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Comparing 'Animal Farm And Levinson's Film Wag The Dog'

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Good Morning ladies and Gentlemen who have gathered here today. It is an absolute honour for me to be speaking to you. From the minute we are born as screaming infants in our mothers arms, until we exit the world, our lives are shaped and influenced by the manipulation of media and the government, as they control the information we receive and the truth's we are exposed to, ultimately influencing all of our decisions. The concept of government and media manipulation as a tool to display the desired "truth" as a means of gaining power is explored in both Orwell’s novel ‘Animal Farm’ and Levinson’s film ‘Wag the Dog’ where both texts exhibit the corrupt nature of Government regarding the manipulations of the gullible and satirically unaware nation, because politics determine who has the power, not who has the truth. *** “Why does a dog wag its tail? Because a dog is smarter that its tail, if the tail were smarter, the tail would wag the dog.” This extended metaphor used in the …show more content…

This concept is further developed in Wag the Dog through the actions taken to divert the focus from the political scandal. The team distort the truth and play on the nations oblivion to fabricate a war which works to exploit the general public's reflexive and fervent patriotism, uniting them as a country. The spin doctors abuse their power to initiate a movement which provides the general public with the illusion of a ‘nation hero’ and despite the fictitious story, the country participates and supports it. This movement is seen more as a show rather than a reality and this is depicted through the montage of shots during the Schumann campaign. White lighting is used in this scene depicting the general publics ignorance and gullibility to believe whatever they are told. This is contrasted by the dark lighting used in the scenes where the audience gains insight into the truths and political

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His use of low key lighting brings out a dark sense of mystery to show this is an example form Edward scissor hands. In the being scene with the mansion when Peg Boggs goes up to the roof in a dark corner crouches Edward he looks evil because of the low key lighting. Another example is in beetle juice when the Maitlands get home right after they crash it is

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Manipulation of people and oppressive governments are two strong themes and warning signs that these three thought-provoking pieces of dystopian literature, 1984, V for Vendetta and “Harrison Bergeron,” synopsize in their plots. In all three schemes there are totalitarian leaders, meaning each government not only says how the society should run but also depicts the lives of the individuals in it. Although varying with their degree of control, each leader uses perplex tactics to negatively influence and control their community. All three governing bodies including George Orwell’s 1984, James McTeigue’s film V for Vendetta and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” control their citizens using manipulation through intimidation, law enforcement and media.

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The changes in lighting creates the feeling as if this is happening in two different places when in reality the characters are quite close together on the stage. The characters in this scene are coming to terms with their realities, and the lighting not only highlights the action, but also represents their own process of

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Good morning year 10 and invited guests to this year’s satire forum. Today were going to be analysing two satirical texts. Both texts look at deliberate inaccuracies and misinterpretations of facts in the media, the first texts focus on the process of how the media is manipulated and the second text satirises the public’s vulnerability and believing in these manipulations. Wag the Dog is a feature film and our first text today, is directed by Barry Levinson, was released in 1998 and follows the story of a political spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer who work to divert the attention of the American public away from sexual misconduct allegations involving the President to ensure he is re-elected as President in 11 days time. Wag the dog satirises

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The Consequences of Blind Trust in Authority and Why it is Important to Think For Oneself Mindlessly obeying authority is the easiest thing one can do in society. This fact is proven in both George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Both novels explore societies in which citizens have blind trust in their government and depict the negative impacts that follow, whether they be governmental corruption and authoritarian principles, a false sense of unity between individuals, or the perpetuation of harmful societal norms. These factors serve as a reminder of the dangers of blind trust, and the importance of thinking for oneself, allowing readers to get a sense of the need to develop one’s own moral compass.

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This demonstrates the extent to which propaganda exists in order to brainwash innocent citizens within democratic and totalitarian societies. For modern readers, the extent of restriction and invasion of privacy illustrated within ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ is less shocking than for traditional readers, as Edward Snowden’s exposure of the American National Security Agencies unauthorised surveillance of the masses, is similar to the conduct of the Party. Modern readers are used to being watched through CCTV. However, contemporary readers would have been aware of the power of dictators in Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Russia, and would have noticed the publication year of the novel, coincided with the establishment of the Communist Party rule in China, in 1949.

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The Party’s propaganda machine, exemplified by the slogan "Big Brother is watching you," is a linguistic tool designed to instill fear and ensure compliance. By repetitively employing this slogan and other linguistic techniques, such as Newspeak (A purposefully confusing language with restricted vocabulary), and Doublethink (The ability to hold two contradictory beliefs at the same time and to believe they are both true), Orwell emphasizes the power of language in shaping citizens’ perceptions and limiting their ability to question authority. Furthermore, the language used by the Party reinforces the sense of constant surveillance. The Party’s slogans, party-approved historical accounts, even everyday conversations are riddled with Newspeak, a language engineered to eliminate nuance and independent thought. The Party’s control over language reflects its control over the minds of citizens, illustrating how surveillance is not limited to physical observation but extends to the manipulation of thoughts and

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In order to accomplish this goal of awareness the film had to grab the attention of the viewers. With the use of strange and dark camera usage, the audience experienced in the miserable streets of the Red Light District. One scene stood out to me the most when the hues of the camera shifted orange and red

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