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Final Film Critique on "forrest Gump"

Essay by   •  April 3, 2012  •  Book/Movie Report  •  3,151 Words (13 Pages)  •  2,738 Views

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One of the greatest 1990s film of all time and a phenomenal film too, was Forrest Gump. This movie took us back in history of the Vietnam War and other historical events of how one person survived during this lifetime. Movie critics has described and referred to this film as being "magical". In viewing this movie, it allows the audience to get a greater understanding of what the scenes were about and what it meant. It also gives the director's vision to address the culture and diversity of the film.

The movie Forrest Gump is one of Tom Hank's best performances that captured the American audience in making the movie the best movie of all times and for the audience to fall in love with him as an actor. By the movie's outstanding ratings at the theaters, Forrest Gump won an Oscar award for best picture of the year with the audience trying to figure out the controversy of the film. The director, Robert Zemeckis was credited for his role in making the movie as entertaining and real in comparison to reading the book. He brought out a lot of historical events and special effects to make this movie a memorable and remarkable one.

Forrest Gump is based on a novel written by American novelist Winston Groom. The novel was adapted for the movie by American screenwriter Eric Roth and directed by Robert Zemeckis. The movie portrayed a soldier sitting on a bus stop bench, filmed in Chippewa Square, Savannah, Georgia, telling his life story to every individual who was willing to listen to him at the bus stop. The director used parallel editing in this scene to show the people coming and going at the bus stop, meanwhile showing other scenes of what his storytelling was about.

Forrest Gump, played by actor Tom Hanks, is a personality actor who adapts to any leading role given. His performance for this movie was outstanding and exceptional which is why he won the Oscar award as best male actor during that year and the movie raking in millions of dollars. Another leading lady was Robin Wright as Jenny and Sally Fields as Forrest Gump's mother. The diversity of these actors was phenomenal. It's as if they knew each other for a long time to work so extra ordinary to reflect the novel and the characters so well.

Forrest Gump is portrayed as being alienated from society, not only for his inability to respond intelligently, but for him not being restricted to his ideas that comes from his culture which challenges what most people think of him and are accustomed to from other kids his age in his community. Zemeckis attempts to build a character of Forrest being smart; thus trying to be realistic and to be humble in life. Other characters in the movie are blocked by society's tension in which Forrest remains obscured to all. That's why he is able to live life as is, instead of avoiding what is not real. His compelling nature to do what is right in comparison to what gets done easily is why our society needs to stop labeling others as senseless and pointless. Zemeckis is pointing out that an individual has to accept life as it is, in order to have control over his or her destiny. For example, in the scene that shows Forrest in the battle field in which he knew of the danger, but his instinct of doing the right thing made him helped every soldier he could to safety by running back and forth to get them to safety.

Zemeckis begins the movie with the scene at the bus stop, in which Forrest was seen in worn out dirty tennis white shoes and a digitally enhanced feather floating in the air throughout the film. This symbolizes Forrest's way of life as he makes the best of everything and as old as the feather was, it remained clean and pure to signify what Forrest stood for in life. The color of the feather was white with black sketchy marks was placed in the movie to show calmness and vigorous experiences to coincided with his innocence. The audience is being challenged to find out why Forrest is able to remain so calm, cool and collective, while overcoming societal norms and disputes. Forrest is always seen to be living up to his promise by giving his full attention in everything that is needed or to get done, and does not believe in giving his support at only ninety percent, but at his full one hundred percent capability. This type of irony is seen throughout the whole film for viewers to glimpse life in a different way. This movie brought back a lot of optimism and altruism that was lost among society.

Forrest Gump is the story of a man's journey through life to be successful amidst his deformities and a reflection of his innocence about living. With all the challenges and choices made in his life, he accomplished his tasks through simplicity. This gave Forrest a positive look of life; despite the hurdles and conflicts lived made him seek the best of both worlds. Critics may argue that the film has no true sentiments, yet it proved to society to seek young men and women innocence. In the scene where Forrest is seen addressing thousands of people upon his return from Vietnam in Washington D.C. (Ebert, 1994), criticizes society for their inadequate behavior of how to accept the truth when it is told. He delivers a speech of good faith that no one hears, but was still applauded. Zemeckis is making a point by showing the audience that people do not listen to what is going on and ignores the truth at the same time. Society rather lives in denial about our culture, rather than coping with the truth and its amenities.

Forrest can be labeled as a 'holy fool', a person who appears unintelligent and unsophisticated, but who has other redeeming qualities (Forrest Gump, 1994). With that said, his innocent ability can be disadvantaged to him as well as advantageous. Forrest does not see or deemed people as being evil, and if they are evil, he always seems to get the best out of them. The film is directed to show that being a simpleton or living a simple life is better to help maintain one's destiny and that you can never find a person with Forrest's personality in our society.

All of society's restriction that hinder Forrest's ability, he overcame. From having to wear leg braces as a little boy to make him walk straight; thanks to the bullies who wanted to fight him that made him aware that he could run and break out of them. This critical part of the movie made Forrest realize that there is hope and now he can be the best of the best in anything he do. Although he was not limited to restrictions, he always respected his elders, authority and almost anyone he is contact with because his mom told him to do so. After becoming the fastest running back in football at his college, he then joined the army and accomplished difficult tasks that he did not underestimated him in doing, but to be and set an example to and for

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