Question: Describe an important relationship in a visual/oral text you have studied. Explain how this relationship impacted events in the text.
The film ‘Catch me If you can’ by Steven Spielberg, is based on a teenager’s life back in the 1960’s. Frank Abagnale Junior being the protagonist, ran away from home when he had to face the truth about his parents divorce. Suddenly he began to forge cheques in exchange of money and through this he formed a strong relationship within materialistic objects and himself. Frank Jr developed the following relationship with uniforms, cheques and a Cadillac which then linked to wider understanding of society and how materialistic things can make humans passively greedy.
One of the first materialistic objects we are revealed to by Steven Spielberg is the uniforms. This is shown to us through a low angle of Frank Jr trying on the pilot uniform, also reinforced with him standing in front of multiple mirrors. This scene occurred right after Frank Jr tried to exchange his very first cheque for money but then failed to do so. He then was walking down the street strongly accompanied with a low-key lighting technique. A pilot then appeared, stepping out of a car surrounded by flight attendants. Steven Spielberg used slow motion to go with this scene to show the importance of status for Frank Jr. The use of different uniforms in the film emphasize how Frank Jr can easily impersonate whoever he wants to be. The relationship Frank Jr formed with uniforms impacted the events in the film because he could easily pretend to be someone who he wasn’t, this then led to him continuing with his con life, breaking the law and to continue lying to those who he loves. Steven Spielberg taught me that within society, If we pretend to be someone who we aren’t, in the end the truth is always revealed.
The second materialistic object Frank Abagnale Jr gets attached to is cheques. This is revealed to us by his father, Frank Abagnale Senior, who gave his son cheques for his 16th birthday. Steven Spielberg uses a mid-shot of Frank Jr and Sr around the kitchen area at home, as Frank Sr gives him the cheques. By this, we can see the excitement in Frank Jr’s face. Frank Sr introduced the con-man life to his son. Forming a relationship with cheques caused Frank Jr to become selfish and very self-obsessed that in the end the only thing he was left with was himself and wealth. This impacted Frank Jr later on the film as he realized he wanted to settle down and build a family, but Steven Spielberg highlights that choices have consequences.
Finally we are introduced to the Cadillac, this moment was captured with a close up angle of Frank Junior’s hand holding a red box handing it over to his dad. These two sitting at a very fancy restaurant, where Frank Jr was sharing his exciting stories with his father. Frank Sr wasn’t very happy with his son, as he had just bought a Cadillac for him, Frank Jr didn’t understand that he could’ve been caught If his dad had just “bought” a brand new car without being able to pay other bills. Through the use of dialogue Frank Sr said to his son that it doesn’t matter what a man has, but what it matters is what a man is. This highlights how the relationship between Frank Jr and the Cadillac leads to him being greedy and although he was very wealthy he always wanted more and more.
Steven Spielberg introduced to us a great film, in which we can take away with us so many different meanings and messages behind the film. By Frank Abagnale Jr developing relationships with materialistic objects such as uniforms, cheques and the Cadillac, we learn that the true identity always reveals at the end, furthermore that whatever choices we make we always have to pay for the consequences and lastly that we need to be thankful for what we have instead of always wanting more and more.
