Visual Literacy: Movie Review- Wag the Dog

What do you feel is the message the director is trying to express in this movie?
I think that this film is clearly a satire of the political system in America. It also highlights how manipulated the American public can be. Media is such a powerful tool. I think that this film is kind of like a hyperbole- it is an exaggeration that serves to make a point. While wars are not typically "manufactured" to help win elections,  politics can sometimes seem like the art of manipulation.

Explain if you think the director's ethnic/cultural /professional background played a role in directing this film? 
The director of this film is Barry Levinson. He also directed Good Morning Vietname, and Rain Man. He is from Russian, and is of Jewish decent. The one piece of information that I found interesting is that he attended college in Washington D.C.  I bet he drew on that experience while creating this film, or maybe that experience is why he decided to take on this project. It must be a unique experience to live in a culture that is so centered around politics and power.

What groups of people may be offended or misinterpret this movie and why? 
I don't believe that this is a major consideration in this movie. I do think that it might be a little insensitive towards Albanians because the country has been affected by wars in the past. The movie also presents it as a little unimportant country. Still, I don't think that many people will be offended in that regard.  

What the movie added to your visual literacy? 
I thought it was interesting when one of the characters mentioned how people remember images more than they do other details. For example, the main character was speaking about how people remember pictures, that almost become icons of certain wars, but no one really remembers anything else about them. That is why the central character was trying to convince the movie producer to help him create a fake war. He knew that images, their manipulation, and their use was essential to his endeavor. 

What kind of artistic and/or visual means did the director use in the movie to focus our attention?

In this movie particularly I was trying to see if the footage followed the rule of thirds. It was amazing how often the shots did indeed follow that rule. Also in the scene when they were on the airplane flying the convict back to Washington, I noticed that the camera shook, and the sound got louder to help set the tone for the storm. Both of these factors helped to intensify the scene.

Additional comments/and or analysis/and or other movie recommendations.

When they were creating the war footage, it was interesting to see how they manipulated the film. It makes me wonder how often and how extensively green screens are used in films. I suppose it's more often than I realize.

Wag the Dog Trailer