FM2 Section C: Comparative Study
With particular reference to the endings of your chosen American films, compare their messages and values.
Both Badlands and Natural Born Killers characters were inspired by Charles Starkweather, a famous American mass murderer. The messages and values of the films are similar but due to the time in which they were made and set the way in which this is conveyed is very different.
A main theme running throughout both films is the American dream, the pursuit of fame and wealth at all costs. The difference is that in Badlands, made in 1973 and set in the 1950s the ideology of Kit was to become like a film star. This is evident through the constant references to James Dean, when leaving their hometown in South Dakota the narration of Holly says that Kit said they were changing their names to “James and Priscilla”, after James Dean and Priscilla Presley. James Dean died at an extremely young age after making just four films but is still remembered to this day, that was the kind of immortality Kit yearned for. At the end of Badlands following receiving the type of attention a film star would get from all the police Kit dies and the film ends, this is very different to the end of Natural Born Killers.
As Badlands ended following Kit being sentenced to death, Natural Born Killers was nowhere near over when Mickey and Mallory went to prison. The main message throughout Natural Born Killers is that the media influence on society is not healthy. The film ends with Mickey and Mallory killing the media, in the form of Wayne Gale. Released following years of incidents attributed to the media such as the killing of Jamie Bulger in England and many news stories featured in the film through TV’s on screen such as the OJ Simpson and the Rodney King beatings, this was practically recreated as Mickey and Mallory were caught at the pharmacy.
Both Badlands and Natural Born Killers characters were inspired by Charles Starkweather, a famous American mass murderer. The messages and values of the films are similar but due to the time in which they were made and set the way in which this is conveyed is very different.
A main theme running throughout both films is the American dream, the pursuit of fame and wealth at all costs. The difference is that in Badlands, made in 1973 and set in the 1950s the ideology of Kit was to become like a film star. This is evident through the constant references to James Dean, when leaving their hometown in South Dakota the narration of Holly says that Kit said they were changing their names to “James and Priscilla”, after James Dean and Priscilla Presley. James Dean died at an extremely young age after making just four films but is still remembered to this day, that was the kind of immortality Kit yearned for. At the end of Badlands following receiving the type of attention a film star would get from all the police Kit dies and the film ends, this is very different to the end of Natural Born Killers.
As Badlands ended following Kit being sentenced to death, Natural Born Killers was nowhere near over when Mickey and Mallory went to prison. The main message throughout Natural Born Killers is that the media influence on society is not healthy. The film ends with Mickey and Mallory killing the media, in the form of Wayne Gale. Released following years of incidents attributed to the media such as the killing of Jamie Bulger in England and many news stories featured in the film through TV’s on screen such as the OJ Simpson and the Rodney King beatings, this was practically recreated as Mickey and Mallory were caught at the pharmacy.
Wayne Gale was the embodiment of what the film was trying to warn against. He was egotistic, evident through the credits to his show ‘American Maniacs’ where every position such as “written by” was attributed to him. He was very often shot with blue lighting behind him showing the cold hearted media that doesn’t care about the “morons” that watch their shows. Every so often a shot would appear with Robert Downey Junior (Wayne Gale) dressed as the devil, the shows the power he possesses but also suggests the work he does is evil.
The society in which Badlands was made was not quite as consumed by TV because the technology wasn’t as advanced and there were not televisions in every room like in the 90s society which spawned Natural Born Killers. Despite this Kit was still consumed by the idea of becoming famous like James Dean. Badlands and Natural Born Killers both seem to suggest that in order to become famous in America it is easier to be a serial killer than pursue a career as a film star. Badlands however, shows that there are consequences to those actions, the death that was foreshadowed by all the death in Kit’s life (Holly’s dog being shot, the dead cow) ultimately ended up with him losing his own life. Natural Born Killers ends with Mickey and Mallory walking out of shot, showing they had escaped the media. In the ending sequence Mickey and Mallory are shown living the stereotypical ideal nuclear family life with 2.4 children, this suggests that you can simply run away from your problems and carry on a normal life.
The way in which both films convey their messages are very different, Badlands is very subtle with Natural Born Killers things are shown very literally with whatever is on the TV or radio influencing the narrative at that time. When Mallory’s dad is watching wrestling the scene ends up violent with Mickey killing him, in the motel there is sex and violence on the TV Mickey wants sex and becomes aggressive. Another form of the media influencing the action is in the diner scene when Mallory plays a track by L7 on the jukebox, an aggressive all female grunge band from the 90s she becomes violent. The only person who appears to have true enlightenment is Red Cloud, the American Indian who seems wise but also through the mise-en-scene you see that he has a TV but it is switched off.
Another value both films are missing are functioning families. This is resolved at the end of both films, Mickey and Mallory living on as part of their own family unit and in Badlands Holly marries the son of her lawyer. Apart from Kit whose life is not mentioned, all the characters have abusive or absent parents. This perhaps suggests that this is an issue within American society.
The society in which Badlands was made was not quite as consumed by TV because the technology wasn’t as advanced and there were not televisions in every room like in the 90s society which spawned Natural Born Killers. Despite this Kit was still consumed by the idea of becoming famous like James Dean. Badlands and Natural Born Killers both seem to suggest that in order to become famous in America it is easier to be a serial killer than pursue a career as a film star. Badlands however, shows that there are consequences to those actions, the death that was foreshadowed by all the death in Kit’s life (Holly’s dog being shot, the dead cow) ultimately ended up with him losing his own life. Natural Born Killers ends with Mickey and Mallory walking out of shot, showing they had escaped the media. In the ending sequence Mickey and Mallory are shown living the stereotypical ideal nuclear family life with 2.4 children, this suggests that you can simply run away from your problems and carry on a normal life.
The way in which both films convey their messages are very different, Badlands is very subtle with Natural Born Killers things are shown very literally with whatever is on the TV or radio influencing the narrative at that time. When Mallory’s dad is watching wrestling the scene ends up violent with Mickey killing him, in the motel there is sex and violence on the TV Mickey wants sex and becomes aggressive. Another form of the media influencing the action is in the diner scene when Mallory plays a track by L7 on the jukebox, an aggressive all female grunge band from the 90s she becomes violent. The only person who appears to have true enlightenment is Red Cloud, the American Indian who seems wise but also through the mise-en-scene you see that he has a TV but it is switched off.
Another value both films are missing are functioning families. This is resolved at the end of both films, Mickey and Mallory living on as part of their own family unit and in Badlands Holly marries the son of her lawyer. Apart from Kit whose life is not mentioned, all the characters have abusive or absent parents. This perhaps suggests that this is an issue within American society.