Literary Elements of a Movie - Essay Example

The film is considered a form of art in terms of creating motion pictures. As an art form, movies encompass diverse criteria by which literary elements can be analyzed and assessed depending on the person viewing it. Boggs & Petrie (2008) in their book entitled The Art of Watching Films identified thematic, fictional, and dramatic elements that enhance the aesthetic value of movies. One movie that remains to be classified as an outstanding film in contemporary genres is “Rain Man” where actors of stellar caliber portrayed challenging roles. The essay is hereby written to proffer a literary analysis of “Rain Man” as a movie depicting an exceptional ability to conform and surpass the standards of meeting the holistic requirements for literary excellence in film.

For any movie or film to be qualified as good, the following elements must be exceptionally designed: (1) a plot (or the content of the story) that is credible, unified, and highly interesting, (2) the quality and choice of casts for the roles are appropriately selected, (3) a particular genre or literary type is clearly depicted, (4) excellent audio-visual quality is observed and employed, (5) cinematography (or the structure and form in actual beauty of art) is highly eminent, and (6) moral or message of the story is exuded.

Plot

The story evolved around Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) who is portrayed as a self-centered hustler determined to find out the reason why his late father left a substantial inheritance to someone, initially unknown to him but whom he later found out to be his autistic brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). Their escapades ranged from diversely unique and interesting hostages to cross-country sagas, to using the extraordinary talents of Raymond in Las Vegas as leverage to regain the fortune. The turning point of the movie was the antithetical climax transforming the original selfish intent into heartwarming realizations for Charlie as he discovered sincere and genuine emotions for his brother, which he previously was incapable of.

Casts and Characters

Dustin Hoffman, in his rendition of an autistic individual, won an Oscar award as Best Actor for the movie. Of course, the talent and charisma of Tom Cruise were instrumental in enhancing the performance of Hoffman in the film. In its simplicity of characters and roles, the movie was highly effective in arousing the interest of the viewers to determine the climax of the story. Likewise, the movie won four Academy Awards in the following categories, to wit: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay.

Genre, Visual Quality, Cinematic Points of View

Generally classified as drama, the film was highly exceptional in creating humorous situations through the bonding being reestablished by Charlie with Raymond. The choice of scenes, costumes, soundtracks, and other set designs contributed to the holistic molding of a unified theme depicting Charlie’s happy-go-lucky character and the mysteriously sublime role portrayed by Raymond, as a naïve yet talented man, despite his disabilities. The various awards attested to the prodigious quality of the film meriting the Best Picture from the rest of the films created during that period.

Moral of the Story

The journey of Charlie with an initial attempt to redeem what he thought was rightfully his, provided the impetus for revealing that blood is indeed thicker than water. Viewers could initially empathize with Charlie in his attempt to get his equitable share of the family fortune.  As the story unfolds, the innocent, sheltered, and lonely world familiar to Raymond would transform the viewers’ sentiments toward him. The plot and theme were innovatively written to stir emotions and uplift the spirits to unprecedented levels. The ultimate goal of the movie is thereby to enkindle the senses of the viewers to realize that love for one’s family and relationships is far greater than what material things can give.

Conclusion

A film that is aesthetically crafted should exemplify and manifest not only its high quality but also its ability to entertain and inspire. The form, structure, content, and literary elements all combine to create a work of art. As averred by Osider (2009) “While Hollywood is aesthetically strong, its content is morally weak. Some of the most beautiful films can have very little real morality in them. This of course supports the fact that to make a good piece of art, the creator needs a balance of form and content.”

Rain Man is considered a film of exceptional aesthetic value as crucial literary elements surpassed their purpose. The film rated positive reviews and merited various awards in diverse categories not just because of the plot, nor the cast and characters they portray; not even the audiovisual quality, nor the moral of the story, in individual perspectives.  The success and blockbuster appeal of the movie depended on the interplay of all literary elements in their holistic and unified approach making Rain Man stand out above the rest.