Nina Lu - Core Response Post #2

     Britton claims that films are allowed to be diverse and individual in their genres and their stories, but “every Hollywood movie of whatever genre must allow for a conservative reading,” that these films must have this as a form of “protective camouflage” (Britton 204). 

    Films are known to push the boundaries of societal norms, to push what is conservatively, traditionally known, offering  us different perspectives. However, a film cannot be too unfamiliar. There must be certain elements, structurally, thematically, and aesthetically that must remain in the realm of the “familiar” in order to cater for the audience’s expectations. This is why procedural comedy shows have done so successfully, with the same structure for each episode, but a new “situation,” for characters to deal with– a balance of familiarity and unfamiliarity.

    Britton acknowledges humanity’s craving for new and old at once, and applies it to this comparison of genre vs. a conservative reading. An example of a film that was exploring new elements in genre whilst having to preserve a conservative interpretation for the general audience is Disney’s Luca (2021). The film brought unfamiliar elements to the table as a Pixar film, being the first Pixar film set in Italy, introducing us to an entire culture we hadn’t explored yet. However, one of the unfamiliar elements that the film explored had to be dimmed down with subtle ambiguity in order to make the film able to fit into this “conservative reading” for the general audience– Luca and Alberto’s love story.

    It’s been recently confirmed by the creator that these two characters are romantically involved– yet at the height of the film’s release Disney constantly emphasized that the two characters are “isn’t a canonically queer story,” despite the monster-shunning storyline acting perfectly as a metaphor for queer people experiencing discrimination in their communities. 

    Large companies awknowledge that “each character is located [...] in a position of social power,” which is why Disney was so hesitant to allow Luca to push the “conservative reading” that an esteemed film of its Pixar-pedestal stature “should embody” (Britton 207). In the case of these films, subtly is the writer’s sneaky indulgence.

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