Textual Analysis- Part 1

The film that I will be doing for my oral presentation is Million Dollar Baby. Million Dollar Baby is directed by Clint Eastwood starring Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman. This movie is about a underdog amateur woman who works with a trainer in attempt to establish herself as a boxer. This movie one 4 Oscars in 2004, 2 awards at the 62nd golden globe awards and many more.
What tradition or genre is it in?
The Genre that this movie falls under is sports drama. The movie is a sports movie because it involves the determination and hard work from this woman to step it up in order to become a contending female boxer. It also is a drama because through out the movie Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) deals with a painful estrangement of his daughter. Because of this, he has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone. Then Maggie Fitzgerald walks into not only his gym, but his life. As she persuades him to train her as a boxer, he starts to develop a father-daughter relationship with her. The drama can also be apart of the relationship at the end of the movie when Maggie winds up in the hospital due to a boxing event. 


What are the features determining genre?
The features that determine the genre are cinematography and acting. The cinematography throughout the film is diverse. Through out the movie, the drama gets more intense and the cinematography gets more real. During the fighting scene we get to see the action up close, which allows for the viewers to not see but actually feel the pain Maggie goes through during the fight. Some of the shots were brutal to look at because of how much detailed they showed to us, but that's what allowed the cinematography to really capture the picture at times. Also the acting was another feature that determined the genre. The acting was phenomenal from start to finish. Director Clint Eastwood definitely picked a excellent cast that allowed for the scenes to seem more real then scripted. The actors and the acting both brought emotion to the shots. In the end of the movie when Maggie is in the hospital, you really feel Frankie and her emotions as they both struggle to keep their relationship alive. Frankie doesn't want to have to lose someone close to him again, but Maggie can't take how much mobility she has lost and how much pain she has gone through. She feels like her life isn't worth living anymore because she has lived the life she has already wanted. And through the acting we capture the actors feelings in our own real life situations. 


What other work might it be connected to?
Some other work that would be connected to this movie would be the Karate Kid series. Both movies connect because they both have a mentor who takes on a underdog and turns them into a stronger person through a sport.  Also both movies have a mentor who takes someone under there wing after they have gone in the wrong direction of life. These mentors not only change others lives, but their lives change as well. These movies both resemble each other in the fight to gain self-confidence through a sport and the help of a trainer/mentor. Hilary Swank has played a role in both Million Dollar Baby and The Next Karate Kid. These movies both are connected through the story lines and how an underdog becomes a stronger person and ends up on top.


Who made this? Why?
Clint Eastwood made this movie after a various amount of studios rejected the project. Throughout Clint Eastwood's life, he has had many relationships with people. I believe that Clint Eastwood made this movie to show others the importance of relationships. In the movie Million Dollar Baby, relationships takes on an important role in the movie. In the movie, Maggie refers to Frankie as her father because of their close relationship. Maggie's family isn't very supportive of her, so she turns to her trainer as a father figure in some one who she can trust and confide in. On the other hand, Frankie has lost a connect with his daughter which he tried to reconnect and replace his daughter with Maggie. The importance of relationship in both the movie and Clint's life takes a big role because they develop a strong bond to keep people in the right track. 


What can we tell about its’ creators?
I can tell about its' creators that they wanted the story to really wanted to portray the theme of reality and relationships. Through the fight sequences, there was close ups that showed us pain and suffering that Maggie went through. Through showing us the pain and suffering she went through, we go to feel the reality of the film and that things like this actually do happen. Relationships on the other hand fade away in a lot of peoples life. And in this movie the creators wanted to show us that relationships come and go but that doesn't mean you have to not be close to anyone else again. 


How does it fit within the director's other work? Does it share significant narrative or thematic concerns? Does it share particular visual or technical elements?
This movie fits in with with some other work of Clint's. I believe that this movie and the movie Invictus can relate. I believe this because they are both a drama and they both dealing with hard times and being able to challenge through those times and come out strong and at the top. Both of these films star Morgan Freeman which is significant because he is a main actor in both movies. I believe they share thematic concerns. It shares the theme of being an underdog and coming through and showing how strong you can be. I think both the movies have similar visual elements because both movies have good cinematography and show the reality of things. 


What is the film's theme?
The theme of this film is redemption, even though it's achieved in the unlikeliest of ways. Both the characters, Maggie and Frankie, do the opposite of what their instincts tell them. They both have a hard time with relationships and keeping them because of the past. But both these characters feel they need to redeem themselves. Maggie feels the need to redeem herself through boxing in which she finds her trainer Frankie. Not looking for a father-daughter relationship, they both find what they are looking for. Someone that won't give up and leave. Through out the film Frankie covers up his pain with humor. He attends church and sends letters to his daughter but he receives them back saying "RETURN TO SENDER". This is the kind of thing that Frankie is holding himself back from. He is afraid of losing another close relationship, but he ends up replacing his daughter with Maggie in search for happiness and a new start in a relationship. 


What is the target audience? How does it address its audience?
The target audience of this film would be anyone of the ages 13 and up. The movie rating is PG-13. This movie is has violence, some disturbing images, thematic material and language which should only been seen by ages 13 and up. This movie takes a heavy toll on emotions throughout the film which is another reason. The movie address' its audience through the emotional connections that people can relate to. It also grabs peoples attention by the relationship we see growing and how we can relate that growing relationship to one in our own lives. I believe that the strong emotional connection is what gets everyone because that is what gets me.