Cinema is one of the tools for influencing the consciousness of people. The images that directors offer the public influence the perception of reality by a person, forming certain patterns of behavior. How to learn to recognize dangerous meanings from the point of view of psychology and moral values?
In many popular films and cartoons, complex semantic structures and symbols are embedded that affect the subconscious of a common man in the street. While the viewer fills his stomach with popcorn, certain ideas are implanted in his head, which eventually grow into beliefs and thus change the person. Let's take a look at techniques for parsing meanings in movies.
The main character
Pay attention to the image of the main character. What moral traits does he possess? What does his name mean? What color are his clothes? Does he carry with him any objects, talismans, rings? In some films, these things are endowed with additional meaning, as, for example, in the movie "Ready Player One," the main character is named Partzephal. This name is associated with the legend of the Grail. The film itself is a metaphor for the Divine power that created reality, and only the one who "fulfills the commandments", ie. assignments, gains omnipotence. According to the script, Parzival was looking for the Easter Egg, which symbolizes rebirth in Christianity, a transition to a new state in order to become the ruler of virtual reality.
Antipode
Pay attention to the antipode of the protagonist or the opposite force, which creates the movement of the plot due to the interaction of the two principles. Try to answer the question, how do they differ from each other from the point of view of morality? For example, in the films of 2018: "Venom", the antipode is an alien who settled inside the body and consciousness of the main character, and in the movie "Upgrade" Artificial Intelligence was introduced into the human body, after which it enters the consciousness of the main character in the form of an internal dialogue … By the way, this is a good example of how one idea wanders from film to film in order to infect the audience with utopian ideas. And the idea here is simple: let in the dark force and become a superman. You don't need to develop spiritually for this. Let me remind you that in the film "Venom" the idea was presented with humor that not good people can be eaten. And in the movie "Upgrade", Artificial Intelligence completely supplanted the main character and took his place in the mind, killing everyone on its way who is needed according to the plot of the film.
Context
Look carefully at the context in which the confrontation between the two forces "good" and "evil" unfolds. How does this context reveal the main characters to us? How does the atmosphere of the film affect your feelings? And in this step, it is important to pay attention to the symbols that can be woven into the picture by visual and sound means. It can be a song, a text that creates a new field of meaning to reveal the deep idea of the film. It can be a painting, color, drawing, geographic location, or symbolic object. For example, in the film Eyes Wide Shut, the director creates an amazing atmosphere that immerses the viewer in the experiences of the characters. He used special lighting, musical accompaniment, furnishings to create deep associations and much more.
Idea
When the movie ends, it's important to pay attention to your feelings. You need to ask yourself the question: what did the director want to convey? How did this painting make me feel? What moral conclusions will I draw after watching the film? What was this film made for and was so heavily advertised for? For example, after the movie Ready Player One, we will initially rejoice in the victory of a good person over the unjust structure of society. But a strange feeling of hopelessness will remain inside. Because the world that the director offers us will remain the same: dirty land, people living in garbage dumps and virtual reality …
Let's sum up
Watch movies and cartoons meaningfully, track the feelings that the picture evokes. Pay attention to the essence of why this picture was created. Is this just a cheap marketing project? Or is it a deliberate work, the purpose of which is to brainwash, blur the lines between good and evil, impose stupid stereotypes, devalue the concept of family and everything that makes us human …
