Distinctively_Visual

A composer creates ‘distinctive visuals’ in their text, in order to represent their own values and ideas, to what extent is this true of your prescribed text, and at least one other text of your own choosing' Distinctive visuals allow an audience to view and imagine certain images that the composer creates. From these distinctive visuals, the audience’s perceptions force them to respond in a particular way. In The Shoe Horn Sonata John Misto illustrates the heroism of women to survive in the P.O.W camps, and criticises the government who could have avoided their traumatic experiences. In The Truman Show, Peter Weir communicates his values and ideas through media illusions. He addresses ethical issues concerning the medias right to control an individual’s life. In the Shoe Horn Sonata, John Misto effectively presents the everlasting impact of war, and the eternal brandishing of internal scars by the survivors. This issue is evident as Sheila reveals her secret “Oh Lipstick Larry knew what I wanted. ‘Nice girl’, he said. I was skin and bone by then but – there was prestige for a Jap if a white girl went off with him”. This creates an image in the reader’s mind, which is ‘sickly’ and can be imagined seen as a skinny, vulnerable girl who is being tortured by a Japanese soldier. Sheila’s comment juxtaposes to Bridie’s comment “sleeping with a jap' I’d never have done that- not for anyone”. As Sheila had done this to save Bridie’s life, the audience is left questioning themselves on the extent they would go to save their friend. By conveying these images into the responder’s thoughts, Misto compels the reader to see the strong efforts of the women to survive trauma and hardship. Throughout the play, we see the resilience, strength and determination to survive in the P.O.W camps. During the play, the audience is left imagining the extraordinary nature of human beings and their ability to overcome hardships and stay together through relationships and bonds. In Act one, scene three, the shoehorn is symbolic for survival as Bridie uses it to save Sheila - “If she fell asleep, she’d have slipped away and drowned and so I asked her questions”. This paints a picture of Bridie’s determination to keep Sheila awake and save her life. “Just a gentle tap with my shoehorn” - “whack-whack-whack”; this exaggerated onomatopoeia creates sound imagery, emphasising how Bridie hit Sheila to save her. The rhetoric devices used by Misto compliments the visual of a determined and unrelenting Bridie crouched over a dying Sheila. The reader gains an image of desperation on Bridie’s part as she fears for the loss of her friend’s life. The enactment of friendship is further delivered in Act one, scene four where Bridie again takes the motherly approach in assisting in Sheila’s protection. Bridie takes responsibility for ‘stitching a rusty pin to Lipstick Larry’s loin cloth’ - “I’m sorry, sir. It’s all my fault”. This visual imagery shows her preparation to suffer for both herself and Sheila. Misto paints a heroic identity of the women and the reader is prompted to visualise the women from this heightened perspective. The inability of the British government to protect civilians and nurses and their ignorance in understanding the situation is explored throughout The Shoe-horn Sonata. The viewer is made aware of the horrors of the P.O.W. camps through projected images and a greater understanding of the women’ experiences is elicited. Through “Mr Curtin sends his greetings. And orders you all to keep smiling”, the irony in his statement casts a brutal image of forced smiles masking the torture that they experienced. The words of Mr Curtin allow an insight into the ignorance the government had on the realities of the P.O.W camps. Government associated propaganda of projected images of nurses looking excited and happy again advertised the secrecy of the Government. From these images, the use of Juxtaposition has been effectively used to show the contrast between what the image conveys to the reality of the war. Misto’s effectively emphasises the powerlessness of the women and how they were treated insignificantly before, during and after the war. In The Truman Show, Peter Weir illustrates the media’s power to control a person’s life and the ethical issues that are involved with stripping an individual’s rights in the name of monetary affluence and recognition. The giant dome where Truman lives is a ceiling that creates the illusion of a sky, wind, rain and night. These distinctive visuals create an image of false living. Similarly, the distinctive visuals in of army nurses looking happy, to the visual imagery created of the P.O.W camps contrasts reality and truth. A flashback scene of Truman and his lover Lauren uses cross cutting between the two to show facial expressions that reveal romantic emotions. Lauren says, “Listen to me. Everyone knows about everyone and everything you do. Cause they’re pretending” – empathy is evoked as the visual of an innocent person is created; someone who is a recluse and possibly not viewed as a human but rather a scapegoat for societies cruel joke. Similarly, the Shoehorn Sonata incorporates the authoritative external force of the government, which impacts on the lives of the helpless, innocent individuals. Weir compels the audience to create perceptions on the values and ideas that he communicates with them regarding the issue of the media’s unjust influence on one’s life. The Film depicts the critics who invite us to see through the illusions of media. Truman experiences the concept of truth and reality through Lauren’s character. The distinctive visuals of love are created through the facial expressions of Lauren and Truman. Lauren is symbolic of truth for Truman as she develops honest emotions as oppose to his ‘friends’ whom are actors playing their part in the show. Lauren is later viewed as a stronger character through her defence for Truman “the world you have created Christof, is a sick world”. The juxtaposition of the real world to the fake world is shown through screen cutting to classify the opportunity of living a realistic life that Truman is hidden by. The distinctive visuals of a real ocean, to high-tech lighting effects to imitate a sun are used to force the viewer to despise at the immoral situation Truman is in. In comparison, in the Shoehorn Sonata, the government advertises army nurses going to war smiling, whilst the reader is also exposed to the horrors of the P.O.W camps and the mistreatment of the women. As a result, the composer shows the inability of the government to expose the truth. Weir forces the responder to critically question the media’s right to control ones life. In conclusion, The Shoe Horn Sonata and The Truman Show make effective use of distinctive visuals to serve the composer’s purpose in representing their values and ideas on the realities of War in the P.O.W camps of World War II, and the Media’s power to shape and manipulate an individual’s life.