Megan O’Brien — Supplemental Response #3

 Hi all! I recently watched The Big Short and was deeply inspired to write a blog post about it. Considering this film was outside the normal scope of movies I watch, I might be a little overly dumbfounded by its artistry. However, nonetheless, I thought that my film watching experience was strongly benefited by this course's content. The film revolves around the years leading up to the stock market crash of 2008 and how a few investment companies saw it coming leading to a major financial benefit for them. As someone who is not well versed in the financial inner workings of banks and stocks, I was worried that I would be lost in the movie's content. However, the film utilized unique techniques to break down its’ complexities for viewers. In the first few scenes, I almost turned it off due to my confusion. That was, until they cut to the scene of Margot Robbie providing a dumbed down version of what was going on in a bathtub of a high rise apartment. The film used this technique of flashing to a star that would explain what was going on several times. Margot Robbie’s scene, in particular, utilized her sexuality to keep educated male viewers intrigued and dumbfounded audiences like myself informed. Her role was fascinating as it poked fun at the world of investments and how they like to gatekeep information by disguising their policies with big words, while utilizing camera angles that appealed to the male gaze. It was perfectly satisfying for both groups of male “investment bros” and their unassuming girlfriends that were forced to watch this movie on a date night. This scene, and scenes like it, allowed the film to be a two quadrant movie that was enjoyable for several types of audiences. It balanced information with entertainment and manipulated the fourth wall. I really enjoyed this movie and felt like I was also able to learn a lot from it.