How Film Techniques Portrays Adversity in the Movie The Blind Side

Film is an audio-visual medium that uses images and sounds to create meaning out of anarrative. In the movie The Blind Side the main character Michael Oher faces a lot of adversities which is relayed to the audience by using various techniques of filming. In life we cant choose our family, situation, or environment that we are born into. Some of us are luckier than others. One can be born in a wealthy family or a poor family. People are who are born into difficult situations sometimes accept t to stay with their prevalent circumstance, like Michael. He faces a lot of adversities in his life, which is revealed in the movie using various filming techniques. These are discussed and analysed. Different camera shots are used in this movie to show Michaels life in the slums and then the transformation of his life later in the wealthy adoptive family. The Blind Side is based on a true story about how NFL player for the Ravens, Michael, an African American boy, born in an unstable environment becomes homeless due to his mothers drug abuse and the communities exposure to violence. A juxtaposition of close- ups, long shots, mid shots and full shots depict the surroundings of Michaels rough neighbourhood. These shot let the audience familiarise and get a feel of Michaels violent world. Michael has to live with a lot of siblings from different fathers. Most of the kids in the neighbourhood deal in drugs, making the place a very unsafe environment to grow up in. Sadness and despair is seen on Michaels face from the close-up shots. These help in conveying the emotions of the actors to the viewers. Common view from the public is that kids from Michaels neighbourhood drop out of schools,sell drugs, steal and rob from other people, join gangs, beat people up, break laws, carry guns, and even kill people. Notions such as these are shown through camera techniques such as panning and tracking shots, where groups of Afro-American youngsters are seen hanging out, basically doing nothing. For instance, the looks and the expressions, full of anger and lust I seen on the gangsters faces when Mrs. Tuohy goes in their vicinity.

Mrs. Tuohy faces hardship as well because adopting a homeless African American is not viewed as the right way to act by her social group and the wider white society. One of her friends hinted at the fact that Michael would rape her daughter stating, arent you afraid for your daughter with him sleeping there? She faces this adversity with boldness and

determination. Eye-level camera angles are mostly used with Mrs. Tuohy, to make the audience comfortable with her views and presence. Similarly, appropriate lighting techniques are used to show particular moods and atmosphere in the movie. For example, low illumination conveys sadder moments in the movie, when Michael goes through hardships; Michael walking in the rain. Birds eye angle of the camera establishes the scenes where the audience has to be guided in particular places. For example, when Michael is seen in his mothers street and when he is seen outside the Tuohy residence. The audience has to be sure what they are seeing. Michael gets culture shocked, so has to mentally prepare himself to adopt to the lifestyle of the upper class whites. Michael had never imagined to leave his past, especially his mother, so often, he came back from foster care. The music in the movie emphasises the moods of the characters and the situations around them. Close-ups of Michaels face and hands reveal his feelings, expressions and his state of being. For example, his uneasiness can be seen from the agitated motion of his hands. From such body language the audience senses that his mother means a lot to him. Often times his mum tried to hide bad things from him, telling him to close his eyes when someone was getting hurt. This signified and symbolised that Michael had shut the nastiness out of his life, the blind side.

The well crafted screenplay, dialogue and the efficient delivery provides a smooth flow of the narrative. Through the conversations the viewers cansee that the whites see the coloured people as being trouble, whilst the African- Americans see the whites as being selfish and un-caring. Through characterisation, the audience sees that there is subordination and power hierarchy even within Michaels community. This irony (preconception was that only whites dominated blacks) is portrayed through the guy who seems to be in charge of the youngsters in Michaels former community. With the help of the Tuohy family, Michael breaks free from the traditional stereotype of the poor, rough and uneducated coloured class. A well, interwoven storyline relates Michaels dilemma when most of the teachers of his new school judged him on his past and automatically assumed that he would not make it academically.

Excellent choice of actors and brilliant acting adds to the appeal of this movie. The characters of Sandra Bullock (The Proposal), Tim McGraw (Friday Night Lights), Oscar winner Kathy Bates (Misery) face hardships also by deciding what they think is good, important, and praiseworthy, and not being judgmental. They take Michael in and giving

him food and shelter and get him educated and tutored. They provide clothes for him and even legally adopt him. They also attempt to persuade people by telling their circle of friends that Michael is really a good person.

A combination of filming techniques which utilises varying methods such camera shots, camera angles , camera movement and lighting is brought together under the direction of John Lee Hancock providing excellent cinematography in the movie The Blind Side. Brilliant acting, superb dialogue delivery and terrific music shows the determination and struggle of the Tuoys and Michael to overcome their adversities. Michael proves everyone wrong by his achievement in school and his skills in football. The Tuohys experience some tough challenges also by adopting Michael, going against the views of their close circle of friends and society.