To Die For Was... To Die For
The structure that Gus Van Sant creates in the film, To Die For is remarkable, providing us with present and retrospective footage. The back and forth between the present and the past serves as a successful way for the audience to get the whole narrative in a more exciting manner, and it also mirrors interview techniques used by TV news channels across the globe. Apart from its remarkable structure, the film provides us with an important message about the connection between humans and media.
It is amazing that although this movie premiered more than two decades ago, the quotations above stand firmer than ever, that is, with the inclusion of the innovation of the smartphone and the development of social media websites. I bet if Suzanne Stone were starting her career in 2017, she would be all over Instagram, taking advantage of its power to turn a no one into someone. Marshall McLuhan once said that the medium is the message and Suzanne doesn't let us forget that. "You're not anybody in America unless you're on TV. On TV is where we learn about who we really are. Because what's the point of doing anything worthwhile if nobody's watching? And if people are watching, it makes you a better person." This particular passage recited by Mrs. Stone Maretto is quite the philosophy, and I can't help but to relate it to our recent discussions about Instagram and the micro-celebrity status. Suzanne wants to foul everyone into thinking that she just wants to join humanity together through the medium of television, but in reality, her underlying intentions of becoming a TV journalists are very self centered. This is especially demonstrated when she becomes blinded and seduced by the fame and attention she receives after her husband's death. She is a fame craving robot that does everything in her power to become a critically acclaimed human, and not one that "joins together the global community". Seeing her thirst for fame makes me think that maybe this is the case for a lot of aspiring micro-celebrities, the ones who will do anything to get to the top, but deceive so many on their way up. I would love to see a modern adaptation of this film because I think it would really impact the way we view our connection to media, especially with our newly found addiction: social media.
