Allusions In Pleasantville

Director of the postmodernist film 'Pleasantville ' (1998), Gary Ross, incorporates the idea of change through the use of intertextuality with a wide range of historical and biblical references along with literature and artwork. He uses allusions from the references to demonstrate the idea that utopias work well only in theory and that life cannot be scripted. The postmodernist film reflects the way society is constantly changing; beginning as a stereotypical perfect, passionless life in the 1950 's and ending as a society with flaws, imperfections and knowledge. Ross shows this by repeating the techniques of intertextuality, along with allusions, parody, pastiche and cinematography to convey the idea of change.

Ross plays with the idea of religion in his attempts to show the changes occurring in 'Pleasantville ' throughout the film. He uses

This is a pivotal point when discussing the idea of change in Pleasantville. Before Betty has this experience, and before she crosses the line of morality and tradition nothing had even burned. This ignites the spark of a sexual revolution in Pleasantville. From this point onwards, more things start turning into colour and people become curious as to what life can be like when they don 't follow the rules of a perfect utopian society, because much like the burning bush that led Moses to free his people from Egypt, the allusion of the burning bush in Pleasantville leads the members of the town out of their innocence and into the real world. Ross also incorporates the idea of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden as an allusion to represent the idea of change in Pleasantville. Mary Sue and Bud play the role of the serpent unknowingly, as the picking of the apple from the tree symbolises them trying to tempt the civilians of Pleasantville to break the rules and experience life in a new way. Lover 's Lane alludes to the idea of the Garden of Eden;