Stranger Than Fiction was an interesting movie, to say the
least. The film was a perfect specimen
to be observed in a class devoted to the relationship between film and
literature, as it focused on the relationship between character and
author. Harold Crick becomes aware that
he is apart of a story when he begins to hear the voice of his author, Karen
Eiffel, narrating his life. This causes
a great change in Harold’s life, which could only be described as dull. Though content with his life, Harold wasn’t
really making anything out of his life, but that quickly changes when he learns
of his imminent death.
I find it interesting how the narrator’s voice put events
into motion, but Harold is left alone to react.
He is told that his death is imminent, but he is then free to do as he
pleases. Harold is free to do with the
rest of his life as he pleases, he could eat nothing but pancakes if he wanted
to.
Eiffel’s decision to kill Harold Crick puts everything into
play, and so the story seems takes one path based on the decisions Harold makes
as a result. Though Eiffel is seemingly
in full control over Harold’s life, his choices change his “fate” that Eiffel
puts in effect. Ultimately Harold’s search
for an answer, his acceptance of the situation, decision to live his life,
run-in with his author, and his willingness to die changes his outcome. This is how I perceive life, certain events
are put into place, and our choices affect the outcome. Granted things could occur several different
ways, we can only make the choice once, meaning it will happen a certain
way. This makes it seem as though there
is an unchanging fate. Eiffel put his
life into motion when she stated his death was imminent, and Harold was left
shouting to the voice that told him he would die. He was free to do whatever he choose to do
with his remaining time, but Eiffel occasionally would intervene and put new
events into play.
Eiffel could very well have set Harold and Ana in motion,
but it was up to Harold to make things turn out. He could try to avoid fate, or maybe chosen
to ignore the voice, and that probably would have changed everything. How much power did Eiffel have? How much did Harold’s choices play into his
change of fate?
I think his choices had little to do with the change in his fate. It seems as though throughout the movie he does not have 100% free will, because of the watch moving him into certain paths and what Eiffel wants him to do. I think the only thing that changed his fate was him actually meeting the author. Other than that, there seemed to be no way for him to have survived the end of the book. I think Eiffel had as much power as God does, and that is part of the reason why she was so broken when she first found out. She didn't have the strength to control even one persons life and couldn't bring herself to go through with ending it.
ReplyDeleteEiffel had a great deal of power until Harold changed her way of thinking. He did change his fate when he stop caring about fate and lived his life the way he wanted to live it.
ReplyDeleteHarold doesn't have free will. It is only after Harold goes to see Karen that makes her second guess the end of her book/Harold's life. Harold's fate lies in Karen's hands, much like our lives are in God's hands. We don't know what will happen to us from one moment to the next. One minute we could be eating an orange and poof, a giant elephant comes crushing though the roof and flattening us to pancakes. Harold was really never in charge of his life, the author of his life, Karen was. Free will is a nice concept but I am a big believer in fate.
ReplyDeleteI think Harold's decisions have a lot to do with the outcome at the end. Yes, Karen does have some control of Harold, and she does begin by writing his story, but once he starts to take control of his life, he is the one who changes things for himself, and he is the one who ends up changing Karen's mind. If Harold hadn't decided to listen to the voice, everything would have been different. After all, Harold is the one who decided to face his death at the end. He knew exactly where he had to be and when. In fact, he even pushed himself up to the front of the pack of people waiting for the bus, just so he could be in the right position. That was his choice. He could have run away or watched it happen and done nothing, but he didn't because he chose to go ahead with the path Karen had written for him. I think we have many paths open for us to choose, and then it is up to us to decide. That doesn't mean I know what is going to happen to me, as Harold didn't know he was going to survive, because I'm still in God's hands, but I think I have some choices in the direction my life goes.
ReplyDeleteInteresting debate. The way I see it, the only reason Harold has any freewill at all is because there would be no story without it. The audience is expected to perceive Eiffel as endowed with final say and complete determination not only of Harold's ultimate fate, but every detail leading up to it. She manipulates time and space, dictating when and where Harold will be. When Harold tries to deviate, he gets the wrecking ball. At the same time, we see things that don't fit that narrative, like Harold tracking her down, putting himself in places and times that Eiffel has no knowledge or control over. The first time I noticed some of these examples, I was slightly irritated. But then I realized it was the only way to make the story work. The screenwriter had to rely on the viewer's suspension of disbelief giving latitude for these digressions. In the end though, any changing of Harold's fate, by him, was indirect. Eiffel had the final say, and the outcome was her decision, not Harold's.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention, I couldn't agree more with your "perfect specimen" comment. Both "Stranger Than Fiction" and "Adaptation" seem tailor made for this class.
ReplyDelete