ok, it's finished, but i think it might be a bit too long, its like 1180 words...ahh well. I guess i can just copy+paste it into a post, here we go:
HSC Question 2002
In comparing your TWO texts you will have to become aware of how the contexts of the texts have shaped their form and meaning. Of more interest, perhaps is the comparison of the values associated with each text.
To what extent has this point of view been your experience to your study of In the Wild?
The composer of any text is invariably influenced by outside factors, which significantly impact on the form and meaning of the text composed. Blade Runner, a film directed by Ridley Scott and Brave New World, a novel written by Aldous Huxley have been influenced by, and subsequently have drawn values from their differing contexts. Their use of form and technique often differs, but ultimately they reach a similar end; a perspective on the concept of In the Wild which aims to shape the response of the responder, who will also invariably interpret the meaning presented in the text according to their own context. Both these texts challenge the responders own values and ideas concerning our relationship with the natural world, and the nature of human existance through utilisation of the techniques offered through the form their text is presented in.
A dystopic science-fiction film, Blade Runner presents technology and large corporations domination over earth, and the natural world. Its depiction of the future is bleak, a stance reflected in the opening scene. Wide, panoramic shots reveal the full horror; a rust-coloured city, with thick smog choking the skyline, and tall smokestacks belching fire and grey smoke. The huge Tyrell corporation building looms dark and foreboding, the camera taking a lower angle to emphasise its size and power. The non-diegetic music is low, brooding and futuristic, contributing, along with these disturbing visuals and evocation of setting, to the sombre, desolate tone. Immediately, through effective use of techniques available through the film medium, Scott is depicting a setting devoid of links to the natural world technology has taken over. Such an idea has similarly, but through a different form been presented by Huxley, in the opening passage of his dystopic science fiction novel BNW, which depicts a production line for the creation of human life. Descriptive, depressive imagery is used Harsh, thin light to evoke a tone of barren sterility, while metaphors The light was frozen, dead, a ghost and connotations pale, corpse-covered rubber of death extend this evocation of a setting where technology overrides nature, warmth and natural life replaced by cold, sterile science, in long recession down the work tables. Huxley, like Scott, presents a value of nature and humans relationship with the natural world through a stark lack of it, portraying such settings negatively through technique, thereby shaping the response of the responder towards this value. The separate contexts of both Scott and Huxley were undoubtedly the inspiration for such meaning presented; In Huxleys time, the 1940s, Ford production line technology had recently been implemented, and hailed as the way of the future. This, combined with the discovery of gene therapy, eugenics, led Huxley to fear a future where technology is hailed over nature, going so far as to combine with eugenics, and create human life, defying lifes natural rhythms. Scott was influenced by the rise to prominence of environmental issues, and rise to power of transnational corporations Through these issues combined, Scott saw a rejection and destruction of the natural world in favour of technological advancement, urbanisation, and greed. From completely different contexts, both Scott and Huxley have drawn this common value: a relationship of appreciation and respect with the natural world. Using the completely different forms of film and prose fiction respectively, Scott and Huxley use different techniques to ultimately shape the response of the responder in favour of this value.
Another value presented by Huxley is a value of the full human experience of life. He believes human life is not complete without positive AND negative emotions, and he conveys this by depicting a society which completely avoids pain, fear and anger through use of the drug Soma. Nature is shown to represent variety, change, and unpredictability, therefore representing the full life experience that Huxley values. Nature, therefore, is a source of fear for World State citizens, such as Lenina. In Chapter 6, Lenina and Bernard are crossing the English channel and she was appalled by the rushing emptiness of the night, the black, foam-flecked water heaving below them. The juxtaposition of rushing emptiness and the descriptive imagery of water heaving creates an image of chaos, and this combined with evocation of the colour black creates a tone of fear and uncertainty. Lenina cannot cope with such negative emotion, and seeks comfort in materialism Lets turn the radio on, quick! Through depicting such a natural scene as negative from the devalued viewpoint of Lenina, Huxley is conveying his value of the full experience of emotions. In contrast Scott, through differing form, technique, and with differing contextual influence, presents a value of respect for human life, through the concept of Replicants, life created by Tyrell corporation, used off-world for slave labour. Replicants are created for corporation benefit, then discarded after 4 years, or in some cases, brutally killed. This represents a disrespectful overthrow of natures role of the creation of life, and death, for the purpose of corporation greed. In one scene Zora, a replicant, is being chased by the protagonist Deckard, who wishes to retire her. The camera angle is a medium shot, from the point of view of a neutral face in the crowd as Zora frantically pushes past people, highlighting both the apathy of people to her impending death, and creating a tone of frantic desperation. She is shot in the back multiple times, shown crashing through glass in slow motion, with non-diegetic music slow and poignant visual and aural techniques combining to draw out the slow, painful mode of death, shaping the response of the responder to one of sympathy, and ultimately depicting Tyrells creation and subsequent termination of life as irresponsible, and disrespectful, therefore conveying his own value of respect for human life. While Huxleys contextual influence for his value of the full life experience was based on the hedonism and materialism of post-WW1 society, Scotts value of respect for human life was influenced by his observance of the rise in the 1980s of very powerful transnational corporations, the development of a culture of greed, and increasing technological advancement; he saw the three combining in a morally fragmenting world, culminating into nature-defying creation of life for monetary gain. These contexts, and use of different form and technique contrast, resulting in differing values that are nonetheless linked in their valuing of the natural world.
Both composers have been strongly influenced by the contextual issues prevalent at their time, and this influence has undeniably shaped the values and meaning presented, with both similar and different values conveyed which, in the end, are united through the Composers comparable stance on the value of the natural world, and humanitys relationship with it and its rhythms. The forms of Film and Prose fiction differ greatly in terms of the techniques available to the composer in order to shape meaning and the response of the responder, but both Huxley and Scott have undeniably utilised such techniques effectively to present texts which ultimately achieve their purpose; to convey a strong value of humanities relationship with the natural world, and to shape the response of a responder, no matter what the responders own context may be.
