Both 1992’s Patriot Games and 1997’s The Devil’s Own star Harrison Ford and feature the stories of the Irish Republican Army, or IRA. In both films, Ford stars as the protagonist, while the antagonist of both is starkly different. Patriot Games stars Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, a man who, while on vacation with his family in London, must take on his former role as CIA agent and stop an assassination attempt on a royal official. The antagonist of Patriot Games, Sean Miller (Sean Bean), is portrayed as an evil and bloodthirsty man, merely seeking revenge. Alternately, the antagonist of The Devil’s Own, presents a different case, and is portrayed by Brad Pitt as a sympathetic character trying to bring justice to different problems he has experienced. This film costars Ford as New York policeman Tom O’Meara, who houses who he believes is an Irish immigrant in need of a place to live.
The following image, taken from Patriot Games, shows Sean Miller, and does little to increase any sympathy that the audience might have had for him.
The color values of this image, with every character dressed in black, suggest a serious situation. Further, the three hats on the law officials’ heads versus the lack of hat on Miller’s head make him stand out in a negative. With his hands behind his back and his light hair standing out against the police and guards, his character becomes increasingly unsympathetic. Miller is also the dominant of this scene, suggesting his importance. The scowling look on his face indicates that he is a bad person or a villain in the film. The character proxemics, finally, suggest a stark difference between Miller and the other three men. He is facing the camera with his back to the others, while the other three are facing each other. All of the qualities of this image suggest that Miller is an unsympathetic antagonist.
The following image, taken from The Devil’s Own, portrays Frankie (Pitt) with Tom O’Meara and others, posing as friends in an intimate setting.
The character proxemics are intimate, suggesting that Frankie is someone who can be trusted, since the antagonist (someone with whom the audience can relate) seems to trust this person. The color values are neutral to bright, suggesting that this is a happy and fun occasion, filled with love and trust. Later in the film, this is destroyed. Finally, the lighting key is bright, and there is light directly behind the three characters, casting them in an almost holy light. This suggests that these three are to be trusted without a doubt.
Both of these films tell the stories of the IRA, but the antagonist in both is portrayed in completely different ways.
No comments:
Post a Comment