The Essence of Seven Pounds Film - Essay Example

Seven Pounds Introduction 7 pounds is rather impressive and interesting film. The contemporaries are interested in it, because nowadays people are not focused on their emotional background and are focused on financial gains. It is appropriate for the modern people to be more self-concentrated and appeal for emotional and psychological sides of their lives and not only material one. Tim Thomas, the main character of the film performed by Will Smith, suffers from a crash accident and kills seven people. Tim wants to save the lives of seven people. He donates his organs to other people. This is unusual type of films challenges the contemporaries with an interesting way of plot’s interpretation. The essence of the film In the last episode Tim wants to help Connie Tepos (Elpidia Carrillo) and saves her life and the lives of her two children. The last two people, saved by Tim, are Ezra Turner (Woody Harrelson) and a blind meat salesman playing the piano. The last donation is made for Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), when Tim wants to donate a heart for her. Finally, he starts falling in love with this girl. A story of their feelings is impressive and the audience has a perfect opportunity to think about the essential and basic feelings of every individual–love and intimacy. There is no doubt that these guys would have perfect relations, but Tim’s sins do not let him go and his conscience and mind gain power over his emotions and feelings. Therefore, this film is not only about physical pain, but also about emotional and psychological sufferings. There is much darkness and depression in this film, but there is no doubt that there are much spiritual issues in this film. The main character looks in a mysterious way and there is no chance to penetrate in depth of his soul. He impresses the audience by the growing feeling of responsibility for one’s actions. There is a fractured narrative in this film, which makes the audience wonder about different aspects of their lives. There are many ethical, moral and social issues in the film. Anyway, theme of donation is relevant to the modern context and it teaches the audience to be humane and tolerant to other people. A great feeling of humanity is absent in the modern world. Moral values are substituted by monetary and financial concerns. The main character of Will Smith is described in the following way: “His breeziness becomes a shallow act, and his smile becomes downright eerie, a strained mask that hides pain, wards off hostility and expresses aggression all at the same time. It's a smile with dead eyes” (LaSalle, 2008). Nevertheless, a feeling of love reincarnate his dead eyes and he is able to be inspired by one of the greatest feelings of the world. There is much romanticism in this film, as well as there is much drama. This film is for different tastes and the audience thankfully follows the development of the events in the film. Will Smith persuades the viewers that the most precious thing in the world is life. He made people lose their lives, but in the result of this horrible accident he did not suffer from having lost his own life. He compensated his debt in the face of God and he is strong enough and a rather responsible person to show that he is emotionally stable and spiritually strong person. The actions of Tim are reviewed in the following way: “But all the narrative trickery and emotional manipulation only serves to put Ben further out of the audience's reach, as he moves through the plot like a single-minded Terminator without motivations we can grasp” (Critical Analysis of Seven Pounds). On the one hand, the main character of the film is self-concentrated and a reserved person, but on the other hand, he is a connecting link between different aspects of the film’s world. Sentimental performance of Will Smith is both dramatic and philosophic. The audience is puzzled by the ability to wonder about the real essence and the central plot of the film (Film review – Seven Pounds 2008). A perfect cooperation of Will Smith and Gabriele Muccino intrigued critics, who could not recover from “The Pursuit of Happiness.” A team of the film managed to intrigue the audience and it is really interesting to realize the real intention of the director and the producers of the film. What did they want to tell people? We they really pleased with crazily motion picture they’ve created? Maybe, there is no real intention to show a certain, magnificent picture with the only one clearly stated goal? It is more interesting and intriguing to create a charming picture ever made. This film is full of reminiscences, breaking narration and many other trifles, filling hearts of the audience with a scaring feeling of imminence. In accordance with Scott (2008), “Seven Pounds” cries out to be remade as an Asian horror movie, so that the deep, creepy grotesqueness of its governing premise might be allowed to flourish, rather than to fester beneath the surface” (Scott, 2008). This film is a twisted tale, but, to my mind, there is more drama and horrible reality, full of human losses and opportunities of compensations. As one independent review puts it: “There is nothing wrong with ambiguous, complex and even confusing narratives when the direction and writing is strong enough to sustain interest, create intrigue and generate a seductively mysterious atmosphere” (Film Review-Seven Pounds). Conclusion There are many different intentions of Ben Thomas, Mr. Smith’s character, but the most important is to pay a price for lost lives. In ancient times there was a tradition to compensate someone’s live by donating a part of one’s body. In the modern world there are no such means of compensation, but it would be better to adopt this norm in order to get redemption or forgiveness or salvation from the relatives of killed people. The lives of victims should be compensated by the part of a murderer’s body. This film teaches us humane attitude, ability to acknowledge one’s mistakes, remind tolerant and sacrificing person. These humane features are very often absent from the lives of the contemporaries, but it is really necessary to resurrect our tolerant and patient attitude. Responsibility, forgiveness and acknowledgement of one’s mistakes are three basic pillars for the modern people. Therefore, Seven Pounds plays both a didactic and educational functions. Works cited Critical Analysis of Seven Pounds. February 27, 2009. Web. 27 June, 2012. Available from: http://kevinisland.blogspot.com/2009/02/critical-analysis-of-seven-pounds.html Film review – Seven Pounds (2008). Web. 27 June, 2012. Available from:http://blog.cinemaautopsy.com/2009/01/07/film-review-seven-pounds-2008/ LaSalle, Mick. Movie Review: Will Smith in “Seven Pounds”. December 19, 2008. Web. 27 June, 2012. Available from: http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Movie-review-Will-Smith-in-Seven-Pounds-3257363.php Seven Pounds Online. Web. 27 June, 2012. Available from:http://www.movie2k.to/Seven-Pounds-watch-movie-41051.html Scott, A.O. An I.R.S. Do-Gooder and Other Strangeness. December 18, 2008. Web. 27 June, 2012. Available from: http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/movies/19seve.html Read More