Captain Fantastic

Question 1

CF Context

Answer 1

• Independent film
• Matt Ross won best director at the Cannes film festival
• Film reflects the political divisions in America and explores how both seek to be understood. Ben and Jack represent different ideological viewpoints but in some ways.
• Film was released in the same year a number of highly acclaimed independent films such as moonlight, Jackie and Swiss army man.

Question 2

CF Narrative Alignment

Answer 2

• The film doesn’t completely encourage identification with ben it does at key moments of grief e.g. his hallucinations of his deceased wife are shot using close up points of view shots encouraging identification

Question 3

CF Politics

Answer 3

• Ben reflects the unorthodox education and parenting techniques
• Jack reflects the mainstream education and parenting techniques
• Because the film is art house the, audience may end up being more liberal and left leaning.
• Critique of contemporary American society. One of the film’s taglines is “Americans are over medicated and under educated”, and when the children enter mainstream society, they comment on the obesity of those around them, “everyone is so fat” “are they sick”
• Ant-authoritarian throughout the film “power to the people” “Stick it to the man”