Forrest Gump

Obviously Forrest Gump is a cult classic that we all mock and joke about however the actual influences, story lines of the making of the film are extremely interesting and has been influential on the styles and creative decisions within my own productions.

Within my AS level I also analysed Forrest Gump however that was approximately 2 weeks into the course where i had limited information within my analysis so i feel like i can now look at this film from a different angle and actually criticise this film with being a creator of productions myself.

One of the most influential creative decisions within Forrest Gump is the opening sequence, the delicate nature mixing with the hard concrete world of human civilisation. i honestly think there is a angelic connotations attached to the feather almost as if an angel dropped a feather from heaven to find Forrest as it seems to skim past pristine people in suits but stops at Forrest’s muddy shoes.

When Brittney and i were discussing what to do with the opening shot we would like to include the white feather drifting through as not only does it symbolises the good within the dream character but it gives her angelic like quality and sets up the storyline for the short film. The demonic version of Aurora (oh yeah she is called Aurora) is not shown in the opening scene through symbolism however the contrast between the opening scene and the first scene will have a dramatic effect.

The rule of thirds is used very loosely in the opening scene however the significance lies on the feather due to the depth of field and the contrast of pure white with the dim background. This use of techniques is beautiful but will not applicable to what we are creating as we are using nature within nature however the feather will still stand out due to the depth of field but will often get lost and drift in and out of the scene to symbolise what is happening later on in the opening sequence.

The cinematography of Forrest Gump does not keep up to the same standard throughout the whole film, as with many films however there are glimpses of excellence through the film , for example this shot the close up drags the intensity that Forrest feels when getting shouted at by his major, I like this shot as the human form looks uniformed rather than like nature they reflect the symmetry and structure of the room whereas animals and the human form are not symmetrical but this shot confuses the mind into believing that it is.

Diegetic and non-diegetic sounds can be used for effect or to add emphasis, in Forrest Gump there is orchestral music as we watch the feather floating over the home town of where Forrest Gump the music has very high pitched keys which quieten when there is no action but increase in volume when the feather lands on a the working man, but when the feather rests at Forrest Gump’s feet the music quietens which suggests the end of the opening scene.

I have included Forrest Gump in the art of films as the artistic storyline/narrative and the beautiful shots included, its nowhere near the same level of cinematography as Amelie but it is unique in its own style.