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  • Essay / A cinematic analysis of The Butterfly Effect, a science fiction film by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber

    Personally, I have always appreciated films that teach the audience something or other. Especially films that require careful thought to unravel the plot behind it. I remember the first time I watched this movie, I had to rewind it because I couldn't get the pieces to fit. However, the second time around, I found that the importance of understanding these ideas was clearly stated in the film's opening scene. This beginning scene includes the definition of chaos theory. The main premise of this theory concludes that even small initial differences can lead to unknowable consequences in the future. This idea is directly represented in the fact that I had to rewind the film. I missed the significance of this theory in the beginning scene, so I couldn't connect the dots. Not only did this film provide insight into some very interesting psychological topics, but it also allowed one to reflect on oneself and one's memories. This film takes its own brain on several quests for truth. We find ourselves questioning some of the main topics covered in such a film. Personally I want to know how exactly these memories can be recalled, these ideas seemed very possible to the audience which helped keep them captivated. Chaos theory prevails in many areas of life and leads to self-realization. Such ideas expand my previous thoughts on memories. I see life, in itself, completely differently after this film. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The two main characters, who happen to be love interests, Kayleigh and Evan. These characters are played by Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart. This film was released in theaters in 2004. However, it took many years for this film to be ready for production. Many minor characters were also included in these films. Tommy, however, played no small role in this selection. As those who watched this movie before knowing it, Tommy is Kayleigh's bully brother. He acts as an antagonist for the duration of the film. It seems that as soon as you think he has changed, he shows his evil ways tenfold. He tries very hard to keep this love between his sister and Evan. My analysis will be the series expressed in the opening scene. Scenes usually last no more than three minutes and are location specific. Instantly, after the message screen for Chaos Theory is misleading, a new spectacle appears for the audience to focus on. A nondescript silhouette is hidden by translucent glass panels. The audience immediately feels a system-like anxiety as the thrills begin to build in this scene. It doesn't take long for the butterfly effect to take effect. Immediately, the screen flashes into an even more anxiety-inducing coma. The main character, Evan (protagonist), tears open a briefcase and hastily searches through a jumble of papers. He immediately barricades himself in a room to gain privacy. The music beats fast, as do the audience's hearts. Many hypotheses are drawn from this short series of events within this scene (DomSaint, 2012). First, not only the location, but rather the situation is somewhat illustrated in this scene. Evan is obviously in some sort of ward or hospital. This comes from Evan wearing a dress-like outfit during this part. Without forgetting the sofa that looks like a psychiatrist, ideally placed in the background. These clothes are very importantfor this beginning scene. Which, in reality, is a flashback that Evan experiences. Although the public is somewhat ignorant of these ideas the first time around. After careful analysis, it becomes clear why the director chose to do this in this opening scene of The Butterfly Effect. It was necessary for the audience to have this scene directly preceding the slide on chaos theory. All the components relate to each other and allow the audience to make such connections. Without these obvious allusions to the themes, most people would not be able to make a connection between them. This is due to the complexity of the brain which is more than highlighted throughout this film, I might add (DomSaint, 2012). The only dialogue that takes place in this scene is the internal dialect between Evan and his doubts. Initially, Evan did not know how to control such instances of his transcendence across the past, present, and future. However, in this first, but last scene, we can see that at this point he has become very aware of these abilities. These specific points in the scene led to many realizations and understandings about these issues. This initial scene was the future of Evans' life, this dynamic approach revealed just enough information to the audience to achieve an Ah-Ha moment. Evan, by focusing strictly on an event that he had previously hidden from his memory, was able to take himself back to that time and make changes that could be observed in the future (DomSaint, 2012). These occurrences in the beginning scenes were necessary for the audience to interpret and understand the following ideas. The ambiguity of this beginning scene creates chills for the audience watching this film. These thrills build and don't go away throughout the film. Within seconds, the audience is already waiting for the next major breakthrough. The anxiety-inducing strategies in the scene reflect the feelings of the protagonist Evan. He feels like he lost his sense of himself and his mind during this specific scene. As newspapers fly everywhere, the public can sense the degree of disorganization of this situation. Not to mention the fluctuating echo of the symphony's strategically orchestrated suspension that adds suspension all around. As spectators, we experience a feeling of rush, an emotion close to panic (DomSaint, 2012). Time is not on Evan's side as the music and paper visuals illustrate. Let's not forget, the most obvious indicator, Evan's frantic and erratic behavior. These feelings and emotions can be strongly felt during this scene, which is why I think it should be analyzed among others within the film. As I said earlier at the beginning of this essay, this film provides an interactive and stimulating means of entertainment. The audience literally places themselves and their experiences within the framework of the film (DomSaint, 2012). Some of the ideas presented don't seem extremely crazy. A deeper desire for information on such topics arises. The brain will do backflips while retrieving this desire information, but, in the same way, it will also confuse one beyond belief. Although many truths can be gleaned from research into brain functionality and other similar topics, many additional factors complicate these ideas. For example, bits of Evan's flashbacks would appear randomly at one point. Even towards the end, he still struggled to truly control these forces. Even though he had a better understanding, there were more unknown parts. These ideas are linked to chaos theory because a simple difference can lead to unknown consequences. It's true,.