Watching W;t

1) Narrator. W;t's entire texture depends greatly upon its style of narration, and the idea of "breaking the fourth wall". The film used this aspect well, showing Vivian speaking directly to the audience (whereas, when simply reading the play, it could possibly be interpreted as her narrating to no one in particular.)


2) Camera work. Another idea explored by the play W;t is that of lost privacy or mind space. At the very beginning of the film, the angles at which the character's expressions are shown is uncomfortably close, done to mimic the feeling that Vivian was experiencing.

3) Sets. The story, quite notably, takes place in a hospital. What the film is able to add on and explore, however, is the very enclosed, very weakened feeling that Vivian was living through. Most of the time, other characters are seen from below, creating a feeling of lowness and, perhaps, submission.

4) Body language. The actors in the film gave off definite vibes by the way they presented themselves. Most obviously, of course, being Vivian's physical reactions to people/objects interacting with her. However, Jason's body language also gave a lot more information about his character--his jittery unease and youth, regardless of his intelligence.

5) Suzie, or, the dramatic foil. It is thanks to Suzie, perhaps, that the real theme of the play is made obvious. Although she does not function on the same intellectual level as Vivian or Jason, she is the one that is able to serve Vivian's deepest needs, making her, perhaps, more important. She shows each character's underlying, basic humanity.

6) Music. The music in the film was sometimes unnerving, which was most likely the intent of the composer. It aided, again, in creating a greater sense of unease and wariness that is lacked during a simple reading.

7) Lighting. Most of the time, the lighting was fairly bright, and had rather a sterile feel to it. This also aided in ambiance. Sterile environments can easily suck out emotions, and definitely made Vivian look more isolated.

8) Wit, or perhaps, self-absorption. Vivian is indeed intellectual, and this aids her greatly in her understanding, but also causes her to doubt her past, as her disease progresses. Her wit caused her to, in some way, forget her innate humanity in favor of pursuing higher status, rather than truly learning from it, which she eventually realizes.

9) Understanding versus learning. Vivian, although she has learned Donne's poetry, has not understood it. And it is not until her death that she does understand--after the fact. While she boasted her learning, she was forced to be brought low in order to understand.

10) Theme. The theme, like much of the play, can be interpreted differently through a lens that through a simple reading. A film can both enhance and contort the theme of a text, and W;t is a good example of a thoroughly enhanced and explored theme in film.


The film version of W;t was an interesting watch, and transcribed thematic elements from the play rather interestingly into film. Exploring the idea of humanity and understanding is something that strikes my much more after watching the film than reading the book, which is unusual for me (generally I will understand more from a reading). The idea of learning something, but needing to understand humanity in order to understand what you have learned is another fascinating idea, which all three of our main characters (Vivian, Suzie, and Jason), show varying degrees of. Being able to observe the characters physically also brings a good deal of this to light, making it easier to draw ideas from and attempt to make comparisons and understand.


Thesis statements:

1) Watching W;t as a film urges a deeper comprehension of the play by presenting a visual representation of the characters' interactions, rather than forcing the reader to infer subtly (or miss altogether) through the text.

2) W;t demonstrates that while intelligence and intellect are important, they are not ultimately the most needed in life, and, at times, may be a vice.

3) One major insight that W;t shows is that while intellect may allow one to learn something, it is simplicity that allows one to understand it.