Stranger Than Fiction - Human Experience Flashcards
1
Q
INTRO
A
- Mark Twain: “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”
- many possibilities of human experience explored in Stranger Than Fiction directed by Marc Forster.
- ideas: growth is influenced by factors in ones own life, love provides value, meaning and reason to life and understanding death is inevitable allows one to truly live.
- In Stranger Than Fiction, the conventions of facial expression, characterisation and dialogue are used portray human experiences of growth, love and death.
2
Q
THESIS
A
- In Stranger Than Fiction, the conventions of facial expression, characterisation and dialogue are used portray human experiences of growth, love and death.
3
Q
BP1
A
- To experience human growth they must be impacted and influenced by an external force.
- Harold Crick is compelled to change through the example and encouragement he receives from Ana.
- Bakery scene = facial expression displays Ana as driving force in Harold’s transformation - the viewer sees Ana smiling at Harold, as she watches him experience what he’s been missing out on all along, with a look of amusement and also accomplishment that he has followed her instruction to try something new - Harold’s face depicts vulnerability and openness, not hiding his enjoyment at the new experience and joy he feels.
- Facial expression = Ana is the driving force that prompts Harold’s realisation that he has only been experiencing limited aspects of life and that he still has limitless possibilities in life to experience - Facial expression = draw focus to the motivations/emotions that suggest that Ana will continue to promote Harold’s growth.
- For this reason, facial expression is used to convey that an individual’s personal growth must be influenced by an external force such as an event or person.
4
Q
TS1
A
- To experience human growth they must be impacted and influenced by an external force.
5
Q
AL1
A
- Facial expression = Ana is the driving force that prompts Harold’s realisation that he has only been experiencing limited aspects of life and that he still has limitless possibilities in life to experience
- Facial expression = draw focus to the motivations/emotions that suggest that Ana will continue to promote Harold’s growth.
- For this reason, facial expression is used to convey that an individual’s personal growth must be influenced by an external force such as an event or person.
6
Q
E1
A
- Bakery scene = facial expression displays Ana as driving force in Harold’s transformation - the viewer sees Ana smiling at Harold, as she watches him experience what he’s been missing out on all along, with a look of amusement and also accomplishment that he has followed her instruction to try something new - Harold’s face depicts vulnerability and openness, not hiding his enjoyment at the new experience and joy he feels.
7
Q
BP2
A
- Love gives life value/meaning + motivates people to continue living.
- Harold Crick falls in love with Ana = brings him newfound happiness + allows him to value and appreciate his life rather than simply exist.
- Harold is described as an isolated, systematic, restricted tax collector, indifferent in his monotonous and orderly life however empty and unsatisfied he feels —> he strays from the constraints of structure that dictated his life, and willingly acts to find happiness having now grown to understand the value of human life and having become more willing to fight for the gift of life.
- Characterisation: recognise that Harold’s relationship with Ana has allowed him to see the worth + purpose in his own life, allowing him to also break free from his robotic, bland shell and enrich his life by embracing all experiences, enjoying + living in each present moment and making meaningful memories. Characterisation: see changes within Harold due to Ana as his quality of life improves with her in it.
- Thus, characterisation is used to convey that the human experience of love gives life value and meaning to an individual which could very seriously redeem an improved quality of life.
8
Q
TS2
A
- Love gives life value/meaning + motivates people to continue living.
9
Q
AL2
A
- Characterisation: recognise that Harold’s relationship with Ana has allowed him to see the worth + purpose in his own life, allowing him to also break free from his robotic, bland shell and enrich his life by embracing all experiences, enjoying + living in each present moment and making meaningful memories.
- Characterisation: see changes within Harold due to Ana as his quality of life improves with her in it.
- characterisation: conveys that the human experience of love gives life value + meaning which redeems an improved quality of life.
10
Q
E2
A
- Harold is described as an isolated, systematic, restricted tax collector, indifferent in his monotonous and orderly life however empty and unsatisfied he feels —> he strays from the constraints of structure that dictated his life, and willingly acts to find happiness having now grown to understand the value of human life and having become more willing to fight for the gift of life.
11
Q
BP3
A
- knowledge + acceptance that death is inevitable allows one to truly live.
- Harold forced to accept + come to terms with his death, he begins to stray from routine and the pattern of his unimpressive ordinary life, makes the most of the life he leads whilst he can.
- Karen Eiffel feels that “if the man does know he’s going to die and dies anyway, dies willingly, knowing he could stop it… isn’t that the type of man you want to keep alive?”
- Dialogue: Harold accepting that his life will end helps him to realise that he has essentially been wasting away, making excuses to do things he truly wants to do because there was always time later. Once time is restricted - free to live in each present moment + maximise his life + appreciate the time left by accomplishing the things planned for the future.
- Dialogue: knowing + accepting that death is an inescapable part of everyone’s lives allows for a person to begin to wholly comprehend the importance of life
12
Q
TS3
A
- knowledge + acceptance that death is inevitable allows one to truly live.
13
Q
AL3
A
- Dialogue: Harold accepting that life will end helps to realise that he has been wasting away, making excuses to do things he truly wants to do because there was always time later. Once time is restricted - free to live in each present moment + maximise his life + appreciate the time left by accomplishing the things planned for the future.
- Dialogue: knowing + accepting that death is an inescapable part of everyone’s lives allows for a person to begin to wholly comprehend the importance of life
14
Q
E3
A
- Karen Eiffel feels that “if the man does know he’s going to die and dies anyway, dies willingly, knowing he could stop it… isn’t that the type of man you want to keep alive?”
15
Q
CONC
A
- The human experiences of growth, love and death are reflected in Stranger than Fiction through the use of conventions such as facial expression, characterisation and dialogue.
- The film explores clearly that personal growth is guided by those surrounding us, that love improves and enriches an individuals life and that accepting the unavoidable nature of death allows one to embrace ones life.
- Exploration of human experience - individuals further seek to understand possibilities + opportunities they are yet to experience - further enrich their lives + to truly live
- Steve Jobs: “The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have”.
