Hollowicked and Arcane Battle Against One Another Essay -- Fantasy Genr

In the following, I will analyse the film Arcane in order to clarify whether it constitutes a fantasy genre. To do so I will concentrate on the characteristics of a fantasy genre. How it can be recognised. Fantasies are what depart from our understanding of reality. To answer the initial question, a closer analysis of the structural elements (cinematography), the narrative approach and the theme of Arcane will disclose if it departs significantly from our understanding of reality. Only if I can discover the answer to this question to be proven, it is possible to proceed with the following question. Nochimson (2010) stated, â€Å"Hollywood trains us to expect escapism, to enter into a fantasy world where the colours are brighter, all desires are fulfilled, and there are know obstacles that the hero cant overcome.† The first scene of analysis is the opening scene, for the very reason that it shapes the audience’s expectations of what is to come. From a cinematography point of view, there is a great use of abstract dark colours, like the unusual metallic blue used to give a night-time effect. Arcane is in his astounding costume and Valerie’s opposite him walking slowly towards each other through the overpowering rain. The actions taken place already suggest a significant departure from reality, as it is very hard to identify with the depicted surrounding and its properties which seems to create an unrealistic atmosphere. Through the use of jump cuts this atmosphere is enhanced: they disrupt the continuity (Brown 2002) of the viewer’s perception and therefore add to this feeling of estrangement and awkwardness. Subsequently we end up in Nick’s bedroom upon waking from his dream. Between the two scenes the colours used give a clea... ...ut his desires. The moral of the story is that he learns that friendship is more important. Striving to get with the girl, Nick grows as a character. D.Ledesma mentioned, â€Å"Quests help the characters to grow as they strive for an object or ideal. The struggles between opposing forces are to achieve or restore balance to the world. Themes of heroism and coming of age bring about growth in characters. Other themes appear in Fantasy but these are the major ones† Given the definition of fantasy, it is fairly clear to claim that it is highly probable for the film to constitute a fantasy genre, because all scenes analysed from above and the short comparison with Brazil displayed a significant departure from reality. Having discovered that the elements needed for a film to constitute a fantasy genre are present in Arcane, I am now able to move on to the next question.