In the beginning our two protagonists are separated by distance, so how do we get the sense that Annie and Sam are intimate with one another? This is accomplished throughout the film in several ways. The first is through the visuals of the film. They are constantly put into parallel spaces. When Sam is in his house talking on the radio, Annie is sitting in her home listening to him. When Annie is coming out of a door, Sam is coming out of another door. When Sam is walking by the sea, Annie is also walking alone somewhere and gazing at the stars. Not only do the their eye-lines and colors of these parallel shots match, but so too does the mood of each separate scene. Even though the two are separated by a long physical distance from Seattle to Baltimore, they are enclosed by the same emotional space. The parallelism in their setting seems to defy the physical space that separates them.
Sound is also extremely effective in portraying the intimacy between our two protagonists. The overarching romantic music theme sets a mood that transcends two different spaces, in order to create the same mood from both. Also the first “meeting” between Annie and Sam is through sound—they are connected through the radio. The scene displays Sam talking into the phone while Annie drives in her car listening to the radio. What is interesting about this scene is that there is a lack of ambient sound—the only things we hear in this section are the words spoken by Sam, and Annie’s reaction to them. The super close ups that are utilized in this section create emotional connection and intimacy between the two—as if Sam were directly talking to Annie. There is only a break in reverie when a sound of a car interrupts the scene.
The success of Annie and Sam’s meeting is also set up through the presence of a movie. There is this constant allusion to An Affair to Remember, and the people around them are always emotionally impacted by this movie. Everyone from Annie’s best friend, Sam’s sister, and even the bell hopper in the concluding scene is aware of the movie. The film seems to play with the classic vs. modern idea of a love story-paralleling the two stories yet contrasting them.
Sleepless in Seattle is not quite your average classic Hollywood film in several ways. The first is that there is no dual storyline (a trait common to classics according to Bordwell)—the entire film focuses on the romance between Annie and Sam—there is no introduction of a greater meaning in the movie, there is no quest that either character goes through aside from finding each other. Arguably however, it is possible that Sam’s quest is to recover from family tragedy, or raising his son, Jonah. However, in the movie, Jonah seems to be much more of an adult in the family, guiding his father through trauma rather than the other way around.
In addition, the visual effects employed in the film don’t quite follow traditional conventions. Spatial continuity is broken frequently in order to convey closeness between our two protagonists. The progression of the storyline does not adhere to the classical Hollywood film either. While most films start with a “cute meet” between two characters who then develop intimacy after a number of obstacles or misfortunes, Sleepless in Seattle ENDS with the first meeting. We, as the audience, however are conditioned to think that they have the perfect ending, when it is really the beginning.
I like how your blog explores how Annie and Sam’s relationship develops under their special circumstances. “The first is through the visuals of the film. They are constantly put into parallel spaces.” This is so true. It is crazy that film techniques make us believe that Annie and Sam have a developing love for each other just because the camera puts them in parallel spaces. Though I agree that Sleepless in Seattle is not your average classical Hollywood cinema, when you say there is no dual plotline I have to question- aren’t they both on a quest to figure out what’s missing in their life? Sam has to overcome his loss of his wife and figure out how to please his son, while Annie is struggling to deal with her feeling of emptiness and that she is missing out of true magical love. And of course, the focus on their romance is the other plot line.
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to read your blog after having read a few others. The last two paragraphs-- in which you discuss how the film differs from classic style due to a lack of dual plotline and spatial continuity -- reflect my exact thoughts at the end of our viewing last Monday. However, a lot of our classmates have interpreted the film differently, and their rationale for how a double plot and spatial continuity exist make a lot of sense to me (even if I am not sure that I can entirely agree). For instance, in your last paragraph, you state that the lack of spatial continuity is one way in which the film defies classic standards. However, earlier you write that "parallelism in their [Annie/Sam's]setting seems to defy the physical space that separates them." A lot of people seemt to think that these techniques that the film makers used to connect Annie and Sam across 3000 miles were enough to create a sense of actual spatial continuity. I am not sure whether Bordwell would agree with this or not, but it is interesting to consider. Another argument of yours is that there is no dual plotline. Initially, I felt the same way, and perhaps still do. But others' explanations for how there are other plotlines occuring beside the romance have opened me up to the possibility.
ReplyDeleteAnne, you raise several valid points in your blog. One statement that I disagree with though is that you state there is not a dual plotline. I would argue that there is a dual plotline, one that revolves around Annie's relationship with Walter, and around Sam's relationship with Jonah. I see that you can argue that the plots are all intertwined; however, I think it is worth noting that without Jonah, Annie and Sam would never have met, thus the romantic plotline never would have begun. After all, it was Jonah who first read Annie's letter, replied to it, and actually got on the plane to New York on Valentine's Day.
ReplyDeleteI guess I feel like even though you are right, that there really is a minimal dual plotline, I don't think it makes it any less of a classical film. Films like "Love Story", "Sabrina", and "An Affair To Remember" certainly concentrate almost exclusively on the romance, but I don't think that makes them any less of a piece of classical narrative. I think if you take Bordwell's definition as gospel, it's going to be very limiting in what you would describe as "classic" and inaccurately place some films in a half-art, half-classic category. I don't mean this as criticism: indeed, you don't say that the film is unclassical, and your analysis of its classical manipulations is fantastic. I just believe that it is so constrained by some aspects of classical narrative that just because it ignores one, that does not make it any less of a classical work. Indeed, it's perhaps its adherence to certain formulas that it has no room for the others.
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ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your identification of the elements that create a sense of intimacy between the characters despite their physical distance. I don't particularly feel that spatial continuity was broken in order to achieve this affect, however. The eyeline matching that you mentioned is actually a technique to maintain spatial continuity, not to break it. I do agree that cutting between shots of the two characters, who are obviously situated in completely different locations, does forward a sense of discontinuity. However, I feel that even though the two locations are spatially unrelated, the parallelism between their actions suggests a variant on the cutting on action technique, also a method of preserving spatial continuity. In this sense, then, the continuity element of Bordwell's conception of a classic film is satisfied. As for the lack of a dual plotline, as the commentators above me have pointed out, there can be different interpretations on what constitutes a distinct plotline, and therefore, that aspect is not necessarily in violation of Bordwell's "definition" either.
ReplyDelete"The parallelism in their setting seems to defy the physical space that separates them." This is so well said. Also, your analysis of the sound throughout the movie is incredibly well done and also well defended. I think that it is true that through modernization annie and sam get to know each other, which is pretty cool, also how you relate the old love and new love together is pretty interesting. I think you do a good job of analyzing how the movie is not so typical in terms of spacial continuity and in the storyline. I also didn't really think about the family storyline as a second real quest. I suppose it is, to tell you the truth: Sam needs to get his life together. The reason for its subtlety, however, is because he does it through meeting the girl, which is just about as classic as it gets. Great blog though
ReplyDeleteThe examples from the film you chose to highlight really support your claims. One thing I'd be curious to put into play here are the graphic shots of the map Ephron includes throughout the film. They add a certain levity to be sure, but they also seem to be doing the work of maintaining the distance between Sam & Annie... as much as the eye line matches and music bring them together, it's critical to the plot that they exist on separate coasts in order that there be some suspense.
ReplyDeleteAnne I agree with your description of the numerous ways in which the director is able to bring together the two main characters despite the lack of physical proximity. I agree wih Shilyh that the map that is used to depict their flights is also another way to maintain the distance between those two. Interestingly enough I also thought that their friends and family throughout the movie are guiding them to each other. Sam's son Jonah and Meg Ryan's mom who talks about "how she just knew" that her husband was the one for her. There is a sense of destiny that these characters create, or "it's kismet" as Meg Ryan says.
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