Essay Plan for Textual Analysis

The question I will be using for to base my coursework essay around is how is the idea of hyper reality in visual style been explored and portrayed in different ways throughout the two films Eternal Sunshine and Scott Pilgrim vs the world. The directors both developed their style of film creation from music videos which can be used to explain why there are close links between their two styles. The setting of Scott Pilgrim is set in an arcade game style but, in what the audience would consider a regular setting and, uses hyper reality and style to create a spectacle. In Scott Pilgrim, Scott  is considered as an ‘Average Joe’ but is placed is extraordinary situations to portray this idea of hyper reality through visual style. Which turns him into a powerful hero and to earn self respect for himself. The film Eternal Sunshine has a setting based around a society who hides troubling events from their selves. Joel from Eternal Sunshine is not able to have a clear distinction between what he considers reality and what is really just a memory since the two have been seamlessly blended together so that there is no clear distinction between where one ends and the other begins which also portrays the idea of hyper reality through visual style. Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind also has the narrative of the story is driven forward through hyper reality, creating a dream state through visual style.

P: 'Average Joe'
E: The Katanyagi Twins (2.36-2.38) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvvWpv6uB8s

    Meet me in Montauk (0.10 - 0.12) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTmlNigifSI

A: Both scenes portray hyper reality differently. The scene in Scott Pilgrim visual style is used to reinforce the hyper realistic setting, but it is not necessarily needed to drive the narrative forward. However, In Eternal Sunshine it has used visual style to make the house that Joel and Joel's memory of Clementine collapsing around them is done to perhaps represent the house as Joel's memories of Clementine being torn from his mind and so that the audience knows that Joel may be preparing to say his final goodbyes to his memory of Clementine to continue the films story-line. This is used to make Joel's situation seem more intense, but in reality, Joel is an 'Average Joe' trying to forget about an old girlfriend.

S: Mis-en-scene is used predominately to create the animated fight scene between two monsters which have spawned from Scott guitar and one another from two of Ramona’s exes instruments. The setting is quite ordinary and, is what the audience would consider a realistic setting but, is turned in to a monster brawl to create this extraordinary event through animation to reinforce this hyper realistic setting to give the idea that this scene is like a boss battle in a video game to turn Scott from being an 'Average Joe' to a hero. However, Eternal Sunshine in comparison does not use Mis-en-scene to reinforce the films setting, rather to portray how Joel's feelings about Clementine and continue the narrative. It makes Joel's 'Average Joe' lifestyle seem more interesting to the audience. 

P: Surrealism
E: Remember Me (Whole scene) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lvNGhBXTU0

  The A Lister (0.00-0.10) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEAAAloaVNU

A:This scene shows the idea of hyper reality as Joel’s memories slip away he desperately searches in his mind for some sort of remnants of Clementine which, portrays a sense of surrealism. Visual style is used to show Joel losing memories of Clementine as the book covers disappear and turn white. This causes Joel to not lose his sense of what is real and what is just a memory, the narrative helps portray this as the entire film is not all in chronological order. Joel jumps from different memories so it is the audiences job to differentiate this as well to fully immerse their self in the film. In Scott Pilgrim, the scene presents Scott about to battle one of Ramona's evil exes and his stunt doubles, this also portrays a sense of surrealism because Scott finds it difficult fighting this ex since he cannot figure out which one is the real ex. Visual style is also used to recreate the idea that this is meant to be a comic book/arcade game setting.
S:Scott Pilgrim uses mis-en-scene predominately in this scene, the specific aspect of this MICRO area being casting to give the idea that this boss has clones of himself and reinforce the films MACRO of style to further reinforce the arcade game setting in the film rather than being used to drive the narrative along. However, Eternal Sunshine uses Cinematography and animation to move around the scene as the books in the bookstore lose their colour to show the narrative moving forward since Joel's memories of Clementine are dissipating.

P: Second Chances
E: Get a Life (0.00 - 0.06) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7vyrudcgOQ

    Creating a new memory (0.00 - 2.00) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6587Hx2gR0

A: The idea of second chances is brought up in both Scott Pilgrim and Eternal Sunshine, Scott literally gets a second life after he is defeated by Gideon which is created through visual style to complete Scott's development as a character by earning self respect for himself with his second chance. In Eternal Sunshine Joel believes that if he can create a memory of Clementine he can preserve it until morning and still remember her for a second chance. Visual style helps create this new memory making Joel the size of a child but still looking like his adult self which reinforces the films hyper realistic setting.
S: Through mis-en-scene animation is used to create a second life for Scott to reinforce the hyper realistic video game setting. However, in Eternal Sunshine props have been used to make Joel appear smaller than he is, and costume is used to dress Joel as a child to reinforce the idea to the audience that Joel is in a dream state.

P: Self Respect
E: Breaking up (0.00 - 0.45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q0ZZKbzITI

  









  Power of Self respect (0.00 - 1.48) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7vyrudcgOQ

A: Both films portray the idea that self respect is more powerful than love, when Joel and Clementine break up, Joel seems happier and more content with himself. This shows how Eternal Sunshine is not as relevant on visual style to move the narrative along as the film finishes without the use of this MACRO aspect since he is no longer in a dream state. The final scene of Scott Pilgrim shows Scott gaining self respect for himself which is visually shown through a flaming sword. This is not entirely necessary, to finish the narrative but is used anyway to create a spectacle.
S: Eternal Sunshine uses the micro of sound, only having the characters converse in this scene, showing Joel's new found respect for himself, letting Clementine leave, rather than repeating their relationship again only to have the same outcome. In comparison to Scott Pilgrim the portrayal of Scott's new found respect for himself is shown through him quickly defeating the opposition and striking Gideon down through animation and different camera shots to reinforce the arcade game setting and to present a sense of intensity.

P: Battling your inner demons.
E: Nega Scott (Whole Scene) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHHZvNx3zrw

Am I Ugly Scene (0.00 - 1.10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKN0VFCZB9w

A: Joel fights against his past decisions to try and keep memories of Clementine which drives the narrative to the scene where Joel attempts to create a new memory with Clementine and does not rely on style to drive the narrative forward in this scene. In Scott Pilgrim, Visual style is used to create Nega Scott, who is supposed to be everything Scott dislikes about himself, but Scott has come to terms with his insecurities through gaining self respect for himself.
S: This scene in Eternal Sunshine uses Cinematography. Specifically lighting to create a sense that Clementine is becoming a blank memory due to Joel's past decisions. However, in Scott Pilgrim animation is predominately used in this scene instead which does not necessarily have to be done through animation but is used to create a spectacle in contrast to Eternal Sunshine.

P: Film styles
E: Bass Battle (0.00 - 0.35) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gkETBPx49I

                                                                                 








 Jumping between memories (0.00. 1.35) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeMo3Alqyhs

A: Both directors were both once music video directors, this is shown explicitly through their work. In Eternal Sunshine sharp jump cuts in the editing our used to show Joel's memories. This is used to help the audience understand Joel's relationship with Clementine, as well as understanding the narrative of the story. This technique is used in music videos to create sometimes create tension based on the genre of song. However, in Scott Pilgrim this scene would not be needed to push the narrative along since Scott could have fought this fight without any stylistic effects. techniques such as this are used in music videos to create a spectacle.
S: Both these scenes show the directors influence from their previous work which are created through different MICRO aspects, for Eternal Sunshine editing is used heavily, however in Scott Pilgrim Mis-en-scene is used predominately, specifically animation. This may be due to the fact that Eternal Sunshine was an independent film and would of had a lower budget than Scott Pilgrim had since it was a mainstream film and mainstream films predominately like to create spectacles in their films with effects and animation.