Film Topics: Conspiracy Theory in Film and Television (ENGL 3300-WK1) Fall 2011 - Essay Example

For this paper I am going to explore how a conspiracy waged against an individual affects the person’s mind. While living through such an encounter, the individual goes through states of terror at the thought of some entity or agency trying to hurt them in some way. This has long been a theme in literature and more recently in film and television. In doing this analysis I hope to shed light on the characters emotional and mental conflict they must endure throughout the piece. I hope this will more accurately describe the development of the character.

To develop this concept and thoroughly research the topic I will watch several of the films as outlined in the course syllabus and do further research on the conspiratory theory theme. I will then make an in-depth character analysis and look for clues about the character’s personality and how he or she thinks. As a further progression I will examine their thought processes throughout the film to see how their mind is affected by knowing there is a plot against them and how the characters thought changes as the story unfolds.

While often acting in a state of terror, the actions of the leading character are panic ridden and exaggerated. All of this adds to the suspense of a thriller like this.As a result of the above-mentioned research I hope to have a better understanding of conspiratory theory as a theme in film and how the character as he or she relates to the storyline is developed. I also hope to gain greater insight into the leading character and how their thought processes work throughout the film. In delving deeper into the character analysis I hope to more fully understand how the paranoia someone experiences when under attack, motivates their actions and how those actions further the plot as it relates to the film.

Conspiracy theory is a term that was originally used to describe any civil, criminal or political conspiracy. However more recently it has come to describe any theory that accounts for an event as the result of a secret plot by conspirators that seem to have almost super human abilities. In popular culture “conspiratory theory” usually refers to a militaristic, financial or political entity aimed at stealing power from an individual. This notion of taking power from an individual directly relates to the character study I mentioned before.

How the person reacts to this event and what they must do to solve the problem and remove the imminent threat is often enacted throughout the movie.The larger implications of this work are on society as a whole. We all live through trying times when we feel that the government is not really working towards our goals. The suspense drama genre has grown to include many conspiratory theory films. This study will apprise the role they play in film and television and what the reasons are for such a popular theme.

While actual government conspiracies are few and far between, and none that I can recall in the US, have ever been aimed at an individual, the feeling of unrest in many countries has made this a popular one. There was a novel by George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty Four, where the notion of Big Brother watching the citizens became popular. Due to political events at the time the government felt it was necessary to closely monitor the people. The suspense dramas of today take that idea one step further with the government actually plotting against an individual.

I hope to explore the ramifications of a government conspiracy plotted against an individual and how they might react to such pressure. In delving deeper into the character analysis and plot development, I hope to more critically ascertain the major contribution this plays to the genres of film and television.