With so many movies already out there- and with thousands
more on the way every year- filmmakers often have to try different techniques
to distinguish their movies from others. One interesting, although not novel,
technique sometimes used is the flashback. Used in both books and movies,
flashbacks, or analepses, can create interest, explain the current state of
affairs or a character’s motivation, or just add an interesting element to the
literature. A flashback is a technique that bridges time to provide imperative
information to the reader or viewer. In addition to the many works of
literature that utilize flashbacks, numerous famous movies, classic and
contemporary, have employed flashbacks as well.
For instance, the renowned movie Casablanca uses flashbacks
to illustrate the enchanting time in Paris
when Ilsa and Rick first met and fell in love. Without these flashbacks, the
viewer would be left without a crucial piece of information- Rick and Ilsa’s
past history- to the plot. These analepses are more of the traditional,
predictable kind- unlike the flashbacks in The
Bourne Identity.
The box office-busting film series The Bourne Identity utilized flashbacks in a more contemporary way.
When the audience first meets lead character Jason Bourne, he’s floating in the
Mediterranean Sea and wakes up with extreme
memory loss. Throughout the film, he struggles to discover who he truly is and-
once he learns that he was an assassin- what he’s done.
The use of flashbacks in this series helps take the audience
on a suspenseful journey with Jason Bourne as he fights to discover his
identity. They allow the audience to “remember” events as Jason does in real
time, heightening the interest and involvement in the movie.
Regardless of whether the literature is read or watched,
time and time again, flashbacks have proved a valuable tool to both writers and
directors in bridging time and place to interest their audience while
communicating information vital to their story’s plot.
Flashbacks are of course useful, and it was a good job relating how movies use them efficiently, I would like to see an actual hyperlink or video on this page instead of just the URL. Also, the audience could be specified to make it more clear. Do you include yourself in the audience? Or just the vast majority of people that watch the movie?
ReplyDeleteAs a Bourne enthusiast, I must compliment you on your theme choice for this week. The post itself was a little straightforward and may have lacked some depth in connection from outside theme to classroom that could've made for a more compelling argument, although, in all, I think the post conveys your theme and ideas very well. I don't know what the above person is talking about with your hyperlink as it worked just fine for me. Splendid movie
ReplyDeleteI think one more point you could have touched on is the point of view in these flashbacks. In the Bourne series (one of my favorites, by the way) the flashbacks are in a totally different point of view than the ones in Casablanca. We're limited to seeing only the bits and pieces that Bourne himself remembers, we don't see the story from the viewpoint of an outside observer.
ReplyDelete1. You don't need to define the literary terms in your blog.
ReplyDelete2. Embed the video. Don't just post URLs.
3. You could go a little deeper with your discussion of flashback. This seems a little "surfacy."
I liked the post; interesting comparison. Casablanca and the Bourne series were good in different ways, I'd say, and so were their flashbacks.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the purpose and nature of the flashbacks are different. While each provides information, they also carry very different sentiments forward into the plot. Do you think this is intentional on the part of the producer? It would seem to be deliberate; it is certainly effective enough in influencing the tone of the movie.
I liked this one. You used two very good movies to describe flashbacks and I was able to relate to them because I have seen both of them
ReplyDelete