Film Evaluation: Illusions

The film Illusions was produced in 1982. It follows the day of Melinda Prey, an executive assistant at a production studio known as National Studios, who is trying to make a difference. The soundtrack of the film is highly jazz music which is similar to elevator music. This creates a relaxing feeling with the exception of when someone is singing or when there was a more thrilling part of the film. Whenever there were conflict or shocking information was shared there were more saxophones to create a louder and more intrusive sound. This at times made the words difficult to hear. The camera usually had wide angles to display facial expressions and movements. There was a scene where they filmed the closed door to the telephone to symbolize the secrets being shared on the phone. This was excellent craftsmanship. The characterization of Melinda, Ester, Luis, and the Lieutenant give a lot to the main problem in the film. Melinda is tough and sacrifices a lot to make progress for not only women but African Americans as well. Ester acts as a sort of foil for Melinda. While Melinda can hide her race to get ahead Ester cannot, but Ester is s thankful for the opportunities she is given and wants more. However, she is willing to wait for the change while Melinda is fighting for the rights and trying to enact the change. Luis, the secretary, is supposed to represent the way the masses feel with her racist comment to Melinda about Ester. She does not seem to say it maliciously, however, she simply sees African Americans as different and thinks they need to be treated differently. The Lieutenant also is racist, but his is malicious and cruel. Luis and the Lieutenant are meant to show the two sides of the population and how that makes it so difficult for racism to be overcome. With this characterization there were also several plot points that help form these characters and show the theme. The Lieutenant was originally hitting on Melinda in the beginning, but then at the end of the film there is a huge conflict when he learns that she is mixed. He is embarrassed and annoyed that she has the position she holds. There was also the scene in the beginning where Melinda was talking to her boss, CJ Forester, about filming more truths about the war and her possibly becoming a producer. This shows how she is fighting for more and trying to make a difference. Additionally, there is a scene where Ester is brought in to fix an issue with a film at National Studios. This allows for a scene where Melinda and Ester create a connection. This is followed by an effect that seems like Melinda talking to Ester but in reality it is Melinda talking to the colored part inside of her. The film has a good message, but due to the time and technology it was creating in the film is a little confusing. There were points where it was hard to understand and certain parts of the message get lost due to the order in which information is shared with the viewer. Despite the important message that is being shared, the film was subpar in its approach and convoluted details.