Homework: Media Effects

5 Media Effects in Inception

Inception can be seen as showing scenes that connote drug use, and could be seen as promoting this. In the scene below Yusuf's shop, there is a discussion surrounding the use of Inception by the shop's patrons, which is similar to the use of drugs. In this discussion, there is dialogue which supports such use, for example 'they live for a year, every day?'. This in addition to the audience's already established interest in the process of Inception (Denis McQuail's theory of Uses and Gratifications proves this, as the audience is probably viewing Inception for the escapism it provides, as well as the Intellectual Puzzles imbedded in the film [Rick Altman, 1999]) could be seen as encouragement or glorification of the process, and as a result drug use, which could be especially influential in the younger members of the audience.
On the other hand, the mise-en-scene used in the scene go against this encouragement, nullifying the encouragement and even giving an anti-drug message. The colouring of the scene was dark yellows and browns, representing hostile or damaging environments such as deserts or war zones, which connotes that taking drugs or similar substances can lead you to a dire fate akin to that in these locations. In addition, the acting gestures of the scene, with all characters standing above the people representing drug users, arms folded, supports the high angle shots used to show the drug users - making them look smaller, weaker in comparison to the protagonists, again supporting the anti-drug sentiment as the protagonists's dialogue is very against it.

As the film's sub genre is action (Barry Keith Grant's theory, 1995), Inception features many fight scenes which use common techniques to show meaning. For example, the corridor fight scene is filmed entirely with a handheld camera, the movement adding to the confusion and chaos in the scene, making the audience feel more attached to the character, Arthur, as he is assumed to feel the same way. Action Matches are used to connect this scene with the simultaneous action taking place on the other dream levels, representing equal distress from all of the protagonists, and both the car chase scene and the fortress assault scene use identical styles of filming in order to convey this message - handheld camera, frequent use of close up and medium shots, panning to show the action etc, which works to make the meaning of the scenes, support for the confused protagonists, even more effective. As a result, the common tropes of action (Patrick Philips, 1996) offer the audience comfortable reassurance of what is going to happen in the action scenes, while the Visceral Pleasures, such as gun fights and explosions, are used to create Emotional Pleasures in the form of payoff when the protagonists are left unharmed, for the audience ((Rick Altman, 1999)

There is a theme in Inception that every part of the narrative is slightly deviant to the norm. For example, the film deviates from Todorov's theory of narrative structure, as the film begins with a disequilibrium. This creates the effect of confusion and panic, the audience is left clueless from the beginning of the film, and is made to work it out, again supporting Rick Altman's theory of Intellectual Puzzles being used in the film to offer the audience pleasure. All of this adds to the theme of confusion in the film, making it effective in creating emotion through narrative theories. Vladimir Propp's theory also wasn't followed, as the antagonist was ambiguous for most of the film, going from Saito to Fisher to Mol, again making the effect of confusion through the lack of narrative structure.