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I had the privilege of watching "Pleasantville" on November 14, 1998. Once the film ended and the credits began rolling, I could not speak. Never before had I witnessed a film that left me with such strong images and my mind in a whirlwind. It began as an innocent comedy, where two teens were zapped onto a cheesy 50s sitcom. But it soon seamlessly transformed into a moving drama, a film that left the audience questioning its own beliefs and freedoms. The film asks many important questions. Is free speech so precious? Does life offer something worth living for? Who has the right to dictate what a person can and cannot do? The film is clearly more than just black and white. I know that when I left the threatre, I felt grateful for the freedoms we have, and that I live in a world of color.

Below are some references to historic events and symbolism featured in the film. If you caught any more that I missed, please tell me!

Historical References and Symbolism

• The burning of literature-think Nazi Germany
• The rules and regulations that citizens of Pleasantville must adhere to, i.e. only speak in a "pleasant" tone. "Animal Farm," or the Russian Revolution.
• The court room scene-right out of "To Kill a Mockingbird"
• All of the "No Coloreds" signs-think pre-Civil Rights Movement days.
• The storms-every time one occurred, an equally important event occurred afterward.
• The mural that Bud and the malt shop owner painted...the image of the burning literature, and the winged books flying away-it was like the novels could burn, but the knowledge would live on. (Censorship is blindness). The town hall in flames represented the death of justice, because the gray citizens were attempting to kill thought. There were also images of people kissing and teens in cars...which represented romance, which the town had been without.
• The court case again....it resembled the witch hunts of the 1950s, in a way.
• Something to ponder: the teens discuss "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in the malt shop. Bud says that Jim and Huck escape, but find that they are free already. And then the colored citizens of Pleasantville run away to the malt shop, trying to preserve their freedom...but they, as well as the citizens of the town, discover that they too are free already.
• When Bud is offered the apple.....Adam and Eve.
• The TV repairman was like God. He tells Bud, "You don't deserve this new paradise!"
• The smashing the the malt shop windows-Kristalnacht during the Second World War, or the destruction of art.
• The idea that our perception of life can be filled with different colors.
• The concept that being yourself can be beautiful.
• In the list of regulations commissioned by the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce, the last dealt with the non-changing method of teaching at Pleasantville High. It's reminiscent of Creationism v.s. Evolution.
• The whole "it's about values" spiel given by the town mayor. It's reminiscent of traditional Republican values.

Or return to...... Remote control: take me back to the Domain of Mara Jade!