…Platoon and Wall Street as Modern Modality Plays.
From: Journal of Popular Film and Television | Date: 6/22/2000 | Author: STONE, JOHN
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-64688899.html
QUOTE: From the outset, there is little doubt about the nature of Barnes and Gekko–the viewer knows plenty about both before they say or do a thing. (…)Moreover, in films that appear so conscious of using the camera and making editing decisions that prompt the viewer to accept the authenticity of the setting and the characters, it is noteworthy that these are the only characters to be treated with nondiegetic filmic manipulations. Gekko’s final offer to Bud to join him as an inside trader is marked by a sudden and inexplicable fading of backlight. As Gekko stands in total darkness, with a hard sidelight now casting his face with ominous shadows, his apocalyptic offer to Bud, “get dressed and I’ll show you my charts,” is punctuated by a sudden clap of thunder that clearly originates outside the story-world. Likewise, at very purposeful points, Barnes is depicted with eyes that are optically printed as angry red points–synecdochically cast as “the essence of evil: wrath, obsession, anger, fear, hatred, [and] permanence” (Stone 123).
It is a very good article, sadly it’s not free. Which leads me to a rant:
If the information should be free of charge or not, is another question, but what really infuriates me about all those subscription (and many other, btw.) services, is that there is no way to find out how much they charge, before you made it at least half way through the registration. You can spend hours looking around in terms of use. There is no damn price! Which makes me want to sue them for the time I’ve lost searching in vain. For now, they can kiss my virtual butt!
platoonics.wordpress.com 