Film Analysis: Groundhog Day

Cinematography is a child of a new era of art, which is referred to modernism. If the appearance of cinema at the end of the 19th century marked the genesis of screen culture – its first phase, the publicly available broadcasting determined the beginning of the second phase – the formation of media screen culture. Obviously, cinema inherited certain types of signs of literature, music, visual arts, and theater. Literature and cinema are linked to the level of the scenario. A film, as a rule, is preceded by the script and laws of literary creativity. Music is a part of cinematographic art as a complementary element. A movie borrows from the theater a skill of directing and acting game, and from fine arts – the visual and plastic language of imagery. The analysis of the film is an integral part of cinematography. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the film Groundhog Day as a great example of an outstanding work of modern art. In this film, love of a woman leads a hero to love as a state of mind. It gives hope and revives the belief in good.

Groundhog Day is a fantastic romantic comedy. This movie is one of the best films in modern cinematography. In addition to the great plot, sparkling humor, and bright acting, the film has a profound philosophical basis. Groundhog Day is a movie filled with magic, romance, miraculous events, and deep meaning. After watching this movie, a great mood, sincere smile, and a pleasant reverie are guaranteed. This movie is done extremely well starting from the script and ending with music. Acting, cinematography, and directing work are perfect. Cinematography, literature, and music should evoke the best qualities in people to inspire and motivate. In this film, there is a great combination of literature, fine arts, and music.

The main character in the film is Phil. He is a TV broadcaster and everything annoys him. He likes Rita, who is his producer. However, Rita does not like selfish people like Phil. Together they go to a small town Punxsutawney. They want to make a report about the Groundhog Day. Bad weather prevents them to go back home, and consequently, they stay in town. This day seems to Phil the worst day in his life. He falls asleep with the only thought – to get out of the town as soon as possible. However, in the morning, Phil understands that another rainy day in Punxsutawney is waiting for them. Since then, every morning, the same day repeats. Phil does not immediately realize that he is locked up in the same day. It takes a while until he realizes that on this day, he can do anything. Only Phil remembers about everything, for other people, a day begins from the very beginning. Taking advantage of the situation, Phil tries to please Rita. However, he fails. After many attempts and efforts, the main hero tries to commit suicide. In such a way, he wants to get out of the Groundhog Day. However, everything was in vain. The film’s director Harold Ramis believes that Phil has lived in the Groundhog Day for about ten years. One day, Phil decides to tell the whole truth to Rita. She hears incredible things, and she feels that Phil does not lie. This deepest sense of truth has changed their relations. Phil needs about ten years to stop pretend and open himself to a beloved woman.

The film is a masterpiece. Phil is filled with pride and selfishness. He is trapped. It is a lesson for him, and he considers himself a master of his life. There will be no escape from the trap if the main character does not change internally. An unregenerate sinful man tries to find a way out. While he is on the wrong track and applies methods and sinful attempts, he fails to reach the “tomorrow.”

The movie is perfectly placed on the fundamentals of human learning of personal peacebuilding. The main idea of the film is that the world is indifferent to how much time a person needs to build a real personality. A person will be born again and restart a way of the incarnations, until he/she learns how to do everything accurately and beautifully, learn to appreciate each person and see meaning and beauty in the simplest things. The film shows that the main character who returns to the same day. However, many people live in the Groundhog Day as their ordinary lives.

In fact, the movie shows the passage of the two programs. The first one is genetic, in which the hero is forced to deal with himself every day and learn to get along with the same people having the same circumstances of time and place. The second program is mental, where the hero is faced with the need to hone the skills in a variety of forms. A person should perform a variety of good deeds and little exploits of the humanity. Ten years have passed in the film before the main character manages to solve the problem. In a real life, sometimes it takes the whole life to find the needed solution. However, no one could immediately become a good hero and a wonderful person in real life.

Despite the fact that about ten years have passed, Phil is the same man taking into consideration his physical appearance. However, from an emotional standpoint, he is extremely different from the character at the beginning and at the end of the movie. Nevertheless, there is one thing that unites him – Phil’s true personality, which makes him one and the same person, regardless of what kind of roles he tries. Only one day in ten years of human growth and learning has passed. It is one day in relation to his personality. There are many options for the development of the same story by the same person.

At the beginning, Phil is not an extremely handsome man with an exaggerated ego. He does not respect anyone. By his admission in one of his conversations with Rita, he does not even respect himself. He puts the wrong target and improperly solves his life problems. He has a wrong understanding of the true values, and the world persistently returns the same day over and over again. From the beginning, feeling himself at a dead end and realizing his impunity, Phil, as well as many people at the beginning of their development, indulges in all serious thoughts and shows the worst qualities living in the roles of a negative character. Having tried everything and become tired of such an entertainment, he has tried to commit suicide. However, death is not the way out if a person has an unsolved task on the earth.

Groundhog Day is an excellent combination of a melodrama with a comedy directed by Howard Ramis. This film will not leave indifferent any kind and sincere person. The story of Phil Connors caught in a time loop, which allows him to overestimate his outlook on life, is a kind of metaphor for people’s everyday life, such monotonous and meaningless in most cases. The film makes one think about the meaning of life, the power of true love, self-interest and attitude towards life, people around, a waste of precious time, and a value of time. The true kindness of the film covers from head to foot and adjusts to the great achievements and altruistic deeds.

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