Marta Abromaityte on manipulation in film…
Being a brand of social influence, manipulation has played a large part in the history of cinema. While most propaganda films portray totalitarian governments using misinformation as a tool for indoctrinating the masses, films that portray the struggle against diabolical brainwashing methods have the potential to arm audiences against such propaganda. Manipulation tactics are also used to exhibit the exploitation of the characters themselves displaying certain deceptive or abusive elements that are explored in the plot. However used, the manipulation aspect has remained unchanged. Dystopian or futuristic worlds are a way of showing different realities and exploring diverse societies that are controlled and governed under vindictive, domineering leaders. The manipulation strategies presented in film show the volume in which solitary power can be misused and what that can do to an oppressed society.
Manipulation has not only been a significant element in that of cinema but also considerably important in that of classic and modern literature with novels ranging from dystopian civilizations to revolutionary newfound and otherworldly realms. Most of which have been widely acclaimed and valued, due to the extremely compelling narratives with which the novels are made up of. George Orwell’s 1984 is perhaps one of the most well known and esteemed pieces of literature ever written and it tells the story of a dystopian world dominated by a deceiving and malicious governmental party named Ingsoc. Naturally in 1984, director Michael Radford acquired the rights to portray the harrowing story on the silver screens; the result was nothing less of extraordinary. Nineteen Eighty-Four is a faultless example of abuse of power – the nameless Big Brother who establishes himself as a god-like figure is used to maintain control within the citizens of Oceania through tyranny and exploitation. All public thinkers and rebels are scrutinised and prosecuted in a vicious circle of relentless indoctrination and murder.
Persuasion and forced propaganda is easily accomplished on a wider scale to the most susceptible and the most helpless, which in this case is always the majority. The Matrix (1999) is a suitable example for manipulation entrenched in the masses – in this case humanity is supressed by a simulated reality generated by ruthless androids bent on pacifying human kind in order to use the bodies as an energy source. To perceive The Matrix is to have the privilege to be able to ‘unplug’ from the cyber realm and be exposed to the ‘real world’ of perpetual conflict between man and machine of which human kind is completely unaware.
Another worthy example is a M. Night Shyamalan’s cinematic endeavour The Village (2004), which focuses on a remote village located in the middle of a vast and menacing wood that is occupied by unknown creatures that the inhabitants of the village live in constant fear of. A small group of people that govern the village are solely responsible for the fabrication of this false reality by utilizing the forest dwelling monsters as a scare tactic in order to maintain command over the vulnerable minds of the villagers. The reasoning for this false reality is down to the brutality of the modern world, the immorality of society by which the founders have been severely affected by. Which in turn made them isolate themselves entirely in a sheltered reality away from the aggression and pain that is beyond the woods.
Often in films like these, the manipulation tactic is clear – supplying the person wielding the manipulation and mind control with a great deal of power, which creates conformity. The reason for such open mind control in film is to demonstrate to the audience how easily a powerful being can influence a society. In a few of these films fear is cleverly used to obtain obedience amongst societies and they confirm how easily the mind can be exploited – they show how effortless it is to brainwash a group of people and make them believe absolutely anything with the use of fear.
Fear is the primary source for ingrained acceptance and it can be used in any context concerning manipulation. Whether it be mass exploitation or not, the notion of manipulation is unaffected – it is only the circumstances themselves that can be altered. Dogtooth (2009) is a well-intentioned effort in demonstrating a specific type of abuse and exploitation accomplished by blood relatives. The young and vulnerable minds of children are easily swayed and with the right tools, the person wielding the power over their minds can make them believe what suits them, in this case the manipulators are the parents. A husband and wife live behind an enormous compound with their three children whom they have shielded from the outside world since birth – an indoctrination that stretches well into adulthood. Both parents manoeuvre the minds of the children, damaging their vocabulary and filling them with false pretences concerning the world outside their sanctuary. This type of manipulation and abuse caused by controlling parents manifests when the children mature and discover snippets of the world they scarcely know which in turn causes the normality in their lives to drastically change.
There are several reasons why utilizing the idea of manipulation in film can be considered alluring. It can exemplify certain aspects of humanity that the audience can relate to, to an extent. Films with that fundamental undercurrent display struggles that we have witnessed in society and embellish them to make them appear fantastical and less frightening or sometimes the narrative constructed is made less fictional to demonstrate how plausible such abuses of power can really be and the consequences that can unfold.
Marta Abromaityte
Originally published April 8, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
