After watching the movie, it made me think a lot about society today and the kids growing up in it. Some can’t wait to burst out and go out on their own, while some feel trapped. While there are so many other themes and messages that do come from this movie such as desensitization, gun use and boredom, and of course influences of others; this is the one that stuck out to me the most. It stuck out the most to me because I’ve seen it happen. I’m from the suburbs. I’ve seen people grow up in house looking identical to the ones in the movie, and I’ve seen them become trapped. Multiple times within the film there were prolonged shots of the skies and just about every time there was also a plane in the sky. This to me symbolizes wanting to escape and go far away. That was me in the suburbs. I wanted to get out and go see new things. Whereas there are the people that are stuck. Winter, no matter the reason, was stuck. He was so disgusted with the things around him even if they are as simple as a piece of chicken but yet he stays. He disconnects himself from everyone around him and simply stays in his room, trapped. Whether he is so desensitized that he truly doesn’t care or there are other reasons (because we didn’t get to see ALL of what happened to him to make him change) he stays. I’ve seen it happen over and over again with people from my high school. They just, stay. With all the horror going on around them, they stay. I think it says a lot about the suburbs itself, but that’s a whole different subject.
Tag Archives: Scenes From the Suburbs
Desensitization
The movie “Scenes from the Suburbs” by Spike Jones was a very good short film. For how short it was, it conveyed so much. A crucial turning point in the film was the introduction of Winter’s brother. I noticed that soon after that, the whole tone of the film changed. Before, everything was carefree and happy; after, it was dark and the background music that was used was more sorrowful. The film showed how Kyle saw the changes in Winter and how much it affected him and the rest of their circle of friends. There are so many ways that this film could be interpreted. One is becoming desensitized to extreme events, like mass shootings or terrorist attacks. It could be showing how being exposed to those events so often that a person begins to brush it off and think that it is nothing more than a normal event, no matter how many may have died. As discussed in class, so many shootings and natural disasters have occurred recently, that when the Navy Yard shooting happened, it was not as widely broadcast as the ones in the past. On the other hand, it could just be that because of the Colorado floods, it was overlooked. But, either way, it is sad that events like mass shootings are not as big of news events that they once were.
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We shouldn’t be so numb.
While I was watching “Scenes From the Suburbs” directed by Spike Jonze, I was extremely confused. Nothing seemed to make sense. I literally had no idea what the message Jonze was trying to display could be. Once we started to talk about it in class everything started to make more sense. I thought this was a fantastic film. I think that Jonze made this film just mysterious enough for people make their own meaning.
To me, I think Jonze created this film to creatively show how our society is becoming numb to violence. Getting this message across by showing it in a film is much more effective than just telling people. After all, most people are visual learners.
I think our society is becoming more and more numb to violence. As unfortunate as it is, the more things that happen, the more numb we become and the less we react. When the theater shooting happened EVERYONE seemed to be talking about it. It was constantly on the news, people were obsessed with finding the person that was responsible for this awful event. Why were we so obsessed with it? Was it because it happened in our own backyard? Was it because someone dressed up and went in to a theater… something we would never thought to have happened? The same thing happened with the Newtown shooting. But ever since those events I feel like we haven’t reacted nearly as much to violence as we used to. I think that Jonze made this film to show people how numb we are becoming to violence. For example, when Winter is watching a movie on his bed he is just casually laying there watching people get shot with a completely blank face. Jonze is showing how we are becoming so used to violence that we don’t even react.
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A Teenage Summer
I enjoyed Spike Jonez Scenes From the Suburbs because I thought it accuratley caught the teenage experience. The camera angles were always level headed with the other teenagers kind of making seem as though we were with them wherever they went. Just in the opening scene when they are on the bicycles they the camera was shakey and constantly moving like we were on the bike. Everything was bright and happy with no care in the world except of the next school year. Anything they did we were right next and close to them, doing anything they did too. Even sitting and talking it wasn’t zoomed out to show everyone. We were sitting closely next to them and or when they were sitting in the circle it was low and close to everyone. Then the sounds, or lack of, are imporatant too. When Winter was giving his speech in the dark o nthe rocks we couldn’t accuratly hear him the sounds of the wind in the years and we are looking up at him like everyone else. I think sometimes the lack of sound helped the situation. When it was silent, the fear of something the fear of doing anything. Or when there was music, I know as a young(er) adult back riding around the suburbs actually hearing my favorite songs as we laughed and didn’t have a care. I think the best part was the closeness though. Sitting crushed in the backseat of the car. Always laying with them. I felt like they were my friends and I was so mad that Winter did such a thing to our friend. Everything just felt like a close group of friends. also right behaind them always right part of their lives. The sounds or the lack of sounds really put a teenage perspective that anyone could feel and see.
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And Now I’m Ready To Start.
I really like “Scenes From the Suburbs” directed by Spike Jonze. However I can’t really put my finger on what I liked about it. Maybe it appealed to the shenanigans my friends would get into on summer days where somehow we would meetup somewhere. Maybe it is the constant mystery behind the movie; why does nearly every adult carry a firearm, what is the town fighting against/over? Even if those questions were never answered in the movie it wouldn’t stop me from re-watching this again and again. I really like the characterization of the group of friends, however I really we would have heard a bit more from other characters in the group. Also one gripe I have with the movie is with how fast Winter changed from a general likable guy, to suddenly being cold to everybody (including his girlfriend) and then beating up the main character. Really this was a fun movie to watch, trying to figure out the questions it posed and the innocent dialogue between the characters. I only wish they could have added extra scenes (like maybe more character interaction between the whole group maybe?) and more music from Arcade Fire. Good move 4/5, would recommend to friends and such.
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Introduction to Literature ENG 131 