On a rare occasion, blockbuster movies succeed in taking it’s audience on a psychological journey, prompting some to become introspective when the credits roll. Pleasantville, directed by Gary Ross, and Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan are great examples of films that have accomplished this. While both films are extremely different in many ways, they have the commonality of being blockbuster type movies that both have important fictional worlds in them- these worlds contribute to the overall themes of both movies. While Pleasantville and Inception have meaningful message, I could offer that Pleasantville focused more on this message and did a better job at connecting it to a world that the audience can relate to, while Inception accomplished the ‘blockbuster goal’ of bringing in maximized revenue simply by creating an enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing movie to watch.

Pleasantville was by far a very sentimental movie, and featured some controversial issues that the U.S. and many other countries have had to overcome. As seen throughout the film, a huge form of symbolism is color vs. black and white- since the town of Pleasantville is set in the 50’s everything is black and white, but as people start to experience new things, and change, things begin to turn into color. In one scene, a local shop owner reads a book about art and it sparks something in him, as he begins to paint it turns into color- symbolizing change as being colorful and lively.

In addition to the message of the film, the special effects used are quite impressive for it’s time. In most of the scenes, black and white is featured alongside color aspects, which is a difficult process- but the director knew it was an important part of the movie which is why he decided to take his time with the effects. “Pleasantville captures the transgressive power of art: It’s a stunning form of protest, an ability to address and subvert societal norms without violence. And the results can be gorgeous, like the mural painted by Mr. Johnson.” 

Many times in the movie, when people turn into color it is faced with shame, and outrage by those who are still black and white. In one scene, a mother learns to become in touch with her more romantic side and in result turns into color. She is extremely ashamed and asks her son to cover up her colorful skin.

This black and white vs. color is an obvious parallel of apartheid and the civil rights movements connected to them, which a film analyst known as Meredith Riggs added that “The colorized people are shamed and ostracized: an obvious reference to the pre-Civil Rights Movement era of the United States. Up until the mid-1960s, seeing “No Coloreds” printed on signs was seen as often as we see McDonald’s signs today.”

In my opinion, I think that this is the most important symbol in the film, especially since it is present from beginning to end, and I think it was a smart choice for Gary Ross to make, because it helps the audience to connect to the issues of the film related to some of the history of the U.S. and many other countries that experienced a similar movement. So, black and white, vs. colors in the movie contributes to the overall notion of change. It really is a simple film, that attempts to connect the audience with change, and in a way tries to help people become more resilient to change.

Similar to Pleasantville, Inception is set in a fictional world. But, Inception is very different and a lot less sentimental and introspective that Pleasantville. It is a surprising outcome to consider, because Inception was marketed as a psychological movie, dealing with dreams and people’s subconscious desires. In an interview with the director, Christopher Nolan, he explains more about the technology side of the movie, and how he connected that with the psychological side of it.

Christopher Nolan, is definitely a smart director, and his choices are a huge part of what made the movie a huge success. While it is a favorite of many people, the reasons for this are most likely because of how action packed, suspenseful, and mysterious the movie is- rather than psychologically impactful. In addition to the theme, Inception had completely mind blowing visuals. The whole aesthetic of the movie will impact many people’s minds and really sheds light on what amazing things can be accomplished with special effects. Part of the reason that Inception achieved it’s blockbuster title was because of the special effects.

In a review of the movie, that supports the idea that the movie is not as introspective as it attempts to be, it does offer an interesting point that “…on the face of it, the project looks promising enough: nowadays, dreams reverberate with both mystery and moment. They appear to offer insights into the workings of the mind, a field that currently fascinates and perplexes. Therapy culture encourages us to believe they may unearth secrets that we’re hiding even from ourselves.” 

So, while both films successfully attempt to create a fictional world that it’s audience can relate to, only Pleasantville succeeded in promoting introspection. Inception is a great action packed suspense blockbuster which is why it ended up being more successful financially that Pleasantville. Even the trailer for Inception hints at what a successful blockbuster movie it will be, the director, Christopher Nolan’s name was mentioned in the title of the trailer, as well as Leonardo Dicaprio’s name who is an extremely well known actor.