Ideology Blog Post 4/8

Reading Summary

In this reading, the author defines ideology as “a body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, group, etc.” He states that virtually every movie we encounter conveys a certain ideology to the audience. Movies present us with role models, ideal ways of behaving, and sometimes an implied morality based on the filmmaker’s sense of right and wrong. However, every movie has an ideological perspective whether it be the filmmaker’s or not. Sometimes these perspectives are straight-forward, but others can be hidden and embedded within the film. Ideology is another language system in film, but it is often a disguised language that speaks only in code.

Outside Example

When reading this, I was reminded of the film Call me by your Name. This film is set in Lombardy, Italy in 1983. It regards the story of a 17 year old boy, Elio, who falls in love with a handsome doctoral student, Oliver, who is studying as an intern for Elio’s father. This film is critically-acclaimed for it’s superb cinematography despite the young age of Elio being controversial.

Reading Connection

In the reading, the author brings up the topic of what a movies tone conveys to the audience. He states “a movies tone refers to its manner of presentation, the general atmosphere that a filmmaker creates through his or her attitude toward the dramatic materials…tone can shift from scene to scene.” During the beginning of Call me by your name, when love is coming into fruition, the tone is set by scenery that is often light and airy. The cinematography and poetic narration presents the feeling of passion and romance. However, in the ending scenes when Oliver has left Elio, the setting is very dark and dreary. The audience can sense and feel the heartbreak that Elio is going through. The tone in this film shifts to adjust to the feelings that the characters have in a certain setting.