u2013religious, anti-religious, or nationalist\u2013 the narrative itself is created such that we unjustly share the author\u2019s views in these issues. Lukacs said that all authors are partisans, since they always preach on behalf of one cause or another.\u00a0 Objectivity is impossible \u2013he said\u2013 given the fact that the writer selects those fragments of reality which serve and support his\/her own beliefs.<\/p>\n

How can we prove this? We must ask ourselves if the same \u201cstory\u201d could have been told differently. And so it is that Evelyn<\/em> , for example, could have been used to call for change in women\u2019s rights with regard to irresponsible male partners (let\u2019s not even consider love and care!), or in praise of \u201cself-improvement and transformation for love\u2019s sake\u201d, given that our hero would never have changed if they hadn\u00b4t taken his children away. His achievement is truly great, because he did achieve a great deal.<\/em><\/p>\n

It is important for all of us to learn to detect the ideology hidden in any type of work \u2013be they films, television, video games, radio programs, comic strips, books or magazines, YouTube videos, or other internet sites\u2019 material…\u00a0 It makes no sense for us to fight for narratives without ideological messages, as many now are doing.\u00a0 This leaves them \u201cbland\u201d, apart from jeopardizing the right to free speech which we are still struggling to attain. However, it does make sense for us to learn to identify the distinctive shadings used by each author in order to bring us around to his\/her point of view, and thus make us believe the same things he or she does.<\/p>\n

If we learn how to analyze stories and other information this way, we will be freer, because we won\u00b4t allow anyone to use us \u2013through our emotional and gut-level responses to the suffering of others\u2013 as cannon fodder to fight at the front of a war that is not ours, or that may not be good or right.<\/p>\n

The final scenes of a film usually give us the key with which we can confirm or disconfirm whether we have correctly understood the ideological message, consequent to the \u201cawards\u201d given to the \u201cwinners\u201d and the \u201cpunishments\u201d given to the \u201closers\u201d. In Evelyn<\/em>, the hero is about to celebrate Christmas dinner which he can finally enjoy with his children.\u00a0 The house is freshly painted, decorated and beautiful, and there is food in the kitchen \u2013unlike at the beginning of the film.\u00a0 Beside Desmond we see the woman he loves \u2013not his wife\u2013 ,pleasingly preparing the Turkey they will soon eat. They share a melting (yet respectful) kiss when the little girl isn\u00b4t watching.<\/p>\n

Let us not forget that Ireland, like Malta, is a country where divorce is still not understood.\u00a0 And there are ideological, political and economic groups which share an interest in promoting the acceptability of divorce, so that laws can be passed to legalize it.<\/p>\n

And so the message of this movie is clear.\u00a0 We can also define it as an author\u2019s ideological intention or goal when writing a certain work.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

ARTICLE FIRST PUBLISHED\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

(SOURCE\u2019S BIBLIOGRAPHIC\/HEMEROGRAPHIC\/VIDEOGRAPHIC DATA):<\/p>\n

Blanca de Lizaur; \u201cEl mensaje del autor…, o C\u00f3mo escribir una pel\u00edcula para que diga lo que quiero\u201d; Humanidades<\/em>-UNAM # 250 [2003]; pages 8 an 22.<\/p>\n

Currently available\u2026<\/strong> (current repository):\u00a0 http:\/\/www.bettermedia.org<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Few times do we talk about what the “message” of a literary work is, even amongst those of us who study literature. Finding out what the message is behind any human expression, however, is fundamental for surviving, as it allows us to filter what we are being told \u2013to separate and retain what serves us, and to prevent us from falling prey to cheaters and liars.
\nLearning to see through information, allows us to make better use of media, too, without resorting to censorship or limiting our freedom of expression.<\/p>\n

Evelyn, the movie (with Pierce Brosnan in the leading role), is a popular work, which was produced to help advance an unpopular political agenda amongst the general audience. The slant, the bias, the way reality was altered in it, in order to promote such agenda, is so great and evident, that it easily serves us to exemplify what a “message” is \u2013what we are talking about; and to show how even a reality-based narration can be manipulated in order to fulfil a given goal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,16],"tags":[69,64,65,19,87,97,91,17,93,28,90,71,96,53,89,70,104,94,733,88],"class_list":["post-46","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-utiles-para-audiencias","category-revista","tag-agendas-politicas-economicas-e-ideologicas","tag-aprendizaje-y-desarrollo-de-habilidades-de-lecto-escritura","tag-caida-de-ventas","tag-cine","tag-control-de-contenidos","tag-desmond-doyle","tag-divorcio","tag-espectador","tag-evelyn","tag-influenciaefecto-de-los-medios","tag-irlanda","tag-lector-experto","tag-los-medios-y-la-familia","tag-los-medios-y-la-literatura-popular","tag-manipulacion","tag-medios-de-comunicacion","tag-oposicion-a-los-valores-ideas-y-creencias-mayoritarios","tag-pierce-brosnan","tag-revista","tag-teoria-literaria-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3104,"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46\/revisions\/3104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediosmejoresqueganenmas.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}