The advancement of technology creates a fear that one day technology may take over and control our lives. Director Spielberg carefully and cleverly creates this fear through the dystopian film ‘Minority Report’. In the spider scene Spielberg has highlighted this idea or theme to make the viewer feel this fear for technological advancement’s and for the future. As the pre-crime helicopter lower down, a low angle shot is used to create dominance and authority of the technology in conjunction with the diegetic siren like sounds and the loud aggressive whoosh of the air that compressed from the helicopter. The authority’s in “Minority Report” are the pre-crime officers and the technology. Fear is attached to both of these through the sounds and camera-shots used on them. Spielberg explores whether free will can exist in the future, knowing that with technology advancing, a society like in “Minority report” could be a reality for us. Attached to this is the idea that with this comes government protection of its citizens, which was very apparent at the time of the film given America debate over the government’s expanding powers after 9/11. As soon as the pre-crime policemen release the spiders a low angle shot of them is agin used to show their dominance and we hear the non diegetic music enter the scene, the orchestral music has fast playing violin like sounds and quick pacing beat, creating an anxiety attached to the spiders and to the pre crime officer. The non diegetic music starts off quieter and is slowly heightened as the spiders creep up the stair case with an extreme low angle shot that is zoomed in to create the effect that the spiders are large and dominating. As they scatter throughout the building we here the diegetic sounds of them tapping around being increased again over the non-diegetic sounds thus the viewer connects the spiders with the feeling that the spiders are large,intimidating and they feel this fear and anxiety. A blue light constantly follows any technology (spiders and pre-crime) that is present on-screen, enhancing the infiltration of technology in the lives of society. ‘The Blue light’ is commonly associated with a negative connotation, the negative effects of blue light are all related to the eye, another cleaver connection by Spielberg. Blue light exposure may increase the risk of macular degeneration. The fact that blue light penetrates all the way to the retina (the inner lining of the back of the eye) is important, because laboratory studies have shown that too much exposure to blue light can damage light-sensitive cells in the retina. (Wikipedia) The use of ‘the blue light’ is very ironic as eyes are extremely symbolic throughout the film, with blue light penetrating the citizens eyes multiple times daily, (which scientifically would be extremely damaging), In the high angle shot showing the protagonist John Anterton laying in the bath while the spider shoot a blue light into his eye to detect his identity. In society today we carry around technology with us every where we go. I myself have become so in tune with technology and so controlled by it, I feel naked without my phone. If there was literal blue light shining out of the technology today in our society, as we see in Minority report, everywhere we look would be streamed with blue light, showing that the reflection Spielberg had pronounced, coming to a similar reality that this “blue light” has in fact infiltrated our day-to-day lives and has the capability to control our society in the future. Will we allow technology to be a tool that people of authority could use to control and manipulate us?

Join the conversation! 2 Comments

  1. Be careful of repetitive use of certain words.

    Reply
  2. FEEDBACK:
    Hi Mackenzie,

    You raised some good points in here. I want you to now consider:
    – a societal response – how does the text reflect society? You’ve given your response to your own personal world, but can you go more worldwide in your context?
    – Give more Y moments throughout, esp. the audience response. How did the techniques used affect the viewer?
    – Be more pointed in analysis of the director’s purpose.

    Keep this in mind when you actually attack your 3.9.

    🙂

    Reply

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