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to syllabusTHE NATURAL
Tri-Star Pictures U.S.A., 1985
Director: Barry Levinson
Cast:
Roy Hobbs. . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Redford
Max Mercy. . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Duvall
Iris Gaines. . . . . . . . . . . .Glenn Close
Memo Paris. . . . . . . . . . .Kim Basinger
Pop Fisher. . . . . . . . . . . .Wilford Brimley
Harriet Bird. . . . . . . . . . Barbara Hershey
The Judge. . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Prosky
Red Blow. . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Farnsworth
Gus Sands. . . . . . . . . . . .Darren McGavin
Bump Bailey. . . . . . . . . .Michael Madsen
Whammer. . . . . . . . . . . .Joe Don Baker
Discussion
James Robertson says that "myths always represent the past--the tradition, the social ideals, the imperatives of explanation and behavior--to the present." To what extent does The Natural do this? How does this film endeavor to convey to us truths about the American past? What are these truths?
A related question: Exactly how does the film communicate its message? How does it tell its story? What elements of dialogue or which kinds of lighting or which use of sound or what aspects of mise-en-scène or what particular kinds of editing does the film use to achieve its intended effect?
Address whichever aspects of these questions you find interesting in a 3 -page paper which will be due on Friday in class.