The film ‘Pleasantville’, directed by Gary Ross, highlights the nostalgic perspectives of the present century looking back into the 1950s, known as the ‘Golden Age,’ where society was known to be a structured and simple lifestyle. Ross has positioned the audience to reject the idea of this constructed and idealized view of society, using parallels to the 1950s and Pleasantville, where he chooses to expose the flaws of the ‘utopian’ town. Ross highlights the reality of inevitable change and fluidity in not just society but through individuals as well. This is evident through highlighted themes such as gender roles and stereotypes where women are portrayed as inferior in status to men. Ross has conspicuously shown this through characters like Betty, who chooses to reject the societal attitudes, values, and beliefs, similar to the 1950s when discontent with the status quo was emerging.
Pleasantville: ignorant, racist, and most certainly sexist. The society of Pleasantville, very similar to that of the 1950s, was initially characterized as a perfect and simple lifestyle, seen through the perspective of David, a 1990s teenager longing for a different lifestyle, to that from his own. Ross presented the society using black and white features which symbolized the conformity and homogenous culture, including that of the typical and traditional family life, evident in the 1950s. Although Pleasantville seemed ideal, underneath there were many flaws evident. The traditional family lifestyle highlighted the patriarchal society evident, where men were the principles of the household, having superiority over the woman and giving them power, while women were characterized as domestic and substandard. Ross demonstrated this through the use of film techniques. High-angle shots and facial expressions were used to highlight the insignificance of women, belittling them. This is evident in the scene where George is looking over Betty while discussing Betty’s identity and attendance at the town’s meeting. George is seen to be controlling, telling Betty what he expects of her. This is an example of how individuals, like most men in the film, are resistant and unaccepting to change, and how the town of Pleasantville was ignorant of aspects of reality such as pleasure and failure. The separation that is now present in Pleasantville’s society has caused discrimination and racism between those of color and black and white. This has correlations to films such as ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, where these values and attitudes are characterized by American society in the 1950s and 60s. Ross challenges the illusion of the golden age by underpinning and revealing these attitudes and beliefs through the use of color, showing how its defects through the evolving change of individuals from black and white to color.
Save your time!
We can take care of your essay
- Proper editing and formatting
- Free revision, title page, and bibliography
- Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
Gary Ross’s film ‘Pleasantville’ examines and highlights the change and evolution between the 1950s and the 1990s lifestyle, specifically in relation to social movements and women. Betty Parker is a key character in the film. Her significance shows the way women were treated in the 50s and how they were able to accept and use society’s fluidity as a way to break out of a patriarchal cycle. Women during this time were raised in a strong masculine-orientated society, where roles and opportunities were limited. Conformity and expectations of the women's role meant there was no opportunity for identity, freedom, or power, making them feel worthless, with no sense of purpose in life. Pleasure in life came from pleasing the husband or receiving kind commentary from the family, as seen in the first few scenes of ‘Pleasantville’. Ross exposed the reality that there are flaws attached to the notion of nostalgia promoting patriarchal values and attitudes relating to woman's lives. He did this through the characterization of David, where initially he longed for a mother like Betty, and how she and her family lived, compared to his apathetic mother, and the resulting, dysfunctional family. His evolving involvement through ‘Pleasantville’ taught him to understand underlying factors that aren’t always transparently obvious. The use of black and white showed how dull the town was and also reflected its simplicity and uncomplicated manner. This is mirrored most through the women who lacked color, which symbolized a lack of exhilaration or real pleasure. Ross used contrasting techniques to show parallels to the 50s and the 90s, to show that women’s mindset was still evident and similar to that of the past. David’s mother quoted: “When your father was here, this was it, this is the way it is always going to be, I had the right house, I had the right car, I had the right life”. Ross showed that Pleasantville does indulge in some of the pleasures of nostalgia, but also idealizes it. Looking back from the present day, men may think the 1950s were a golden time because they had the money, the freedom, and the ultimate power, not understanding the perspective of the women where life was a structured, unrewarding, and fruitless life with no sense of identity or opportunity for success.
Gary Ross highlighted the theme that change is inevitable. At the beginning of the film, the town of Pleasantville rejected the idea of fluidity, unable to adapt to the ongoing development of society. This can be demonstrated in Pleasantville, where life had an illusion of a utopian society before David and Jennifer made subtle changes to the way society. This was initially seen through Jennifer and her ’90s permissiveness, which contributed to the discovery of sex, which lead to bigger changes in society causing people to disagree with the notion of change, due to the initial ignorance and lack of understanding of reality. It can also be noted that men were the most resistant to change, satisfied with the way it was due to their ultimate authority, not wanting women to experience similar contentment, which lead to the negativity of rising equality. This is equitable through the story of, the Garden of Eden, where a place of perfection and innocents is disrupted by Eve, when she bites into the apple, symbolizing sin. This event also similarly took place in Pleasantville, where Margret, picks the apple from the tree, initiating Bud to bite it. This scene showed many textual features in how Pleasantville changed from being uncomplicated and structured with predictable situations to showing characterization, motivation, and conflict to resolution. Ross also exposed this through the use of emerging color, effective dialogue, and mise-en-scène to draw relations to these events and actions, reflecting the development and growth of the society. Where the film showed obvious satire, criticizing the fear of change, and the self-oppression of individuals in order to prevent this change. The conflict emerging from change showed how people themselves, illustrate fluidity through their emotions and perspectives, and how their inability to adapt to foreseeable change showed how they felt undesirable. Ross also made clear that women were able to accept this change in society more than men, and how they challenged these social norms and the toxic masculinity values and attitudes that were present.
We are reminded that nostalgia is a fallacy. Pleasantville is not a real place, as we are reminded of its idealization and glorifications that don’t portray actual communities, people, or families. Longing for those ‘good old days’ and advocating for a return to ‘traditional family values’ is false nostalgia, escapism, and futile. At best, they are wishful remembrances of a former time, not reality. Gary Ross highlighted that the great 50s of American society was a time of conformity that lacked equality, evident in Pleasantville, where defects are gradually changed from black and white to color. The characterization of Betty in comparison to other individuals showed the parallels between women in the 50s to that of the present day, and how they have been and to show strength, influencing society’s values, attitudes, and beliefs.
Stuck on your essay?
