How far do the two films you have studied for this topic present
similar messages and values?
Both Badlands and Natural Born Killers express most, if not all, of the key themes (messages and values) that are associated with the ‘Lovers on the Lam’ genre: the American Dream, the Dysfunctional Family, Rootlessness, Modern Fairy-tale, and Animalistic Nature. The themes are shown in differing ways by the two directors, but each manages to convey the messages they wish to express.
The American Dream is that everybody can become famous/successful from something; this ideal is equally conveyed in both films. In Badlands after his arrest, Kit is being held at an airport and is handing out his personal items and generally treated like a celebrity by the pilots, and even the police officers; this shows the fame he has achieved through murder: he has achieved the ‘American dream’ in a rather bloody manner, but no one seems to care for the lives lost.
This is very similar to Natural Born Killers. As it has been shot in different points of view, Natural Born Killers shows the responses of people across the globe about their opinions of Mickey and Mallory: all seem to be fans of the couple, stating that if they could, they would be Mickey and Mallory. The way the couples are treated almost like heroes, clearly presents the corruption/naivety of society is murder is what it takes to achieve the ‘dream’.
Whilst the idea of the American Dream is presented is a very similar way between the two films, the dysfunctional family theme is presented in separate ways. For Holly, the dysfunction in her family is that her mother passed away, which, though depressing, is a very minor dysfunction in comparison to Mallory’s family. The dysfunction in Mallory’s family is mostly with her father who is presented as a disgusting slob who is abusive to Mallory both mentally and physically. Even though the heart of the problem is with her father, her mother is also a part of the dysfunction; she does nothing to protect her children from their father. This results in a very large contrast between the two presentations of the dysfunctional family in the films.
Love plays a great part in the themes, and this is typically shown through the idea of the Modern Fairy-tale: in essence, love conquers all. In the opening scene of Natural Born Killers, there is a moment after Mickey and Mallory kill the people in the diner where romantic music plays as the couple dance, fading the screen into an image of fireworks in the sky. This is a very clear way of saying that they are so in love, that they have created their modern fairy-tale through bloodshed.
Personally however, I feel that the idea of the modern fairy-tale does not show in Badlands; Kit and Holly appear to be together mostly out of obligation instead of love – this is particularly evident when Holly leaves Kit to turn herself in. Although it does not have the evidence for modern fairy-tale, the roles are reversed for Rootlessness; this is not a theme that I have so far seen clearly in Natural Born Killers. Kit is a very mysterious person; we know nothing of his past, or family – the only hint we get towards it is close to the end when he states that he always wanted to be a criminal. Another example of the rootlessness in Badlands would be after Kit kills Holly’s dad, resulting in Holly having nothing left to keep her from being with Kit.
The final theme that I can see appears in both films is animalistic nature. In Badlands, Kit and Holly end up living in the wilderness for a while, and seem to almost revert to their primary instincts throughout this time. Though the theme of animalistic nature is hinted at in Badlands, in Natural Born Killers it is very clearly shown: there are frequent shots, particularly in the opening scene, of various predators, true natural born killers.
I personally believe that the both Badlands and Natural Born Killers present very similar messages and values through the key themes that are associated with the ‘Lovers on the Lam’ genre.
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