The struggle young people go through trying to find a balance between responsibility and freedom in their life is displayed in Lease Hailstorm 's film "what's eating Gilbert Grape". This film portrayed the story of a young man, Gilbert Grape who has to find a balance between responsibility and freedom in his life. The essays intention is to describe important internal conflict that existed in Gilbert.
The verbal and visual features in the film helped me understand why the internal conflict going on in Gilbert was so important. The film started with Gilbert and Ernie sitting by the side of the road waiting to watch he campers drive past.Gilbert said, "my bother Ernie is turning eighteen and my family is planning a big party. Some days you want Ernie to live, some days you don't ".
This verbal feature helped me understand that Gilbert is responsible for Ernie and he is unhappy with this responsibility and it is frustrating for him as he must always be there with Ernie. An example of this is when he went to deliver the groceries for Betty Carver and told Ernie to wait in the car, by the time Gilbert returned to the car Ernie was gone was climbing the water tower. This visual feature shows us thatGilbert must always have a watchful eye on Ernie at all times and because of this it is frustrating and wants freedom. The director included the water tower as a symbol of Earner's at risk nature and also symbolizes that Ernie could go at any time. Gilbert has too many responsibilities and not enough freedom because he is always watching Ernie and working at Lampoon grocery. When Becky comes to town she offers Gilbert a taste of freedom.
When she tells Gilbert to lie down and tell her what he wants. This verbal feature helps me understand that Gilbert has never been seed what he wants because he is always has responsibilities to fulfill.Gilbert is torn between the responsibilities that have been placed on him and the freedom that Becky is offering him. He is trying to balance the responsibilities he has and gets the freedom he wants. "Andorra is like dancing to no music " is a piece of dialogue Gilbert says at the beginning of the film and he sits and watches the campers go by.
This visual feature helps me understand that Gilbert is trapped in Andorra with his responsibilities and that he craving freedom that is so close yet so far away, the closest thing to freedom he can experience.The director emphasis this idea by using the way the campers came in they appear in a long shot coming over the hill to show us that the caravans are a symbol of freedom that Gilbert does not have. The internal conflict that was tearing Gilbert apart was not resolved until the end of the film. At the end of the film the director shows Gilbert in a low angle shot. This visual feature shows that Gilbert has resolved his internal conflict and found peace and also found a way to balance the responsibilities he has and also have the freedom he desirer.
Gilbert at the beginning of the film is unhappy with his life he ad conflicts with his mother and Ernie. "l am not into the whole external beauty it doesn't last your face will wrinkle, your boobs will sag it's about what's on the inside Tanat counts " Is ten League Becky uses to snow ml Tanat tender are Deterrent ways to approach the situation like with momma. This verbal feature helps me understand that Becky is trying to offer Gilbert some advice on how to deal with momma; also Becky is patient and kind to Ernie, she can get Ernie to go into the lake which he has been unable to do since he left him in the bathtub.This teaches Gilbert that he can eve both freedom to do what he wants and also do the responsibilities placed on him. The director uses angle shots such as a high angle shot at the beginning of the film to show that Gilbert is unhappy with his life but at the end of the film Gilbert is shown in a low angle shot to demonstrate the changes that has happened to Gilbert. In conclusion in "what's eating Gilbert Grape " is the internal conflict between freedom and responsibilities.
Visual and verbal features show the changes that happened in Gilbert's life from a person unhappy with his life to someone who is in balance with his life
