Football and the American Dream (Essay Sample)

ANTH 287 Football and the American Dream Name Institutional Affiliations Course Number Course Instructor Date Introduction Films are a great way to show how feelings and emotions play out in the everyday activities human beings engage in. Different cinematographic aspects of films can evoke emotions/feelings and justify their place within social and historical contexts. In this analysis, three films are analyzed for these effects: Brian’s Song (1971), Remember the Titans (2000), and We Are Marshall (2006). Brian’s Song (1971) Airing in 1971, Brian's Song details the intense relationship between Brian Piccolo, a white player for the Chicago Bears, and Gale Sayers, who was Black. Their relationship was forged after they came to the NFL team in the mid-1960s and burnished four seasons of play. Their relationship went on and off the football pitch, at one point being assigned as on-the-road roommates (a Bears Interracial First). In 1969, Piccolo was diagnosed and was ailing most of the time. At one point, he removed himself from a game while in Atlanta. Later, while in Chicago, he is diagnosed with cancer and tries all unsuccessful surgeries to eliminate the cancer. In May 1970, with Piccolo in hospital, Sayers is deeply affected but cannot stand to see his friend go down with cancer. He dedicates his George S. Halas Award for Most Courageous Player to his dying friend in an awards-banquet speech that hushed a room as it captured headlines: "I love Brian Piccolo, and I'd like all of you to love him, too," he said. "Tonight, when you hit your knees to pray, please ask God to love him, too." However, Piccolo shortly died in June 1970. The camera work in Brian's Song is set to capture the characters' emotional depth and experience. Brian's Song featured game footage whenever the Chicago Bears made an appearance. During these games, the cameras capture intimate close-ups during moments of struggle and triumph of both the players and the spectators. These close-ups provide a realistic experience of the scenes, allowing the audience to empathize with the players' emotions to reinforce the idea that football is not just a sport but also a reflection of the human experience. In one scene, Brian and Gale are seen talking on the sidelines. This scene was captured as though it was part of a Television broadcast, captured in grainier images. This cinematography felt consistent with the game footage, presenting a different and unique way of placing football games in a story. Moreover, in most football-match scenes, the camera zooms in and out on the spectators to capture the camaraderie between players in connection to the sense of unity within the team. This cinematography portrays football as a symbol of American collective effort and shared inspirations of struggle and triumph. Mise-en-scene is carefully arranged to bring out an authentic and realistic depiction of football culture in the 1960s. The detailed capture of the players’ uniforms and the stadium atmosphere transports the audience into the world of American football during that era. During most games captured in the film, the stadiums are fully packed with enthusiastic spectators. Football is portrayed as an American Sport that many Americans love. They come out in large numbers to support their favourite teams and indulge in the experience of being part of the struggle and glory of their favourite teams. Moreover, the attention to detail fosters in the audience a sense of nostalgia and pride for the sport as part of American culture. Brian's Song uses an interplay of lighting and colour to evoke specific emotions throughout the film. On the one hand, warm and vibrant tones are used strategically in the scenes of the characters' friendship, triumph, and success. This is evident in scenes where players and the fans celebrate after winning a game. Such scenes' lighting and colour interplay denote joy and a celebratory mood. On the other hand, dimmer and cooler tones are predominant in the scenes of conflict, loss, and sadness. This can be seen in the scene where Gale stands with other characters besides Brian Piccolo's deathbed. The lighting and colour interplay aims to enhance the audience's emotional connection with the characters, highlighting the highs and lows in the characters' lives throughout the film. Based in the 1970s, Brian's Song responds to a cultural moment of increased racial tension in America. In one scene, after the football training, Chicago Bears' Head Coach tells Gale that he and Brian will be the first interracial roommates in professional football history. Impliedly, this statement alone prepares Gale for the racism he would likely experience on the team. More importantly, the statement shows the level of racism in America at that time. However, the film attempts to creatively mediate such racial relations through the friendship of Gale and Brian–a friendship forged in football (Durbin, 2020). The film’s music intensifies these emotional moments of friendship. The sole-stirring and heartfelt music throughout most of the “friendship” scenes evokes a sense of empathy, love, and passion (Durbin, 2020). Eventually, all the audience can see are two friends who love and support one another on and off the field, regardless of their race. Remember the Titans Directed by Boaz Yakin, Remember the Titans was released in 2000. In 1972, Alexandria, Virginia, was a town torn apart by racial hatred. When Harman Boone (Denzel Washington)–an African-American from South Carolina–is elected as the head coach of T.C. Williams High School Titans, much resentment brews in the football-crazed community. Bill Yoast, who was the former head coach of the school, and is now rumoured to be a candidate for the Hall of Fame, decides to take a job coaching in another school. However, he is inspired by his loyalty to the Titans and decides to work under Boone as a defensive coach. Soon, Boone realizes the hard work that awaits him as a coach. Throughout the film, he proves to be a rigid disciplinarian and a moral leader. He forces White and Black players to stay together and learn something about one another. Constantly, Boone emphasizes to the boys the need to work together as a team. Unlike Brian's Song, where the camera work was majorly set to capture close-ups, the camera work in "Remember the Titans" is energetic and dynamic in capturing the intensity and athleticism of the football games. The film utilizes wide-angled camera shots during intense moments of a football game to emphasize the players' determination, struggle, and teamwork against their opponents. However, close-ups are also actively used during the confrontational and emotional scenes. This allows the audience to connect deeply and emotionally with the characters’ struggles. The close-up effect is utilized well in the scene where Bertier is sent to hospital following paralysis from a car accident. The film uses close zoom-ins to capture the emotional and anxious faces of Bertier’s teammates as they wait in the hospital’s waiting area for news about Bertier’s state of health. This scene is quite moving, and the audience can deeply connect emotionally with the characters during this anxious moment. The film also used slow-motion shots during pivotal moments to enhance the emotional impact on the audience. Overall, this film's camera work is more energetic than "Brian's Song." However, like in Brian's Song, the camera work seeks to prove the deep connection between the fans, players, and football. Football, in both films, is a source of pride, connection, and cultural pride for the communities where the films are based. Mise-es-scene in this film authentically recreates the 1970s era. The setting, the costumes used, and the historical context portrayed are well-arranged to evoke a nostalgic effect of the 1970s. The weaving of the popular songs of the 1970s into the film, like "Long Cool Woman" by The Hollies, "Express Yourself" by Charles Wright, and "Peace Trains" by Cat Stevens, among others, enhances the film's nostalgic appeal, transporting the audience back to that culture and era. The music complements the storytelling and amplifies the emotional resonance of the Titans' football journey to reinforce the primary message of the film: that football can bring people together and transcend racial hatred and prejudices. Racial injustice was still present in America at the time of this film's release. The film mediates such racial relations by creating a situation where White and Black players can interact, live together, and support one another to succeed (Cranmer & Harris, 2015). The coordinated work between Coaches Boone and Yoast amplifies this point. They work together in a racially divided town and encourage the players to work together beyond their racial identities. Through this friendship forged out of love for football, the film mediates the broken racial relationships in the town (Cranmer & Harris, 2015). The use of colour and lighting in this film is similar to that in "Brian's Song." Bright and warm tones are predominant in the moments of pride, triumph, reconciliation, and camaraderie to reinforce the message of racial togetherness, harmony, and hope. This can be seen during daytime practice and interactive moments among the players in the locker rooms. However, darker and cooler tones dominate the scenes of racial tension, conflicts, and division. This technique of lighting and colour interplay worked because this movie was a sports movie. With a movie such as this, one cannot be stuck to only one type of lighting skill. Otherwise, the movie could become standard and possibly dull to the audience. We are Marshall Directed by McG and released in 2006, “We Are Marshall” tells the story of Huntington, a small town based in West Virginia steeped in football's rich tradition. For many years, players, fans, coaches, parents, and families h...